mage showing an anilox roll demonstrating its essential role in the printing process.

How to Improve Flexo Print Quality with Direct Laser Engraving

In the flexographic printing industry, advancements in technology have enabled incredible improvements in print quality and process efficiency. One innovation that’s making a significant impact is direct laser engraving (DLE). This technology has come a long way since its early stages, and today, it offers unparalleled precision, quality, and flexibility in creating flexo plates. 

How Direct Laser Engraving Improves Flexo Print Quality

Let’s explore how direct laser engraving is enhancing flexo print quality in ways that were once considered unattainable.

Controlling Engraving Parameters: The Key to Dot Shape & Support

In flexo printing, the plate’s main role is straightforward: to carry ink from the anilox roll and transfer it onto the substrate. However, the challenge lies in maintaining quality and minimizing spread by controlling the amount of ink transferred. Excess pressure on the plate can cause the ink to spread, diminishing image clarity and precision.

Direct laser engraving addresses this by enabling precise control over the dot shape and size, which in turn helps manage the amount of ink laid down. Unlike traditional methods that offer limited control, DLE uses laser technology to directly sculpt dots in three dimensions, allowing for greater accuracy in transferring ink to the substrate with minimal spread. This high level of control makes it possible to produce sharp, well-defined images even with the smallest dot sizes.

Illustration of how direct laser engraving technology precisely shapes and sizes dots on a flexo printing plate, allowing for controlled ink application and improved print clarity

Advantages of Direct Laser Engraving in Flexo Printing

  • 1. Enhanced Dot Precision
    DLE technology uses variable laser intensity to create an image directly on the plate, adjusting the grayscale value from as low as 1% to 100%. This allows for meticulous control over dot size, shape, and intensity, effectively sculpting the image with the laser. Unlike traditional CTP technology, which is limited to on-off binary imaging, direct laser engraving’s gray level control provides smooth tonal transitions, enabling exceptionally detailed prints.
  • 2. Customizable Shoulder Angles
    One of the most notable benefits of laser engraving is the ability to customize shoulder angles on the plate. With DLE, users can vary the shoulder angle from around 80 degrees in highlights to 90 degrees in shadows. This flexibility allows for sharper, more precise prints and reduces dot gain, as smaller shoulder areas can be used for fine details, while broader shoulders support heavier ink applications.

Diagram illustrating below-surface dots created by laser engraving on a flexo printing plate, showing different image elements layered on the same plate.

  • 3. Below Surface Dots
    Laser engraving also enables below-surface imaging, which is useful for printing different image elements on the same plate. For instance, DLE allows for fine lines and small dots to be engraved below large, solid areas, accommodating heavier pressure on solids without impacting the delicate lines or details. This feature improves overall print consistency and helps prevent ink gain in finer image areas.

Simplified Depth Control with Direct Laser Engraving

Another area where direct laser engraving excels is in controlling the plate depth. Traditional depth control often requires multiple calibration steps, which can be time-consuming and dependent on experience. DLE simplifies this process with a straightforward depth calibration test that assigns a specific depth value to each gray level, creating a detailed, reliable profile for accurate image reproduction. With minimal training, operators can create DLE plates as effectively as a seasoned professional.

Future of Direct Laser Engraving in Flexo Printing

The quality and efficiencies delivered by direct laser engraving are already transforming the flexo industry, with the ability to produce 1% dots at resolutions up to 250 lines per inch. These capabilities are bridging the gap between flexo and other high-end print processes, enabling flexo to handle jobs that were once only achievable with Rotogravure. As new materials and direct laser engraving systems continue to emerge, the potential for even finer print quality and greater operational efficiency grows.

Final Thoughts

The advances in direct laser engraving have brought flexographic printing to new levels of precision and reliability. With the ability to manipulate dot shape, shoulder angle, and below-surface depth, direct laser engraving allows finer control over every detail on the plate. The result is a marked improvement in print quality and process efficiency, helping flexo printers deliver exceptional results with consistency and ease.

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