Label Printing Methods and Their Features

[Chinese Packaging Network News] Self-adhesive label printing, also called sticker printing, trademark printing, it uses a certain printing method to print the label into a self-adhesive adhesive material, the printed product can be peeled off , Adhere to the product or packaging to identify it. So, what are the ways of sticker printing? What are the characteristics? The following small series for everyone to introduce.

Printing Method 1: Embossing

The use of embossed printing stickers, printing plate photosensitive resin letterpress, printing labels with the advantages of full ink, but now the difference in the size of letterpress printing equipment is relatively large, and some are still using the flat press, some use ordinary Rotary printing machines, some of which have adopted professional hatchback, satellite or airtight label printing machines, cannot be generalized in the transition.

Professional adhesive printing machines based on embossing mainly have the ability to print film labels, but they need to contact suppliers and replace some related components, such as adding tension control systems for servo motor control, adding thin film surface treatment units, and high-grade Some machines can also add precise registration systems. In addition, the uv light source power must be adjusted properly.

For companies printing adhesive labels using a flattened letterpress printing machine, if printing film labels, you can change the photosensitive resin version to a highly flexible flexographic plate, use a water-based ink or uv ink for flexo printing, and change the nature of the ink. Adapt to substrate changes.

Printing Method 2: Offset Printing

Offset printing is the main method for printing paper stickers in China's label printing plants. Offset printing is characterized by fine graphics and rich layers, suitable for large-volume printing, and printing equipment can be used in one machine, which is suitable for the characteristics of the Chinese label market. However, sheet-fed offset printing is not suitable for printing films with no absorptive surface, because the film labels are mostly roll-to-roll and require volatile drying inks. Offset can print thicker plastic materials, such as in-mold labels, label hangtags, but the machine must be equipped with uv-curing devices that require a small fee.

Printing Method Three: Flexo Printing

At present, the quality of flexographic prints is no less than that of offset printing, and even has its own unique place. The advantage of this printing process is that the machine structure is simple, the cost is low, the printing quality can be comparable with offset printing, gravure printing, and has the advantage of being thicker than the ink layer of the offset printing product. The flexographic printing uses aqueous ink and uv ink, and does not pollute the environment.

However, due to the flexibility of the flexographic printing plate, the reproducibility of the typography is different from that of the gravure printing plate and the ordinary letterpress printing plate. The dots of the high-light to the intermediate tone of the flexographic printing are greatly enlarged, the printing contrast is small, and the high light level is prone to faults. When labeling, in order to make up for level defects, the highlight part can use FM network dots, dark tone or intermediate call AM screening to improve quality. Label printers without a flexo press can introduce laminate type narrow-width flexo printing presses dedicated to sticker printing, which are suitable for film label printing. Because the flexographic printing press adopts circular die cutting, the die cutting roll is expensive and has a long production cycle. It is only suitable for long-lived prints, and it is not suitable for the characteristics of short-lived domestic adhesive labels. However, it is an easy-to-transform label printing device that can work online with thin film slitting, stitching, and sealing processes.

Printing Method 4: Gravure

The gravure printing adopts the ink supply system of the short ink way to supply the ink, the material of the web is printed, the degree of automation is very high, use the solvent type ink, the ink layer dries quickly, it is the first choice of the membrane type printing. Generally, the speed of the gravure printing machine is high, and the rear end of many gravure printing machines is also equipped with a roll die cutting device, which can perform die cutting and creasing, and is suitable for the printing of various labels. However, due to the long gravure plate making period and the expensive platemaking cost, it is only suitable for high-volume label production.

Printing Method 5: Screen Printing

Screen printing is the most adaptable printing method for substrates. At present, there are many screen printing companies that use inexpensive screen printing equipment to undertake self-adhesive labels and film label printing services.