Flexography is an advanced printing process, which uses a flexible relief plate for printing labels on batches of product packaging. It is an advanced form of letterpress printing compatible with almost all types of substrates, including plastic, cellophane, paper and metallic film. Today, flexographic label printing is used extensively for printing non-porous substrates required for various types of food packaging. The reason why it is such a favorite is because it can print batches of products packages in one go without compromising on the quality of the print.
Flexography is also widely used because of its wide range of ink types, most of which require very little or no drying time. Its water base makes it beneficial for printing on a range of different materials like plastic, acetate, brown paper, foil and the like. Flexography churns out large rolls of material that is then split to the required finished size by slitting machines.
Benefits for Food Packaging
Flexography offers numerous benefits over other types of reproduction technologies available in the market. This is especially true when we talk about labeling of food product packaging. For companies manufacturing food related products, flexographic label printing offers the perfect balance of stability, reliability, and safety. Labeling is also crucial aspect of packaging for all food manufacturing entities.
As there are various government regulations that require food manufacturing companies to package their products in containers printed with ink that doesn't wear off, flake, deface or otherwise degrade. Apart from these challenges, there are also various other challenge such as choosing a technology that is compatible with the type of material used for product packaging. Most of the food packaging comprise plastic, cellophane or non-porous materials to which traditional printing processes using traditional inks do not adhere easily.
Flexographic label printing, on the other hand, adheres to the surface without the risk of corrosion or compromised safety to consumers. In addition, considering the versatility of the technology and its capability to print batches of product packages with just one template, it is a cost-effective choice for food industries.
There are definitely several other advantages of flexographic label printing that makes it an ideal choice for a commercial application such as food packaging. However, when choosing a service provider, always ask for sample labels that the company has produced in the past and ensure that the company adheres to all labeling guidelines stipulated under food label laws.
Summary: Labeling food products requires a high quality printing technology that complies with guidelines stipulated under food and safety act of a particular state and also appeals to the targeted market. This is the reason flexographic label printing is gaining importance in food product labeling industry as it not only saves time, but money as the ink dries up fast and is capable of printing continuous patterns.