How to Compare and Choose Flexo Printing Sleeves?
The sleeve is an essential component of flexographic printing machines. The main function of sleeving is to protect the printing plates from being scratched. At the same time, it plays an important role in enhancing the print quality and prolonging the service life of the plates by preventing dust from entering during the printing process.
A flexo printing sleeve is a plastic or metal tube that is used to print on. It can be used to print on a wide range of materials, including paper and plastic.
What is Flexo Printing Sleeves?
Flexo printing sleeves are a type of packaging that’s used to protect a product during the printing process.
It’s made from a durable material that can withstand the heat and pressure of the press, as well as the powdery substance that comes from the printing process itself.
They are generally made of a single layer of paper that has been coated with a thin layer of rubber.
However, flexo printing sleeves are the most common substrate for flexographic printing.
The sleeve is used as a protective layer between the printing plate and the printed product, and also serves to help create an impression on the paper.
The size of the sleeve depends on its purpose. Smaller sleeves are used for small items like cereal boxes, or larger ones are used for larger items such as cartons or bottles.
Numerous sectors, including packaging, product labels, business cards, and brochures, book covers, and jackets, use flexo printing sleeves.
The sleeve printing machine is used to create these sleeves.
The machine is composed of three main components: the die, the platen, and the press. These parts work together to form a sleeve that can be used on any flexographic cylinder.
Generally, the process of creating a flexo printing sleeve uses a tool known as an extruder to melt plastic pellets together.
The melted material is then pushed through a die to form long strands of plastic that are cut into individual sleeves.
These sleeves make it simple for printers to print text or images on a variety of surfaces.
What Kinds of Flexo Printing Sleeves are Available?
When selecting flexo printing sleeves, you have a variety of alternatives.
- Flexo printing sleeves with cold-resistant properties can be used with cold-resistance inks.
- Flexo printing sleeves with high heat resistance can be used with hot-resistance inks.
You also want to think about how much pressure your sleeve will need to withstand. This will be determined by the type of materials being printed on it and how many times it will be used over its lifetime.
There are three main types of flexo printing sleeves. They are paper-colored sleeves, gas-colored sleeves, and air-colored sleeves.
The type of sleeve you choose will depend on your specific needs, such as the product you are printing on, the quality of your images, and how much flexibility you want in your sleeve.
However, flexo printing sleeves are designed to protect the printed materials on the inside of the sleeve from damage.
They’re made of plastic, and they come in a variety of colors, including transparent and opaque.
They’re also incredibly versatile—they can be used for any type of product that needs to be protected from moisture or other elements like dirt or oil, as well as physical damage.
How to Choose Flexo Printing Sleeves?
When choosing flexo printing sleeves, there are two main things you should consider: their durability and their thickness.
Durability refers to how long it will take before the material breaks down under pressure or friction.
Thickness refers to how thick each layer is—the thicker it is, the more durable it will be!
As flexo sleeves are a great way to protect your printed materials from the elements, choosing the right sleeve material is important.
The most common choices are polyethylene and polypropylene.
There are also specialty sleeves made from nylon or other materials that may be more resistant to certain types of abrasion.
You also need to consider whether you want a transparent or opaque sleeve.
If you’re worried about privacy, then an opaque sleeve will help keep things private while still protecting them from the environment.
Transparent sleeves allow for visibility but may need more protection from light if they contain sensitive information or images that could fade over time.
The final thing to consider is whether or not you need a shrinkable sleeve for added protection against moisture or other environmental factors like dust.
Especially if your product is being shipped across large distances where there might be more exposure during transit than if it were being transported locally within an area where these conditions are less likely (such as nearby warehouses).
Thermoplastic sleeves are made of plastic material that is heat resistant. The advantage of these sleeves is that they can be recycled and reused.
Thermoset sleeves are made from a material that does not decompose when heated, which means it cannot be recycled.
Flexo printing sleeves are used to protect the printed surface of a flexographic cylinder.
The flexo cylinder sizes are important because they determine how much room you have for your artwork on your sleeve, which affects how large or small your images will be on the final product.
Comparison of Flexo Printing Sleeves Based on Different Factors
These are the primary things to compare between flexo printing sleeves.
1. Sleeve Length
Sleeve length is a critical factor in determining if the sleeve is right for your application.
A sleeve that’s too long or too short can cause problems with the printing quality, speed, and cost.
Flexo sleeves are available in three different lengths: 40mm, 60mm, and 70mm.
Sleeves longer than 70mm are called “oversleeves” and have additional benefits such as increased tensile strength, reduced curl, and improved print quality when compared to standard sleeves.
Oversleeves are also ideal for printing on irregularly shaped substrates like corrugated boxes or cardboard tubes because they allow greater freedom of movement during feeder adjustments.
2. Sleeve Diameter
The diameter is the diameter of the sleeve, which is measured in millimeters (mm). The most common sizes are 300 mm and 600 mm.
The diameter of a sleeve determines its size and therefore how big your print can be.
It also determines how much ink you will need to fill up the entire length of your sleeve.
The larger the diameter, the longer it will take to make a single print because more ink needs to be applied on top of one another before they dry off completely.
3. Sleeve Weight
Sleeve weight is one of the most important factors to consider when comparing flexographic printed sleeves.
It’s measured in grams per meter, and it’s an indicator of how strong, durable, and reliable a sleeve will be.
The higher the sleeve weight, the stronger and more durable your sleeve will be.
The more durable your sleeves are, the higher quality they’ll be.
A high-quality sleeve will last longer and save you money in replacement costs down the road.
4. Blockout (no light passes through)
Blockout is the percentage of light that is blocked by a material.
It’s the opposite of transparency, and it’s used in printing to block out the light from the printing plate so you don’t get any unwanted ink on your product.
You can use the blackout to make your sleeves more opaque and give them a bit more color.
5. Water Resistance
Water resistance is an important factor to consider when choosing a sleeve.
The higher the millimeter rating, the better protection it offers against water damage.
While you may be tempted to buy a sleeve with low water resistance because it’s cheaper and more available than one with high water resistance, this can be costly in the long run because you’ll have to replace your sleeves sooner than you would if they had more robust protection against liquids.
Several other factors, like the material of the sleeving, the color of the sleeving, surface treatment of the sleeving, gloss level or matte finish, high gloss inkjet or uncoated paper, and print quality (resolution, sharpness, and color matching) need to be taken into consideration.
For example:
A logo sleeve is a great way to show off your brand while protecting your product.
It’s perfect for packaging or branding a range of items that have similar specifications and requirements.
If you need something specific, like branded packaging or an individualized design, then this option might not be right for you as it doesn’t allow any customization options beyond color choice and size selection (you can choose between small, medium, or large).
Book the long-lasting and high-quality Flexo Printing Sleeves!
With its cutting-edge tools and technology, Creative Graphics is paving the way for high-quality printing plates for packaging that satisfy the demands of contemporary manufacturing procedures.
We are supported by a skilled group of employees who work hard to produce and supply Flexo Plates. For more than 20 years, we have stood as the top supplier of flexographic printing plates for packaging.
Wrapping Up
The process of comparing flexo printing sleeves is simple and straightforward. You can use the flexo sleeve calculator to get the best results quickly. However, before you do, it’s important to know how many options are available in terms of colors and sizes. A good rule of thumb is that if you’re going to print in black on a white background, then go for a white sleeve or vice versa. This will give your design full impact by not competing with any colors.
FAQs Related to Flexo Printing Sleeves
Q1. What does flexo packaging mean?
Flexo printing is a type of direct printing where printing is done using photopolymer-based flexible print forms (printing plates). In the packaging industry, this is the most commonly used printing technique.
Q2. What distinguishes digital printing from flexo printing?
The following discussion about “digital printing” uses run size and cost as deciding factors. Flexographic printing takes a longer setup time and new plates must be manufactured for each change in the artwork (such as flavor variations, varietals, etc.).
Q3. How many different kinds of flexographic plates exist?
For label printers, there are well over 40 distinct flexographic printing plates available. However, each one differs in terms of its characteristics, print behavior, and production method.
