Influence of Printing Substrate on Quality of Line and Text Reproduction in Flexography

This study characterizes and compares the parameters of the quality reproduction of fine elements in flexography on coated and uncoated paper as well as on OPP film (oriented polypropylene). A monochrome test form was created and printed using cyan UV ink. The analysis of results confirms the importance of interaction between the printing substrate and ink; it also indicates identical line and text deformations on the print. Quality reproduction on coated paper is higher in relation to OPP film for all the research parameters. The ink penetrates significantly more and with more irregularity into the pores and throats of the uncoated paper, which results in less homogeneous elements, and in such way that it loses its original shape. In coated paper and OPP film, the ink spreads more on the substrate area which gives it a significantly more homogeneous shape. However, due to the surface spread of the ink, the biggest changes in the size of fine elements are noticeable in the OPP film. The scientific contribution of this paper is based on the comparison of print quality parameters of fine elements, which can contribute to the optimization of the production process and quality of the final graphical product.

Automated summary

This study characterizes and compares the parameters of quality reproduction of fine elements in flexography on different substrates, finding that coated paper has higher quality reproduction than OPP film, with uncoated paper showing more irregular ink penetration and loss of original shape. The biggest changes in fine element size are noticeable in OPP film due to ink surface spread. Overall, the study contributes to optimizing the production process and quality of the final graphical product.