bags - Understanding Flexographic Printing

Flexographic printing is defined as a method of direct rotary printing that uses special rubber or photopolymer material. The printing plates are affixed to plate cylinders of various repeat lengths, which are inked by a cell structure (anolox roll) which is used to meter the flow of the ink on roll. It carries a fast drying fluid ink to the plates that print on a variety of substrates (paper / plastic / nylon / polypropylene / cellophane / LDPE / LLDPE / etc.). Flexographic printing is a rotating method for every revolution of the printing plate cylinder an image is produced. If the image is stepped several times around a cylinder several images may be produced in one revolution. Due to the nature of the printing process there are factors that don't exist with other print methods such as offset and gravure. Because flexographic employs a flat but flexible printing plate that is stretched around a curved cylinder and the image on the plate distorts when the plate is mounted on the printing cylinder. A circle shape for example distorts into an egg shape. The amount of distortion depends on many factors including cylinder size, plate size, and the amount of distortion depends on a number of factors, including cylinder size, plate size, and the amount of adhesive mounting tape used to attach the plate cylinder. Another aspect of flexographic printing is the solids (line art) print differently than screens (dot patterns). That is because the printing plate is relatively soft and the ink on its surface must be pressed against the substrate to print. Thus the amount of pressure applied to the printing plate is critical For example more pressure is needed to print a dense and heavy solid than to print a screen tint. Whichever method used to set up the printing press, one design implication must remain clear is that you may not be able to successfully print one color screens and solids on the same printing plate or printing station. This is very different from offset printing where the solids and screens of a given color can be printed with a single printing plate. I have been involved with a number of manufacturing purchases and plant start ups and development of new packaging materials from extrusion, printing, laminating, converting, etc. for over 30 years. My goal is to give insight from my experiences to anyone that is involved in the packaging market. For more information contact dbanig@prflexbag.com www.prflexbag.com Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Banig bags - 6 Tips for Avoiding Luggage Problems You may or may not have experienced it yet, but it can be a pain to have luggage problems at the airport. It sets the trip off on a bad note when you don't have your belongings. Here are 6 tips to help you avoid having any airport problems. 1. Carry-on only If you are traveling for a long vacation, it can be difficult to travel with only carry-on luggage. However, by using only carry-on luggage, you do not have to risk your luggage getting lost or stolen. 2. Contact information It is vital that you place your contact information on the inside and outside of every piece of luggage you have. This way if you do for some reason have any kinds of luggage problems, people will have a way to notify you. A good idea is to place your contact information on the inside and outside of carry-on bags as well just in case you are forced to check it at the last second. 3. Customized bags If you travel by car, this is not as big of a deal. But when you travel by plane, there are literally hundreds of different bags that you will have to sort through to find yours. If you have customized bags such as bright colors or unique designs, it will prevent any mix-ups or luggage problems from occurring. 4. Keep valuable items with you There is no sense in risking losing a valuable item by placing it in a carry-on bag. By keeping all of your valuable items with you onboard, you will not have to worry as much if your bags get lost during the flight. Some items you may want to consider keeping with you include money, laptops, cameras and anything else of value to you. 5. Check the airline tag Although not all luggage problems can be prevented on your part, you can prevent the airline tag being mistaken. After an airline tag is placed on each of your bags, check to make sure that it is going in the right direction. There is nothing more frustrating than finding out that you're in Chicago and your luggage is in New York. 6. Report the loss of checked luggage immediately In the worst case scenario, your luggage gets lost. However, it is important that you do not beat around the bush and get to reporting your lost luggage immediately. The quicker you report the loss of your luggage, the quicker the airlines will be able to track it down. Dealing with luggage problems is a pain because of the hassle that you have to go through to retain it. However, by being aware of the tips listed above, you can potentially forego any baggage problems in the future.