Comparison of common printing methods for several corrugated boxes
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The carton is an ordinary paper packaging product that is inseparable from our life and production. The printing quality of corrugated boxes is not only related to the appearance quality of corrugated boxes, but also affects the sales prospects of the products and the image of the manufacturers. Therefore, it is particularly important to analyze how to improve the surface printing effect of corrugated boxes, how to choose a suitable printing process, and further reduce the cost of carton processing. We will discuss these aspects here.
First, the processing technology of corrugated board is mainly divided into two categories.
1. Production process of automatic corrugated board production line The corrugated board production process is widely used, and has the advantages of large production volume, large volume of carton forming, and good quality of enamel type. The corrugated board produced by the process is usually made into a carton by processes such as water-based printing, slotting, sticking, and molding. The carton produced by this process is mainly used as a transport package.
2. Semi-automatic corrugated board production line production process The corrugated board production process is to first print the facial tissue, and then mix it with corrugated core paper and cardboard. The corrugated cardboard produced by the process is conventionally formed into a box by using die-cutting indentation and sticking. The carton produced by the process has good molding quality and good surface treatment effect. The carton produced by this process can be used as a sales package.
Second, the conventional carton printing method The conventional carton printing methods mainly include flexo, offset and screen printing.
1. Flexographic Printing Corrugated Box The conventional flexographic printing corrugated box process is to print directly on corrugated board using water-based inks, so some people refer to this process as a watermark. Flexographic direct printing has the following characteristics:
(1) The format is large. Wide-format flexographic presses have a maximum width of 2.5m to 2.8m.
(2) The price is low. The flexographic printing plate has a high print durability and can be reused; the ink price is also low.
(3) It can be linked to production, such as printing, grooving, indentation, binding (sticking) box, bundling, etc.
(4) The carton strength is reduced less. Since flexo printing is light press printing, the effect on the strength of corrugated board is small.
(5) The printing accuracy is not high. The number of conventional offset printing lines is 175 lines/inch, while the conventional printing line of flexo printing boxes is 35 lines/inch to 65 lines/inch. It is a low-precision printing method, which is most suitable for printing text lines. The printing quality of four-color images has improved in recent years, but it is still limited.
(6) The plate making is easy and difficult, the text line drafting is easy, and the four-color image making is difficult.
(7) The printing quality is not stable, mainly reflected in the difficulty of controlling the color of the printing ink. The flexographic direct printing process is suitable for the first type of carton production process, and is currently widely used in China's carton factories.
2. Offset printing Corrugated box Conventional offset printing Corrugated box adopts indirect printing method, that is, printing the carton paper first, then attaching the printed tissue paper to the corrugated board.
Since the resolution of the PS plate is relatively high, a very fine printed pattern can be printed. At present, the vast majority of high-grade corrugated boxes used for sales in China are offset products. Offset printing corrugated boxes have the following characteristics:
(1) It is not suitable for the use of cardboard linkage production line, only suitable for single-face corrugating machine, and the production efficiency is low.
(2) The format is limited, generally smaller than the width of the flexo carton.
(3) The printed products are very fine, and the number of screen lines can reach 150 lines/inch to 200 lines/inch.
(4) Easy plate making, regular plate making for the PS version.
(5) Surface finishing, such as lamination, glazing, etc., can be performed.
(6) High printing costs.
(7) The printing quality is relatively stable.
3. Screen printing corrugated carton
The screen printing corrugated box process uses direct printing. Since the inking rate of the screen plate is proportional to the pitch of the screen, the resolution of the screen printing is not high, the image accuracy is low, and the conventional screen line number is 60 lines/inch to 80 lines/inch. Screen printing corrugated boxes have the following characteristics:
(1) Not suitable for linkage production lines, and production efficiency is low.
(2) The printing format can be large or small.
(3) It is possible to complete the printing before the boxing or boxing, or after the boxing and boxing.
(4) Suitable for printing non-fine products. The ink color of screen printing is thick, so its color saturation is high, and the visual effect is strong, especially in the field and effect of spot color printing.
(5) Easy plate making and low plate making cost.
(6) Low printing costs.
(7) The printing quality is relatively stable.
Third, the new printing box method
1. When the plastic gravure composite carton process adopts the single-face corrugated production line, if the glossy film is required after the printing of the facial paper is completed, and the production batch is large, it can be printed on the facial paper instead of the gravure printing on the plastic film. Finish the gravure printing, and add the white background, then combine the printed plastic film with the facial paper, and then complete the box according to the conventional carton forming process. The characteristics of this process are:
(1) The cost of making cartons is low.
When the production batch size is large, such a process can greatly reduce the printing cost of the face paper and the material cost of the face paper. Since the face paper does not need to be printed, non-coated whiteboard paper can be used, so that the cost of the face paper is greatly reduced.
(2) Beautifully printed. Because the plastic gravure is used, the printing effect is comparable to the offset printing effect. Special attention should be paid to the use of this process. In the process of plate making, the dimensional change and deformation of the plastic film should be fully considered; otherwise, the carton paper will be misaligned with the lower paperboard.
2. Coated paper gravure composite carton process This process can be used when the production batch is relatively large, no film is required, and the printing effect is good and the cost is low. The process is to first print a thin coated paper with a paper gravure printing machine, and then combine the beautifully printed coated paper with ordinary slag paper or cardboard paper, and use it as a carton paper, and then carry out the confrontation and normal carton molding. machining. The characteristics of this process are:
(1) The cost of making cartons is low. The main reason for the cost reduction is to convert the whiteboard paper into a low-weight coated paper and a cheap cardboard paper, which reduces the material cost.
(2) Beautifully printed. The printing of paper gravure is very beautiful.
(3) Gravure plate making is more complicated and costly, and is not suitable for printing carton products that are often revised.
(4) The operation and control methods of the papermaking process, such as paper composite and box making, should be carefully explored, accumulating and rationally implemented, otherwise it will easily lead to an increase in scrap rate.
3. Direct offset corrugated box process Corrugated box direct offset printing process is now relatively mature abroad, it is to make corrugated board directly on a special offset printing machine. Suitable for processing thin corrugated boxes.
The process can not only ensure the formability of the carton, but also complete the exquisite paper printing. However, the printing machine used is relatively expensive, and it is not suitable for the demand standard in China. It is not suitable for the carton industry in the near future. However, in the next few years, the process may become a new development direction for high-end carton printing in China.
4. Flexo pre-printed and gravure pre-printed corrugated box process
This year, the development of these two processes is to first print the paper in roll paper, and then complete the production of corrugated board in the automatic corrugated board production line. The printing quality and molding quality of the carton are relatively high, but the investment is relatively large and is not suitable for small batch production.
In the domestic carton industry, the application of three conventional corrugated carton printing methods is relatively common, and it has become the mainstream way of corrugated carton printing. The new type of printing and box making method, because the hot spots of equipment, materials, technology, operation and other technologies have not been fully grasped, the investment is relatively large, and the difficulty of promotion is still relatively large. However, in order to improve the quality of the carton, reduce the total cost of the carton, obtain the maximum profit, and increase the competitive advantage in the market, it is imperative to adopt a new printing and box making process.
From the overall development of the carton printing process, the plate making and printing technology of the direct printing corrugated carton process needs to be improved overall. The plastic gravure, carton gravure and web offset printing processes need to be promoted and improved, direct offset printing and pre-printing. The production process of corrugated boxes should also attract our attention.