Whats the Combination

Getting the combination right in package labeling can lead to well-deserved

rewards.
The use of combination printing/processing is not a rarity in package printingnot by a long shot. A
printer that has the need could combine any of the printing processes, in addition to converting
operations such as foil stamping and embossing.

The value provided by combination printing is that each printing process can bring its own specific
attributes to the party, says Andy Colletta, president/CEO of Nilpeter USA. Flexography and offset
printing provide the lions share of the coverage on a signature, including the text and four-color
images, he explains. Rotary screen is often used to provide an opaque background prior to printing,
while gravure provides the opportunity for special effects such as high gloss and mirror or chrome-like
copy, traditionally used in high-end products such as health and beauty. The digital printing process
offers the ability to print variable information, such as numbering or bar codes.

Steve Leibin, sales manager for Matik North America and representing Omet, concurs with this
general assessment. Each printing process has its strengths and weaknesses. Which print process
or combination depends on the graphics required and the run size to best meet the customers quality
and price objectives. By combining the best of each process, printers can achieve exceptional
graphics that sets them apart in the marketplace, he says.

Specific strengths and weaknesses

Offset printing is commonly the quality standard that all other processes are measured against.
Offset is an excellent process for well-defined images in CMYK/Hexachrome/Opaltone applications
and where solids and fine vignettes are required on the same color, says Chris Davis, sales
manager, offset technologies (Codimag and Edelman) for Matik North America.

Dejan Trajkovic, system design engineer for Gallus, adds, Offset brings lower set-up costs due to the
economical production of the printing plates and gives the highest quality printing in large quantities.

Gravure printing is another standard bearer of high-quality printing, although typically associated with
long production runs, notes Denny McGee, president of MPS America LLC. Gravure provides high-
quality printing, great heavy laydowns of metallic and florescent inks, and is commonly associated
with long runs based on print cylinder life, he says.

Terry Trexler, product manager for Gallus, agrees, saying, Gravure brings rich, deep metallics and
basic printing at very wide widths and high speeds.

According to McGee, rotary screen printing is the master at heavy laydowns of inks and coatings. It
is typically used for adding opaque white or as a primer for film stock, notes Davis.
With its ability to provide good opacity, Trexler says that it is used to deliver nice white opaque
laydowns on clear material to create the no-label look. In addition, screen printing brings touch and
feel to applicationswith ink laydowns up to 280 micronsand can provide Braille and touchpad
printing in roll to roll, he adds.

The full range of what screen pringing adds to the application is determined by the screen itself. Joe
Posusney, marketing manager for Gallus, says the company offers eight types of Gallus Screeny that
provide a range from fine lines to relief printing that delivers tactile surfaces and Braille effects.

Digital printing brings two unique capabilities to the tableexcellent turnaround for short-run needs
and variable data printing. Different digital technologies are available, such as inkjet and digital offset
as used by HP Indigo.

Digital has outstanding print quality, but low print speedstoo low for practical volume printing, says
Paul Teachout, product development manager for Aquaflex. Digital is an important support process
when used in single-color variable information applications.

According to McGee, digital offset has proven itself in short-run, high-quality applications in a wide
variety of end markets. In addition, ink compatibility and first-pass register accuracy allow for
combining flexo, rotary screen, and foiling methods in-line, or more commonly off-line, he says.

McGee believes that inkjet holds much promise as a four-color printing process that can provide
higher operational speeds and, potentially, lowest-in-class digital ink costs. Also, inkjet appears to be
easier to adapt to a traditional printing press allowing it to play an expanded roll where it meets the
technical and market requirements for combination printing, he says.

For the North American label market, flexographic printing is the major process used as the
foundation for additional combination processes. In addition, there is a growing recognition that flexo
can provide comparable functionality offered by other processes. Flexo overlaps the other traditional
printing processes, offering high-quality four-color process printing and very good solid coverage,
offers McGee. Flexo can produce its own level of tactile feel, which can suffice at times versus using
rotary screen.

Teachout expands on this point and takes it a step further. Flexos evolution as a printing process
has come so far in recent years that we find combination processes to be more the exception than the
rule, he says. Today, flexo successfully rivals offset in print quality and the ability to lay opacities,
coatings, and comparable screens.

What todays enhanced flexo printing capabilities offer is economy, allowing brand managers to make
decisions around price versus quality. Brand buyers look for the highest quality for the lowest price,
notes Teachout. Sometimes rethinking the criteria for highest quality can lead to substantial cost
reduction. Its a delicate balance, but in todays highly competitive markets, cost reduction is a
compelling argument for change. The modern flexo press is the ideal change agentdelivering both
quality and economy in short and long runs.

While each of the printing processes has its own particular strengths, each has certain limitations
also. For example, gravure has its longer turnaround time and equipment expense (cylinders). Digital
has lower speeds and higher consumables expenses. McGee notes that rotary screen typically runs
UV inks, accompanied by heat management issues when running temperature-sensitive film
materials. In addition, speeds for rotary screen are typically lower than other traditional presses.

The impact on press run speeds is always a concern and is not limited to screen printing. A major
issue in combination printing is with the addition of each process, overall production speed is
compromised, says Colletta.

Besides these specific, process-related tradeoffs, general concerns come from the knowledge and
skills required for each of the processes. In-line combination processes require the user to
understand the strengths and tradeoffs of each process, as well as having the procedures to assure
each process is well controlled, observes Mike Lawrence, Comco product management for Mark
Andy. Added flexibility brings along the tradeoff of increasing system complexity.

There are other factors to consider. The prepress side of combination printing requires the converter
to have all the necessary requirements for film or film-less production of plates, rotary screens, etc.,
in-house or they have to work with an outside source, notes McGee. In addition, Leibin says that
combination printing can add to set-up times and can also increase a jobs waste factor.

Continuing growth

Combination printing will continue to expand in the package-printing arena. We expect that the use of
combination printing lines will continue to grow, predicts Lawrence. Consumer product companies
will keep evolving their graphics and package constructions to differentiate their products on the store
shelves.

Press manufacturers are providing the tools needed to make combination printing more and more
feasible. The ease with which the print processes can be combined is certainly driving the trend
towards more combination printing, says McGee. Servo-drive, shaftless technology and
developments refined by clever engineers with 20-plus years of combination printing experience are
providing easy systems to use when compared to early-on combination printing equipment. pP



Process attributes at a glance

Water-based and solvent-based flexo are very strong in achieving high solid densities, low ink cost,
and vibrant color in short, medium and long runs on all label and packaging materials.

UV flexo is a strong process for printing a minimum dot and high solid densities, but the ink cost is
higher than with water-based.

Rotary screen is the strongest process for solid density, easily achieving the greatest ink film
thickness. The run speed is relatively slow200 fpm. This is the strongest process to achieve the
highest levels of opacity.

The rotogravure process is excellent for control of the minimum dot. The metallic inks available are
excellent and vibrancy of color is very good, as are maximum run speeds. Prepress cost and cycle
time are relatively high.

Offset prints minimum dots very well, has relatively low prepress/plate costs, and the cycle time for
prepress is relatively short. It can operate at high run speeds. Offset printing isnt as strong as the
other processes in regards to maximum solid densities, vibrant colors, or metallic inks.

Since there are many very different digital processes, the characteristics of them differ greatly. The
prepress cost and cycle time are typically low, but consumables costs are high. Digital printing
performs best for fast turnaround, small quantity orders of high value or high margin products.

Mike Lawrence, product management - Comco, Mark Andy Inc.