More frustrations with our printer in China

[TMPDave]

Hello,
We direct-print on corrugated cardboard (kraft paper liner) in China for some of our packaging. We have moved to offset on white gloss paper which is then glued to corrugated for most products, but a few of our products are still in "brown" boxes with direct printing.

Our factory is incapable of communicating a printing process that makes any sense to me. I need to know what process they are using so that I can communicate it to others. They mention they use "rubber plates", and call it a watermark process (I think they might me mean water-base process?). Which printing process is this? I know Flexo uses rubber plates, is a water base process and can print on carboard. Is there any other process in the world that uses rubber plates, is water-based, and prints direct on corrugated cardboard? Or are they using flexo? Just want to know what they can be possibly doing.

 

[prepress labels]

For what it's worth...

For what it's worth...

Hello,
We direct-print on corrugated cardboard (kraft paper liner) in China for some of our packaging. We have moved to offset on white gloss paper which is then glued to corrugated for most products, but a few of our products are still in "brown" boxes with direct printing.

Our factory is incapable of communicating a printing process that makes any sense to me. I need to know what process they are using so that I can communicate it to others. They mention they use "rubber plates", and call it a watermark process (I think they might me mean water-base process?). Which printing process is this? I know Flexo uses rubber plates, is a water base process and can print on carboard. Is there any other process in the world that uses rubber plates, is water-based, and prints direct on corrugated cardboard? Or are they using flexo? Just want to know what they can be possibly doing.

I've never dealt with direct printing on corrugated cardboard before, so I'm not sure what the conventional printing methods are for it, but...

We print narrow-web labels using polymer-based flexo (a "rubber plate," if you will) and letterpress (a slightly harder "rubber plate")--not sure if that helps. As for "watermark process," here's a guess: they may be talking about "water-wash," which is another way of scrubbing out the non-printing areas of a polymer plate after it has been exposed (as opposed to solvent-wash). I've seen water-wash systems for flexo and letterpress.

Hope this helps somewhat. If not, maybe talk to your prepress or plate vendor and see if they can enlighten you. And maybe you can flatly ask your printer in China what they're talking about next time you talk to them. Probably just a terminology issue.

 

[michaelejahn]

學說中國話

學說中國話

Hello,
We direct-print on corrugated cardboard (kraft paper liner) in China for some of our packaging. We have moved to offset on white gloss paper which is then glued to corrugated for most products, but a few of our products are still in "brown" boxes with direct printing.

Our factory is incapable of communicating a printing process that makes any sense to me. I need to know what process they are using so that I can communicate it to others. They mention they use "rubber plates", and call it a watermark process (I think they might me mean water-base process?). Which printing process is this? I know Flexo uses rubber plates, is a water base process and can print on carboard. Is there any other process in the world that uses rubber plates, is water-based, and prints direct on corrugated cardboard? Or are they using flexo? Just want to know what they can be possibly doing.

All I might suggest is to hire someone who speaks Mandarin and Cantonese and set up a skype connection. You might contact Tom Sit at Compose Systems. Email me privately at [email protected] is that seems interesting to you.

 

[Jnsic]

why use a printer in China? isn't it about time we stop feeding their economy?? If the savings are that much, then you deserve what you get. Lack of communication, and a sub par product.

 

[richprint]

We make 2 kinds of water wash plates at our trade shop along with photo polymer plates. A customer of ours who uses the water wash plates prints on the "java-jackets" that go around coffee cups. So they could be using the water wash plates for corrugate printing, i've only typically made a .250" cyrel plate or used a .125" cyrel with a .125" grey foam backing to get the relief they require on press.

 

[JimBob53]

it's call Flexography

it's call Flexography

Hello,
We direct-print on corrugated cardboard (kraft paper liner) in China for some of our packaging. We have moved to offset on white gloss paper which is then glued to corrugated for most products, but a few of our products are still in "brown" boxes with direct printing.

Our factory is incapable of communicating a printing process that makes any sense to me. I need to know what process they are using so that I can communicate it to others. They mention they use "rubber plates", and call it a watermark process (I think they might me mean water-base process?). Which printing process is this? I know Flexo uses rubber plates, is a water base process and can print on carboard. Is there any other process in the world that uses rubber plates, is water-based, and prints direct on corrugated cardboard? Or are they using flexo? Just want to know what they can be possibly doing.

I believe, as best I understand your question. The process they are using is call Flexograhpy. It is a poscess that uses large wed presses that use rubber plates to print directly on the stock. It is used by many box companies in the US.

 

[JimBob53]

Sorry, I didn't read down far enough to see you knew about flexo. In 39 years of printing I don't know of another printing process that uses rubber plates. I will try to read the whole post before I reply.

 

[Mark]

Print locally and avoid the problem

 

[randy williams]

u>s. box distributor

u>s. box distributor

Hello
My company is the largest paper and packaging company in North America. We also have people in China working directly with those factories. Our preference is to keep business here and we have alternatives to direct print that are much higher quality and are not litho laminate or rubber flexo plates. Please feel free to e mail me at [email protected] and let me know your location and I will be glad to have someone contact you and try to ease your pain.
Thank you
Randy

 

[Greg Imhoff]

Dear Frustrated: You have named both Flexo and Letterpress two (2) processes which may exist in one (1) common line of a printing press. The main applications described are both box print (Kraft) and "PrePrinted Liner Board" where white stocks are printed then applied later to the brown box.

If your communication of process control is not under control then you may be "cost spending" monies for substandard works.

Think of your image as the path to improve unit sales. If the goal is to motivate the consumer to purchase POP or from the box itself - your company may be spending monies to slow down sales at the point of purchase. Quality in print pays and substandard print, never pays.

Sincerely,
Greg Imhoff

I've never dealt with direct printing on corrugated cardboard before, so I'm not sure what the conventional printing methods are for it, but...

We print narrow-web labels using polymer-based flexo (a "rubber plate," if you will) and letterpress (a slightly harder "rubber plate")--not sure if that helps. As for "watermark process," here's a guess: they may be talking about "water-wash," which is another way of scrubbing out the non-printing areas of a polymer plate after it has been exposed (as opposed to solvent-wash). I've seen water-wash systems for flexo and letterpress.

Hope this helps somewhat. If not, maybe talk to your prepress or plate vendor and see if they can enlighten you. And maybe you can flatly ask your printer in China what they're talking about next time you talk to them. Probably just a terminology issue.

 

[Username]

why use a printer in China? isn't it about time we stop feeding their economy?? If the savings are that much, then you deserve what you get. Lack of communication, and a sub par product.

exactly what i was thinking.