Large label runs quickly and economically.
THE STANDARD FOR RUNNING LARGE PRINT RUNS
Flexographic or flexo printing is excellent for high-speed production and overall quality. And it is the label print method of choice for most of our label orders. As a national label printer and converter, we maintain a fleet of state-of-the-art flexographic printers operated by experienced technicians – allowing us to finish very large label runs quickly and economically.
Flexographic printing is a rotary printing process that utilizes flexible photopolymer plates, wrapped around a printing cylinder. Plates are produced in a separate process prior to printing, and a separate plate is required for each color that is printed. As the substrate moves through the press, it passes through each of the plates that have been mounted on cylinders. Ink is transferred to the plates via special ink wells and is then applied directly to the substrate. The flexible plates allow for high-speed label printing on a wide variety of substrates.
Flexo printing is highly versatile. It is most often touted for its combination of speed, quality and economical print options. But it also has many other advantages including:
Our flexographic label presses can print up to 20" wide – allowing for large format labels. Additionally, we can save time by simultaneously printing several streams of labels side-by-side.
Because a flexographic label press applies ink directly on the substrate, it allows for an extremely wide variety of substrate options. Everything from metallic films and foil to acetate and paper can be printed with a flexographic press.
Flexo presses can use a variety of inks including water-based, fluorescent, metallic, and UV-curable inks.
Finishing options including topcoats & laminating, turret rewinders, sheeters, and fanfolders can be added to finishing stations at the end of flexographic presses. This allows for continuous production and time savings.
Our flexo presses utilize the latest HD plate making technology – for higher resolution and better print quality. By using HD Flexo we can provide smoother vignettes, sharper details and a wider color gamut than conventional plates.
We understand the importance of streamlining our print processes to provide your customers with better, more cost-effective solutions. We have a centralized art department and plate making team that services all of our production locations. We prepare all artwork and plates in-house, allowing us to maintain tight control over cost, quality and speed. This allows us to maintain a high level of quality control and consistent service for your customers.
No matter what shape label your customer needs, DLS can help you provide an affordable die cutting option. DLS is equipped with flexible semi-rotary magnetic dies. And when you utilize our vast library of dies, you can pass on the savings to your customers.
In addition to our fleet of flexographic label presses, we offer hybrid printing. Our hybrid press adds full color digital inkjet printing capabilities to an existing 10-inch-wide, 4 color flexo press. This allows your customers to benefit from the speed, color matching and economy of a flexo press, while also utilizing digital capabilities such as variable printing.
As one of the country’s largest label manufacturers and suppliers, and a leading custom label supplier, our goal is to find ways to be efficient and cost effective while meeting high consumer expectations. That's why DLS is pleased to offer both digital and flexo options, including HD Indigo. These varied printing solutions ensure that working with DLS, you can handle any project for your customer – from 100 to 100,000,000 labels.
Not sure which label printing technology is best for your customers? Our label printing experts can help. Our team will work with you to determine which option will best balance your customer’s need for print quality, price, turnaround time and label quantity. We will do the calculations and make that call on a job-by-job basis – helping guide you to the best solution for your customer’s needs. Contact us for a quote or for more information on how we can help with your customer’s labels.
Take a look at our flexographic printers in action. And learn how you can get a custom copy of this video to market to your customers.