What is Narrow Web Printing?
Flexography is the fastest-growing process used for printing today. It focuses on wide web and narrow web flexo printing for companies and manufacturers who produce mid to high-volume printing jobs more cost-effectively than other printing processes, like digital printing. Flexo printing produces fast printing for larger volume production runs.
What are the Benefits of Flexo Printing?
Flexo printing provides the benefits of being printable on many different surfaces and specific materials, the ability to match Pantone colors, and its cost-effectiveness for long runs. Other benefits of flexo press printing include:
- Lower ink costs vs. digital printing per square meter
- Larger production of labels in less time
- Ability to automate applications such as laminating glue, cold foil, and varnish applications
- Increased durability and flexibility using a wide range of substrates and colors
- Included inline finishing
Flexo printing is a great choice for companies who produce higher volumes because flexo presses run much faster than digital presses, while still producing results with exceptionally high quality. As your quantity increases, your per-label cost decreases, making flexo printing more cost-effective
Wide Web vs. Narrow Web
The main difference between narrow web and wide web printing is the width of the substrate. Wide web flexo printing provides high-speed printing for large-volume orders. Smaller companies wishing to experience the benefits of flexo printing often run into obstacles due to the larger volume threshold. Wide web printing processes run faster than the narrow web, often at speeds of 1000 ft./m or more.
Narrow web printing can be an ideal option for businesses that are looking to print smaller print runs while still looking for high speed, consistency, quality, and cost savings. Narrow web processes typically run in the range of a few hundred feet per minute.
Benefits of Narrow Web Printing
Narrow web printing provides companies with many benefits, allowing printing on substrates of a smaller width which allows them to realize the many benefits of flexo printing while saving money compared to wide web printing. Narrow web printing uses a smaller web width while still allowing various in-line converting processes.
Additional benefits of narrow web printing are:
- Low warehousing costs – the space needed for narrow web printing is less than for wide web printing equipment, which lessens warehousing costs.
- Environmental advantages – meeting emission standards with sustainable inks such as UV inks.
- Less amount of waste – narrow web printing produces less waste on each printing run.
- Fewer materials – the materials, such as labels and bags are smaller with narrow web printing.
- Versatility in ink properties – achieve the same flexibility with flexo inks that provide a wide range of colors, sustainable properties, and curing options.
- High-quality results – narrow web printing produces smaller bags or labels with the precise quality ink registration of flexo printing. Achieve high-quality results with processes using pressure-sensitive tape.
- Cost savings – cost-efficient flexo printing with narrow web processes provides companies with many benefits, including less cost for materials, less waste with production, and less capacity required compared to wide web processes.
Narrow web flexo printing provides these many benefits by providing solutions for printing labels, poly bags, flexible packaging, and more. Narrow web printing allows the printing of smaller bags and labels as needed, which yields smaller production waste and expense.
Narrow Web Labeling Equipment Solutions
Tamarack® Products is an industry leader in integrated labeling equipment featuring the Versa Web P500 web finishing equipment. The P500 is an integrated labeling system with a modular design that can be installed on your current press and used to produce direct mail, envelopes, business forms, promotional products, and folding cartons. The Versa Web P500 is customized and engineered to meet your specific needs. The ability to upgrade the P500 with RFID insertion equipment is also available.
Tamarack® Products provides solutions for your printing needs by designing and customizing flexographic web finishing equipment that is tailored to you, such as our P500 Inline on Flexo Press Integrated Labeling System. We bring more than 50 years of design and manufacturing experience in web finishing equipment. Contact us to learn more about the Versa Web P500, flexo printing solutions, and the many benefits of narrow web printing.
