Flexo Printing Guidelines
Process & Specifications:
Flexo Stations/Colours/Stations Available:
10”, 16” & 17” Mark Andy Press: 10 stations
W&H Miraflex C.I. Press: 10 stations + 1 Lam station
Type of Plate:
Rubber Polymer
Type of Ink:
Water base & UV
Flexo Trapping:
Minimum Trap: 006”
White Cutback: .003” for Pressure Sensitive (with Liner) / .012” for Unsupported Film
(Trapping will be applied by the printer)
Flexo Screens:
Line Screen: (LPI): 150
Dot Shape: Circular Minimum
Dot: 1% Maximum Dot: 100%
1% dot will print: 3%
5% dot will print: 10%
2% dot will print: 5%
3% dot will print: 7%
10% dot will print:18%
20% dot will print: 33%
40% dot will print: 58%
50% dot will print: 69%
60% dot will print: 78%
75% dot will print: 88%
90% dot will print: 95%
Angles (CMYK): C 7.5° M 67.5° Y 82.5° K 37.5°
Standard Ink Densities: C 1.35 M 1.30 Y 1.00 K 1.5
Screened plates are possible / Combination plates are acceptable and will be output at 120 LPI
Plate Colour Sequence:
Lightest Colour to Darkest
Minimums:
Positive Rule: .5 pt
Reverse Rule: .5 pt
Positive Type: 4 pt
Reverse Type: 5 pt
UPCA:
Minimum Magnification: 80%
Bar Width Reduction: .002”/ 51 microns
Bar Code Information:
Canada Bar Code Standards ~ https://www.gs1ca.org/pages/n/standards/Barcode_Standards.asp
International Bar Codes ~ https://internationalbarcodes.com
Guidelines for Artwork & Submitting Electronic Art Files:
MediaWorks uses both Macintosh and PC workstations to produce high end electronic artwork,
suitable for flexographic and digital printing technologies. The following guidelines are intended to accelerate our production processes, thus cutting costs and saving time. Technical questions may be directed to Randy at randy@mediawks.com.
Files:
Mac or PC: Adobe CC applications, Esko Normalized PDF, High Res PDF
Layout: One-Up (Step-and-Repeat to be applied MediaWorks)
File Types:
We utilize state of the art equipment and software, including Adobe CC applications integrated with an Esko PDF work flow. This means we are capable of receiving a wide variety of electronic file types and converting them to suit our parameters on press. Along with the electronic files, you should also supply us with a colour hard copy or a PDF file to ensure that our output matches your intended results.
Note: You will be charged for changes that must be made to your files in order to meet our requirements.
* Please Note: MediaWorks DOES NOT accept film or plates from outside sources.
Die Lines:
It is most efficient to request the exact die size you require as we have thousand of stock dies that may fit your project. If not, provide artwork that includes the exact size and shape of the die to be used for your job. Editable PDF files are available for all of our existing dies. If you require a film layout for flexible packaging (e.g. shrink sleeves, stand up pouch, lidding film, etc.), we can create an artwork file and provide a PDF and/or native file for Adobe Illustrator. Please contact MediaWorks to request die lines or standard artwork layouts.
White Underprint:
If your item will be printed on clear or metallic stock and white is required, please provide a layer in the art file that includes all objects to be backed up with white ink. Every graphic and text object that will require white should be represented on this layer, either individually or falling within a larger, white boundary.
Note: a white layer is not required for jobs printed on a white substrate. White, or “no colour” items will simply knock out of the background colour in this case.
Fonts:
There are two ways to ensure that the text will display correctly on your supplied files:
1. Supply all fonts used in the files for us to activate when working on your job.
2. Convert all text to outlines to ensure exact placement of all characters. Discrepancies may occur with live fonts if different versions of the same software are used.
Note: due to copyright limitations, we advise that you use the second method (convert to outlines), though this makes it very difficult to edit should there be any revisions after the file has been submitted.
Postscript or OpenType fonts are preferred, but we are able to use other file formats, including Truetype. Ensure that all text is created in a vector drawing program (Adobe Illustrator) or page layout application (InDesign), and NOT in an image editing application (Adobe Photoshop). Typefaces with very fine serifs may require a 0.1 pt stroke to improve their printability.
Images:
Include all linked files, current and updated, that are placed in your artwork layout. All bitmap images, linked or embedded, should be supplied in CMYK format at a minimum of 350 ppi (100% scale). In Photoshop, when you are converting from RGB to CMYK, use the North American Standard (SWOP Coated) setting at 20% dot gain. Please provide an original layered Photoshop document whenever possible.
Production:
Do not include trap in the artwork. Our prepress department will trap the job to our specifications.
Include a minimum bleed of 1/16” outside the die cut line. This is particularly important when an image (a linked or embedded Photoshop file) bleeds off the edge of the label. Also, allow 1/16” type safe area inside the die line.
Line weights (strokes) are to be a minimum of 0.007” or 0.5 pt for isolated elements (strokes on a separation that are not supported by surrounding text or graphics).
Email & FTP:
Small files - those less than 10 MB - may be emailed to randy@mediawks.com.
Files larger than 10 MB may be uploaded using WeTransfer or other similar methods for us to download your files.
Note: Electronic transfer of files is not perfect; errors may occur during transmission. We cannot always determine whether the file has been corrupted through transport, so we rely on your supplied hard copy or PDF file for comparison.
Proofs:
Approvals may be delivered via email using PDF files, or through WeTransfer. We recommend using the latest version of Adobe Reader to view and print pdf files successfully. Let us know if you require Epson colour match or digital proofs.
If you have any other questions, please contact us.