Flexographic printing's gains in the market are unmistakable, and the quality of its end products continues to improve. Anilox rolls are a key component in the quality equation in flexo printing, and also in the equation for its productivity. Improving prepress operations for flexographic printing means, in part, improving efficiencies of anilox roll change-out and preparation. To a large degree, anilox roll preparation equates to engraving. Anilox sleeves are enjoying increased usage in this arena, and some might be surprised that the sleeved alternative to engraved anilox rolls can sometimes exceed the LPI (lines per inch) of rolls. Plus anilox engravers can employ the same cutting-edge processes, such as laser engraving, on sleeves as they can with rolls. There are pluses and minuses to using rolls and sleeves or vice versa, many of which deal with volumes rather than the actual applications.
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