Flexography Artwork Prepress Guidelines For Flexible Packaging – Label and Corrugated Carton

Here are some basic guidelines for artwork prepress.?

• Typography: Know the Print Process Capabilities?

Due to the nature of the flexographic process, text that prints positive will tend to fatten while text that is reversed out will tend to fill in (lose fine lines and Serifs) and become plugged. Therefore, when selecting fonts, care and attention is critical. Because the minimum type size and rule width are print system?dependent, the designer should confirm rule width and type style and size with the print provider.?

Minimum Type Size: Using type sizes below the printer’s minimum recommended size can result in type filling and is not supported.?

Minimum positive stroke size is .007” (.5pt). Minimum reverse stroke size is .01” (.7pt).

Trapping?

Image Trap: When trapping two colours, recommends “spreading” or enlarging the lighter colour under the dominant colour.

Trap Size .02”

Gradients?

? Gradients: Adjust all gradients to 1%-100% dot unless specified that vignette needs to appear to fade to zero. In this case, special screening can be applied at MPS to achieve this effect. Please indicate how the gradient / blends should print in your final art layout (i.e. overprints, effects).

All pictures and graphic elements should be placed separately into your final layout file. Try to avoid embedding art. all Psd artwork files must be at resolution 300 dpi for best results, all font must be converted to outline or include the font type in the package folder. Color pictures are converted to CMYK in Photoshop.

Barcode

It is recommended that bar codes be printed in 100% black if possible and appear on a white background. If you choose to print your barcode in a color ink, you run the risk that the code may not scan.?

Make sure to allow a “quiet zone” or no‐print area of at least 1/8” on either side of the bars of the code.?

Bar codes should be no smaller than 85% and no larger than 120%.?

Bar Code Orientation: Bar code orientation is critical.

The left figure illustrates the bars on the UPC symbol traveling in the machine direction. The right figure illustrates the bars running across the press direction.

Dieline?

Set die lines to a spot color and rename as “Dieline.” Dielines is the key to good placement of elements in a design.

Bleeds?

Bleeds should be set to at least 1/16” from trim (Dieline). also bleeds should be 2mm around Artboard.?

These were some basic artwork prepress in flexible packaging guidelines for designers.

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