How to Put Ink in a Flexo Press www.waynetrademark.com

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How to Ink Up
A Flexo Press
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Solvent-based Water-based and UV-curing
Inks.
There are three different kinds of inks used
in flexographic printing
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This is about adding water based inks to a
flexographic press
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First... Gather all of the different colors of
inks that you plan to use on the production
run. For four color process, this will be
yellow, magenta, cyan, and black
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Arrange the inks from light to dark. Start with
yellow at the first station of the press. For
the second station, add magenta, then, cyan on
the third station, and finally, black on the
last.
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Pour in the ink
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If you have a short run, it may be better to
pan the inks This means that the ink will be
poured directly into the pan on the ink
station, and the rubber hose that is used for
Draining will be tied off, so that no ink
will drain out
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If using this method, you should keep a close
watch on the ink station while the press is
running to ensure that the ink remains at the
correct level, so that the proper amount of ink
is transferred to the anilox roller. You may
have to add more, as needed, during the run
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If you have a long run, you will usually pump
the inks
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On each ink pump, place a liner in the pail
that you are going to add ink to. Place the
pump cover on the pail, and then pour the
amount of ink that you plan to use through one
of the holes on the cover
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. Place the hose that drains the ink
from the ink station tray, into one of the
drainage holes on the pail cover, so that it
can drain back into the pail. Place the hose
coming from the pump into the pan on the ink
station. Dont forget to double check that each
hose is secure and will not slip during a run
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Turn on the pump so that ink begins to flow into
the pan. If you need a higher level of ink,
place a thick washer over the drain so that it
acts a dam, and raises the level of ink
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As the level of ink begins to rise, adjust the
flow from the pump. If it is too slow, it can
stop pumping, as the ink gets thicker. If the
flow is too fast, it can overflow the tray and
drip ink on the web, ruining the printed
material, and creating a big mess
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You should keep a check on all of the ink
stations throughout a production run. Make sure
that the pumps are working correctly, the ink
flow is steady, and the ink levels are where they
should be
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When using a water based ink, you may need to add
an ounce or two of water, so that the correct
consistency and drying time are maintained. If
the ink is drying to fast, you may need to add PH
Adjuster
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No matter how careful you are while handling
inks, a spill is bound to happen. While this can
be messy and troublesome, it happens to press
operators with years of experience
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Fortunately, water based inks can be cleaned up
with a damp rag and a little elbow grease.
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Fortunately, water based inks can be cleaned up
with a damp rag and a little elbow grease.
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For more information on Flexo Printing, go to
Wayne Trademark