Flexo

Eco-friendly

• Water-based ink is mostly used. It is eco-friendly and green printing. Especially suitable for printing food package, medical package, or sanitary package.

• Closed ink chamber, less ink volatilization, good for the environment and operator health.

Rotogravure

Less eco-friendly

• Solvent-based ink is mostly used. The solvent residual is harmful and not suitable for printing on food, medical package, or sanitary package.

• Open ink chamber, more ink volatilization. This will influence the ink viscosity, pollute the environment, and harmful to operator health.

Flexo

• Suitable to various type of material, such as paper, film, aluminum foil, adhesive sticker, tinsel, etc.  Especially for printing flexible, shrinkable, super-thin film.

• Flexo press is light pressure printing, and suitable for printing corrugated paper which requires light pressure during printing.

Rotogravure

• Instable tension control, difficult for printing flexible, shrinkable, super-thin film. 

• Gravure is heavy pressure printing, therefore not suitable for printing on corrugated paper.

Flexo

High precision registration is achieved due to:

• Short distance between each printing unit.

• No web deformation

• Stable tension

• Registration is not influenced when machine speed up or slow down

• Easy for registration.

Rotogravure

Registration precision is difficult to control due to:

• Long distance between each printing unit, likely to increase errors.

• Web is likely to deform.

• Instable tension.

• Registration is influenced when machine speed up or slow down.

• Not easy for registration.

Flexo

Plate cylinder sleeve, anilox sleeve, closed ink chamber make it easier and faster during job changeover.

Rotogravure

Plate needs to be hoisted and changed manually, which takes longer time.

Flexo

High printing speed, higher than gravure press. Printing quality is stable at high speed.

Rotogravure

Long web route and instable tension result in the instable printing quality at high speed.

Flexo

Low wastage rate（1%-2%）

Rotogravure

High wastage rate (9%) due to low registration precision and long web route.

Flexo

30% less than gravure printing in certain area, also reducing the energy consumption for ink drying.

Rotogravure

High printing pressure and thicker ink result in more ink consumption. This requires more energy for ink drying.

Flexo

Short time for plate-making and less cost for plate-making. Suitable for small or large batch printing.

Rotogravure

Long time for plate-making and more cost for plate-making.  Pate-making is complicated. Not suitable for small batch printing.

Flexo

Printing units are arranged around central drum. Require less floor space than gravure press and easy for arranging inline equipment (such as creasing, punching, die cutting).

Rotogravure
Print units are arranged in a line, which require more floor space. It need more space for inline equipment.

Flexo

Compared to gravure press with same number of printing units, C.I flexo press has less guide rollers, thus reducing the time and cost for maintenance.                      

Rotogravure

Gravure press has more guide rollers and mechanical parts than flexo press, thus increasing the time and cost for maintenance.                       

Flexo

Simple structure, easy operation. Less manpower is required.

Rotogravure

Complicated structure and long web route make it complicated for operation. Therefore, more manpower is required.

Flexo

Total printing cost: 10%-20% of gravure

Ink consumption: 30% less than gravure

Power consumption: 40% less than gravure

Waste rate: less than gravure.

Less manpower cost than gravure.

Rotogravure

Plate-making is complicated and high cost; high maintenance cost;

More ink consumption;

More energy consumption for ink drying, etc. Printing cost is higher than flexo.