{"id":15731,"date":"2025-03-03T10:41:51","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T16:41:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/?p=15731"},"modified":"2025-04-03T12:15:07","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T17:15:07","slug":"optimizing-white-ink-printing-with-banded-anilox-rolls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/blog\/2025\/03\/03\/optimizing-white-ink-printing-with-banded-anilox-rolls\/","title":{"rendered":"Optimizing White Ink Printing with Banded Anilox Rolls","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"et_pb_section et_pb_section_0 et_section_regular\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_0\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_0 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<p>Printing with white inks presents unique challenges, particularly in achieving optimal opacity, printability, and efficient drying. A\u00a0<strong>banded anilox roll<\/strong>\u00a0is a valuable tool that allows printers to test different\u00a0<strong>cell volumes and geometries<\/strong>\u00a0to enhance print performance. This approach helps optimize ink usage while improving print quality.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Enhancing Opacity for Full Coverage Print<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Achieving high opacity when printing full-coverage areas can be difficult due to\u00a0<strong>pin-holing<\/strong>, where spots of the substrate remain uncovered. This results in lower opacity readings than desired. To combat this, a\u00a0<strong>banded anilox roll<\/strong>\u00a0with varied\u00a0<strong>cell volumes and geometries<\/strong>\u00a0across the roll face can be used. Testing these engraving variations with modern\u00a0<strong>printing plate technologies<\/strong>\u00a0can also improve results. For example, using printing plates with \u201ctextured\u201d surfaces has proven to enhance opacity by allowing better ink laydown.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Improving Printability Without Over-Impression<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A common mistake when printing white ink is\u00a0<strong>increasing print impression<\/strong>\u00a0to improve opacity. While this might help, it goes against the recommended\u00a0<strong>\u201ckiss\u201d impression<\/strong>\u00a0method, which ensures\u00a0<strong>optimal print quality<\/strong>. Excessive impression can lead to defects such as:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bounce:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Excessive impression forces the anilox roll away from the plate surface when coming in contact with the leading edge of the printing plate.\u00a0 This \u201cshock wave\u201d shows up as horizontal lines of lighter and darker coverage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dirty Print<\/strong>: Over-impression leads to a\u00a0<strong>build-up of dried ink<\/strong>\u00a0along and over the edges of the plate surface, necessitating press stoppages for cleaning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Using a banded anilox roll can help fine-tune the ideal volume and geometry combination, eliminating the need for excessive pressure adjustments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Addressing Drying Challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In many cases, printers use a\u00a0<strong>\u201cdouble-bump\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0technique, using two print decks to apply white ink instead of one.\u00a0 Instead of using one high volume anilox, two lower volume anilox rolls are used.\u00a0 This method:<\/p>\n<p>\u2714\u00a0<strong>Increases opacity<\/strong><br \/>\n\u2714\u00a0<strong>Improves drying efficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>However, each method has a downside. Double-bumping requires\u00a0<strong>an additional print deck<\/strong>\u00a0(if available), while a single-pass method usually\u00a0<strong>reduces press speed<\/strong>\u00a0to allow proper drying. Either way, the best approach depends on the\u00a0<strong>anilox and plate specifications<\/strong>, which a banded roll trial can help determine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Role of Supplier Collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Collaboration with suppliers\u2014including plate and ink manufacturers\u2014is highly recommended to maximize the efficiency of white ink printing. Optimizing your printing setup with the right anilox specifications can yield significant benefits for extended anilox roll and doctor blade life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Utilizing a\u00a0<strong>banded anilox roll<\/strong>\u00a0removes the guesswork in white ink printing, helping printers\u00a0<strong>optimize print quality, reduce ink waste, and prevent defects<\/strong>. By systematically testing different cell volumes and geometries, printers can achieve better opacity, improved printability, and efficient drying\u2014ultimately reducing costs and increasing productivity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_section et_pb_section_1 et_section_regular\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_1\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_1 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_image et-waypoint et_pb_animation_off et-animated\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_team_member et_pb_team_member_0 clearfix et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_team_member_description\">\n<h4><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-15735\" src=\"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Mike-Poppen-Headshot-300x296.jpg\" alt=\"mike poppen\" width=\"300\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Mike-Poppen-Headshot-300x296.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Mike-Poppen-Headshot-1024x1010.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Mike-Poppen-Headshot-768x758.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Mike-Poppen-Headshot.jpg 1337w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"et_pb_module_header\">Mike Poppen<\/h4>\n<p class=\"et_pb_member_position\">Technical Sales Representative<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Office: 630 879 7300<br \/>\nCell: 630 235 4833<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:mike.poppen@binghamflexoservices.com\">mike.poppen@binghamflexoservices.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Printing with white inks presents unique challenges, particularly in achieving optimal opacity, printability, and efficient drying. A\u00a0banded anilox roll\u00a0is a valuable tool that allows printers to test different\u00a0cell volumes and geometries\u00a0to enhance print performance. This approach helps optimize ink usage while improving print quality. Enhancing Opacity for Full Coverage Print Achieving high opacity when printing&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":65,"featured_media":15802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15731"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15736,"href":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15731\/revisions\/15736"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pamarco.com\/eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}