Plan it, make it, stretch it, wrap it, ink it, spin it, long print run it : Flexographic

Flexographic printing is a form of direct relief printing that is characterized by the use of flexible printing plates. In the past, these printing plates were always made of rubber, whereas today, flexible photopolymer printing plates might also be used. These plates have a slightly raised image of the content on them, they’re inked, and are rotated on drums at high speeds to transfer the image onto the print substrate. Each color of ink desired requires a different printing plate. For instance, traditional process printing requires a plate for each ink: cyan, magenta, yellow and black — or CMYK.

Flexography is adaptive and can accommodate a wide range of inks, like UV or water-based – and may be used on a huge range of media including absorbent substrates like paper, fabric, or cardboard, as well as non-absorbent substrates like plastic, cellophane and metallic film. It is a popular printing technique when versatility, large orders, or long print runs are desired. It’s also great for things like wrapping paper or wallpaper!