Litho vs. Flexo Shipping Box Printing

Advances in commercial printing technology have made it possible to print jobs faster than ever before. There are two conventional methods of printing on corrugated boxes—flexo printing and litho printing. Which is best? It depends upon the project since each technology has its particular needs.

Find out more about the advantages and disadvantages of flexo vs. litho printing as well as the similarities and differences, and you will be better able to evaluate what will be best for your next printing project.

Flexographic Printing

Flexographic printing, also known as flexo or surface printing, is a method of printing in bulk that utilizes flexible relief plates. The ink is put in some sort of ink pan and transferred to an anilox roll. An anilox roll is a hard, cylindrical roll made of aluminum or steel that has a ceramic outer layer and dimples.

The ink is put on the roll to properly distribute it uniformly onto the printing plates. These plates work like large stamps and transfer images to the corrugated boards. The finished boards are then run through a dryer to prevent smearing.

Flexo is a very popular method of printing using a variety of substrates, including foil, paper, non-woven, and film.

Some Of The Major Benefits

Flexographic Printing has many advantages as follows:

• It is an economical way to print and die-cut boxes in one pass
• This is good for producing large quantities of boxes without elaborate color detail
• It is very flexible and can be printed on many different types of non-absorbing substrates
• It will accept both oil-based and water-based inks

Some Disadvantages of Flexographic Printing:

There are some disadvantages of the flexographic printing. Check out some of the disadvantages:

• Flexographic printing is limited to simple or small amounts of artwork
• The number of colors used increases the amount of time it takes to print and, therefore, the cost of the job.

Lithographic Printing

Offset printing (lithography) has many different stages in order to create the final product. The first step is to have ink applied to a printing plate. The second stage would involve using the printing plate to transfer the ink onto a rubber blanket via multiple ink rollers. The third stage is applying the ink to the substrate from the rubber blanket. The benefit of lithography is that it is an indirect method of printing; therefore, unlike flexo printing, the image does not go from the printing plate to the substrate.

There is also lithography lamination. The lithography laminate involves creating a print on paper and laminating the paper onto the box to provide a glossy or premium finish.

Advantages of lithography

There are several advantages of lithography:

• Large quantity orders can produce high-quality prints with rich color and detail.
• It provides a very high level of image quality.
• It is one of the most commonly used methods of printing and is generally easy to find.

Disadvantages of lithography

There are some disadvantages to lithography as well:

• It can only be used on flat material.
• Lithography products are subject to normal wear and tear, such as scratches and cracks.
• It can be more expensive than other types of printing.

Similarities and Differences of Flexo Printing vs. Litho Printing

Flexo and litho printing are both traditional mass printing methods. Each uses a plate, and while each method may be less expensive than digital printing for larger quantities of simple prints, there are also several other important similarities and differences.

While litho printing allows for added process techniques such as foil stamping and embossing at an increased expense, flexo printing will typically only have one layer, and the reusable image carrier can be used multiple times.

Flexo printing has become a more versatile type of printing due to its ability to print onto porous and nonporous products, making it useful for a wide range of materials. On the other hand, litho printing requires a flat surface where the printed image can be applied. While both litho and flexo can use oil-based inks, litho provides better color detail and a wider array of colors.

Litho vs. Flexo Shipping Box Printing — Key Differences at a Glance

Here’s a quick comparison chart that sums up the main differences:

Flexo vs. Litho: Which Is Best?

What type of printing method should I choose? In general, it seems best to use Lithographic (litho) printing when you are going to be using many different colors in your job or want to include a lot of detail in your print image. The litho printing process also allows for the greatest variety of finishes to be applied after printing.

Flexography (flexo) printing is generally a quicker and less expensive way to print than litho printing; however, it does not offer the same level of detail in color or image quality as litho printing.

Ultimately, this will depend upon what specifically meets the requirements for your particular project. Variables such as how much product you need printed, what the quality/quantity/color requirements are for your project, how quickly you need your job completed, and how much money you can afford to spend will each have an effect on your final choice between flexo and litho printing.

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Final Thoughts Of Litho vs. Flexo Shipping Box Printing

Ultimately, whether you choose Litho or Flexo printing will depend on how important each of the three factors mentioned (Visual Appeal, Cost Efficiency, and Scalability) is to you as a Brand. For instance, if your boxes are an integral part of the Luxury Unboxing Experience you want to create, then Litho would be a better choice.

On the other hand, if you’re sending out thousands of products every day, then Flexo would probably be the better option. In either event, both Litho & Flexo have their own distinct advantages, which can help meet different needs depending on where they are applied.

FAQs About Litho vs. Flexo Printing

What’s the main difference between litho and flexo printing?

The largest variation in Litho printing and Flexo printing is how the ink is put onto the material that will contain your product. Litho uses an offset paper to transfer the ink from the plate to the eco friendly packaging material (i.e., cardboard) to produce crisp, high-resolution images. Flexo uses flexible plates to apply ink directly to the cardboard.

Which printing method is more durable for shipping boxes?

Due to its direct application of ink onto the corrugated surface, Flexo printing is more durable than Litho for shipping boxes, as less pressure and stress is being placed on the printed area of the box.

Is litho printing suitable for kraft boxes?

While both Litho and Flexo printing can be used for eco friendly Kraft boxes, Flexo printing tends to work better with the texture of Kraft boxes than Litho printing does.

Can I print multiple colors using flexo printing?

Of course! You can do multi-color printing with flexo printing; however, flexo generally only allows 3-4 different spot colors to be printed at one time, while litho printing can do full CMYK (cyan-magenta-yellow-black) colors, plus gradients.

Which method gives a more professional look?

Both methods can give a high-quality, professional-looking finish, but Litho printing is generally considered to be the higher-end option for retail packaging and high-end brands.