Corrugated Printing Plates, Present and Future, 1992 Corrugated Containers Conference Proceedings

Philip G. Saunders--This paper is my attempt to identify the trends in corrugated plate making and to extrapolate from these trends to predict the future. Of course, I am talking about the more difficult side of corrugated printing: half tones, process printing, etc.

Thinner plates are being used more and more because they reproduce wider tonal ranges and finer detail. They do not, however, print solids as well as thicker plates unless other things like special inks are used or the plates are backed by spongy materials to get a greater area of contact between plate and board.

I am told that many new printers are being ordered with the cylinders undercut for thinner plates. Work is now going on to adapt presses with a normal plate and backing allowance of .280" to accept thinner plates. This can be done by building up print cyliders with spongy materials or harder, more durable permanent materials. There is no consensus that I know of as to the best way to do it. Careful evaluation of materials to do the job and defining what must be achieved must be done. For example, it is difficult to print great graphics on C flute, and if you try to design plates and back-up materials for C flute, then you sacrifice your capability to do great work on B and E flute. It is probably good advice to give up trying to do great graphics on C flute and use plates and backing designed for the finer flutes. If you must accommodate all three flutes, then it would be wiser to not pack each cylinder permanently but tailor each set of plates for the corrugated board to be run.