Flexo Printing

Flexography

As we indicated in previous article (Offset printing), flexography (= flexo printing) is direct printing transferring the ink from the plate to the paper on roll other than offset. Following are the main features of flexo printing.

Flexography requires the product of so-called printing plates. Regarding printing plate, with its slightly raised image and letterpress, is rotated on a cylinder and coated by fast drying ink. Ink applied to the printing area, which is then pressed against the paper so it transfers. Therefore flexo printing is also known as “surface printing”, is a relief printing method that the image to be printed is higher than the background (See below picture).

Flexography compared with offset printing, it uses water-based inks are solvent-free, not only quick-drying but also more environmentally friendly. However, drying of water-based inks is extremely affected by the surrounding environment. When the weather is humid, printing sheets are easily affected with damp. When it comes to rain or splashing by water, the surface of printed image may easily reprint to other objects.

The main difference with both processes is that offset printing is only done on flat and smooth surface while flexo printing can be used on a wider range almost any substrate with a flexible surface. For example, it can be applied to corrugated cardboard, paper, cellophane, plastic and fabric. By using different machines provides a clear impression image on diverse materials. While offset printing is well-suited for short-run work, flexography provides more economical production.

What are Advantages of Flexo Printing:

·         Runs at high press speeds

·         Economical, with high-visibility graphics when it requires the use of only a few colors.

·         Printed material range is more widely than other printing processes.

·         Lower investment costs for printing related equipment and maintenance.

·         Water-based printing ink is more environmentally friendly.

If you would like to know Syncmen more, you can look up the websites as below:

Visit Taiwan Trade:  https://syncmen.en.taiwantrade.com/

Our Web: http://www.syncmen.com.tw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syncmen.paper.packaging/

The Experience of Visiting Factory

  On May 18th, our director Angel invited three students who assisted us in building up our Taiwan Trade website to visit our factory. The purpose is to let them understand the procedure how making a paper bag. After visiting the factory, three students share their experiences. Please see below:


Samuel:

Personally I was very excited to be able to visit and shoot the company introduction video at the production factory. Being a guy who really loves tech and mechanics, visiting a factory is like going to Disney. Every part of the tour was very fascinating for me. I got to see how much detail and attention is given into the production of each bag. From printing, choosing and tuning the colors to making sure everything matches the customer’s specific orders. To cutting the paper to the right dimensions. When everything is set in place on the production lines, it’s like magic…. Magically appearing paper bags. Everything is finished with a detailed quality control. I really enjoyed my visit, getting to see everything with my eyes, and through my camera lenses.



Jimmy:

It was a privilege for us to visit Syncmen Headquarters and also their production factories. We were shown production lines that we had never seen before, and learn the bits and pieces that contribute to the production of paper packaging. The scale of the factory was what really impressed me. The production lines and the many specialized production machines were truly eye opening. Touring the factory took us almost a full day, it was a tiring but fun experience. I really loved it.



William:

As you know, paper bags play an important role in our daily life. You may think that since it is so common, it must be plain and simple. But after my visit to the factory, it truly changed my perspective. Everything is more complicated than it looks. Many details and special machines go into the production of paper packaging. Everyone was focused on doing their part to ensure the quality of the product. Before I stepped in, I thought it was going to be a very hot and messy environment. Yet all I saw was organized production lines, and even some with air-conditioning to cool the machines. I really think that this is a great experience for me to learn a lot that things are always more than what meets the eye.

If you would like to know Syncmen more, you can look up the websites as below:

Visit Taiwan Trade:  https://syncmen.en.taiwantrade.com/

Our Web: http://www.syncmen.com.tw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syncmen.paper.packaging/

How To Arrange The Impressed Schedule When Our Customers Visit Us- Part Two

  There are 5 automatic production lines-26/35/38/45/52 styles. Different machines have affordable measurement, width of min 160 mm to max. 520 mm. Height is 255 to 740 mm. five machines usually run for twisted paper.

You also see twisted paper machine which brown/ white tissue twisted to our standard, we also have stock color-black/red/dark brown/orange/purple/grey/

cream/pink/blue/green for your choose.

  We have semi-automatic production line-35/42 styles and making thick paper bag machine. They are for rope/ribbon handle paper carrier bags. Especially thick paper bag machine which material are 150/180 gsm white Kraft, 150/175 gsm brown Kraft and 250/300 gsm heavy art paper. According to our experience, we did luxury and bag all by hand and cost is more expensive than competitors in other country. Now we can solve this problem, using thick paper bag machine save a lot of time and manual cost.   

One of  factory view

If you choose art paper with gloss or matt lamination on surface, you can see laminated machine. 

  Optional finish, we have pressing pattern machine and UV spot machine.

Sometime, we want bag surface stunning than normal; you can use our stock pressing pattern. We have 14 styles for suitable to your design, such as weave, star, stone crocodile-large or small so on.

Manual part, we have working line for staffs hand through rope to bag, knots or plastic ends. If you like die-cut handle, we have machine to make die cut hole and there are more than ten styles stock die-cut handle plates for your choose.

Quality Control (QC) area, we check our bags match to your orders.

Our director Angel explained to customer about printing details.

This is our responsibility for our clients.

After visit, you must have many questions to ask us, please don’t hesitate to let us know. If you bring your sample, we are happy to see and confirm. 

We specialize in customizing paper bags, welcome to your inquiry.

If you would like to know Syncmen more, you can look up the websites as below:👇

Visit Taiwan Trade:  https://syncmen.en.taiwantrade.com/

Our Web: http://www.syncmen.com.tw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syncmen.paper.packaging/

How To Arrange The Impressed Schedule When Our Customers Visit Us- Part One

  When our clients or potential customers like our service, they usually want to have a trip in Taiwan. We are happy to welcome them.

  Our factory is located in Tainan, south of Taiwan. If customers stay in other city of Taiwan, we will suggest they take Taiwan High Speed Rail to Tainan which easy to book ticket and pick them up to our factory. It is around five hours to visit overall of factory except for a lovely lunch time.

  For first part in the morning, we show you around our printing dept. ink room where our coworker use basic color ingredient to mix to our pantone number, mixing ink machine and scan plate machine to make sure to meet your design; large space which loading printing sheet; 2*printing machines including 4 colors and 6 colors which we can offer more optional and colored printing service.

  After short visit, we take a break in meeting room. As you know, there is so hot and you sweat a lot. Need cool drink-coffee or red/black tea and having a seat will be better, in the meantime, you can offer your question and we can discuss this. Lunch time, if you have special cater request, please let us know.If you like Asian food, we recommend you try our Taiwan transitional cuisine.

Like sweet and sour fried fish.

  In the afternoon, we take you a look our artwork dept. when you send your design by PDF or AI to us. Our coworkers organize and do layout-PNG for your approval. You can see another room where producing plate machine. When you approved our PNG, our coworkers do printing plate, then we go head to printing machine. Near artwork dept. there is 2 colors printing machine.

  Move to another plant, you can see whole process of mass production.

  Drying printing paper sheet, we use cutting machine to cut one bag layout to run the automatic machine.

~~ To Be Continued ~~

If you would like to know Syncmen more, you can look up the websites as below:👇

Visit Taiwan Trade:  https://syncmen.en.taiwantrade.com/

Our Web: http://www.syncmen.com.tw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syncmen.paper.packaging/

An Imaginative Idea about The Paper Bag

One day, I stumbled across an interesting essay on the internet. The essay was talking about the paper bag, its design can let it be reused. Below is the essay’s content.

People walk by the anniversary of the department store. Shoppers are everywhere walking around department store. They buy some new clothes, and some necessities. They can see everywhere that everybody has the shopping bags on their hands. However, do you know that, people use 1 billion paper shopping bags every year, yet, paper bags only takes up 1% in the recycling field. On the other hand, there are also stands used to hang the clothes. The plastic hangers are over 8 billion. In the end, they are all thrown to the landfill. Moreover, these plastic hangers all have to take over 100 years to decompose. After you look at such tremendous data, don’t you have to consider recycling and reusing the paper bag or the hanger? Thanks to our designers for always thinking about this inefficient and unsustainable problem in our life. In view of this problem, one India designer came up with an unusual handbag. The idea combined the paper bag and a cloth stand. This way, it reduces the chance that the paper bag and the cloth stand are thrown by people. Inside the paper has a shape of hook that is the paperboard. Behind the paper, has a cutout that teaches people how to transform the paper bag into a paper cloth stand. People can easily fold and fix, transforming between a stand and a bag.

This imaginative hanger is made from the paper bag, and it has the awareness of environmental protection, and the purpose of recycling and reusing. Moreover, the texture and the design of kraft paper is stylish as well.

There is a video to explain clearly about the handbag, and usage method of the paper bag hanger. Although it is still in the conceptual phase, the designers are looking forward to the day it comes true. Using more environmentally friendly material to phase out plastic hangers and plastic bags.

Reference:  https://www.cool3c.com/article/73680

If you would like to know Syncmen more, you can look up the websites as below:👇

Visit Taiwan Trade:  https://syncmen.en.taiwantrade.com/

Our Web: http://www.syncmen.com.tw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syncmen.paper.packaging/

How To Make On Artwork of Paper Bag

Here are some important points need to understand before design a paper bag:

Layout of bag’s artwork

Confirming bag’s size firstly and then make the artwork to be 5 parts:

- Back of bag (the first part)

- Side gusset (the second part)

- Front of bag (the third part)

- Side gusset (the forth part)

- Adhesive layer (the firth part)

In usual, the main logo is at the front of bag (the third part), it can be show perfectly when bags are finished.  Also, base logo shoule be reversed at the bottom of the third part, it will be upright after fold up the bottom.

 

Bleed

Bleed means printing a slightly larger area than real size, it is necessary part for all printing works.  Bleed will be trimmed off before fold printing sheets into bags, it can ensure there is no unprinted edges occur in the final paper sheets.  We usually make 3 ~ 10 mm bleed for paper bags; It is difficult to define the best width of bleed, it is adjustable for different design.

Printing

These are 2 normal printing types used on paper bag designs:

Knockout printing: the top color is knocked out of the base color.  It shows real color for the top color, most custom paper bags use this type

Overprintg: the top color is printed on base color directly.  It will mix 2 colors ink and change to a different color.

Logo or texts on turnover top

For twisted handle bags: If bags are with turnover top, it has2 “J” slits on turnover top in order to glue twisted handle patch inside of it.

For rope/ ribbon handle bags: There are 2 handle holes on bags to through handles.

The destination between 2 J slits or handle holes is depending on bag’s width, avoid these to ensure your logo or texts are complete.

Understand above points before make an artwork, it can help designers to make artworks easily.

If you would like to know Syncmen more, you can look up the websites as below:👇
Visit Taiwan Trade:  https://syncmen.en.taiwantrade.com/
Our Web: http://www.syncmen.com.tw/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syncmen.paper.packaging/

Offset Printing

Printing processes can be roughly divided into four categories, offset printing, flexo printing, gravure printing and porous printing. Offset and flexo printing are both popular and in majority of printing process. Although they all use wet ink and printing plates, they carry out different tasks.

Below we briefly introduce the main features of offset printing for more understanding: technically, offset printing is based on the principle that water and grease do not blend, so that greasy ink can be deposited on grease-treated printing areas of the plate; while non-printing areas, which hold water as well as reject the grease ink.

In general, modern offset printing is basically done on a machine composed of three rotating cylinders: a plate cylinder where the plate is fastened; a blanket cylinder covered by a sheet of rubber; and an impression cylinder that presses the paper into contact with the blanket cylinder. The printing procedure will apply the inked image being transferred to the rubber blanket from plate and then is offset to the paper go proceeding the impression cylinder. Offset printing is economical and commonly used for high volume printing like newspapers, brochures and books.

In short, when grease ink and water are applied to the plate, only the image holds the ink. Then it applies a printing plate to transfer an image to an intermediate carrier and then onto a sheet of paper per piles. The paper does not come in direct contact with the plate. It is an indirect printing. Whereas flexo printing transfers the ink from the plate directly to the paper sheets on roll. (We will present flexo printing in different article.)

  What are Advantages of Offset Printing:

·         Consistent high quality prints. Offset printing produces sharp and clean images with greater  detail and color fidelity.

·         Large quantity can be printed cost effectively.

·         Longer printing plate life. There is no direct contact between the plate and the printing surface.

If you would like to know Syncmen more, you can look up the websites as below:👇

Visit Taiwan Trade:  https://syncmen.en.taiwantrade.com/

Our Web: http://www.syncmen.com.tw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syncmen.paper.packaging/

Why We Choose to Use Paper Bags Instead of Plastic Bags?

  In this modern day, everybody gradually realizes the importance of protecting our environment. Therefore, the government started to advocate the use of paper bags. 

Nowadays, more and more people use the paper bag. Why should we use the paper bag? There are many reasons. Let us tell you simply as below. 

  First of all, using the paper bag can reduce the pollution in the world; it can reduce waste of using the plastic. Secondly, plastic can never decompose. Besides, if people casually throw the paper bags on the road after usage, it will produce a ton of rubbish. Next is that we can produce the paper bags which use the material that would not be harmful to the earth. For example, people can use the papers that are chopped from artificial forests. It efficiently reduces the amount we chop down every day. They are not the native forest in the earth. It can’t affect the earth. Forth, the paper bag looks more exquisite than plastic bags. If you use the paper bag to wrap your gift, it looks like more sincere and presentable. Fifth, using paper bags cause less pollution to the earth than the plastic bag as they can be recycled. Generally, plastic bags take much more effort to be recycled. 

  Therefore, it can produce much pollution than the paper bag. Last one is some plastic bags are unhealthy to our health. For example, using the plastic bags to pack food, it can cause some toxic reaction or chemicals that can harm our health.

  In conclusion, it is a better and wiser choice to use the paper bag. Because it can not only reduce the pollution to earth, but it also can be recycled. If we want to do some merit and protect our earth or the society, then paper bags will be the sustainable way forward.










If you would like to know Syncmen more, you can look up the websites as below:👇

Visit Taiwan Trade:  https://syncmen.en.taiwantrade.com/

Our Web: http://www.syncmen.com.tw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syncmen.paper.packaging/

What is White Card & FBB ?

In last time, we talked abut What is white card & SBS ?
Today, we are going to talking about the other one type of white card, Folding Box Board (FBB), it is also used everywhere in our life.

Q. What is white card? 
White card is a general designation of paper material made paper box.

Q. What is Folding Box Board?

Folding boxboard, also referred to as FBB or by the DIN Standard 19303 codes of GC or UC, is a paperboard grade made up of multiple layers of chemical and mechanical pulp.

FBB construction:
1 – Coating
2 – Bleached chemical pulp
3 – Mechanical pulp
4 – Unbleached/Bleached chemical pulp

Q. How FBB is made?

FBB Folding box board is a multi-ply board. A layer, or layers, made of

FBB construction

mechanical pulp is placed between layers of chemical pulp. Mechanical pulp may be stone-ground wood (GW), pressurized ground wood (PGW), thermo mechanical pulp (TMP) or chemi thermo mechanical pulp (CTMP). The top layer is bleached chemical pulp and the reverse layer may be bleached or unbleached chemical pulp. The top and reverse side may be coated with mineral pigments.

The combination of inner layers of mechanical pulp with outer layers of chemical pulp creates a strong and stiff sheet, taking advantage of the well-known I-beam phenomenon in physics. This is a low density material with high stiffness. Fully coated grades give excellent printing and visual impact. This is a virgin fibre paperboard with consistent purity for product safety.

The basis weight ranges from 200 to 450 GSM – Ideal for Food packaging, cigarettes cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and graphical applications.

Q. What is FBB common used?

The major end uses of folding box board are health and beauty products, frozen, chilled and other foods, confectioneries, pharmaceuticals, graphical uses and cigarettes.

If you would like to know Syncmen more, you can look up the websites as below:👇

Visit Taiwan Trade:  https://syncmen.en.taiwantrade.com/

Our Web: http://www.syncmen.com.tw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syncmen.paper.packaging/

Matte Lamination vs Gloss Lamination

What is Lamination?

Lamination is the technique of manufacturing a material in multiple layers, so that the composite material achieves improved strength, stability, sound insulation, appearance or other properties from the use of differing materials. A laminate is a permanently assembled object by heat, pressure, welding, or adhesives.

Laminating paper products, such as photographs, can prevent them from becoming creased, faded, water damaged, wrinkled, stained, smudged, abraded, or marked by grease or fingerprints. Photo identification cards and credit cards are almost always laminated with plastic film. Boxes and other containers are also laminated using a UV coating.

In essence, lamination makes the product ‘ready’ to be put into the hands of consumers. You can consider two types of lamination: Matte and Gloss.

Whether it applies to the surface of a paper bag, book cover, label, or packaging box, lamination enhances the visual quotient and tactile feel of the product. It also serves as a protective layer to resist scratches and unexpected damages.

Gloss vs Matte

What is Matte Lamination?

An easy way to ascertain if the bag or packaging box is matte laminated is by observing if light reflects off the surface. If it doesn’t, you’re looking at Matte lamination!

Next, assess the aesthetic properties of the surface. Does it look sober (no sheen) yet elegant and luxurious? Are the colors a bit muted and is the depth of color somewhat lacking?

These characteristics define matte laminate. While the overall effect of matte laminated surfaces is somewhat understated, it is palpably high-end and sophisticated.

What is Gloss lamination?

In contrast to matte lamination, gloss has a lustrous quality as light bounces off the surface. The effect is that of vibrancy, better image contrast and a richer depth of color.

Gloss laminated bags and magazines draw attention to themselves; in this respect, they can be viewed as more showy to their subdued matte counterparts.

For this reason, they may lend themselves well to brochures, cover photos, perfume boxes and book spines. Gloss lamination can refine a product in a different way from matte lamination.

Which of the two should you choose?

The answer to ‘which one is better’ must be prefaced by ‘what will the lamination be used for?’ to make an informed choice. As discussed above, each has its pros and cons; depending on the application, the drawbacks may not matter or be moot.

In fact, you can consider a ‘best of both worlds’ scenario. For instance, applying a matte laminate over a glossy label can make barcode scanning easier and allow users to handwrite over it when such a need arises.

Some may view matte lamination as being unexciting. Adding glossy laminate over a matte label can provide a lustrous patina and a smoother look.

A Comparison of Benefits

If you would like to know Syncmen more, you can look up the websites as below:👇

Visit Taiwan Trade:  https://syncmen.en.taiwantrade.com/

Our Web: http://www.syncmen.com.tw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Syncmen.paper.packaging/