From how many items does flexographic printing on bags become cost-effective?

We normally offer flexo printing for orders of between 1,000 and 30,000 pieces; during the off-season, we may exceptionally accept orders from as few as 500 pieces. For smaller runs of fewer than 1,000 pieces, it is more cost-effective to opt for screen printing or digital printing, as the cost of setting up the press would exceed the value of the order.

What file formats are required for flexographic printing?

To produce a flexographic printing plate, we require source files in vector format, i.e. as curves. A standard raster image (JPG, PNG) cannot be used directly – our graphic designer must first manually redraw it as vectors.

How much does a flexographic printing plate cost, and do I have to pay for it each time?

You will only pay the one-off fee for producing a flexographic printing plate with your first order; the price depends on the size of the design. You will not be charged for the plate again for repeat orders of the same design, as we store it for you free of charge for up to 5 years or longer.

Which colours are included free of charge with flexo printing, and what if I want a different shade?

As part of your order, you will receive six basic colours from the Pantone U colour chart free of charge – black, white, blue, red, green and brown. If you require a different specific shade, we can mix it for an additional charge of €32 (excluding VAT) per colour.

Can flexographic printing handle multi-colour or full-surface printing?

Flexo printing is normally single-colour; two-colour overprinting is only possible if the designs are not in close contact, as a misalignment of up to 2 cm may occur. This technology is not ideal for large solid areas or full-surface backgrounds due to the risk of uneven pressure from the printing cylinder.

How do you choose between flexo printing, screen printing and digital printing?

Choose flexo printing for orders of 1,000 pieces or more with a single-colour logo and where repeat orders are expected. Screen printing is suitable for smaller runs of around 500 pieces with rich, opaque colours, whilst we recommend digital printing for orders of 100 pieces or more featuring full-colour designs with gradients and photographs.

Flexographic printing: The industrial express for high-volume printing

Are you interested in printed paper bags, but you're lost in printing technologies? No problem. Here at EasyBag group, we're happy to advise you which path is the best for your logo. On white and brown paper bags with flat or twisted handles, we commonly print using screen printing, digital printing, and precisely flexography.

But which technology is suitable for a specific type of bag and design? Flexography represents an ideal choice for larger orders from 1,000 pieces, where you require high efficiency and the lowest possible price per piece. In this article, we'll reveal the secrets of this industrial method, explain its principle, main advantages, and technological pitfalls.

What is flexography and how does it work?

Flexography is one of the basic industrial printing technologies that uses a so-called flexible printing plate – a flexographic printing plate. The whole principle works on a very similar basis as a classic office or children's stamp.

Liquid printing ink is applied to the rotary printing plate using a system of rollers. It adheres only to the raised areas of the relief (which form your logo or graphic) and is subsequently transferred by pressure directly onto the printed substrate, in our case onto the finished paper bag.

Printing plate on cylinder — *Plate cylinder with a mounted flexographic printing plate.*

The technology principle step by step:

1. Production of the printing plate: Flexographic printing plates are made from vulcanized rubber or photopolymers. The shape and relief of the design is created either by precise laser engraving or by chemical etching and subsequent curing of the material, which is the method we also use.

2. Preparation of the printing machine and inks: The printing plate is mounted on the machine's plate cylinder. An impression cylinder is precisely set against it, with the bags passing linearly between these two cylinders. Printing ink is poured into the ink pan, which is evenly spread using a system of rollers. Subsequently, the pneumatic feeder is adjusted, which for us precisely dispenses individual bags using a suction bar.

3. The printing process itself: The bags are pneumatically transferred to a conveyor belt. They gradually pass at high speed between the plate cylinder and the impression cylinder, where immediate printing occurs, and the belt transports them to the delivery table.

4. Inspection and packaging: From the delivery table, the printer continuously removes the bags, performs a visual quality check, and places them into transport boxes

Did you know that flexographic printing machines are among the fastest in the industry? Modern flexographic units can print thousands of bags per hour in full rotary operation. The machines run at such speed that the printer is not able to visually check the design on the moving belt with the human eye. For this reason, special stroboscopic cameras are used when setting up large machines, which optically "freeze" the print on the monitor so that the operator can verify the accuracy of the print registration. Due to this high speed, a certain amount of rejects arises during machine startup, which is why the technology cannot be economically used for small batches (e.g., 100 pieces) – setting up the machine would consume more bags than the actual volume of the order.

Why choose flexography?

This technology dominates the packaging materials market for several clear reasons:

Unbeatably low price: Flexography allows large order volumes to be realized with minimal operating costs per piece. We typically print series from 1,000 to 30,000 pieces this way (in exceptional cases outside the season, from 500 pieces). The price per print is significantly lower than with screen printing or digital printing.

Reusable printing plate: With your first order, you will pay a one-time cost for the production of the printing plate (the price depends on its dimensions), but for repeated identical orders, you will no longer pay this fee. We store the printing plates for you free of charge under ideal conditions. Their standard lifespan is approximately 5 years, but with optimal storage, it can be significantly longer.

Printing of extremely fine details: Unlike screen printing, flexography can transfer even very fine graphic elements. It easily handles lines smaller than 1 point, i.e., details around 0.2 mm in dimension.

Basic printing inks free of charge: For flexography, we use inks from the Pantone U color chart. Six basic shades – black, white, blue, red, green, and brown – are completely free of charge with us as part of your order.

flexographic printing plate — *Flexographic printing plate and flexographic inks, which we offer free of charge.*

Limits and technological pitfalls (What to watch out for)

For the result to be one hundred percent successful, you need to account for the natural limits of this mechanical technology:

Initial fixed costs: Producing the printing plate is a demanding process. If you require double-sided printing and the graphics on the front and back differ, two separate printing plates must be produced. Any future change to the design (e.g. updating a web address or logo) requires the production of a new printing plate.

Limitations with multi-color registration: On our machines, we standardly perform flexography as single-color. Two-color printing is only possible if the motifs are not in close contact (it must not be a so-called tight registration). This is because the bag passes through the machine separately for each color, and due to mechanical movement, the motif can shift by up to 2 cm in any direction.

Printing over the folded bottom: Bags pass through the press in a folded state. If printing is double-sided, the graphics on the back must be placed safely above the edge of the folded bottom. For this reason, Takeaway-type bags (for menu boxes) can only be printed on one side, because their deep bottom, when folded, completely covers the entire back side.

Unsuitability for large solid areas: Flexography is not ideal for printing full-surface backgrounds and large solid fill areas. In a cylindrical system, it is difficult to maintain perfectly constant pressure across the entire surface. It is also risky to place a motif over the point where the folded bottom ends inside the bag – at this point, the bag has a different thickness (height), the cylinder may bounce slightly, and create an undesirable horizontal stripe in the print motif.

Surcharges for special shades: If you do not use one of the 6 basic colors that we provide free of charge, we will gladly mix any other exact shade for you according to the Pantone U color chart. This service is charged at €32 excluding VAT for each mixed color.

Behavior of water-based colors (PANTONE U). For flexography, ecological water-based colors are used, which are marked with the letter U (Uncoated). These colors partially soak into the structure of the paper and have lower opacity than synthetic colors. If, for example, you choose white printing on a brown Kraft bag, the color will slightly take on the brownish base shade of the paper. The result is a subtle, matte, and highly ecological visual character. If you require a one hundred percent vibrant and absolutely opaque white for your logo, it is more suitable to choose screen printing technology.

white flexographic printing — *Example of white flexography color on a brown bag*

What bags do we print on this way?

At Easybag, we apply flexography exclusively to machine-made paper bags from our stable warehouse stock. Typical examples include:

The ExtraKraft and Topcraft lines (or selected sizes of the Krafter line) with a flat paper handle.

The ExtraTwist line (and selected sizes of the Twister line) with a twisted paper handle.

Takeaway bags (specials for the gastro segment with an extended bottom, exclusively single-sided printing).

Print data: You can't do without curves

For digital exposure and subsequent etching of the flexography printing plate, print files in vector graphics (in curves) are strictly required. A regular raster image (JPG, PNG) cannot be used for producing the plate, and our graphic designer must first completely redraw it into vectors. Remember that a separate printing plate is always produced for each spot color or for a different back side.

Flexographic printing plates — Examples of bags printed using flexographic plates.

Recycling symbolism and our #bezigelitky project

When implementing double-sided flexography, we standardly place the international paper recycling symbol (a wavy arrow marked PAP) on the outer bottom of the bags. These identification codes clearly inform end consumers about the material composition of the packaging and facilitate its subsequent correct sorting into the blue container. A product marked in this way is one hundred percent easily recyclable.

Along with the recycling symbol, we also integrate on the bottom side of the bag the symbolism of our long-term project #bezigelitky. By including this motif, you clearly and understandably show your customers your company's responsible approach to the environment and sustainability. With this ecological detail, you strengthen the positive image of your brand and differentiate yourself from the competition.

The above ecological marking is placed on the bottom side of the outer bottom of the bag, is part of the printing plate, and does not increase the final price of the order in any way. Join us in this, think about the environment, and support the #bezigelitky project, and reduce single-use plastic packaging.

*The PAP paper recycling symbol that we print on bags.*

A final tip:

Choose flexography if: You plan to order 1,000 or more bags with a single-color logo and expect to repeat the order in the future. The initial investment in the printing plate will pay off with an extremely low price per piece on each subsequent order.

Choose screen printing if: You are looking for a premium solution for smaller volumes (around 500 pcs) and require one hundred percent opaque, rich, and vibrant colors (e.g. bright white on brown Kraft).

Choose digital printing if: You need a smaller quantity (from 100 pcs) and your motif contains a full-color photograph, shading, or complex color gradients.

Not sure which printing technology is optimal for your logo and chosen bag dimension? Send us your graphic design to the email: [email protected]. Our specialists will assess your graphics and recommend the most suitable technical solution.