Ink notes
Night Shift
A practical note on night shift printing, from viscosity checks to wash-up routines before the morning crew arrives.
Night work in flexo exposes every weak handover: low ink levels, unlabelled plates, and no note on what changed at the press. Night Shift focuses on the checks that keep SA packaging lines running cleanly after the day team clocks off.
Night work shows up gaps that a day team can hide. On flexo jobs running through Gauteng, Durban and Cape Town, the handover note should state ink drawdown changes, what was topped up, and whether doctor blades, anilox rolls or plates gave trouble. Use the contact form if this journal entry needs to be tied to a live press issue or stock query.
Handover details before sunrise
- Press number and shift end time
- Viscosity reading logged for each station
- Plate set, ink batch, substrate code noted
- Operator and incoming crew names recorded
Use this note with the relevant stock and process pages. Night Shift deals with what must be written down at the machine, especially when colour was corrected, reels were changed, or drying was adjusted after midnight. That record helps the morning crew judge whether to restart at the same settings or pull samples first.
What Night Shift looks like on press
Night Shift focuses on the checks that keep a late flexo run controlled and readable for the morning team. Viscosity records, wash-up notes, plate condition and reel issues should be written down before handover.
Start with the actual job conditions, not a generic shift report. Film grade, board type, solvent balance, humidity on the coast, and dust on inland sites all affect how ink behaves after dark. A useful night note names what changed on press and what still needs watching on the next reel.
Check ink levels before the last hour of the run, then write down any late additions by station. Photos matter most when there is plate edge wear, dirty print, reel damage or a splice that caused a stop. A short note left at the machine often prevents wasted substrate on the first start-up sample.
Morning crew handover pack
The useful handover is the one that lets the next operator read the job fast. Include current viscosities, last approved sample, wash-up status, and any reel or tension issue that was not cleared before shift end. On flexo packaging work, a clear note saves more stock than a long explanation written after the fact.
Match Night Shift with the related journal pieces before changing too much at once. Before the reel stand is left for the day crew, compare the note against the job bag, ink labels and plate sleeves, then mark what was removed for wash-up. Name your press and the job on it, and we will put together the consumables for the run.
- Checks matched to the running press
- Last approved sample kept with job sheet
- Contact route for job-specific queries
Night conditions on SA presses
We account for OR Tambo export schedules, Sunnyrock warehouse cut-offs, older Crown Mines pressrooms and the tighter handovers common at smaller converting plants. Not every site runs like a new installation, so the night note should record worn doctor blades, temperamental dryers and any unit that needed extra attention. Keep urgent repeat work on its own instruction sheet so colour changes, reel swaps and plate remarks are not lost in the weekly press plan.
Power interruptions can break the rhythm of colour checks and sample retention. Coastal moisture can slow down clean-down and affect how quickly stations are ready for the next order. Inland night shifts often need extra attention on web handling, sensor cleanliness and stock storage if reels sat in a dry area all day.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
Notes worth leaving at press
A practical note on night shift printing, from viscosity checks to wash-up routines before the morning crew arrives.
Write the entry before the shift ends, while the readings and changes are still exact. Night Shift is most useful when it sits with the job paperwork, sample strip and any maintenance note for the next crew. That gives production, quality and stores the same version of what happened on press.