Ink notes
Shift Cards
A practical press-floor note on shift cards that record inks, plates, settings and snags between crews.
When one shift leaves only verbal notes, the next shift inherits wasted substrate and repeated faults. Shift Cards shows what to record for flexo jobs, including ink adjustments, anilox changes, and press conditions.
Shift Cards work best when the writing is short, specific and tied to the exact job on press. Record the ink mix used, plate ID, anilox volume, tape build, impression changes and any fault still visible at handover.
Handover details that matter
- Press name and outgoing shift noted
- First-off and latest sample kept with the card
- Plate code, anilox spec and ink batch listed
- Operator and supervisor names written clearly
A Shift Card is not a full job bag. It is the handover record that tells the next crew what changed during the run and what must not be reset by guesswork. That includes doctor blade swaps, viscosity corrections and stations that were backed off to manage gain or bounce.
How Shift Cards guide press crews across each run
Shift Cards are a simple way to pass vital job detail from one flexo crew to the next. They should record ink codes, plate references, settings, adjustments made on press and any snags still affecting print.
Start the card with the substrate grade, web width and target print speed for that job. Coastal humidity in Durban can change drying and pH drift, while Highveld dust around Johannesburg often shows up first on solids and fine reverse type. Add any load-shedding stop, splice issue or delivery cut-off that could affect restart conditions on the next shift.
Keep the card where the incoming crew will see it before restarting the press. A marked sample beside the note helps them check colour order, registration position and any defect line before more film or board is wasted. Night changeovers benefit most when the last adjustments are written down, not passed on from memory.
What the next crew should receive
The useful card is the one that explains the current running condition, not the planned setup from prepress. It should show which station needed extra attention, where densities drifted, and whether the job was accepted with a minor defect still under watch. That gives the incoming team a stable restart point.
Use Shift Cards together with Ink notes and the matching Press paths entry when the job has repeated colour or setup issues. Before plates, inks or paperwork leave the site, check that the card names the live settings actually used on press. Name your press and the job on it, and we will put together the consumables for the run.
- Settings matched to the running press
- Latest pull sheet marked and dated
- Contact details for the handover person
SA plant conditions worth noting
Export work heading through OR Tambo often carries tighter sample control and paperwork checks, so note which approved sample is in use. Older sites around Crown Mines may have station quirks or drying limits that must be written on every repeat order. Separate urgent reruns from the normal weekly plan so the card does not hide a priority change.
Coastal plants may need more frequent pH and viscosity checks on water-based systems. Inland dust can show up in print or on plates after long open-door shifts, especially on film work. During load-shedding risk, record exactly where the job stopped and which reels or sheets were held back for inspection.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
What to write on the card
A practical press-floor note on shift cards that record inks, plates, settings and snags between crews.
Complete the Shift Card while the job is still on press and the changes are fresh. File it with the job record, approved sample and any QC notes so repeat work starts from fact rather than memory. That is where traceability becomes useful during reruns, complaints and colour matching.