Resources
Photo Protocol
A photo protocol that shows exactly what to capture on a flexo job, including plate damage, print defects, press settings, and substrate issues.
How Photo Protocol helps on a plant week
This photo protocol shows what to capture when reporting a flexo issue or checking a job on press. Include clear images of plate damage, print defects, press settings, and any substrate problem affecting the run.
Start by photographing the web and the fault together so the substrate and defect are seen in one record. On film, paper, and unsupported laminate, include enough frame to show direction of travel, repeat length, and where the issue sits across the width. South African plants often deal with dust inland and moisture at the coast, so note the site and weather conditions with the image set.
Capture the first image before the operator wipes a roller, changes tape, or adjusts impression. That opening record matters when you are comparing plate edge damage, doctor blade lines, dirty print, or a gear mark that appears only after speed increases. Add the shift time and job number on the photo sheet kept at the press.
Images required on every fault
A good Photo Protocol pack shows four things without guesswork: the printed defect, the plate or cylinder position, the press setting, and the substrate condition. One clear set is more useful than many cropped photos that cannot be linked back to the station. Keep each image tied to the colour, unit number, and repeat position.
Use Photo Protocol with the related press guidance and ink references when a defect needs tracing beyond one station. Before sending the record, check that the job sheet, anilox detail, and plate identification are visible somewhere in the set. Name your press and the job on it, and we will put together the consumables for the run.
- Wide shot of press and unit
- Close photo of defect on web
- Plate code and colour recorded
Checks that suit SA pressrooms
Include site details that affect print stability, such as inland dust on exposed stations or Durban humidity on overnight starts. At plants running older narrow web or CI equipment, photograph the actual control panel values instead of rewriting them later from memory. Where courier samples move between Johannesburg, Cape Town, and regional converters, label the first-off and last-off samples to match the photo set.
Power interruptions can split one run into several restarts, so take a new setup image after each stop that changes tension, viscosity, or dryer settings. Coastal work may need extra photos of condensation, blocked vents, or substrate curl near the unwind. For dusty inland sites, include guards, sensors, and web edges if contamination is part of the complaint.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
Photo set before reporting
Follow the Photo Protocol with clear site photos, shift timing, and the defect already traced. Keep the subject line straight about the print fault.
File the images while the job is still on press so station numbers, ink references, and operator notes match the actual run. When traceability is required for packaging work, keep the Photo Protocol sheet with the job record, sample pulls, and any plate inspection photos taken after wash-up.