Resources
Spec Card
A working spec card for South African flexo teams, covering plate type, tape, anilox, substrate, and ink notes used on real packaging floors.
How Spec Card helps on a print week
This spec card records the print details needed to repeat a flexo packaging job accurately. It includes plate type, tape, anilox, substrate, and ink notes used by South African press crews and suppliers.
Start the Spec Card with the exact substrate, gauge and print width for the job. South African flexo work shifts between BOPP, PE, paper and laminated structures, and each one changes tape choice, anilox volume and drying behaviour. Inland dust around Gauteng and higher humidity near Durban both belong in the notes when they affected ink lay or register stability.
Capture the first approved sample and record it against the Spec Card while the settings are still live on press. A printed copy can sit at the machine with the docket, while the digital version keeps the plate code, ink mix and reel details together for the next repeat. That record helps the crew distinguish a good restart from a run built on memory.
Spec Card fields that matter
A useful card names the plate material, relief, mounting tape, anilox specification, ink system and curing or drying observations in one place. It should also show press speed, impression comments and any watchpoints from the approved run. For repeat packaging jobs, one accurate sheet is more valuable than scattered messages across email and chat.
Link the Spec Card to the matching job photos, plate file reference and ink record before sending it on. Check the sheet against the job bag, reel label and press settings so the final copy reflects what actually ran. Name your press and the job on it, and we will put together the consumables for the run.
- Plate, tape and anilox captured
- Approved sample tied to settings
- Job references kept in one record
SA press conditions worth recording
Spec Cards for local converters should note site conditions that changed print behaviour, not just ideal targets. A run leaving Johannesburg for export through OR Tambo may need tighter paperwork, while work moved through Durban can show different drying results on the same design. Older narrow web lines and wide web packaging presses also need different levels of detail on impression, bounce and register checks.
Near the coast, moisture can alter paper handling, tape performance and solvent balance during long runs. On inland sites, dust and static often affect web cleanliness and sensor reliability, so operators may log extra cleaning or adjustment points. During load-shedding periods, it also helps to note when approvals were taken and whether the restart changed colour or tension.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
Completing the card on press
Complete the Spec Card with sample photos, run timing, and the tolerances already discussed. Keep the subject line matched to the job or material.
Fill in the Spec Card at the machine as approvals happen, rather than rebuilding the run details later from memory. Include sample numbers, reel information, ink batch references and any tolerance agreed with production or QA. When a buyer, supplier or press minder checks the next order, the record should show exactly what delivered the accepted pack.