Supplies
Corrugated Path
Corrugated work needs a different print route from labels or film. Board grade, flute profile, plate relief and anilox choice all change how solids, linework and barcodes hold on shipper cartons used across South African distribution chains.
Board grades and flute behaviour
The Corrugated Path page is for flexo work going onto corrugated board and other transport packaging formats. It covers the print path from plate and ink decisions through to the press conditions that affect board jobs.
Start by naming the board and flute, because E flute prints very differently from B, C or double wall. Kraft liners, recycled content and crush variation affect ink laydown, dot gain and how much impression the job can tolerate in Johannesburg, Durban or Cape Town conditions.
Check the sheet at machine entry before the first colour goes down. Warp, high moisture, edge damage and poor slotting quickly show up as bounce, dirty print or weak barcode edges, so one clear setup record helps the next repeat run.
Plate, ink and anilox choices
Corrugated cartons usually benefit from plate and tape combinations that can bridge liner irregularity without flooding fine type. Water-based ink strength, anilox volume and screen count must suit the board absorbency, especially on brown outers where dense blacks and clean reverses are often the first complaint.
Corrugated converting depends on plate specifications, ink references and press settings that match the board and print format. Before sending a query through the contact form, include the board grade, flute, print width and whether the job runs post-print or pre-print so the path matches the actual press conditions.
- Board and flute identified first
- Impression checked for flute crush
- Photos of first-off and defects
Press conditions on transport cartons
Long carton runs for produce, beverage and transit packaging often expose issues that short sample work hides. Sheet travel, vacuum settings, feed consistency and drying capacity matter just as much as artwork when cartons must stack, tape and scan properly through depots linked to OR Tambo, Durban harbour and inland DC networks.
Coastal humidity can soften board and slow stable colour pickup on water-based systems. On the Highveld, dust and dry air make cleaning discipline, viscosity control and static checks more important around feed sections, plates and print stations.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
Job details to send first
Share the carton use, board construction and the print fault you need to fix. Useful notes include flute direction, number of colours, expected line speed and whether the concern is mottle, washboarding, pinholing, weak solids or scuffing in transit.
Keep the job record attached to the same SKU, board grade, and plate code used on press. When a buyer asks for backup, send the press sheet, ink reference and first-off photos so the corrugated spec can be checked against what actually ran.
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