Specs
Plate Pack specs
Setup notes and briefing numbers for Plate Pack.
Plate dimensions and repeat data
Plate Pack specs lists the technical details needed for plate supply on a live flexo job. Include plate size, repeat, artwork requirements, and any press or substrate factors that affect how the plates must be prepared.
Start the Plate Pack with exact plate width, cut length, print repeat and cylinder or sleeve details. Mounting tape thickness, plate thickness and gearless settings must be stated together, because these figures affect distortion values and image fit on press. For work running in Gauteng, dust control and storage handling should be noted if exposed plates will stand before mounting.
Artwork instructions need more than a PDF name and order number. Include trap values, minimum line weights, screen ruling, anilox selection if fixed, and whether solids and reverses are sensitive on the chosen substrate. A short note on registration direction and unwind position helps the platemaking file match the live job, especially on repeat carton and film work.
Key details on the spec sheet
A usable Plate Pack spec identifies the substrate grade, web width, number of colours and print side without guesswork. It should also state adhesive, varnish or lamination stages where these change dot gain, ink holdout or plate exposure choices. When the same design runs on paper and film, list each version separately rather than combining settings.
Press information belongs on the same record as the plate request, not in separate messages. Note the press name, max print area, mounting method, tape code, and any known bounce or slur points before you write in. If samples exist, mark which station showed trouble on the previous print result.
- Plate size, repeat, thickness
- Tape gauge and mounting side
- Substrate, colours, unwind direction
Press conditions that alter plates
Coastal humidity in Durban can change how plates and tapes behave during storage and mounting. Inland sites around Johannesburg often need better dust control around sleeves, tapes and exposed surfaces before plates go onto the machine. Where loadshedding planning affects make ready, record whether exposure, mounting or press start times were interrupted.
Courier handling matters when plates travel between repro, platemaking and the plant. Mark whether the job is for flexible packaging, labels or corrugated, because packing method and edge protection differ. If the site is in Cape Town, Durban or an outlying industrial area, include delivery access notes with the technical spec so the plate set arrives identifiable and protected.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
Information to gather before release
Have the approved artwork version, substrate description and repeat confirmed before the plate file is released. Add any previous press comments on dirty print, dot bridging, weak solids or bounce, because these notes can change relief and screening choices.
Keep one reference number across the PO, artwork, plate set and sample pulls. That makes it easier to trace revisions when a buyer, printer or repro house asks which specification was used for the run.
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