Experimental and Simulation Study on Effects of Hardness of Flexographic Plates and Printing Pressure on Dot Gain

JIANG Yayun; WANG Xu; GU Lingya; QIAO Junwei; LU Junxiao; ZHANG Gaimei; LI Zhongxiao; LIU Hui; SU Xiaoli

doi:10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.05.018

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Packaging Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (5) : 164-172. DOI: 10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.05.018

Automatic and Intelligent Technology

Experimental and Simulation Study on Effects of Hardness of Flexographic Plates and Printing Pressure on Dot Gain

JIANG Yayun¹, WANG Xu², GU Lingya¹, QIAO Junwei³, LU Junxiao¹, ZHANG Gaimei^1,*, LI Zhongxiao¹, LIU Hui¹, SU Xiaoli¹

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Abstract

The work aims to explore the influence of printing pressure on dot gain under different plate hardness conditions during flexographic printing, evaluate the accuracy of the three-dimensional finite element simulation model, and provide references for plate design and process parameter optimization. A digital microscope and an optical microscope were applied to accurately measure the geometric parameters of flexographic dots with two different hardness levels (Dpl_x45 and Dpl_x67). Subsequently, a printability tester was used to conduct standardized proofing for the two types of plates under three printing pressures: 125 N, 150 N, and 175 N, and a spectrophotometer was employed to measure the dot gain value of the proofs. Finally, a three-dimensional finite element model of a single flat-top dot was constructed through finite element simulation to simulate the dot deformation behavior. The experimental results showed that the dot gain value presented a nonlinear relationship with the dot percentage. The gain value increased in the range of 0%-50% and decreased in the range of 50%-100%, with the most significant effect at the 50% dot percentage. With the increase of printing pressure, the dot gain value showed an upward trend; under the same pressure conditions, the dot gain value of the low-hardness plate was significantly higher than that of the high-hardness plate. For the Dpl_x45 plate (50% dot), the gain value increased from 29% to 34% as the pressure rose from 125 N to 175 N. The errors between the simulation results and the measured data were all controlled within ±7.5%. It is concluded that printing pressure is a primary factor affecting dot gain, while plate hardness significantly influences the sensitivity of dots to pressure. Three-dimensional finite element simulation can effectively predict dot deformation trends, providing data support for process optimization.

Key words

flexographic printing / dot gain / finite element analysis / plate hardness / printing pressure

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JIANG Yayun, WANG Xu, GU Lingya, QIAO Junwei, LU Junxiao, ZHANG Gaimei, LI Zhongxiao, LIU Hui, SU Xiaoli. Experimental and Simulation Study on Effects of Hardness of Flexographic Plates and Printing Pressure on Dot Gain[J]. Packaging Engineering. 2026, 47(5): 164-172 https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.05.018

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