A registration system for a printing device and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. For example, the registration system includes a lead screw motor, a lead screw coupled to the lead screw motor, and a carriage coupled to the lead screw. The carriage includes two drive rollers, wherein each drive roller is coupled to a respective splined shaft coupled to a respective yoke, wherein the respective yoke is coupled to a drive pulley and a drive motor that is in a fixed position, wherein movement of the carriage causes the respective splined shaft of the two drive rollers to move guided by the respective yoke.

A registration system for a printing device and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. For example, the registration system includes a lead screw motor, a lead screw coupled to the lead screw motor, and a carriage coupled to the lead screw. The carriage includes two drive rollers, wherein each drive roller is coupled to a respective splined shaft coupled to a respective yoke, wherein the respective yoke is coupled to a drive pulley and a drive motor that is in a fixed position, wherein movement of the carriage causes the respective splined shaft of the two drive rollers to move guided by the respective yoke.

A web-fed printing machine that is highly variable in terms of its configuration, provides a high degree of positioning accuracy of processing modules and has a cost-efficient machine frame, includes a plurality of the processing modules fixed to the machine frame. Each respective processing module is advantageously fixed to the machine frame by a respective carrier module. Every carrier module includes two parallel longitudinal beams extending in the machine direction and two parallel crossbars which are oriented at right angles to the longitudinal beams and which interconnect the two longitudinal beams.

A web-fed printing machine that is highly variable in terms of its configuration, provides a high degree of positioning accuracy of processing modules and has a cost-efficient machine frame, includes a plurality of the processing modules fixed to the machine frame. Each respective processing module is advantageously fixed to the machine frame by a respective carrier module. Every carrier module includes two parallel longitudinal beams extending in the machine direction and two parallel crossbars which are oriented at right angles to the longitudinal beams and which interconnect the two longitudinal beams.

A finished flexo plate with printing dots and non-printing indicia. The printing dots have an elevation above the plate floor sufficient to transfer ink to a substrate in a printing step, whereas the non-printing indicia are configured for persistent readability relative to the plate floor but have a height relative to the plate floor insufficient to transfer ink to the substrate in the printing step. The non-printing indicia define a pattern of alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, or a combination thereof, and are disposed on the plate floor in the form of areas of presence and absence of polymer defined by structures formed of microdots, each microdot having an elevation relative to the plate floor lower than a printing height.

A finished flexo plate with printing dots and non-printing indicia. The printing dots have an elevation above the plate floor sufficient to transfer ink to a substrate in a printing step, whereas the non-printing indicia are configured for persistent readability relative to the plate floor but have a height relative to the plate floor insufficient to transfer ink to the substrate in the printing step. The non-printing indicia define a pattern of alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, or a combination thereof, and are disposed on the plate floor in the form of areas of presence and absence of polymer defined by structures formed of microdots, each microdot having an elevation relative to the plate floor lower than a printing height.

Thin film labels, systems, and methods of making and using thereof are described. The thin film systems contain a label and a carrier film, where the label contains an overprint layer, indicia, and an adhesive layer. The carrier film may be coated on one or both sides with a release liner. The adhesive layer can be any suitable adhesive, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive, a fluid activatable adhesive, a heat activated adhesive, or a contact activated adhesive. The label is formed by printed or coating one or more layers of precursor material on the carrier film using standard printers. Suitable precursor materials include, but are not limited to epoxys, solvent cast films, polyurethane dispersions, such as acrylic-urethane hybrid polymer dispersions and polyester-polyurethane dispersions. After the overprint layer dries or is cured, the indicia are printed onto the overprint layer, then the adhesive is coated on top of the indicia.

Thin film labels, systems, and methods of making and using thereof are described. The thin film systems contain a label and a carrier film, where the label contains an overprint layer, indicia, and an adhesive layer. The carrier film may be coated on one or both sides with a release liner. The adhesive layer can be any suitable adhesive, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive, a fluid activatable adhesive, a heat activated adhesive, or a contact activated adhesive. The label is formed by printed or coating one or more layers of precursor material on the carrier film using standard printers. Suitable precursor materials include, but are not limited to epoxys, solvent cast films, polyurethane dispersions, such as acrylic-urethane hybrid polymer dispersions and polyester-polyurethane dispersions. After the overprint layer dries or is cured, the indicia are printed onto the overprint layer, then the adhesive is coated on top of the indicia.

There is described a process of measuring print-to-print register of a multicolour print (A-D) provided in an effective printed area (EPA) of the surface of printed material, which multicolour print (A-D) is formed on the printed material by means of one or more printing presses and includes at least a first pattern (A) and a second pattern (B) distinguishable from the first pattern (A), the effective printed area (EPA) being provided with a matrix arrangement of individual imprints (P) which are each provided with the multicolour print (A-D) and are repeated over the surface of the effective printed area (EPA) along a pattern of rows and columns. Measurement of an actual print-to-print register between the first and second patterns (A, B), as reflected on the printed material, is derived from processing and finding a correspondence between (i) at least one sample image (SI.sub.A, SI.sub.B) of the printed material covering at least a portion of the first and second patterns (A, B), and (ii) at least one corresponding reference image (RI.sub.A, RI.sub.B) generated using prepress design data of the first and second patterns (A, B). Furthermore, the process is repeated for multiple ones of the individual imprints (P) so as to derive a set of multiple measurements of the actual print-to-print register between the first and second patterns (A, B) at various imprint locations over the effective printed area (EPA), which set of multiple measurements is mapped into a corresponding print-to-print register map (M.sub.B-A, M.sub.C-A, M.sub.D-A, . . . ) that is representative of print-to-print register deviations at the various imprint locations. Also described is a measuring device for carrying out this process and a process of measuring and correcting print-to-print register of a multicolour print.

There is described a process of measuring print-to-print register of a multicolour print (A-D) provided in an effective printed area (EPA) of the surface of printed material, which multicolour print (A-D) is formed on the printed material by means of one or more printing presses and includes at least a first pattern (A) and a second pattern (B) distinguishable from the first pattern (A), the effective printed area (EPA) being provided with a matrix arrangement of individual imprints (P) which are each provided with the multicolour print (A-D) and are repeated over the surface of the effective printed area (EPA) along a pattern of rows and columns. Measurement of an actual print-to-print register between the first and second patterns (A, B), as reflected on the printed material, is derived from processing and finding a correspondence between (i) at least one sample image (SI.sub.A, SI.sub.B) of the printed material covering at least a portion of the first and second patterns (A, B), and (ii) at least one corresponding reference image (RI.sub.A, RI.sub.B) generated using prepress design data of the first and second patterns (A, B). Furthermore, the process is repeated for multiple ones of the individual imprints (P) so as to derive a set of multiple measurements of the actual print-to-print register between the first and second patterns (A, B) at various imprint locations over the effective printed area (EPA), which set of multiple measurements is mapped into a corresponding print-to-print register map (M.sub.B-A, M.sub.C-A, M.sub.D-A, . . . ) that is representative of print-to-print register deviations at the various imprint locations. Also described is a measuring device for carrying out this process and a process of measuring and correcting print-to-print register of a multicolour print.