How to Add Variable Data Printing to a Flexo Press
A flexo press prints from plates, so it can't print a different barcode or number on each piece. The fix: an inkjet mail table in the middle of the press. No print stations lost, full web width, with camera checking if the job needs proof.
The question usually comes to us worded exactly like this: "How can I do variable printing on my flexo press?"
Here's why it gets asked. A flexo press prints from plates, so it prints the same thing over and over. That's great for labels, tickets, and tags — until a job needs a different barcode, number, or code on every piece. Plates can't do that.
The fix: an inkjet mail table in the middle of the press
You don't replace the press. You don't give up print stations. We run the web up over an inkjet mail table in the middle of the press and right back down into it. The inkjet prints the changing data — barcodes, running numbers, codes — across the full width of the web at press speed. Your flexo stations keep doing what they're good at: the artwork, the color, the coatings. The inkjet does the one thing plates can't.
Jobs this opens up
Numbered tickets and tags — every piece gets its own number or code
Barcoded labels — a different code on each piece, straight from a data file
Running numbers — no numbering machine, no second pass
Lot and date codes that change without a plate change
The common thread: jobs you turn down, send out, or run as a slow second pass become one pass on the press you already own.
Talk to us
Mailtech sells and services digital inkjet and flexo printing equipment across the Northeast — and putting the two together is one of the things we do most. Call the office at 631-586-2174 with your press model and the job you want to win.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I lose print stations to fit the inkjet mail table?
No — the web goes up over the table and back down. Every station stays in play.
Can it print the full web width?
Yes. Print heads line up across the web, so the data isn't stuck in one lane.
What is the difference between a hybrid flexo press and an inkjet retrofit?
A hybrid press is a new press with digital print units built in. A retrofit adds an inkjet mail table to the flexo press you already own, keeps every print station, and costs a fraction of a new press.
Can I verify the codes are actually printing?
Yes. A camera downstream reads every code, logs it with a time and date, and stops the press on a miss. Customers who need proof get a report of every piece that ran.