Printing is one of the largest manufacturing industries in the United States - employing over 1,200,000 people in almost 46,000 establishments (down from 50,0000 according to 1999 data) and selling over $160 billion of products in 2001 (up from $155.7 billion according to 1999 data). The industry is dominated by small and medium sided businesses, most employing fewer than 20 employees.

• Printing Process Overview
• Process Flow Diagrams
  • Flexographic Printing

All process flow diagrams courtesy of Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Sciences

Flexographic presses are capable of producing good quality impressions on many different substrates, and flexography is the least expensive and simplest of the printing processes used for decorating and packaging printing. The use of flexographic printing presses is on the rise. There are two primary reasons for this: 1) it is relatively simple operation; and 2) it is easily adapted to the use of water-based inks. The widespread use of water-based inks in flexographic printing means a large reduction in VOC emissions compared to the heatset web, offset lithographic or gravure printing processes.

According to PIA, in 2000 (EPA Regions):

	EPA Geographic Region		No. of Printing Establishments		No. of Employees
	1		2,823		82,618
	2		5,860		156,459
	3		4,481		131,537
	4		6,583		166,550
	5		10,566		309,073
	6		4,522		88,770
	7		2,626		65,736
	8		1,568		33,082
	9		6,847		135,844
	10		1,791		44,011

The Standard Industry Classification (SIC) Codes often associated with flexographic printing operations are: 

 

	SIC Code	Operation / Product
	2677	Envelopes
	2672	Tape & Pressure Sensitive Labels
	2711	Newspapers
	274*	Miscellaneous Publishing
	275*	Commercial Printing
	2759	Flexographic Printing
	276*	Manifold Business Forms
	3069	Tape, Pressure Sensitive
	3081	Film, Plastics
	3089	Plastic Products
	3842	Tape, Adhesive
	5113	Corrugated and Solid Fiber Boxes

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes often associated with flexographic printing operations are: 

 

	NAICS Code	Operation/Product
	322211	Corrugated & Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing
	322212	Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
	322213	Set-up Paperboard Box Manufacturing
	322215	Non-folding Sanitary Food Container Manufacturing
	322221	Coated/Laminated Packaging (Paper & Plastic Film)
	322226	Surface Coated Paperboard
	322232	Envelope Manufacturing
	323112	Commercial Flexographic Printing
	511110	Newspaper Publishers

Did You Know?

• Approximately 87,800 people are employed at flexible printing facilities in the U.S.
• The typical flexographic packaging print shop runs 6 jobs daily, nearly 160 monthly, and 1,850 annually.
• An average flexographic packaging print shop will consume 9700 gallons of ink and 273,750 linear feet of film on every print job.
• Out of a population of 2500 flexographic printing plants running solvent based inks, 400 of them will need an add-on pollution control device.
• The annual shipments generated by printers were estimated by PIA at $1.37 billion according to PIA=s 2002 Annual Report to Congress.

Applications

Flexographic printing is well suited for printing packaging, corrugated containers (boxes), envelopes, labels, and tapes. A major portion of flexographic printing is housed within flexible packaging manufacturing facilities.

Flexographic printing is characterized by relief type plates (raised image areas) comprised of flexible material such as rubber or nitrile. Flexographic printing is used for longer print runs, unlike offset printing which may run short runs of just a few thousand impressions (i.e. brochure) or similarly long print runs of up to 1,000,000 impressions. Typical products printed with flexographic printing processes include: 

1. Food Packaging
2. Medical Packaging
3. Newspapers
4. Business Forms
5. Envelopes
6. Tapes (adhesive backed and non-adhesive backed)
7. Labels
8. Corrugated Containers
9. Multiwall Sacks and Paper Sacks
10. Plastic Bags
11. Milk and Beverage Cartons
12. Disposable Cups
13. Film