Doctoring systems play an important role in removing excess ink, but they are not perfect.

By Missy Smith

The flexo printer only had a lamella or a radius tip to choose from. Today, with higher and higher anilox line screens, many different types of blades are being used. In the past, one blade would be sufficient to finish the job, but now it takes two or three different blade types to get the best results. It is important to inform printers that there are more blade choices than ever before and it may be time to evaluate the blade type they’ve been using. If printers want to continue to move ahead in the industry, it is up to their suppliers to help them stay one step ahead of the competition.