Splish Splash, I was Takin' a Bath ...

Continual cleaning, though, will minimize these print problems, while extending the life of the anilox roll. According to Bobby Furr, technical sales manager, HarperScientific, "With the proper cleaning procedures and maintenance of anilox rolls, a roll will last at least five years."

Squeaky clean

It's very clear—for the best results, anilox rolls should be cleaned after each run. "Most converters that have instituted cleaning programs have found that if the anilox is deep cleaned immediately after it comes out of the press and before returning to the storage rack, it will be capable of delivering the full ink volume it was designed for," says Bob Temple, president/owner, Absolutely Micro*Clean. But before a converter begins cleaning, it is important to determine a cleaning approach.