1. Natural rubber - 50 durometer/Polymer for screen and tight register.
2. 
3. Have zincs scribed with centre marks so rubbers can be measured properly.
4. Color registration marks should be on every plate when color separation is necessary.
5. Try not to group rubbers together to save square inches. This causes problems on machine setup when operators have to cut and piece for position.
6. Send a mould along with plates to ensure the order won't miss the run because of plate problems or damage during the run. We can return the bake and rubbers after order completion.
7. Forward mock-up along with plates so we can position printing properly.
8. Our printing capabilities are FLEXOGRAPHIC not Litho/Offset so please keep this in mind when setting up printing with tight registration. Registration varies depending on printing press. Please check with the plant.
9. Flexographic printing has a considerable dot gain when using screen printing. This should be kept in mind. We should be contacted for further information when screens are going to be used.
10. If you are changing your design and it only involves some of the printing, it is not always best to make a small plate and piece in the new portion. We prefer to make a new zinc mould and new rubber. This eliminates different thicknesses of rubber and ensures proper positioning.
11. Process printing is done on shopping bags and limited sizes of grocery and merchandise bags. Restrictions apply depending on design, coverage and paper stock. The plant must be consulted on all process work.
12. Minimum type size should not be less than 7 point in positive print or 9 point in reverse print. Type style will affect the required minimum.

Print design, quantity, and schedule requirements determine which press will be used for a particular order. Some orders will require a second set of plates depending which press is used. They are:

• Prime (5 ¼ x 3 ½ x 8 ¼)
• Wine (5 ¼ x 3 ½ x 13)
• Petite (8 x 4 ¾ x 10 ½)
• Vanity (9 ¾ x 4 ¾ x 14)
• Star (12 5/8 x 7 x 12 ¾)
• Fashion (16 x 6 x 12)
• Café (10 x 7 x 12.875)
• Lion (14 x 9.5 x 16)

1. Our in-house printing is Flexographic. The pantone color matching charts are printed Litho/Offset, therefore attaining a perfect match is almost impossible.
2. The pantone book is printed on coated and uncoated bonded stock, not kraft paper. This is going to have an affect on shading. The pantone book should not be used to color specification. A color drawdown should be reproduced for your approval.
3. The paper grade (white, natural, glosskote, sandkraft, pinstripe) will also change the shade of color depending on the opacity of the ink.
4. The paper on which the drawdown is used is not always the paper used in manufacturing. This could have an affect on color also. Drawdowns are created by hand and not an actual press. Ink density will vary.
5. If you are using a different assortment of packaging (eg. notion, SOS, shoppers), the printer used on each item could be different (eg. anilox, chrome, ceramic). This will have some affect on shading also but will not have a substantial impact.

1. Proofing is recommended for all new jobs or jobs with changes.
2. A color drawdown will provide an example of color on the stock being printed.
3. A blueline will show positioning and provide a mock- up on the size of bag to be run.
4. A color key will demonstrate bleed via a color separation on mylar.
5. Colors used on bluelines and color keys are not the colors used in the printing process (see Proofs #2).