Anilox

Match anilox screen and volume to plate line screen and minimum highlight dot.

Anilox selection and feasibility

Calculator mode

Picks from standard rolls: 360, 440, 550, 700, 800, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600 LPI. Assumes a 3 μm cell wall.

Plate line screen unit
Plate technology

Applies minimum plate bump offset to compensate for oxygen inhibition dot sharpening.

4.5 to 6 standard process, 6 to 8+ for 0.5 to 1% highlights

Highlight requirement

You won't find this on the roll tag. It keeps the plate dot 1.5 to 2 times wider than the cell opening so ink doesn't flood the dot.

Anilox display unit
Volume unit

Recommended standard roll

—LPI

Operating margin
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Volume range
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Next coarser roll
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Shoulder flooding below
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Coarser rolls put more ink on the dot than it can hold. Expect bridging and halos.

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Why does cell opening matter if dots don't actually 'dip'?

Dots don't really dip into the cells. Research from Clemson's Sonoco Institute, Miraclon and Apex shows the plate doesn't push down into the ink at kiss impression.

Dirty print on a coarse roll comes from too much ink. Big cells carry more than a 1% dot can hold, so the extra runs down the dot shoulders, dries and bridges.

Keeping the dot wider than the cell opening is still the easiest way to keep highlights clean.

Standard roll inventory

Typical volume per roll (60° hex, 28 to 35% depth ratio)

  • Roll (LPI)360

    L/cm
    142
    Volume (BCM)
    5.5 to 7.5

    Heavy solids, coatings, opaque white

  • Roll (LPI)440

    L/cm
    173
    Volume (BCM)
    4.0 to 5.2

    Solids, heavy spot colors

  • Roll (LPI)550

    L/cm
    217
    Volume (BCM)
    3.0 to 3.8

    Spot colors, solids with type

  • Roll (LPI)700

    L/cm
    276
    Volume (BCM)
    2.2 to 2.8

    Line work, type, barcodes

  • Roll (LPI)800

    L/cm
    315
    Volume (BCM)
    1.8 to 2.3

    Coarse process, fine line

  • Roll (LPI)1,000

    L/cm
    394
    Volume (BCM)
    1.4 to 1.8

    Process, 133 to 150 LPI plates

  • Roll (LPI)1,200

    L/cm
    472
    Volume (BCM)
    1.1 to 1.4

    Process, 150 to 175 LPI plates

  • Roll (LPI)1,400

    L/cm
    551
    Volume (BCM)
    0.9 to 1.2

    Fine process, 175 LPI plates

  • Roll (LPI)1,600

    L/cm
    630
    Volume (BCM)
    0.7 to 0.9

    HD highlights, 175+ LPI plates, 1% dot or less

1 BCM = 1.55 cm³/m². Volume ranges are starting references; confirm with your specific anilox engraver.