2 Tips About The Printing Plate Charges

We are in the process of purchasing packaging bags, will come into contact with the issue of “ Printing Plate Charges”. Unless you buy the inventory or no need printing, or else the plate charge will be payment.

So, you have to know 2 questions about the “Plate Charge”.

1, What’s The Printing Plate Charges Cost of The Composition?

Plate Charges, in fact, is the cost of design and production plate, Which including the design drawings and design plate.

First of all, a brand image that needs to be printed on the package is designed. Including: LOGO, product name, content, instructions and other text or image information. In general, the client will provide the completed design format, (.Ai ,.Cdr , or HD.Pdf ) etc vector graphics file, some also use high-definition CMYK pictures as printed images.

Then, the supplier will calculate the price of the plate cylinder according to the following 3 factors, including:

• Packaging Bag Size
• Plate Cylinder Quality
• Printing Colors Quantity

The quantity of printed colors is the key factor to decide the “plate charge”.

2、Find Out The Reasons For Fluctuations In Printing Plate Charges

Everyone know that different supplier, plate charge different, but same design.
Why? Why different? —- Not clear

As we mentioned in the first question — There are 3 factors

• Packaging Bag Size – usually affects only the layout and printing speed.
  The layout is based on the length of the plate cylinder to determine that how many bags once time. Just one of the price factor, only affects basis prices.

• Plate Cylinder Quality – depends on the thickness, length, weight, hardness and other factors.
  Not all printing factories are willing to change the size of the rolls frequently, which means there will be a lot of trouble. They have two sizes will be fixed, long and short. So, the basis price have two.

• Printing Colors Quantity – the plate charge will increase more times.

Well, we look at the issue of the printing plate charges from the number of colors

If the number of printed colors is 3.

① Size Different

For example, One 1050mm plate cylinder’s charge is $220; the same length, but thickness different or same thickness,but length different (870mm) charge maybe $150, difference $70.
3 colors, Total plate charge is {$220*3=$660} & {$150*3=$450}, difference $210.
If the colors increases, increase to 8 kinds of printing colors, charge will increase more. {$220*8=$1760} & {$150*8=$1200}, difference $560.

 

②Quality Different

Different printing equipment, the requirements of the printing plate cylinder also different.
Such as Japan’s Fuji high-speed printing machine, printing speed, but wear faster, plate cylinder’s requirements are also very high.
Whereas the low-speed printing machine because of plate cylinder wear less, requirements of weight & hardness are not so high, match the printing requirements is ok. So cost will be low.

And then, the number of printing colors will double the cost gap.

 

③Professional Quality Different

If the plate-making factory is not professional, it will be difficult to control plate quality, resulting in re-printing plate.

The mechanical accuracy of the printing plate poor, resulting causes printing to appear chromatic aberration, affecting the quality of printing.Then these risk costs will certainly be included in the order or plate charge. The charge will be higher.

It depends on whether the suppliers you work with can control the issue effectively.

So,Depending on the equipment requirements of your cooperation factory, “Packaging Bag Size” & “Plate Cylinder Quality” is affects basis prices. And that more colors you use in printing, more expensive plate charge will be. This growth is obvious. certainly, this is not unlimited growth.

As for order cost, the average cost of the “Printing Plate Charges” is almost negligible in the total order.
High quality products are the most important. Blindly pursuit of plate charge, but ignored the printing technology and production management, will be difficult to guarantee the quality of finished packaging bags products
Clients need to calculate the time cost, efficiency cost and risk cost.
So, A perfect system, responsible supplier is needed by the client.