It’s a Fine Line

Walking a tight rope is tricky business; one slip of the foot can cause a whole mess of problems. Plate mounting is much the same. It is an intricate part of the printing process, and requires much attention.

As market manager of paper, print, and film for tesa tape, Joe Prunier is familiar with converters’ plate-mounting nightmares. “I can give literally dozens of examples of when we have received calls from our customers (who say they are) having problems with edge-lift, bubbling, poor print, registration problems, adhesive delamination, and foam splitting,” he says. As a result of these drawbacks, materials are wasted and money is lost. It is critical to mount plates properly—the first time—to save valuable materials and dollars, and to prevent unwanted headaches.