Our 3Dresyns® PP for printing plates are designed to 3D print Printing Plates (“PP”) using affordable SLA, DLP & LCD 3D printers. They support multiple printing systems, including stereo plates for flexography, letterpress, and related plate-based workflows.
By enabling in-house, cost-effective plate manufacturing, 3Dresyns® PP support a broad range of traditional 2D printing systems (flexography, letterpress, etc.) and applications including specialty and customized graphic arts, publishing, micro- and nano-scale rigid and flexible electronics, and more sustainable printing manufacturing.
Durometer Shore hardness guidance
Durometer is a measure of plate hardness, determined by resistance to indentation using a standard test instrument.
For flexographic printing plates, the most commonly used scale is Shore A. A practical Shore A range is typically 20–70 units. For general printing on paper or plastic, plate durometer is commonly in the 45–55 Shore A range.
Photopolymer 3D printed plates can be 5–10 Shore A units higher than commonly used rubber compounds while still producing similar printing quality. Softer plates may increase dot gain and reduce printed ink resolution.
Flexo plates can be designed and 3D printed across a wide Shore A range depending on the final application, with approximately 60–65 Shore A often used as an average hardness. For printing on soft substrates or corrugated paper, a Shore A around 55 can be acceptable.
Typical letterpress plate hardness (Shore D) ranges from 25–75, depending on the plate design and application.
Order ready-to-use 3Dresyns® PP
You can order our ready-to-use 3Dresyns® PP for printing plates at your chosen Shore A or Shore D hardness (depending on printing plate type): 3Dresyns® PP for printing plates.
Direct 3D printer-to-plate (3DTP) concept
As Computer-To-Plate (CTP) replaced Computer-To-Film (CTF) by eliminating stripping, compositing, and traditional plate-making steps, direct and selective 3D printer-to-plate (“3DTP”) can enable more eco-friendly, customized printing plate production. This approach can reduce prepress time, lower costs, improve print resolution, and broaden accessible material options (e.g., optical clear, flexible, durable, bio-based).
Benefits of 3DTP versus traditional technologies
- In-house customization of plate design and manufacturing
- High resolution quality depending on printer X, Y, Z performance (e.g., X,Y < 30–40 microns pixel diameter and Z down to 1 micron with some affordable SLA, DLP & LCD 3D printers)
- Time and cost savings through selective printing (reduced material waste) and elimination of non-image-area removal steps during plate imaging
- Higher durability compared with less durable technologies (e.g., UV-curable water-based emulsion coatings used in CTP)
- More eco-friendly and sustainable manufacturing routes
Key features of 3Dresyns® PP
- Synthetic and/or bio-based, renewable, and biodegradable options
- High precision and resolution below 30 microns for SLA, DLP & LCD printing
- Excellent balance of mechanical properties to minimize ink and Over Print Varnishes (OPVs) dot gain and splattering
- Excellent chemical resistance to withstand aggressive inks and OPVs
- Cost-effective versus existing technologies
- Custom design and production for in-house 3D printing plate manufacturing
We are ready and open to design custom Printing Plates 3Dresyns® PP for different printing systems and applications.