Editing Flexography (section)

===Operational overview===
[[File:Flexographic printing diagram.svg|thumb|right|600px|Diagram of a typical flexographic printing apparatus, illustrating the general operating principle.]]
'''1. Fountain roller'''<br />
The fountain roller transfers ink located in an ink pan to a second roller, an anilox roller.
In modern flexographic printing, the anilox roll is referred to as a type of meter or metering roller.

'''2. Anilox roller'''<br />
The anilox roll is a unique characteristic of flexography. The anilox roller transfers a uniform thickness of ink to a flexible printing plate. The anilox roll has finely engraved cells with a particular ink capacity, viewable with a microscope. These rollers are responsible for transferring inks to the flexible printing plates mounted on the plate cylinders.

'''3. Doctor blade (optional)'''<br /> An optional doctor blade scrapes the anilox roll to ensure that the ink to be delivered to the flexible printing plate is only what is contained within the engraved cells. Doctor blades had predominantly been made of steel, but advanced doctor blades are now made of polymer materials with several different types of beveled edges.

'''4. Plate cylinder'''<br />
The plate cylinder holds the printing plate, which is made from a soft flexible rubber-like material. Tape, magnets, tension straps and/or ratchets hold the printing plate against the plate cylinder.

'''5. Impression cylinder '''<br />
The impression cylinder applies pressure to the plate cylinder where the image is transferred to the image-receiving substrate. 
This impression cylinder or "print anvil" is required to apply pressure to the plate cylinder.