Why More Offset Printers Are Switching from Hex Anilox Rollers to GTT

The Growing Demand for Simplicity in Offset Printing

Today's offset printers face more challenges than ever before.

Customers expect exceptional print quality, shorter turnaround times, and greater consistency across every job. At the same time, printers are under constant pressure to reduce waste, control operating costs, improve efficiency, and maximize press uptime.

As many companies pursue continuous improvement initiatives, they are discovering that one of the biggest opportunities for improvement isn't the press itself, the coating chemistry, or the workflow.

It's the anilox roller.

For years, offset coating departments have relied on traditional hex-cell engravings, often maintaining multiple anilox specifications to support different coating applications. While this approach has become standard practice, it can also create unnecessary complexity, additional inventory costs, increased maintenance requirements, and avoidable downtime.

As a result, more printers are asking a simple question:

Is there a better way?

For thousands of printers around the world, the answer isGTT® (Genetic Transfer Technology) from Apex International.

The Hidden Costs of Traditional Hex Anilox Rollers

Historically, printers have been taught that different coating applications require different anilox engravings. As coating programs expanded, so did the number of rollers required to support them.

Many pressrooms now maintain separate rollers for:

• High-gloss coatings
• Matte coatings
• UV coatings
• Soft-touch finishes
• Specialty coatings
• Tactile effects

While this may seem normal, every additional anilox roller creates hidden costs throughout the operation. Each roller must be:

• Purchased
• Stored
• Cleaned
• Maintained
• Tracked
• Changed in and out of the press

Individually, these tasks may seem minor. Collectively, they consume time, labor, and resources that could be better spent producing sellable work.

What Makes GTT Technology Different?

Unlike traditional engravings that rely on thousands of individual hexagonal cells, GTT utilizes Apex's patented open-channel engraving structure.

This fundamentally different design provides controlled and consistent coating transfer across a broad range of coating applications.

Rather than optimizing a roller for one narrow application, GTT technology is designed to perform effectively across multiple coating types and operating conditions.

The result is a more versatile and efficient coating platform.

Benefits of GTT Technology

• Broader operating window
• Consistent coating transfer
• Improved repeatability
• Reduced inventory requirements
• Easier cleaning
• Fewer roller changes
• Simplified pressroom operations

Simplifying Anilox Inventory Management

One of the biggest reasons printers switch to GTT is inventory reduction. Many offset printers discover they can successfully run multiple coating applications using fewer anilox specifications.

Instead of managing a large inventory of dedicated rollers, they can often standardize around a smaller number of GTT engravings that deliver excellent performance across a wider range of applications.

This creates several advantages:

• Fewer rollers to purchase
• Reduced storage requirements
• Lower maintenance costs
• Simplified operator training
• Improved production consistency

In an industry focused on lean manufacturing, reducing complexity often delivers significant long-term value.

Less Time Changing Rollers. More Time Printing.

Every pressroom understands the importance of uptime. Although an anilox change may only take a few minutes, those minutes add up quickly over weeks, months, and years. Every roller change requires:

• Stopping production
• Removing equipment
• Installing a replacement
• Verifying settings
• Restarting production

By reducing the number of anilox specifications required, GTT helps eliminate many of these interruptions.

The result is simple: More time printing. More throughput. Greater productivity. Better utilization of expensive press equipment.

Consistency That Builds Confidence

One of the most valuable benefits of GTT technology is consistency. Press operators want predictable performance. Production managers want repeatability. Customers expect the same results every time they reorder a job. GTT helps deliver all three.

Whether producing:

• Folding cartons
• Commercial print
• Premium packaging
• High-gloss applications
• Matte coatings
• Soft-touch finishes
• Specialty effects

GTT provides a stable and repeatable transfer process that helps reduce variability from job to job. The result is greater confidence throughout the organization, from the pressroom floor to the finished product delivered to the customer.

Easier Cleaning and Reduced Maintenance

Cleaning and maintenance are essential in every coating department, but they do not generate revenue. Traditional engravings can become increasingly difficult to clean as coatings, additives, and contaminants accumulate within engraved cells. Over time, this buildup can impact transfer consistency and require additional maintenance to restore performance. GTT's open-channel design was engineered to help address this challenge.

Because the channels are more accessible, many printers report:

• Easier cleaning
• Reduced maintenance requirements
• Less downtime
• Improved transfer consistency
• Longer periods of stable production

The benefit is straightforward: Less time maintaining equipment and more time running jobs.

Supporting Lean Manufacturing Initiatives

Lean manufacturing focuses on eliminating waste, reducing complexity, and improving operational efficiency. GTT naturally supports these objectives by helping printers:

• Reduce inventory
• Eliminate unnecessary roller changes
• Simplify maintenance
• Improve process consistency
• Reduce operational variability

GTT aligns with many continuous improvement programs already underway in modern printing facilities.

Simply put: Fewer variables lead to better control.

Proven Performance in Offset Pressrooms Worldwide

GTT is not a new or experimental technology. Today, more than 4,000 GTT offset rolls are operating successfully in pressrooms around the world. Commercial printers, folding carton manufacturers, and premium packaging producers continue to adopt GTT because the benefits are measurable, repeatable, and sustainable.

The growing number of installations reflects a simple reality. Printers are seeing real results.

The Future of Offset Coating Is Simplicity

The most successful printers are constantly looking for ways to do more with less. Less complexity. Less downtime. Less inventory. Less wasted effort. GTT technology helps make that possible.

By simplifying anilox inventories, reducing roller changes, improving consistency, and supporting more efficient pressroom operations, GTT allows printers to focus on what they do best, producing exceptional print while maximizing profitability.

Ready to Simplify Your Pressroom?

If you're looking to reduce inventory, improve consistency, simplify operations, and increase productivity, Apex GTT technology may be the solution. Ask about Apex International's Try Before You Buy Banded Roll Program and see firsthand how GTT can help simplify your coating process while improving performance.

Apex GTT® Technology. Simplify Your Pressroom. Improve Your Performance. Maximize Your Productivity.