Resources · Buyer's guide
What web width flexo press do you need?
Web width is the one spec you can't easily undo — too narrow caps your growth, too wide wastes substrate on every small job. Here's how to size it right for the work you run today and tomorrow.
Practical guide · no jargon · updated 2026
The short answer
- Web width is the widest reel the press prints across — buy for your biggest job, plus growth.
- Self-adhesive labels → narrow web, roughly 330–450 mm.
- Add shrink sleeve, film or pouches → mid web, roughly 450–670 mm.
- Size it from your largest across-web layout — ups × (label width + gap) — plus edge margins, then add headroom.
- Want one press for all of it? The multi-substrate Nova A8 spans 370–670 mm.
The basics
What web width means — and why it's first
The "web" is the continuous roll of material running through the press, and web width is the widest reel it can print across. It decides the biggest job you can produce and how many labels fit across the web in one pass — so it directly drives your throughput and your substrate cost per label. Unlike colours or finishing, which you can often add later, web width is fixed when you buy. Get it right the first time.
Narrow web — up to ~430 mm
The home of self-adhesive labels: prime labels, product and barcode labels. Efficient and economical for paper and filmic label stock.
Mid web — ~430–670 mm
The versatile band. Keep running labels, and add shrink sleeve, unsupported film and short-run flexible packaging or pouches on the same line. This is where most growing converters land — and where the Nova A8 lives.
Wide web — 670 mm and above
For higher-volume flexible packaging and laminate work. More film per pass, but overkill (and wasteful) if labels are your bread and butter.
Match width to work
Which width for which job?
| What you print | Web width band | Alliance press that fits |
|---|---|---|
| Self-adhesive labels | Narrow web · 330–450 mm | Nova A5 / NovaSMART (370–450 mm) |
| Labels + shrink sleeve | Mid web · 450–550 mm | Nova A8 (550 mm) |
| Labels + film + pouches (multi-substrate) | Mid web · up to 670 mm | Nova A8 (up to 670 mm) — flagship |
| Thermal, POS / ECG & chart rolls | 450–550 mm | NovaGRAPH |
Bands are indicative — the exact width depends on your largest layout. Tell us your job mix and we'll size it precisely.
The method
How to size the width you need
- 1. Find your widest job. Take the largest label or pouch you print, or expect to print.
- 2. Lay it out across the web. Multiply the number of labels across by (label width + the gap between them).
- 3. Add the press's edge margins. A press can't print edge-to-edge; leave the unprinted margins it needs on each side.
- 4. Add growth headroom. Size for the bigger, wider jobs you want to win in 2–3 years — not only today's work.
Then sanity-check the economics: a press much wider than your typical job wastes substrate on unused edge every run. Our free cost calculator shows the per-label impact of your layout on the web.
Where Alliance fits
One press, 370 to 670 mm — the Nova A8
If you want a single machine that grows with you, Alliance's flagship Nova A8 is built for it — a multi-substrate press offered at 370, 450, 550 and 670 mm that runs self-adhesive labels, shrink sleeve, lamitube, IML and short-run flexible packaging on one line. Start where your work is today and you won't outgrow the web width when you diversify tomorrow.
Focused on labels? The Nova A5 and NovaSMART cover 370–450 mm; for thermal, POS and chart rolls, the NovaGRAPH runs 450–550 mm.
FAQ
Web width — common questions
What is web width on a flexo press?
Web width is the maximum material width the press can print across — the widest reel it can run. It sets the biggest job you can produce and how many labels you can fit across the web, so it's the first spec to get right.
What web width do I need for self-adhesive labels?
Most self-adhesive label work fits a narrow-web press of roughly 330–450 mm (about 13–17 inches). Alliance's Nova A5 and NovaSMART run at 370 and 450 mm, which covers the vast majority of prime and product-label jobs.
What web width do I need for shrink sleeves and pouches?
Shrink sleeve, unsupported film and short-run flexible packaging usually call for a mid-web press of about 450–670 mm so you can fit the layout and handle wider film economically. The multi-substrate Nova A8 spans 370–670 mm for exactly this mix.
What's the difference between narrow, mid and wide web?
Narrow web (up to ~430 mm) suits self-adhesive labels; mid web (~430–670 mm) adds shrink sleeve and short-run flexible packaging; wide web (670 mm and above) is for higher-volume flexible packaging. The wider you go, the more film you can run at once — but the more you waste on small label jobs.
How do I calculate the web width I need?
Take your largest job's across-the-web layout — the number of labels across multiplied by (label width + gap) — then add the unprinted edge margins the press needs. Size to that, then add headroom for the bigger or wider jobs you expect to win in the next few years.
Can one flexo press handle both labels and flexible packaging?
Yes — a mid-web multi-substrate press does both. Alliance's flagship Nova A8 runs self-adhesive labels, shrink sleeve, lamitube, IML and short-run flexible packaging on one line, from 370 up to 670 mm, so you don't need a second machine as you diversify.