Abstract: An improved flexographic printer having a separate ink trough and doctor blade assembly, the ink trough providing an ink film to an ink roll and the doctor blade assembly metering the ink on the cylindrical surface of the ink roll. The improved flexographic printer includes a frame, an ink roll rotatably mounted on said frame, and an ink trough supported by said frame adjacent a cylindrical surface of the ink roll. A pair of pivotably mounted members are supported by said frame, each member having a first arm, the pair of first arms supporting a reverse angle doctor blade assembly. The reverse angle doctor blade assembly is adapted to be advanced by said pivotably mounted members into an operative position adjacent the cylindrical surface of the ink roll at a location on the cylindrical surface intermediate a location of the ink trough and a further location where the ink roll is adapted to engage a printing roll, in a direction of rotation of the ink roll.