Introduction to Printing Methods

Printing Technologies in brief : 

Printing Technologies in brief Marty Tentor Ron Frisch Albert Basse Associates

Printing Technologiesorganized by image carriers : 

Printing Technologiesorganized by image carriers Relief Printing • Letterpress • Letterset (Offset Letterpress) • Flexography • Foil Stamping • Thermography

Relief Printing’s Image Carrier : 

Relief Printing’s Image Carrier Image area in physically raised from the non-image area. Raised image area receives ink. Plate transferred to substrate or to offset blanket in Letterset.

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Planography • Offset Lithography • Collotype • Xerography • E Print (Indigo) Image area is on the same plane as the non-image area. The entire plate receives ink. The ink is chemical/physically attracted to the image area only.

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Offset Lithography

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Intaglio • Gravure • Line Engraving • Pad Printing Image area is physically below the non-image area. The entire plate receives ink. The non-image area is then wipped clean of ink.

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Stencil Printing • Screenprinting Image area is mechanically porous and the non-image area is non-porous The entire screen receives ink. The ink only passes through the porous image area.

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Digital Print • Thermal Inkjet • Piezo Inkjet There is no image carrier. The image is store digitally and electronically sent to printing heads. The ink is only deposited where the image requires it.

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Printing Technologies Attributes Offset Lithography • High resolution reproduction • Fast printing speeds to 10000 iph • Able to print four color process or spot color • Ink film about 3 microns • Substrates to about .020” thick • Sheetfed or Web (roll fed) • Typical products: brochures, annual reports, magazines, credit cards, forms, catalogs, books, maps

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Printing Technologies Attributes Letterpress • Good resolution reproduction • Fast printing speeds to 6000 iph • Able to print four color process or spot color • Able to print highly textured substrates • Substrates to about .050”+ thick • Sheetfed or Web (roll fed) • Typical products: business card, invitations, books, newspapers consecutive numbering, forms

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Printing Technologies Attributes Flexography • Good resolution reproduction • Fast printing speeds, 300+ fpm • Able to print four color process or spot color • Able to print thick ink film • Substrates to about .050”+ thick • Web (roll fed) • Typical products: packaging, bread bags, tags, labels, newspaper wallpaper

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Printing Technologies Attributes Gravure • High quality reproduction • Fast printing speeds to 100??? fpm • Very long runs • Expensive prepress • Web (roll fed) • Typical products: packaging, gum wrappers, magazines, Formica laminates, flooring laminates, newspaper suppliments, Christmas wrapping paper

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Printing Technologies Attributes Screenprinting • Good resolution reproduction • Printing speeds to 80 to 4500 iph • Typically shorter runs • No limit to substrate thickness • Thickest ink film to 100 microns • Usually sheet fed, can be web • Typical products: roll textiles, garments decals, labels, circuit boards, instrument panels, rear window defoggers, metal signs, poster, mugs, ski poles, bottles, control panels, fleet graphics, displays, dinning ware

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Printing Technologies by Marketshare Offset Lithography 47% Gravure 20% Flexography 18% Letterpress 7% Screen and other Plate Systems 3% Electronic, Inkjet, Non-plate 5% (Data from 1995)

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A Printing Work Flow Design Concept Photography Film Imagesetting Electronic Image Assembly Proofing Printing Plate Making Post Press Finishing Distribution Scanning and Image Manipulation

Planning : 

• Type of product • Budgets • Ad Agency • Quality • Quantity • Develop Specifications Planning

Design : 

• Design Studio • In-House Designer • Number of Color • Substrate • Size • Pre Press File Type • Special Requirements • Copy Design

Prepress : 

• Proofing • Trapping as required • Scanning • Image Imposition • Special Color Matching • Film Making • Plate Making Prepress

Production : 

• Printing • Ink Preparation Production

Distribution : 

• Newspaper Delivery • Packing with Other Items • USPS • Logistic Distribution

Job Titles in Printing : 

• Sales • Customer Service Rep. • Estimating • Print Production • Prepress Operator • Color Matcher • Bindery Operator • Shipping/Receiving Job Titles in Printing