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The Book of Printing Processes Copyright 2010 Printed in Seattle, WA Designed by MacKenzie Mason Content from about.com

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Letter Press Printing Screen Printing Offset Printing Digital Printing Gravure Printing Flexography Printing Thermography Printing

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Also known as Typographic Printing Technique, this commercial printing technique, includes production of many copies of an image by repeated direct impression of an inked, raised surface against sheets or a continuous roll of paper.
Background Letterpress Printing is one of the oldest printing techniques in use since the 13th century. Johann Guttenberg is known to have introduced printing from individually-cast, movable type-reusable letters

set together in a frame in the 14th century. Letterpress Printing Process The letterpress printing process involves printing images by the relief type printing plates where the image or printing areas are raised above the non-printing areas. Ink is applied on the rollers, which further pass it onto a separate ink-bed where a fresh film is picked for the following sheet of paper. A sheet of paper is

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rapidly pressed onto a type and swung back again and finally removed, followed by insertion of a new sheet/roll of paper. Type of Letterpress Printing Machine Flat bed cylinder machines Rotary letterpress printing machines

Letterpress Printing Technique Letter Press printing technique is still used in commercial operation and specialty operations including imprinting, stamping, diecutting, numbering etc. This printing is widely used to manufacture high quality self adhesive labels in shorter time. Other applications of this type of printing include: Business Cards Company Letterhead Billheads Forms

Posters Embossing

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Screen Printing technique is a special type of printing that creates a sharp-edged image using a porous fabric and a stencil. The screen printing technique can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century and gained popularity during the first world war for making banners and printing flags.
Screen Printing Technique A screen made of a piece of porous, finely woven fabric including silk, polyester or nylon is stretched over a wooden or aluminum frame. Areas of the screen are blocked off with a nonpermeable material (a stencil) which in turn is a negative of the image to be printed. Process of Screen Printing The screen is placed on top of a piece of paper or fabric. Ink is placed on top of the screen, and a rubber blade is used to spread the ink evenly across the screen. The ink passes through the open spaces in the screen onto the paper or fabric below; followed by lif

ting of the screen. The screen can be again be re-used after cleaning. For multiple colour screen printing on the same surface, the ink is allowed to dry and then the entire process is repeated with another screen and different color of ink. This printing technique is used for different screen printing machines. Application of Screen Printing Screen printing services make use of and is compatible with a variety of materials, including textiles, ceramics, metal, wood, paper, glass, and plastic. It is this quality that allows this printing technique to be used in different industries, from clothing to product labels, fabric labels to circuit board printing etc. Areas of the screen are blocked off with a nonpermeable material (a stencil) which in turn is a negative of the image to be printed.

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Offset printing is one of the most common types of printing technique used by a number of industries. Although these printing machines, equipments are expensive with high set-up costs, the printing process expense is nominal. The offset printing technique is famous because of the higher printing quality and large volume printing.

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Offset Printing Process The process involves spreading the ink on a metal plate with etched images, which is then transferred onto an intermediate surface (rubber blanket). This is finally applied to paper by pressing it against the intermediate surface(rubber blanket). Use of Offset Printing Services Offset printing is one of the most popular commercial printing technique used for a number of products. This printing technique is used by offset printing machines to print calendars, books, newspapers, business documents and legal documents etc.

Types of Offset Printing Sheet Fed Offset Printing Web Offset Printing Benefits of Offset Printing This technique can be used on other surfaces like glass, metal, wood, fabric ect. Longer plate life than on direct litho presses Sharper, cleaner and consistent high image quality. Better than letterpress printing. Ease of production of plates.

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Digital image printing allows high performance, costeffective digital web-fed solution for commercial printing. Digital image printing is used by digital printing machines to produce everything right from printed graphic attachments to plastic cards, financial applications and so on.
Benefits of Digital Printing This type of printing does not use any plates, film to produce images, it makes use of digital imaging technology to provide high quality of printing. This technique is apt for small printing jobs.

This method of printing eliminates the various setting up costs required in other printing processes including making films, plates etc. It involves the reproduction of digital images on a physical surfaces including paper, film, plastic, cloth etc. Digital printing can be used for following: Fast turnaround time Short printing jobs Short run color and mono work Application of Digital Printing Brochures Journals Booklets

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Gravure printing is used for long run printing with sharper, fine and clear images. This type of printing is generally used for high-volume printing of packaging, wallpaper, and giftwraps using fast-drying inks. Although not widely used, gravure printing also finds application in printing magazines, greeting cards, and high-volume advertising print campaigns.

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Operations Required: Image Preparation Cylinder Preparation Printing Finishing Gravure printing Process The Gravure printing process is a form of intaglio printing. The technique, used by gravure printing machine, uses a depressed or sunken surface for formation of the image. The image area consists of honey comb shaped cells

that are etched or engraved into a copper cylinder. The unetched area of the cylinder represents the non-image or unprinted areas. The cylinder generally rotates in a bath of ink called the ink pan. With the turning of cylinder, extra ink gets wiped off the cylinder due to a steel doctor blade. Image is formed due to the direct transfer of the ink to the substrate (paper or any other material) while it passes between the plate cylinder and the impression cylinder.

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Flexography printing is a major printing technique, widely used by flexographic printing machines, to print packaging materials. This flexography printing technique is used to print on a number of materials and products including corrugated boxes, folding cartons, multi-wall sacks, paper sacks, plastic bags etc.
Process of Flexography Printing: Flexography is used for printing on various materials including plastic, paper etc. This type of printing process & technique makes use of flexible printing plates made of rubber or plastic. The inked plates with a slightly raised image are rotated on a cylinder which transfers the image to the substrate.

Application of Flexography This flexoprinting printing service finds a number of applications in print packaging industry and is also used by other industries for high quality packaging. Milk and beverage cartons Disposable cups Containers Self adhesive labels Adhesive tapes Envelopes Newspapers Food and candy wrappers

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ThermographyThermographic Printing process is a special type of printing technique relying on heat to print letters or create images on a sheet of paper. This printing technique is also a post print process done inline with the printing

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Types of Thermal Printing Process Direct Thermal Printing Process: This method involves coating the paper with a material that changes color when heated. Thermal Transfer Printing Process: This method is more complex wherein a ribbon melts off onto a sheet of paper while heating. This is also known as thermal ink transfer printing. Application of Thermography Printing Fax Printers Business Cards Letter Head Invitation

Thermography Printing Process Special thermography powder is sprayed on a paper sheet after it is removed from an offset printing press. The powder is then vacuumed off of the sheet and is left only where there is an image, or printed ink. The sheet then travels through a heat tunnel; causing the powder to melt and leave behind a raised image like on business cards, or envelopes.

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