BMMC 102: Printing Technology - History and Evolution of Printing Press

Conventional Printing Processes

All printing process are concerned with two kinds of areas on the final output:

• Image or Text area

• Non – Printing area

The following are some conventional printing processes which are used singularly or in
combination in the Conventional Printing Technologies that we are going to discuss later
on.:

1. Stencil: In this process the printing matter is cutout on the substrate. Then the substrate
is inked. The ink passes through the cutout portions to create design or print on the
surface over which the substrate is placed.

Example of Stencil

2. Planographics : Planographic, in which the printing and non-printing areas are on the
same plane surface and the difference between them is maintained chemically.

Example of Planographics
 BMMC 102: Printing Technology - History and Evolution of Printing Press

3. Relief: In this printing process the printing areas are on a plane surface and the non
printing areas are below the surface. Examples of this technique can be seen in
flexography and letterpress printing.

Example of Relief process

4. Intaglio: In this process the non-printing areas are on a plane surface and the printing
area are etched or engraved below the surface. Its example can be seen in steel die
engraving gravure

Example of Intaglio process

5. Porous: In this process the printing areas are on fine mesh screens through which ink
can penetrate, and the non-printing areas are a stencil over the screen to block the flow of
ink in those areas. Its use can be seen in screen printing and stencil duplicator.
 BMMC 102: Printing Technology - History and Evolution of Printing Press

Example of Porous process

Conventional Printing Technologies

The following are the Conventional Printing Technologies that make use of one or
more conventional processes discuss above:

1. Letterpress: It is a technique of relief printing. A worker composes and

locks movable type into the bed of a press, inks it, and presses paper against it to transfer
the ink from the type which creates an impression on the paper.

Example of Letterpress printer

2. Gravure: This type of printing technology uses an intaglio printing technique,

where the image being printed is made up of small depressions in the surface of the
printing plate. The cells are filled with ink, and the excess is scraped off the surface with
 BMMC 102: Printing Technology - History and Evolution of Printing Press

a doctor blade. Then a rubber-covered roller presses paper onto the surface of the plate
and into contact with the ink in the cells

Example of Gravure press

3. Flexography: It is a type of relief printing . The relief plates are typically made
from photopolymers. The process is used for flexible packaging, corrugated board, labels,
newspapers and more.

Example of Flexography press

4. Screen printing: It is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a
substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil.

Screen Printing - History

Screen printing first appeared in a recognizable form in China during the Song
Dynasty around 960 AD. It was then adapted by other Asian countries like Japan and was
further created using newer methods.
This technique of printing became popular in 1911 AD.

Components of Screen Printing

 BMMC 102: Printing Technology - History and Evolution of Printing Press

The following are the elements required in Screen Printing (according to their stack
order) :

1. Base
2. Paper or material on which printing will be done.
3. Template
4. Screen
5. Ink
6. Squeegee or Blade

Screen Printing Process

1. Ink is poured over the Screen which is placed over Stencil, which in turn is placed on
Paper.
 BMMC 102: Printing Technology - History and Evolution of Printing Press

2. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mesh apertures with
ink, and a reverse stroke then causes the screen to touch the substrate momentarily along
a line of contact. This causes the ink to wet the substrate and be pulled out of the mesh
apertures as the screen springs back after the blade has passed.

3. One colour is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to produce a multi-
coloured image or design.
 BMMC 102: Printing Technology - History and Evolution of Printing Press

Inks used for Screen Printing

1. PLASTISOL INK
It is thick, durable, versatile, and provides clear graphic detail. Plastisol ink is also
easy to mix, long-lasting, widely available, comes in a wide array of colors.

2. WATER-BASED INK
Water-based ink soaks into the fibers of the fabric on which it is used rather than
sitting on top of it like Plastisol does. This gives the screen print a softer feel
compared to those made using Plastisol ink.

Types of Screen used for Screen Printing

• Cotton
• Nylon
• Silk
• Polyester

Example of a screen in a frame

Terminology of Screen Printing

• Mesh Count: The mesh count indicates how many fibers are there in one square
inch of the screen, so a 160 mesh count screen has 160 fibers in one square inch
of the screen. Lower mesh count screens have larger openings that allow more ink
to flow through, while higher mesh count screens allow for finer details in your
printing but with less of a coating of ink.

• Warp: The Vertical threads or Lengthwise threads.

 BMMC 102: Printing Technology - History and Evolution of Printing Press

• Weft: The Horizontal threads or Breadth wise threads.

Types of Screen used for Screen Printing

1. 25 to 40 mesh count screens are ideal for glitter or shimmer inks

2. 110 to 160 mesh count screens are the most versatile and the most commonly
used in screen printing.

3. 180 to 200 mesh counts are perfect for printing somewhat detailed images in
light inks on dark fabrics.

4. 230 to 280 mesh count screens will deliver detailed prints with a softer hand feel.

Example of Screen Printing

5. Offset printing: It is a commonly used printing technique in which the inked image is
transferred (or "offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface.
When used in combination with the lithographic process, which is based on the repulsion
of oil and water, the offset technique employs a flat (planographic) image carrier. Ink
rollers transfer ink to the image areas of the image carrier, while a water roller applies a
water-based film to the non-image areas.

History and evolution of offset printing

 BMMC 102: Printing Technology - History and Evolution of Printing Press

Development of the offset press came in two versions:

1. In 1875 by Robert Barclay of England for printing on tin.

2. In 1904 by Ira Washington Rubel of the U.S.A for printing on paper.

Pre-digital process of offset printing

Diagram of Offset Printing process