Introduction and Types of Printing Processes

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Introduction and Types of Printing Processes


‘I’m a printer’ can mean many different things, depending on a particular process:

1. Offset Lithography the most common printing process today the workhorse! It offsets ink from metal plates to a rubber blanket cylinder) to the paper. Almost every commercial printer does offset printing.

2. Letterpress the original process founded by Gutenberg in 1440. "Relief" printing like rubber stamps, images on the plate are higher than the surface. Fewer and fewer printers are doing fine letterpress.

3. Screen a.k.a. silk-screening. Ink is forced through a screen following a stencil pattern. Used for ring binders, t-shirts, bumper stickers, billboards.

4. Gravure Printing an image is etched on the surface of a metal plate, the etched area is filled with ink, and then the plate is rotated on a cylinder that transfers the image to the paper or other material. Like flexography, gravure printing is often used for high-volume printing of packaging, wallpaper, and gift wrap using fast-drying inks. Although less common, gravure printing may also be used for printing magazines, greeting cards, and high-volume advertising pieces. Gravure printing is commonly used for labels and packaging, competing against flexography. A photogravure is a process used mostly for fine art prints.

5. Flexography is a printing process which utilizes a flexible relief plate that can be adhered to a printing cylinder. It is basically an updated version of letterpress. It is much more versatile than letterpress in that it can be used for printing on almost any type of substrate including plastic, metallic films, cellophane, and paper. It is widely used for printing on the non-porous substrates required for various types of food packaging. It is also well suited for printing large areas of solid color.

6. Screen Printing Process It is one of the major printing processes used these days for a wide range of printing jobs. The artists for their creative works used early silkscreen printing. It is also known as porous printing.

7. Laser / Digital Printers Speed and lower operating costs make laser printers attractive to many businesses. Color lasers can be found at service bureaus and printers and are often used to produce high-resolution color digital proofs. Adobe PostScript capabilities found in many laser printers makes them popular with graphic designers and desktop publishers who often utilize EPS images and PostScript files.

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