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Flashcards in Printing Processes Deck (21)
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1
Q

Printing processes
Offset lithography
Disadvantages

A
  • colour variation due to water/ink mixture
  • paper can stretch due to dampening
  • set-up costs make it uneconomic on short runs
  • can only be used on flat materials
  • requires a good-quality surface
2
Q

Printing processes
Offset lithography
Applications

A

Business stationery, brochures, posters, magazines, newspapers

3
Q

Printing processes
Flexography
Advantages

A
  • high-speed printing process
  • fast-drying inks
  • can print on same presses as letterpress
4
Q

Printing processes
Flexography
Disadvantages

A
  • difficult to reproduce fine detail
  • colour may not be consistent
  • set-up costs high and would rarely be used on print runs below 500,000
5
Q

Printing processes
Flexography
Applications

A

Packaging, less-expensive magazines, paperbacks, newspaper

6
Q

Printing processes
Screen printing
Advantages

A
  • stencils easy to produce using photo-emulsion technique
  • versatile - can print on virtually any surface
  • economical for short, hand-produced runs
  • fully automatic methods capable of producing large volumes
7
Q

Printing processes
Screen printing
Disadvantages

A
  • generally difficult to archive fine detail (photographic screens able to reproduce fine detail)
  • print requires long drying times
8
Q

Printing processes
Screen printing
Applications

A

T shirts, posters, plastic and metal signage, point-of-sale displays, promotional items, e.g. Pens, glasses and mugs

9
Q

Printing processes
Gravure
Advantages

A
  • consistent colour reproduction
  • high-speed printing process
  • wildest printing presses
  • ink dries upon evaporation
  • variety of in-line finishing operations available
  • good results on lower-quality paper
10
Q

Printing processes
Gravure
Disadvantages

A
  • high cost of engraved printing plates and cylinders
  • only efficient for long print runs
  • image printed as ‘dots’ that are visible to the naked eye
  • very expensive set-up costs, so only used on large print runs
11
Q

Printing processes
Gravure
Applications

A

High-quality art and photographically books, postage stamps, packaging, expensive magazines

12
Q

Printing processes
Offset lithography
Advantages

A
  • good reproduction quality, especially photographs
  • inexpensive printing process
  • able to print on a wide range of papers
  • high printing speeds
  • widely available
13
Q

Printing processes

Define what happens direct printing

A

In direct printing the image is transferred directly from the plat cylinder (or image carrier) to the paper, e.g. Gravure, flexography, screen printing l and letterpress printing processes

14
Q

Printing processes

Define what happens in indirect or offset, printing

A

In indirect, or offset, printing, the image is first transferred from the plate cylinder to the blanket cylinder and then to the paper, e.g. Offset lithography, which is the most widely used commercial printing process

15
Q

Printing processes
Offset lithography
Advantages

A
  • good reproduction quality, especially photographs
  • inexpensive printing process
  • able to print on a wide range of papers
  • widely available
16
Q

Printing processes
Define
Offset lithography

A

A method of mass-production printing in which the images on metal plates are transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers and then to the print media. The print media, usually paper, does not come into contact with the metal plates.

17
Q

Printing processes
Define
Flexography

A

A rotary relief printing method using rubber or plastic plates and fluid inks or dyes for printing on frantically and impervious materials such as plastics, as well as on paper.
A form of printing process which utilises a flexible relief plate. It is essentially a modern version of letterpress which can be used for printing on almost any type of substrate, including plastic, metallic firms, cellophane and paper.

18
Q

Printing processes
Define
Screen printing

A

Force ink or metal onto (a surface) through a prepared screen of fine material so as to create a picture or pattern.

19
Q

Printing processes
Define
Gravure

A

A type of intaglio printing process, which involves engraving the image onto an image carrier. In gravure printing, the image is engraved into a cylinder because, like offset printing and flexography, it uses a rotary printing process.

20
Q

What does direct printing mean?

A

Commercial printing processes are distinguished by the method of image is transferred to the paper with directly or indirectly.
In direct printing the image is transferred directly from the plate cylinder (or image carrier) to the paper, e.g. Gravure, flexography, screen printing and letterpress printing processes.

21
Q

What does indirect printing mean?

A

Commercial printing processes are distinguished by the method of image is transferred to the paper with directly or indirectly.
In indirect, or offset printing, the image is first transferred from the plate cylinder to the blanket cylinder and then to the paper, e.g. Offset lithography, which is the most widely used commercial printing process.