Paper and Board Finishing

Question 1

Why are finishes used? (2)

Answer 1

enhance appearance

provide protection for the material

Question 2

Describe lamination via encapsulation

Answer 2

desktop laminator and the sheet of paper is encapsulated by a polymer pouch or film roll

Question 3

Describe lamination via surface coating

Answer 3

liquid lamination (for signage) or film lamination (menu cards)

Question 4

Describe embossing

Answer 4

creates a raised design on the surface of the paper or card to give a visual and tactile effect (greetings cards)

Question 5

Describe debossing

Answer 5

produces an imprinted depression that sits below the surface of the paper or card

Question 6

What is varnishing?

Answer 6

clear, non pigmented ink used on pre-coated papers and boards to enhance the colour as well as offer some protection against dirt, fingerprints and water

Question 7

Describe UV varnishing

Answer 7

provides smooth finish , usually high gloss or matt and abrasion and chemical resistant
applied to sheet via set of rollers the passed under a UV light to cure

Question 8

Describe Spot varnishing

Answer 8

applied in specific areas or spots rather than to the whole surface area

Question 9

Describe foil blocking

Answer 9

heat and pressure applied to a metallic paper (foil) to create areas of depth and texture to add aesthetic impact

Question 10

What is meant by the term substrate

Answer 10

the material on to which the print ink is applied

Question 11

True or false : screen printing cannot be carried out in a workshop with high set up costs due to the use of basic screens and printing inks

Answer 11

FALSE - can be carried out in a workshop with minimal set up costs

Question 12

Describe screen printing

Answer 12

screen has open areas for the ink to pass through
a different screen is required for each colour
quite a slow process with reasonably high cost per producs

Question 13

What products is screen printing often used for?

Answer 13

small print run items such as posters, display boards and textile T-shirts

Question 14

What 4 colours does flexography, offset lithography and digital printing use?

Answer 14

cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black)

Question 15

How is the print colour required created?

Answer 15

four colours printed on top of one another in various quantities on to the substrate surface

Question 16

What is simplest and least expensive printing process?

Answer 16

Flexogrpahic printing due to fast-drying water-based inks

Question 17

What products is flexographic printing used for?

Answer 17

newspapers, comics, labels, carrier bags and continuous pattern products such as gift wrap

Question 18

Give 3 advantages of flexographic printing

Answer 18

high print speed
low maintenance
prints on wide variety of substrate materials

Question 19

Give 3 disadvantages of flexographic printing

Answer 19

cost of printing plates is relatively high but last for millions of print runs
large amount of substrate to set up the job
time consuming to alter

Question 20

What is offset lithography used for?

Answer 20

printing medium and long print runs of products such as books, posters and packaging

Question 21

In what ways is offset lithography versatile?

Answer 21

can produce one colour (single roller), five colours (CYMK) and a ten - feature machine (ten roller machine)

Question 22

Give 3 advantages to offset lithographic printing

Answer 22

consistently high image quality
long life of printing plates because they only come into contact with the printing blanket (less abrasive)
quick and easy production of printing plates

Question 23

Give one disadvantage of offset lithographic printing

Answer 23

expensive set up and running costs for small quantities

Question 24

Why is digital printing widely utilised?

Answer 24

speed and efficiency

Question 25

Describe digital printing

Answer 25

produce full colour, highly detailed print runs with the option of different designs on each page
can be used for both low and high volume print runs

Question 26

Why is digital printing ideal for mass customisation such as specific names on drinks cans?

Answer 26

fast drying inks

Question 27

Give an example of a product often used in digital printing

Answer 27

business flyers and cards (promotional materials)