Paper And Board Processes

Question 1

What are the different methods of forming (paper and board)?

Answer 1

Die cutting, Laser cutting, Creasing/Bending

Question 2

What is Die Cutting?

Answer 2

Made out of hardened steel cutters which are like blades, they are able to cut through a material and the blades can be arranged to form other shapes, it is similar to nets.

Question 3

What is Creasing/Bending?

Answer 3

It is usually used during the die cutting process, a blunt cutter is used to create a bend in the paper/board.

Question 4

Performance characteristics of Paper and Board?

Answer 4

Ability to be Cut or folded, surface qualities for printing, impact resistance and recyclability or biodegradability.

Question 5

Nam some examples of different papers/boards and their uses?

Answer 5

Watercolour paper- Painting
Duplex card - food packaging
Foil backed cards - drink’s packaging
Mount board - modelling

Question 6

What are the different Paper/Board finishing techniques?

Answer 6

Laminating, Varnishing, UV Varnishing, UV Spot Varnishing, Foil Blocking, Embossing/Debossing.

Question 7

What are the advantages of laminating?

Answer 7

Advantages:
No set up costs
Eliminates cracking of ink on creases
Enhances the appearance of standard paper boards at low cost
Makes it more durable

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of laminating?

Answer 8

Disadvantages:
Can only be used to cover a whole side of a document
Matt lamination over a dark colour will show scratches and finger prints

Question 9

What is Laminating?

Answer 9

The process of using an ultra thin plastic film which can be applied to almost any paper or board covers the whole side of the material.

Question 10

What finishes are usually used in laminating?

Answer 10

Gloss
Silk
Matt

Question 11

What is embossing and debossing?

Answer 11

Embossing involves raising areas of a card surface above the level of the rest.Gives cards 3D effects.

Debossing is the opposite of this process.

Question 12

What is Varnishing?

Answer 12

Varnishing is the process of spraying a protective layer of varnish onto a paper or board.
This is always the last process done in order to protect the print on the surface.

Question 13

What is UV Varnishing?

Answer 13

Similar to normal varnishing but special varnishes are able to to dry instantaneously when sprayed by UV light .
The varnish is applied the same as but the UV light is added after the varnish has been applied to enable it to dry.

Question 14

What is UV Spot Varnishing?

Answer 14

UV varnish is a liquid coating used to mask off any area of a design and enhance it whilst leaving the rest of the page unaffected.

Question 15

What are the finishes of UV varnishes?

Answer 15

Gloss
Matt
Glitter
Colour-flip

Question 16

What are the advantages of UV varnishing?

Answer 16

Can be used to enhance specific areas such as text, logos or images
Additional substances can be added to varnish to make it more unique ie. Glitter
Can be used alongside lamination.

Question 17

What are the disadvantages of UV varnishing?

Answer 17

If printed over a crease it will crack
If printed over text or images it can be very costly
Due to the additional setup required it takes longer than lamination

Question 18

What is foil blocking?

Answer 18

Pre-glued metallic foil is pressed by a heated die into the surface of a material. It is a permanent way of applying a quality finish to materials.

Question 19

What materials can be used in the foil blocking finish?

Answer 19

Card, Packaging and even leather.

Question 20

What colours can foil blocking print?

Answer 20

Due it being a metallic foil it can be:
Gold
Copper
Red
Purple

Can even print 3D effects using holographic foils.

Question 21

What are the different paper and board printing processes?

Answer 21

Screen Printing
Flexographic printing
Digital Printing

Question 22

What is screen printing ?

Answer 22

Is very similar to its name, just printing a screen (woven piece of fabric) onto whatever you need it printed on.

Question 23

What materials can be printed on using screen printing?

Answer 23

Paper
Textiles
Glass
Ceramics
Wood
Metal

Question 24

What are the advantages of Screen printing?

Answer 24

Long lasting
Big order friendly
Excellent finish

Question 25

What are the disadvantages of screen printing?

Answer 25

Not practical for small orders
More colours means it is more expensive
Not environmentally friendly due to water waste.

Question 26

What is flexographic Printing?

Answer 26

On a relief of a printing plate, which is made from rubber. This plate is inked and that inked image is subsequently transferred to the printing surface.

Question 27

Advantages of Flexographic Printing

Answer 27

Quick, variety of ink types, low cost once set up.

Question 28

Disadvantages of Flexographic Printing

Answer 28

Complex system, expensive set up due to four different printing plates., long set up times.

Question 29

What is digital printing?

Answer 29

Using a printer linked to a computer which uses ink to add whatever is needed onto the cartridge paper.

Question 30

Advantages of Digital printing?

Answer 30

More eco-friendly due to lack of creating printing plates.
Initial set up is very quick because of the same reason No initial costs
Can print in small batches
Easy to customise each print.

Question 31

Disadvantages of digital printing?

Answer 31

Colour matching is less accurate
Limited range of printing materials
More expensive in higher quantity runs.

Question 32

What factors affect the choice of printing method?

Answer 32

Quantity • Quality • Material choice • Cost