Printing processes Flashcards
What printing method works with that oil and water do not mix and how does this work?
What are its uses?
Lithography
Water sits in the engraved aluminium plate which shows a negative of the image.
The ink (oil) is repelled by the water to sit on the surface of the plate. T
The image is transferred to a rubber blanket cylinder to soak some of the water so the paper doesn’t become soggy.
The transfers the image onto the paper.
Uses CMYK
Brochures
Leaflets
Packaging
What are the advantages and disadvantages of lithography?
Creates good quality print - fine detail
Widely available
High printing speeds
Inexpensive
Colour variation due to water and ink can mix rarely
Paper can become wet and soggy - stretch
Need good quality paper to print onto
Only used on flat materials
High set up costs (engraving the plates) uneconomical on short runs
How does lithography work?
Aluminium plate cylinder receives water from damping solution and ink from an inking roller. This is transferred to a rubber blanket cylinder which transfers the image onto the paper which is pushed onto the blanket by an impression cylinder.
What type of printing has a raised image on the rubber/plastic plates?
What are its uses?
Flexography Paper bags Less expensive magazines Newspapers Paperback books
What are the advantages and disadvantages of flexography?
It is very inexpensive Can be printed on most materials Widely available High speed Fast drying inks Doesn't produce fine detail Colour is inconsistent High set up costs
How does flexography work
IFAPI
Fountain roll goes into ink pan which is spread onto the anilox roll which spreads the ink to the raised areas on the plate cylinder which reproduces the image onto the paper pushed onto by the impression cylinder.
Doctor blade can be used to improve ink distribution
Which printing method uses a negative stencil to create the image?
What are its uses?
Screen printing
T shirts
Posters
Signage
What are the advantages and disadvantages of screen printing?
Can print on most materials Easy to change the design of the print Stencils easy to produce Economic on short runs Automated screen printing can be done on longer runs
Poor detail
Long drying times-have to wait before more colours can be applied
How does screen printing work?
Ink is poured into stretched woven screen pulled between a wooden or aluminium frame. This seeps through the screen and windows in the stencil below the screen and onto the paper. A squeegee is used to ensure that enough ink gets through to get a consistent thick colour.
What printing process have the ink go into tiny wells/pits in a copper cylinder?
Gravure
Expensive magazines
Packaging
What are the advantages and disadvantages of gravure printing?
It has high quality - fine detail High printing speeds with inline finishing Can print over very large areas Consistent colours Fast drying times- evaporates
Creates little dots visible to the naked eye
Expensive set up costs - machinery
Only economic on long runs
Art and photographic books
How does gravure work?
Diamond tipped etching machine will create small pits for the ink to sit in the copper plate.
The size and depth will determine how much of that colour will be found on the page
