Fundamentals of PrintingFour or Five Colour Printing Process

Used to reproduce Photos or Artwork

Your colour printer will possible have three colour cartridges and maybe five depending on the cost of the printer

Single colour graphics reproduction does not need the four colour process and can be produced using a specialist ink.

Extra rollers can be added but best avioded because of the cost

Printing ProcessesThe different printing methods are

Gravure

Lithography

Screen

Flexography

Letterpress

Digital

Flexographic presses are capable of producing good quality impressions on many different materials

The least expensive and simplest of the printing processes used for decorating and packaging printing.

• relatively simple operation

• easily adapted to the use of water-based inks.

Flexography

Flexography

GravureGravure printing is used for long run, high quality printing producing a sharp, fine image.

•Food packaging •Wall paper •Wrapping paper •Furniture laminates •Paneling  •Greeting cards •Magazines

Lithographic press will cost in the range of £50,000 cost of gravure press will be in the range of

£500,000

Screen Printing

Screen Printing Machines

Offset LithographicWell suited for printing both text and illustrations in short to medium length runs of up to 1,000,000 impressions.

General commercial printing

Newspapers Books

Business Forms

Financial and Legal Documents

Plates undergo chemical treatment that render the image area of the plate

oleophilic (oil-loving) ink-receptive

hydrophilic (water-loving) ink repellant

Letterpress

Potato Printing

Digital Printing Recent development

Work directly from electronic data and avoid the intermediate stage of films.

Very cost effective for short runs.

The quality is not yet up to lithography standards but is improving steadily and is

adequate for many purposes

Digital Printing