What are the common printing methods?

Since China invented woodcut movable type printing technology, printing methods have changed with each passing day. The most commonly used industrial printing methods today are:

1, offset printing

Offset printing, also known as offset printing in Guangdong and Hong Kong, is a kind of lithography and the main printing method. Offset printing can clearly restore the color, contrast and level of the manuscript with high precision, and it is the most commonly used paper printing method at present. Suitable for posters, brochures, brochures, newspapers, packaging, books, magazines, calendars and other related color printed matter.

2. Flexographic printing

Flexo printing is a relief printing technology, which used to be called aniline printing. Rubber and soft resin are used as printing plates, and water-soluble or alcohol-soluble inks are used for printing. The pigment used at first was aniline dye, so it used to be called aniline printing. It is usually suitable for printing plastic bags, labels and corrugated paper. The fineness of printing points and lines gradually approaches offset printing.

Flexographic printing is mainly divided into unit flexographic printing and satellite flexographic printing. In the past, unit flexographic printing was mainly used in China. Now the application of satellite flexography is more and more extensive. The main advantage of satellite flexographic printing is that it can accurately control the tension of the substrate.

3. Screen printing

As a widely used printing, screen printing can be divided into fabric printing, plastic printing, metal printing, ceramic printing, glass printing, electronic product printing, lottery screen printing, electronic decorative billboard screen printing, metal billboard screen printing, stainless steel finished screen printing, reflective screen printing, screen transfer anodizing, screen printing printed matter and lacquer screen printing.

4. Gravure printing

It is suitable for printing high-quality and expensive printed matter, whether it is color or black-and-white pictures, and the gravure printing effect can be comparable to that of photographic photos. Because the cost of plate making is expensive and the printing volume must be large, it is generally one of the less used methods. Suitable for printing securities, stocks, gift certificates, commercial credit certificates or stationery.

With the rapid development of science and technology, today we can use some of the above printing methods to output directly on the medium through the computer. The maturity of electrostatic imaging and laser technology makes it possible to print on demand in small batches with high quality requirements.

Extended data:

According to the relative positions of graphic and non-graphic areas on a printing plate, common printing methods can be divided into four categories: relief printing, gravure printing, lithography and stencil printing:

1, relief printing, the graphic part of the printing plate is raised, which is obviously higher than the blank part. The principle of printing is similar to that of seal. Early block printing, movable type printing and later movable type printing all belong to letterpress printing.

2. Gravure printing, the graphic part of the printing plate is lower than the blank part, which is often used to print valuable securities such as banknotes and stamps.

3. Lithography: The graphic part and blank part of the printing plate are almost on the same plane, and the printing method is based on the principle of oil-water incompatibility.

4. Hole printing: The graphic part of the printing plate is a hole through which the ink is transferred to the surface of the substrate. Common hole printing includes hollow printing and screen printing.

Printing is divided into three stages:

1, prepress: refers to prepress work, generally refers to photography, design, production, typesetting, output film proofing, etc. ;

2. Intermediate printing: refers to the work in the middle of printing and the process of printing finished products with a printing machine;

3. Post-printing: refers to the post-printing work, generally refers to the post-processing of printed matter, including gluing (laminating), UV, oiling, beer, bronzing, embossing, mounting, binding and cutting. , mainly used for publicity and packaging printed matter.

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