1 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Rekabentuk Kreatif Penulis: Muhammad Nasuha Bin Yusop INTRODUCTION TO PRINT
2 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 2 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Rekabentuk Kreatif Penulis: Muhammad Nasuha Bin Yusop INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Published By JABATAN REKABENTUK DAN KOMUNIKASI VISUAL Pahang, Malaysia Design by Muhammad Nasuha Yusop Layout and Composition by Muhammad Nasuha Yusop
3 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this e-book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in subsequent reprinting of the e-book. Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia Cataloging, Data and Publication Politeknik Muadzam Shah INTRODUCTION TO PRINT e-ISBN : 9789672498216 First Edition: Jabatan Rekabentuk dan Komunikasi Visual Politeknik Muadzam Shah Lebuhraya Tun Abdul Razak, 26700, Muadzam Shah, Pahang Darul Makmur. C Copyright 2021 by Jabatan Rekabentuk dan Komunikasi Visual
4 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 4 PREFACE ABSTRACT CONTENTS OFFSET ............................................................. 9 GRAVURE ............................................................. 24 ............................................................. 33 A brief of printing from 15th century to today Basic of the printing process Segmentation of printing industry Pre Press Press Post Press Quiz ............................................................................... ............................................................................... 6 7 What is Offset? Offset printing process Offset printing plate,ink and Substrate Sheet Fed VS Web Fed Components of the Offset Advantages and Disadvantages of offset Quiz What is Gravure? Gravure printing process Components of the Gravure Gravure Machine Press Characteristics Gravure Advantages and Disadvantages of Gravure Quiz INTRODUCTION
5 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT FLEXOGRAPHY ............................................................. SCREEN PRINTING ............................................................. 49 DIGITAL PRINTING ............................................................. 59 ............................................................. 69 LETTERPRESS REFERENCES ..................................................................... 77 What is Letterpress? Letterpress process Types of Press Letterpress Components Letterpress Press Characteristics Flexography Advantages and Disadvantages of Letterpress Quiz What is Flexography? Flexography process Types of Press Flexography Components Flexography Press Characteristics Flexography Advantages and Disadvantages of Flexography Quiz What is Screen Printing? Screen Printing process Types of Press Screen Printing Components Screen Printing Press Advantages and Disadvantages of Screen Printing Quiz Digital Process Descibes the process Xerography Large Format Printing Advantages Digital Printing Quiz 41
6 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 6 Preface Author’s Opening Message This book is one of the initiatives of the Bahagian Instruksional dan Pembelajaran Digital (BIPD), Jabatan Pendidikan Politeknik dan Kolej Komuniti in creating diversity in effective Teaching and Learning methods in line with the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Therefore, the production of this book is also used as one of the electronic books in providing facilities to students in the process of Teaching and Learning and then can be used as a reference. This book is produced in a creative and innovative style through the layout and design as well as the latest elements and features to provide an effective and fun Teaching and Learning process. The book is also proposed to be nominated for the e-book category in the Edola 2021 Competition organized Bahagian Instruksional dan Pembelajaran Digital (BIPD), Jabatan Pendidikan Politeknik dan Kolej Komuniti. Thank you to the Head of Department, Jabatan Rekabentuk dan Komunikasi Visual, Dr. Zulkfli bin Md. Yusoff and Head of Programme, Puan Norizzati binti Abd. Latiff on their undivided trust and support in the production of this book. Not to be forgotten are the fellow lecturers who provided insights and guidance before, during and after the production of this book. Hopefully, through the production of this book, it can give a positive impact in adding knowledge and can be used as a reference not only in the lecture room but also outside the lecture room. Muhammad Nasuha Bin Yusop Print Media Technology Muadzam Shah, Pahang July 2021
7 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Introduction To Print equips students with the information about the history of communication, conventional printing processes and digital printing process in printing technology. A fully oriented course to explain the different printing processes including the traditional and digital methods. Student are also exposed to printing machines. The printing production work flow is also briefly discussed to provide basic knowledge in handling of a print production. course DVP 10033 Introduction To Print to be studied for semester 1 students for the Diploma in Print Media Technology. It is confidently believed that this book furnishes the students the necessary study material and Split into seven chapters. The course assessment consists of Continuous Assessment (CA) – 50% and Final Examination (FE) /Final Assessment (FA)– 50% . Final examination/ Final assessment is carried out at the end of the semester. Continuous Assessment (CA) Tasks include are 2 Quiz and 4 End of Chapter which covers the topic 1 to 7 while Final Examination (FE) /Final Assessment (FA) which covers the topic 1 to 6. Upon completion ofthis course, students should be able to discuss clearly the history of communication and printing workflow based on print media technology. In addition that, explain the production process and press components in the conventional printing. Besides that, explain the production process and progress of digital printing. All the topics are explained with supporting diagram, linked video and quiz and others to give students to understand effectively.. Abstract
8 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 8 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Introduction Offset Gravure Flexography Letterpress Screen Printing Digital Printing
9 1 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT INTRODUCTION
10 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 10 A BRIEF OF PRINTING FROM 15TH CENTURY FIRST STAGE: WOODBLOCK PRINTING We’re in 6th-century China during the Tang dynasty. One of many inventions to emerge from this great empire was a system of printing using wooden matrices that were engraved, inked and pressed onto a sheet of paper. The scope of this invention was such that, in modern Chinese historiography, printing is considered one of the four great inventions of Ancient China. One of the first books printed with woodblocks was a copy of the Diamond Sutra (868 AD), a six-sheet scroll over five metres long. Recently, a Korean pagoda was discovered with an even older text dating to 750-751 AD. We’ve arrived at one of the most important stages in the history of printing: the advent of movable type. And once again, this invention came from China. In 1041, the printer Bi Sheng invented movable clay type. However, it had the drawback of breaking easily. In 1298, the inventor Wang Zhen began using much stronger wooden type and invented a complex system of revolving tables that improved the quality of printing. Now fast forward to the 15th century and the introduction of movable type in Europe by Johannes Gutenberg. The centrepiece of his technique was the punch, a steel parallelepiped whose head was engraved in relief, and back to front, with a character: a number, letter or punctuation mark. The punch created the matrix in which type was cast, then placed on a tray, inked and pressed onto paper.So, what were Gutenberg’s three major innovations? He was the first to use oil-based inks, which lasted longer than the water-based inks used previously.His type was more robust because it was made from an alloy of lead, tin and antimony.And he invented the first printing press, which was inspired by the grape press.On 23 February 1455, after about a year’s experimentation, the first Gutenberg Bible was published with a print run of 180 copies. SECOND STAGE: MOVABLE-TYPE PRINTING
11 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Third stage: the rotary press Let’s jump forward again, to the year 1843. We’re in the United States and Richard March Hoe has just invented the first rotary press, perfected in 1846 and patented in 1847. Initially, this system was hand-fed with single sheets until, in 1863, William Bullock introduced a press that was fed by a paper roll: the images to be printed were curved around rotating cylinders. There was no longer a flat surface that exerted pressure to print: instead, the paper passed through a cylinder which exerted a far greater force. Thanks to the mechanisation of the process and the introduction of continuous paper rolls, rotary printing presses could print up to 8,000 sheets an hour. Which makes it the first press suitable for large print runs. In 1846, the rotary press started being used to print the Philadelphia Public Ledger. In 1875, Robert Barclay invented the offset press for printing on metal. Then, in 1904, Ira Washington Rubel adapted the technology for paper. This indirect method of printing is based on a very simple chemical phenomenon: the repulsion between oil and water. The printing process is anything but simple though. An offset plate is divided into two areas: the image area, which is lipophilic and therefore attracts the ink; and the non-image area, which is hydrophilic, and repels the ink. The plate is dipped in a solution that binds to the non-image area, and then inked. In this way, the ink only adheres to the image, which is then transferred first to a rubber cylinder and then printed onto the paper. What are the advantages of offset printing? It generates very sharp, clean images. High-quality printing on any type of paper, even if it has a surface that isn’t perfectly smooth. The disadvantages? Offset presses are bulky and require lots of maintenance. Which is why this printing system is only cost-effective for large print runs. THIRD STAGE: THE ROTARY PRESS FOURTH STAGE: OFFSET PRINTING
12 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 12 FIFTH STAGE: THE LINOTYPE MACHINE In 1885, German inventor Ottmar Mergenthaler developed the linotype, a typesetting machine. The advantage of this system was that it automatically composed lines of type. It worked in much the same way as a typewriter: the operator composed lines of text by pressing keys on a keyboard. Each key would release a matrix for the corresponding character and this matrix would align with the others. The line of matrices was then filled with molten lead, cast, inked and used to press the characters onto sheets of paper. Although it is a seemingly elaborate process, linotype significantly sped up printing. It meant that typesetters no longer had to compose lines of print by hand, one character at a time: everything was mechanised. In 1886, the linotype machine was used for the first time to print the “New York Tribune”, a daily newspaper founded in 1841 in New York. In Italy, it was first used in 1897 to print the “Tribuna”, one of Rome’s leading dailies.Thomas Edison called the linotype machine “the eighth wonder of the world”, which underlines the importance of this machine in the history of printing. In 1971, the Xerox Corporation developed laser technology. In a laser printer, the content to be printed is generated by electronic processes and printed directly onto the sheet of paper. To be more precise, the laser transfers the image to a photosensitive selenium cylinder (called a “drum”) and from there, using toner, it’s directly applied to the paper. With this system, it’s possible to print around 20,000 lines a minute. Record breaking. But more importantly, from this point on, anyone could print whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, in their office or home. Bulky, complicated and very expensive, the first laser printers were quite different from those we’re used to today. And we had to wait until 1982 for the first desktop laser printer to be released by Canon. However, its high cost meant few could afford one. It wasn’t until the beginning of the 1990s that laser printers became widely accessible to the public, along with inkjet, dot matrix and dye-sublimation printers. Ever since, printers have become ever cheaper, more compact and efficient. SIXTH STAGE: THE LASER PRINTER
13 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT SIXTH STAGE: THE LASER PRINTER . We’ve reached the present day. We end our journey through time in the era of the 3D printer. This printing technology was actually developed some years ago, in 1983 to be exact, when Chuck Hull used UV rays to harden varnishes. The engineer baptised his invention “stereolithography”: a method that allows solid objects to be created by adding overlapping layers of a photosensitive liquid polymer which has been struck by UV light. But where does it start from? From a 3D model produced by modelling software, like Blender, AutoCAD or OpenSCAD. Today, there are various technologies for 3D printing. They mainly differ in the way that they assemble different layers: they can use materials that are melted by heat, liquid materials that are hardened or materials that are laminated and bound together. It has taken years for 3D printing to become widely used. Why? Because the cost of this technology was initially extremely high. But now 3D printing is used in many fields – from architecture to archaeology, from art to healthcare – with more being added all the time. THE LAST STAGE: 3D PRINTING
14 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 14 Introduction- Printing conveys valuable information and data for culture and education, science and technology, economy and finance, business and trade, and other facilities. Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The earliest known form of printing as applied to paper was woodblock printing, which appeared in China before 220 AD for cloth printing. However, it would not be applied to paper until the seventh century. Later developments in printing technology include the movable type invented by Bi Sheng around 1040 AD and the printing press invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century. The technology of printing played a key role in the development of the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution and laid the material basis for the modern knowledgebased economy and the spread of learning to the masses The Importance of printing are : Provides the main media for education, communication Compared to technological media, hard copy printed matter is still the most convenient and cheapest source of information retrieval Main medium for food and consumer product packaging. There are 3 290 licensed printing companies, comprising of SMI and large size printers Printing Industries Commercial Printers Catalogues, Brochures, Annual Reports, Posters Advertising, Magazines Publication Printers Books, Magazines, trade publications, newspapers Packaging Printers Labels, Cartons, Flexible Packaging Security Printers Share Certificates Cheques, Airline Tickets, Toll Tickets, Stamps Bank Notes INTRODUCTION
15 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Image carriers (or plates) are generally be classified as relief, planographic, intaglio, or screen. In relief printing, the image or printing area is raised above the non-image areas. Letterpress and flexography are relief printing processes. In planographic printing, the image and nonimage areas are on the same plane. The image and nonimage areas are defined by differing physiochemical properties. Lithography is a planographic process. In the intaglio process, the nonprinting area is at a common surface level with the substrate while the printing area, consisting of minute etched or engraved wells of differing depth and/or size, is recessed. Gravure is an intaglio process. In the screen process (also known as porous printing), the image is transferred to the substrat by pushing ink through a porous mesh which carries the pictorial or typographic image. PRINTING PROCESS OVERVIEW BASICS OF THE PRINTING PROCESS DIRECT VS INDIRECT PRINTING The five major printing processes are distinguished by the method of image transfer and by the general type of image carrier employed. Depending upon the process, the printed image is transferred to the substrate either directly or indirectly. In direct printing the image is transferred directly from the image carrier to the substrate, examples of direct printing are gravure, flexography, screen printing and letterpress printing processes. In indirect, or offset, printing, the image is first transferred from the image carrier to the blanket cylinder and then to the substrate. Lithography, currently the dominant printing technology, is an indirect (offset) process. IMAGE CARRIERS
16 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 16 A segment of the graphic communications industry that produces various products for customers, including forms, newspaper inserts, and catalogues. A subdivision of commercial printing, consisting of shops specializing in rapidly completing short-run printing and photocopying work for business customers. Segment of the graphic communications industry consisting of plants that are designed primarily to print magazines. A segment of the graphic communications industry that involves publishing and printing daily or weekly newspapers. Graphic communications industry segment that produces trade books and textbooks. Industry that designs and prints special paper forms used in many businesses. A segment of the graphic communications industry consisting of plants that primarily print materials such as checks, currency, and legal documents. Industry that uses images printed on many different types of materials, such as plastic, paper, cardboard, corrugated board, and foil. Commercial Printing Quick Printing Periodical Printing Newspaper Printing In-plant Printing Forms Printing Financial Printing Package Printing SEGMENTATION OF PRINTING INDUSTRY
17 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Printing process includes a lot of steps and every step has its own importance. There are a lot of activities even before the printing like Design, Preflighting and after the actual printing is over, like cutting, folding, assembling and binding. But it is not always necessary that all printed items are subjected to these processes. For example, advertising pamphlets does not require binding. THE PRINTING PROCESS WORKFLOW Transfer artwork to plate Print on paper Lamination , Binding Varnisihing PRE PRESS PRESS POST PRESS PRE PRESS , PRESS & POST PRESS Each printing process is divided into prepress, press, and postpress steps. Prepress operations encompass steps during which the idea for a printed image is converted into an image carrier such as a plate, cylinder, or screen. Prepress operations include composition and typesetting, graphic arts photography, image assembly, and image carrier preparation. Press refers to actual printing operations. Postpress primarily involves the assembly of printed materials and consists of binding and finishing operations • • • Three important printing processes are: PrePress Press PostPress
18 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 18 Prepress is the terminology used to define processes that happens before printing and Finishing. Since several publications nowadays are published both in print and electronic media, many shared processes are referred to as pre media services instead. WHAT IS PREPRESS Artwork Computer to Plate 4 Color Plate Check Setup Job Color Separation PRE PRESS PROCESSES The prepress processes which are mentioned below may take place at single location, like large publishing or printing house, or at different places. Generally, few tasks happen at a publisher end while few take place at a dedicated prepress company (which are also known as service bureaus or trade shops). PRE PRESS
19 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT PRE PRESS PROCESSES Design: Since the advent of desktop publishing, several people in the printing industry don’t take design to be a prepress task. The design process includes following things Preparation of data, which comprises of copyediting and product photography, for example for a mail order catalogue. Making the layout is done by using one of the principal computer design application such as Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress. Sometimes people take usage of tools like Microsoft Office or Publisher. There is also a extensive range of specialized applications are available for tasks like database publishing. The rectification sequence contains processes like proofreading and image retouching, for which Adobe Photoshop is the best application available in the market. Preflighting: Before finished pages go through the rest of the processes, a validation needs to be done to check if all the data meet the critical production requirements. Proofing: During the design phase, page proofs were already being created. Proofs are also done by the company which is responsible for the printing. This is done for internal checks of the impositioning as well as for the customers who need to sign to the proofs for approval. Hardcopy proofing is still very popular in the case of adequate time for it and for color critical or expensive jobs. Imposition: Number of pages will be united into signatures as per the final output device. To output data, pages or complete flats have to be ripped or rendered. This process also includes are transparency flattening: transparency effects like drop shadows behind text need to be fixed. screening ,trapping , managing colors and color partition. Computer to plate (CTP), or the transfer of the image to the printing plate. A platesetter, or CTP device, uses a laser to burn the image from a computer file onto a printing plate. Plates are made of different materials, depending on the needs of the printing method. Usually rubber, plastic and aluminum are used for plates. Manufacturing of a high-quality print (PDF) file, which is used for the final printing. Planning, Paper select, choosing a proper paper is also a very important step in prepress. • • • • • • • • • •
20 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 2 0 PRESS A project only go to press after,they have passed the pre press and plate making stages Preparing Positioning Loading Maintaining Resolving Issues Some of the Machine printer’s tasks After prepress, the next phase is Press. During printing, accuracy is crucial for both quality and timely delivery, so projects only go to press after they have passed the pre-press and plate making stages, which will result in cutting out any need for costly reprints. There are several different kinds of printing process and the choice of process depends on the kind of job. Machine printers may specialise in one particular printing process. Most machines are computer controlled. A machine printer’s tasks can include: preparing the paper or card so that it runs smoothly through the machine positioning the printing plates in the press and taking trial prints to ensure everything is correctly placed loading the machine with inks and making sure colours are reproduced correctly maintaining quality checks during the running of the press looking out for problems, such as paper jams, to avoid machine downtime routine maintenance and cleaning of the press.
21 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT POST PRESS Post Press is a crucial part of any printing process and it takes place after the actual printing. It helps in determines the final look, shape and feel of the printed product. Post press consists of several sub processes that are implemented depending upon the type of the project and the job being handled. Some of the basic types of post press operations in printing industry which are often used are as follows: A project only go to press after,they have passed the pre press and plate making stages Cutting Binding Lamination Varnish Punching Cutting: This is one of the most common operations of post press which is used in almost all projects. For this purpose, the machines which used are known as “guillotine cutter” or “paper cutter”. These are special machines which are used for cutting large substrates of web-type into different sheets or pages. These machines differ in sizes, features, abilities, capacities and configurations; because they are built for individual purposes. Folding: This activity is performed mostly in printing workshops for pamphlets, magazines and product boxes. There are mainly three loading the machine with inks and making sure colours are reproduced correctly. Bone folder is the one of the oldest among its peers that are made either of bone or plastic. Today they are used occasionally only for high quality jobs. Knife folders use knife to force the paper getting into the roller for folding. Buckle folder will convert a sheet into buckle so as to pass it between the two rotating rollers.
22 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 22 Assembling: In assembly, there are three main steps which should be followed - gathering, collating and inserting. Looking out for problems, such as paper jams, to avoid machine downtime . Gathering is a method of placing bunch of sheets one after another. This is done for assembling books with page thicknesses ranging between 3 to 8 inches. Collating is a process of gathering individual sheets of paper instead of bunch of papers. The last step will be inserting involves the process of combining signatures or bunch of papers by “inserting” one into another. Inserting is done for the papers with signature pieces having final thickness less than one-half inches Binding: In this category, the printed material or pages are stick together. Three most common binding techniques which are used are- adhesive binding, side binding and saddle binding. For completing binding process, three individual types of covers are used. They are – self-covers soft-covers case-bound covers PRINTING PROCESSES CONVENTIONAL PRINTING DIGITAL PRINTING OFFSET GRAVURE FLEXOGRAPHY LETTERPRESS SCREEN PRINTING Direct Imaging digital offset printers Electrographic printers Ink jet printers
23 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT QUIZ 1. Explain post press process in printing workflow in printing QUESTION 1 2. Discuss segmentation of printing industry related package 3. Explain segmentation of printing industry newspaper printing? 4. Explain press process in printing workflow in printing department? 5. Explain post press process in printing workflow in printing QUESTION 2 QUESTION 3 QUESTION 4 QUESTION 5
24 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 24 2 OFFSET
25 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Offset Lithography printing refers to: when the image area and the non image area on the printing plate are on the same level (planography) in which the ink is firstly transferred from the printing plate onto the blanket and then onto the substrate. The process works on the principle that oil & water do not mix. Dampening (water) are needed for offset printing because to separate the image & non-image area. The image areas of the printing plate is ink receptive and water repelling Whereas the Non-image area are water receptive and ink repelling Offset lithography is the most widely used print process. Print quantity from 200 to 1,000,000 Introduction to The image areas of the printing plate is ink receptive and water repelling Whereas the Non-image area are water receptive and ink repelling Planography refers to: a flat printing surface A rotary printing press is a printing press in which the images to be printed are curved around a cylinder. The image areas of the printing plate is ink receptive and water repelling Lithography (Planography) : Image on same level WHAT IS OFFSET? OFFSET • • • • • • • • • •
26 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 26 Offset lithography is a indirect printing , in which the ink is firstly transferred from the printing plate onto the blanket and then onto the substrate. A printing plate mounted on a cylinder transfers the image to a rubber blanket mounted on another cylinder. The image is then transferred from the blanket cylinder to the substrate as the substrate passes between the blanket cylinder and an impression cylinder. The image on the printing plate is “right reading” and when the image is transferred to the blanket it becomes “wrong reading”. When the image is transferred to the substrate it becomes “right reading” again. OFFSET PRINTING PROCESS • • • • Ink Roller Plate cylinder Blanket cylinder Impression cylinder Paper Water Water Roller
27 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT The image and non image area are planography. The image areas of the printing plate is ink receptive and water repelling Whereas the Non-image area are water receptive and ink repelling Offset Lithography plates are made from thin (0.3mm) and flexible sheets of aluminium. The plates used in offset printing are thin, flexible, and usually larger than the paper size to be printed. Two main materials are used: Metal plates, usually aluminum, although sometimes they are made of multi-metal, paper, or plastic Polyester plates, which are much cheaper and can be used in place of aluminum plates for smaller formats or medium quality jobs, as their dimensional stability is lower Offset lithography used a highly viscous and paste ink. The inks are normally oil-based and can dry by a variety of methods. Offset Lithography printing can be printed on absorbent substrate; Such as paper, cardboard OFFSET PRINTING PLATE,INK & SUBSTRATE Image area Non Image area • • • • • • • • •
28 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 28 TYPES OF OFFSET MACHINE PRESS Sheet Fed Press Web Fed Press Sheet Fed is a mould that is in the form of sheets and prints amounting to small and medium term and has a limited amount. This print process can print the number of sheets from 4000 to 15000 per hour It can print Single Color on one sheet or multiple units, which can print up to six colors on both sides of the paper through the print. This type of print is for example limited edition books, mating cards, brochures, posters and so on. Print out both sheets of paper in the know of Perfecting. Web Fed is was a form print offset where use roll paper that is continuous that in print through offset machine. Print speed estimate for the process is from 15000 to 50000 or more. Paper page in dismember and in cut on size that had in fix on machinery after it had in print. Apart from that, web machine more suitable in use for print that is higher like current market book, magazine, newspaper, catalogue and brochure. Web Fed print also this have two printing method type known as heat set and coldest. In heat set process, the ink in dry quickly by forced heating water while in coldest process on the other hand, ink season slower by usual evaporation and absorption. SHEET FED VS WEB FED
2 9 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Web Fed Press COMPONENTS OF THE OFFSET Sucker - inhale the paper Vacum - wind blowing paper Pile Machanism - place of paper Griffer - gripping the paper to sign Front Lay - print the front Side Lay - print the side Double Sheet Detector - detects more than 1 paper and causes it to stop Feeding System Registration System Plate cylinder - place of plate Blanket cylinder - transfers images and text from plate to substrate Impression cylinder - as a pressure to move images and text onto the substrate Printing System • • • • • • • • • • Feeding System Registration System Printing System Inking System Dampening System Delivery System LIST THE COMPONENTS OF THE OFFSET PRESS 1 2 4 3 5 6
30 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 3 0 Fountain Solution - A mixture of water and other chemicals distributed by the dampening system on a printing press used in offset lithography. The purpose of the dampening system is to apply a very thin layer of water or moisture to the plate The water is actually a special mixture of chemicals called fountain solution The fountain solution keeps the non-image areas of the plate desensitized and printing clean Supplies moisture to the plate Dampening System Delivery Pile- Conveys the sheet from the final impression cylinder to the delivery pile Also involve of the drying system :- Oxidation – by warming the sheet through infra red lamps Ultra Violet Curing – only for special ink Heat set – by passing through hot air Cold set drying – relying on the ink being absorbed Printing System Ink Key- inhale the paper Ink Roller - stores a quantity of ink in a reservoir and feeds small quantities Ink Duct - place where excess ink and reservoir are placed before the washing machine Ink Fountain - store large quantities of ink in reservoirs and feed small quantities Inking System • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE
31 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Offset litho printing capable of producing the highest print quality with low cost. (Quick and easy production of printing plates.) The most popular printing process (market leader) – producing such diverse of printed products. Suitable to print for the short, medium & long-run work. Sheetfed suitable to print 500 to 50000 copies Webfed suitable to print 15000 to 1 million copies Consistent high image quality. Offset printing produces sharp and clean images and type more easily than, for example, letterpress printing; this is because the rubber blanket conforms to the texture of the printing surface. Longer printing plate life than on direct litho presses because there is no direct contact between the plate and the printing surface. Properly developed plates used with optimized inks and fountain solution may achieve run lengths of more than a million impressions ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE Advantage • • • • • • • Disadvantage Color variation because of ink and water balance. If ink and water are not properly balanced, will affected the quality of the printed sheet. Printing plates are very sensitive. Time and cost associated with producing plates and printing press setup. Many low quantity jobs are printed using digital. • • •
32 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 32 QUIZ 1. Describe the process of offset? QUESTION 1 2. Explain Sheet fed in offset? 3. Visualize the process of offset lithography with the correct direction and arrow ? 4. Explain the functions of the system in inking system in offset press? 5. Explain the advantanges in offset press? QUESTION 2 QUESTION 3 QUESTION 4 QUESTION 5
33 3 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT GRAVURE 3 GRAVURE
34 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 34 Gravure printing utilized the image areas on the printing cylinder are “recessed“ below the non-image areas. Started in early as 15th century. Formerly known as “intaglio” printing process. The image are engrave into the cylinder surface and it is recesses, called cells. Gravure printing only used for high print quantity because it is very time and cost intensive to produce the printing cylinder To understand rotogravure printing, a brief primer of intaglio is required. Intaglio is the process used in printing and printmaking in which an image is incised into a surface and where the incised line – or sunken area – holds the ink. There are many applications for intaglio, such as the decoration of armor, musical instruments, and religious objects, as well as mass-printed stock certificates, maps, magazines, newspapers, fabrics, sheet music, wallpapers, banknotes, passports, and high-value postage stamps. WHAT IS GRAVURE? Rotogravure – gravure for short – is a type of intaglio printing process which utilizes an engraved cylinder fixed to a rotary printing press. Gravure printing is still widely used for the commercial production of post cards, magazines, newspapers, and corrugated cardboard (and other packaging materials). Rotogravure is utilized when the job calls for fine, detailed images in a high-speed, high-quality, and long-run printing process. Impression Roll Gravure Cylinder Doctor Blade Ink Fountain Printed Side of Paper Paper • • • • • • •
35 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Gravure is a direct printing method in that the inked cylinder applies the image directly to the substrate. During printing, the gravure cylinder rotate in the ink reservoir and it is coated with a very low viscosity ink. A doctor blade clears the ink from the non image area, so that ink remains in the recessed area of the cylinder. The substrate passes between the two cylinders and the ink from the cells is transferred onto the substrate by capillary action. First, the image is acid-etched onto the surface of a metal cylinder. These etches are called “cells” and are recessed into the metals in varying degrees of depth; there are minute differences in the depth of the etchings which provide tonal gradations in the printed image; for example, an etching with a greater depth will have less ink, creating a lighter image than a cell with a smaller depth . After the image is etched, the cells are filled with printing ink while the rest of the cylinder is wiped clean. Part of the cylinder is immersed in the ink fountain while paper (or another printing medium) is pressed against the cylinder. The image will be transferred directly to the paper. The process of replicating photos in gravure printing is called photogravure, where a copper plate is grained and then coated with a light-sensitive substance which has been exposed to a film positive. GRAVURE PRINTING PROCESS • • • • • • •
36 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 3 6 The printing plates on a gravure is known as Gravure cylinder. Images area on the printing plate are “Recessed“ below the non-image areas. The cell is engrave using Laser Engraving process Gravure cylinder are made from steel and copper. Gravure cylinder has very long durability • • • • • GRAVURE CYLINDER
37 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT COMPONENTS GRAVURE PRESS GRAVURE CYLINDER DOCTOR BLADE IMPRESSION CYLINDER COMPONENTS GRAVURE PRESS Gravure cylinder The printing cylinder engraved with the image to be printed or transferred Impression cylinder Impression cylinder is rubber-covered metal cylinder which holds the substrate against the engraved image carrier to obtain proper ink transfer Doctor blade Doctor blade assembly containing a blade which wipes excess ink from the non-image areas of the image carrier
38 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 3 8 Rotogravure (Rotary press: sheet travel between two cylinder, plate & impression cylinder) press designed to print on a continuous roll of paper. both sides of the web can be printed simultaneously. Majority of gravure presses print on rolls of paper Rotary gravure presses are the fastest and widest presses in operation Sheetfed gravure press designed to print a single of paper at a time. A gravure sheet-fed process is used for smaller runs. Specialty to print on special products. TYPES OF GRAVURE MACHINE PRESS Sheet Fed Press Web Fed Press • • • • • • GRAVURE MACHINE CHARACTERISTICS GRAVURE
39 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT All gravure text matter as well as pictures must be screened. Generally the gravure cylinder itself is etched and acts as the image carrier. Gravure prints from a design below the surface of the plate or cylinder. Gradations of tone are obtained by etched cells to different depths, so that more or less ink is carried by the cells and transferred to the paper according to their depth. The use of the “Doctor blade” in the printing press (to remove ink from nonprinting areas). An interesting possibility of gravure press is the fact that a simple basic principle allows the use of cylinders of different diameters, without complicate changes in the unit gearings. Gravure Inks Gravure printing inks, that were originally composed of mainly solvent-based ingredients, are gradually being replaced by alternative solutions. Water-based inks are now the most popular solution for gravure printing due to their safety (solventbased inks are toxic and flammable) and environmentally-friendly characteristics. High quality printed result can be achieved, in colour job A very high printing speed. Suitable for long run jobs. Minimum 300,000 copies Ideally suited to print high quantity jobs, such as bank note, wallpaper, labels Advantage • • • Disadvantage A very high cost of producing gravure cylinder. The quality of small type not be as sharp this is because the type is created with individual cells just like the rest of the image, instead of being printed as a continuous solid shape. Long Set-up time • • • • • • • • • • CHARACTERISTICS GRAVURE ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE
40 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 4 0 QUIZ 1. Describe the process of gravure? QUESTION 1 2. Explain function doctor blade in gravure printing press? 3. Visualize the process of offset lithography with the correct direction and arrow ? 4. Explain the functions of the system in inking system in offset press? 5. Explain the advantanges in gravure press? QUESTION 2 QUESTION 3 QUESTION 4 QUESTION 5
41 4 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT FLEXOGRAPHY
42 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 42 Flexography is a modern version of letterpress printing . This traditional method of printing can be used on almost any type of substrate, including corrugated cardboard, cellophane, plastic, label stock, fabric, and metallic film. The flexographic printing process uses quick-drying, semiliquid inks. In this age of digital printing, flexography holds its own in the areas of large order and long print runs, particularly of packaging products and labeling. Flexographic printing uses flexible photopolymer printing plates wrapped around rotating cylinders on a web press. The inked plates have a slightly raised image and rotate at high speeds to transfer the image to the substrate. Flexography inks can print on many types of absorbent and nonabsorbent materials. Flexography is well-suited to print continuous patterns, such as for gift wrap and wallpaper. Unlike the individual sheets of paper used in offset printing, the rolls of material used in flexography allow large orders to run with few interruptions to reload the substrate. Impression Cylinder Plate Cylinder Ink Fountain Doctor Blade Anilox Roll Fontain Roller • • • • • • • WHAT IS FLEXOGRAPHY?
43 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Flexography is a printing process which utilizes a flexible relief plate that can be adhered to a printing cylinder. It is basically an updated version of letterpress. It much more versatile than letterpress in that it can be used for printing on almost any type of substrate including plastic, metallic films, cellophane, and paper. It is widely used for printing on the non-porous substrates required for various types of food packaging. It is also well suited for printing large areas of solid color. Flexography continues to be one of the fastest growing print processes and is no longer reserved just for printing specialty items. The ability of flexography to print on a variety of substrates allows the process to be used for a wide range of printed products. Food packaging is an important market because of the ability of flexography to print on nonporous substrates. This ability makes it useful for printing on plastic bags as well. Other common applications printed with flexography include gift wrap, wallcovering, magazines, newspaper inserts, paperback books, telephone directories, and business forms. The relief plate used for flexography is made of molded rubber or photopolymer materials with the image areas raised above the non-image areas of the plate. Flexographic plates can be created with analog and digital platemaking processes.Flexography is a direct printing method in that the inked plate applies the image directly to the substrate. An inked roller known as the “anilox roller”, applies ink to the raised portions of the plate which is then transferred to the substrate. The anilox roller has cells that carry a specific amount of ink to the plate. The number of cells per linear inch can vary according to the type of print job and the quality required. The name “anilox” is derived from the ink that was used for the process until the 1950’s. Anilox ink was manufactured with “aniline” dyes which, in the 1950’s, were discovered to be health hazards, so pigment based inks were developed and have been used ever since. The ink carrying roller has continued to be called the “anilox roller” even though the aniline dye inks are no longer used for flexography. The current inksare very fluid and dry rapidly and are most often water based. Description Printing Process FLEXOGRAPHY PROCESS Applications
44 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 4 4 TYPES OF PRESS IN FLEXOGRAPHY STACK PRESS COMMON IMPRESSION CYLINDER PRESS IN-LINE PRESS Color stations stack up vertically, which makes it easy to access. This press is able to print on both sides of the substrate. The stack press has individual color stations that are stacked one over the other. Because of their configuration, stack presses are easily accessible, making on-press changes and servicing easy and economical. Stack Press In-Line Press: Like the stack press, the in-line press has separate printing units for each color and each unit has its own impression cylinder, but they are arranged in a horizontal configuration just like a rotary offset press. Because of the distance between the printing units, problems with print registration can occur. Tension control equipment is used on the press to hold proper registration between multiple colors. The wider in-line presses are used for printing large items such as corrugated cartons and smaller width webs are used for printing pressure sensitive labels at high speeds. TYPES OF PRESS IN FLEXOGRAPHY
4 5 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT Color stations are placed horizontally. This press prints on both sides, via a turn bar. Advantage: can print on heavier substrates, such as corrugated boards and that additional operations such as die cutting can be done between color stations on the press. All color stations are located in a circle around the impression cylinder. This press can only print on one side. Advantage: excellent registration which is the placement of one color in relation to others In-line Press Common Impression Cylinder Press Gravure a. Description Gravure is a high quality printing process capable of producing printed images which have a continuous tone effect similar to a photograph. The gravure process utilizes a metal printing cylinder onto which the image is etched. The gravure cylinder can be created with analog or digital plating processes.
46 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 4 6 Fountain roll The fountain roller transfers ink located in an ink pan to a second roller, an anilox roller. In modern flexographic printing, the anilox roll is referred to as a type of meter or metering roller. Anilox roll The anilox roll is a unique characteristic of flexography. The anilox roller transfers a uniform thickness of ink to a flexible printing plate. The anilox roll has finely engraved cells with a particular ink capacity, viewable with a microscope. These rollers are responsible for transferring inks to the flexible printing plates mounted on the plate cylinders. Doctor blade Doctor blade assembly containing a blade which wipes excess ink from the nonimage areas of the image carrier Dual doctor ink chamber controls the thickness of the ink Plate cylinder The plate cylinder holds the printing plate, which is made from a soft flexible rubberlike material. Tape, magnets, tension straps and/or ratchets hold the printing plate against the plate cylinder. Impression roll The impression cylinder applies pressure to the plate cylinder where the image is transferred to the image-receiving substrate COMPONENTS IN FLEXOGRAPHY Fountain Roll Anilox Roll Doctor Blade Dual Doctor Ink Chamber Plate Cylinder Impression Roll COMPONENTS FLEXOGRAPHY • • • • • •
47 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT On the plate process is simple. Printing plate cylinder engraved with regular line, the printing plate cross line set standard line with double-sided adhesive firm, and can be on the machine version. Due to the characteristics of the soft plate, the substrate has a wide range of adaptability, can print the texture of relatively loose materials can also print the surface of smooth materials. Such as plastic film, glassine, metal foil, iron, packaging paper, cardboard, kraft paper, corrugated materials. High printing resistance, printing up to 100,000-1 million. Flexographic printing, not only can use volatile flexographic ink, but also can use waterbased ink, will not cause environmental pollution, in line with the health standards of food packaging printed matter. Fast printing speed, up to 150-300m/min. Can be connected with a variety of post-processing machinery, forming a production line. In recent years, flexographic printing has gained considerable development in China due to its unique advantages in the field of packaging and printing. Flexography printing has been more and more domestic packaging and printing industry accepted. • • • • • • • The flexographic printing process: Runs at extremely high press speeds. Prints on a wide variety of substrate materials. Uses cost equipment that requires little maintenance. Uses relatively low-cost consumables. Is ideally suited for long runs. Handles all printing, varnishing, laminating, and die cutting in a single pass. Advantage Disadvantage The cost of the flexo printing plates is high, but when they are properly cared for, they last for millions of impressions. It takes several hours to set up complex jobs that print, varnish, laminate, and die cut. A large amount of substrate is consumed to set up the job, potentially wasting expensive material. If version changes are necessary, they are time-consuming to make. • • • • • • • • • • CHARACTERISTICS FLEXOGRAPHY ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE
48 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 4 8 QUIZ 1. Describe the process of flexography? QUESTION 1 2. Explain function anilox roll in flexography printing press? 3. Visualize the process of flexography with the correct direction and arrow ? 4. Explain types of press in flexography ? 5. Explain the advantanges in flexography press? QUESTION 2 QUESTION 3 QUESTION 4 QUESTION 5
49 5 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT LETTERPRESS
50 INTRODUCTION TO PRINT 5 0 Letterpress printing is a technique of relief printing and printing press The workers are composes and lock the moveable type A process which many copies are produced by repeat direct impression Letterpress printing Letterpress printing is a technique of is a technique of relief printing using a relief printing using a printing press, a process printing press, a process by which many copies are produced by repeated direct impression of an inked, raised surface against sheets or a continuous roll of paper The process of letterpress printing consists of several stages: composition, imposition and lock-up, and printing. In a small shop, all would occur in a single room, whereas in larger printing plants, such as with urban newspapers and magazines, each might form a distinct department with its own room, or even floor. Letterpress printing has become the go-to printing technique for wedding invitations, greeting cards, and business cards for anyone hoping to make an impression on the recipient. Today’s cottage industry of letterpress printers has been built on the shoulders of 100 years of printing industry, starting around the late 1800s. It’s easy to forget that what we treasure today as an artisan product, made by a well-trained craftsperson, was once known simply as printing. What began with hand-set wood and metal type (read more about this from Jen of Starshaped Press here) has become an industry centered around the photo polymer plate. Designing for letterpress today begins on a computer, and as such, new fonts, embellished ornaments, graphics, patterns, and complicated multi-color designs can be produced with relative ease. The printing part is still by hand, one at a time. • • • • • • • • • WHAT IS LETTERPRESS? LETTERPRESS PROCESS