Printing Process
Printing Process
P rocesses
(‘N’ Scheme Syllabus)
Prepared by
Dr. M. NANDAKUMAR, Principal
G. VENKATESWARAN, Lecturer (SS)
PROCESSES
PREFACE
This book of Printing Processes covers all the topics in a clear and organized
format for the Second year Diploma in Printing Technology students as prescribed by
the Directorate of Technical Education, Chennai, Tamilnadu. It is confidently believed
that this book furnishes the students the necessary study material. The topics
covered were neatly illustrated for better understanding of the students.
Page
Unit Name of the Topic
No
I Introduction to Printing Processes
1.1 Evolution of Printing 1
1.2 Structure of Printing Industry 7
1.3 Applications of Printing Processes 14
II Principles of Printing Processes
2.1 Basic Principles 20
2.2 Print recognition of Printing Processes 24
2.3 Advantages and Limitations of Printing Processes 27
Movable type
Movable type is the system of printing and typography that uses movable
components to reproduce the elements of a document (usually individual letters or
punctuation).
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Wooden movable type was also first developed around 1040 AD by Bi Sheng (990–
1051), as described by the Chinese scholar Shen Kuo (1031–1095), but was abandoned in
favour of clay movable types due to the presence of wood grains and the unevenness of the
wooden type after being soaked in ink.
Metal movable type
Around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press and independently
developed a movable type system in Europe, along with innovations in casting the type
based on a matrix and hand would. The more limited number of characters needed for
European languages was an important factor. Gutenberg was the first to create his type
pieces from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony—the same components still used today.
Compared to woodblock printing, movable-type page setting was quicker and more
durable for alphabetic scripts. The metal type pieces were more durable and the lettering
was more uniform, leading to typography and fonts. The printing press was especially
efficient for limited alphabets. The high quality and relatively low price of the Gutenberg Bible
(1455) established the superiority of movable type in Europe and the use of printing presses
spread rapidly.
Types of typesetting
Two different approaches to mechanising typesetting were independently developed
in the late 19th century. One, known as the Monotype composition caster system, produced
texts with the aid of perforated paper-ribbons, all characters are cast separate. These
machines could produce texts also in "large-composition" up to 36 point. The Super-caster,
was another machine produced by Monotype, designed to produce single type, up to 72
point.
Flat-bed printing press
A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface
resting upon a medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring an image. The systems
involved were first assembled in Germany by the goldsmith Johann Gutenberg in the mid-
15th century.
Rotary printing press
A rotary printing press is a printing press in which the impressions are carved around
a cylinder so that the printing can be done on long continuous rolls of paper, cardboard,
plastic, or a large number of other substrates. Rotary drum printing was invented by Richard
March Hoe in 1847, and then significantly improved by William Bullock in 1863.
Intaglio
Intaglio engraving, as a method of making prints, was invented in Germany by the
1430s, well after the woodcut print.
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Martin Schongauer was one of the earliest known artists to exploit the copper-
engraving technique, and Albrecht Dürer is one of the most famous intaglio artists. Italian
and Netherlandish engraving began slightly after the Germans, but were well developed by
1500. Drypoint and etching were also German inventions of the fifteenth century, probably by
the Housebook Master and Daniel Hopfer respectively.
Lithography
Lithography (from Greek - lithos, 'stone' + - graphein, 'to write') is a method for
printing using a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a completely smooth
surface. Invented in 1796 by Bavarian author Alois Senefelder as a cheap method of
publishing theatrical works, lithography can be used to print text or artwork onto paper or
other suitable material.
Senefelder had experimented during the early 19th century with multicolor
lithography; in his 1819 book, he predicted that the process would eventually be perfected
and used to reproduce paintings. Multi-color printing was introduced by a new process
developed by Godefroy Engelmann (France) in 1837 known as chromolithography.
Half-tone Process
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Screen printing was first patented in England by Samuel Simon in 1907. It was
originally used as a popular method to print expensive wall paper, printed on linen, silk, and
other fine fabrics.
A group of artists who later formed the National Serigraphic Society coined the word
Serigraphy in the 1930s to differentiate the artistic application of screen printing from the
industrial use of the process. "Serigraphy" is a combination word from the Latin word "Seri"
(silk) and the Greek word "graphein" (to write or draw).
Screenprinting has its origins in simple stencilling, most notably of the Japanese form
(katazome), used who cut banana leaves and inserted ink through the design holes on
textiles, mostly for clothing.
Flexography
In 1890, the first such patented press was built in Liverpool, England by Bibby, Baron
and Sons. The water-based ink smeared easily, leading the device to be known as "Bibby's
Folly". In the early 1900s, other European presses using rubber printing plates and aniline
oil-based ink were developed. This led to the process being called "aniline printing". By the
1920s, most presses were made in Germany, where the process was called "gummidruck,"
or rubber printing. In modern day Germany, they continue to call the process "gummidruck."
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The Ink or Toner does not absorb into the substrate, as does conventional ink, but
forms a layer on the surface and may be fused to the substrate by using an inline fuser fluid
with heat process (toner) or UV curing process (ink).
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file, and the data is managed and organized. This “digital master” can now be copied and
distributed Data in printed or electronic form (print media or electronic media, see fig. 1.2.1
.
Fig. 1.2.1 Premedia in the workflow for the production of print media and electronic media
The premedia production process, which does not depend on the output media, is
also called “Cross Media Publishing” (CMP). A basic requirement for an effective cross-
media publishing system is the assurance of consistency and integrity. All data must be
available in digital form and be accessible through a data network.
1. Prepress
Prepress includes all the steps which are carried out before the actual printing, the
transferring of information onto paper or another substrate.Traditional prepress is divided
into three areas:
composition, that is, recording text, formatting text, and pagination;
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and to screen them, that is, to break them up into small dots. An extra step with multicolor
printing is the separation of colors, that is, the breaking down of color photos into the
process colors used for the print (usually cyan, magenta, yellow, and black).
In the 1970s the scanner emerged, which is used to optoelectronically scan, separate
in colors, and screen originals and either directly record them on film by laser or first store
them as digital data for further processing in a image processing system.
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larger than the page format of the printed product, several pages are almost always printed
on one sheet. The next step is to produce the plate for the particular printing technology.
In every printing technology a plate must be produced for each color to be printed.
Digital Prepress
During the 1980s, desktop publishing (DTP) became a serious alternative in
prepress. This came as a result of the development of personal computers (PC) with full
graphic capacity (e.g.,Apple Macintosh),workstations, professional layout, graphic, and
image processing software, the page description language PostScript, and high-resolution
laser imagesetters with raster image processors (RIP).
Desktop publishing means that the capture and editing of text, the capture of pictures
(scanning) and their editing, and designing of graphic elements, as well as the completing of
pages (layout) can be carried out at one computer station. Used together with an output unit
(imagesetter) the PC can also carry out color separations and screening of the finished
pages, so that the whole page is exposed on a film (full-page film).
Obviously there are also programs for the digital sheet assembly which take over
imposition and the positioning of printing aids (register marks, cutting marks, etc.). With the
help of a large-format imagesetter, films can also be produced in the format of the printing
press. computer to film technology is the state of the art.
Since around 1995 (even earlier for gravure printing), computer to plate technology
(CtP) has played an increasingly important role. CtP means that the printing plate is imaged
directly and the intermediate step of imaging a film is abandoned.
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A further step in the production flow is therefore eliminated and ultimately all the
prepress steps are carried out from a single computer workstation. There are already offset
printing presses that use integrated exposure units to expose the plates in the press (direct
imaging). Since no film is used in CtP, a previous proof must be made digitally, usually in the
form of a proof print on a special dye sublimation, ink jet, or thermal printer.
The diagrams in figure show the process of evolution in prepress from the individual
steps of composition, reproduction, and assembly to an integrated process for platemaking.
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technologies have been developed and these can be divided into four main technologies
according to the type of image carrier.
1. Letterpress and Flexography (Relief) Printing
2. Gravure (Recess) Printing
3. Lithography (Planography) Printing
4. Screen (Stencil) Printing
The four classic (conventional) printing technologies have one thing in common: the
image carriers (masters) have a physically stable structure and are therefore not variable,
that is to say, with the same image carrier it is possible to reproduce the same image in high
quality many times.
3. Postpress/Finishing
Print finishing (postpress) includes all those steps which are carried out after printing
on paper or another material has taken place. Finishing processes are as diverse as the
methods of producing printed products, whether they involve books, newspapers, folding
boxes, or sets of labels.
Processes such as cutting, folding, gathering, and binding are important print
finishing technologies for producing a finished product.
Newspaper and magazine printing companies have web printing presses (offset
or gravure) with integrated print finishing units (in-line finishing).
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Label printers are highly specialized in print finishing with automated cutting,
die-cutting, and packing machines.
The image carrying medium is the storage element (i. e., printing plate or
bitmap for controlling ink jet nozzles) that contains all the information needed to
apply the ink for the reproduction of images and/or text by printing.
The printing plate or image carrier (master) is the tool (material) by which ink
is transferred to the printing substrate or an intermediate carrier for the
reproduction of text, graphics and/or images. One printing plate usually generates
many prints.
The print image is the information provided by the entirety of all the print image
elements in all operational stages of an image to be produced by printing.
The print image element is an area that transfers and/or receives ink (e.g., letter
type face, line, screen dot or cells) in any operational stage of the presentation to
be reproduced by printing.
The ink is the colored substance that is applied to the printing substrate during
printing.
The printing press is the equipment with which the printing process is
performed.
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Screen Printing
Sheet-fed Screen printing
As the process is best known for its ability to print a thicker ink film than any other
printing process this makes it ideal for printing light coloured inks on dark coloured materials,
also onto awkward, rough surfaces, uneven and moulded shape surfaces. Examples include
posters, showcards, printed circuits, T-shirts, printing on cloth, vinyl, metal, glass and plastic,
etc.
Rotary/web-fed Screen Printing
Specialist area of the process used for self-adhesive labels, scratch-off lottery tickets,
packaging, transfer printing, fabric printing, security printing, direct mail and high quality
greetings cards with die-cutting and additional finishing requirements.
Posters and Graphics Printing in Short Print Runs.
Large-format posters in particular can be produced relatively conveniently in fairly
small print runs. The quite thick ink film produces coloring that is very brilliant and resistant
even with halftone color impressions.
Traffic Routing Systems and Signs. Large printing surfaces for high resistance inks
are found with traffic signs and routing systems. The requirements they impose are best met
using screen printing.
Vehicle Fittings and Instrument Dials. With vehicle fittings a narrow tolerance
range of the translucency of the impression is required in addition to its precision. For
example, it must be possible for control lights to light up in precisely defined colors.
Printed Circuit Boards for Electronics. Due to its simplicity and flexibility, screen
printing is an important process during the development of printed circuit boards for
electronic circuits. Accurate printing onto copper-laminated hard paper or glass-fiber
reinforced epoxy board with etching allowance, solder resist, or assembly designations in the
necessary coating thickness is only possible in large quantities with screen printing.
Restrictions are, however, imposed on the latter as a result of the extreme miniaturization of
components and printed circuit boards.
Photovoltaic. Special conductive pastes are used to print on photo resistors and
solar cells, which serve as the contact points for current transfer. In doing so, particular
importance is placed on high coating thickness in areas that are, at the same time, extremely
small and covered with printed conductors, in order to optimize the efficiency of the energy
production with the solar cells as fully as possible.
Compact Discs (CD). Screen printing is one of the major processes for printing on
CDs. Pad printing and more recently even offset printing are also used.
Textiles. The depth of the ink absorption in textiles calls for a large volume of ink to
be supplied and screen printing is the preferable process for applying it. Clothing, canvas
shopping bags, webs of material, and so on, can be printed in both flatbed and rotary screen
printing.
Transfer Images. Screen printing is frequently used to produce transfer images for
ceramic decoration. These images are put together from ceramic pigments for firing. The
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pigment’s grain size necessitates the use of a screen mesh that is not too fine. After
detachment the images are removed from the base material and placed on the preburned
bodies by hand. A recognizable feature of these ceramic products is the thick layer of ink.
The images can be placed above or below the glazing.
Decorative Products, Labels, Wallpapers. Seamless decorations such as textile
webs, wallpaper, and other decorative products, as well as labels often require rotary printing
combined with reel material. Special machines are designed for this. Rotary screen printing
with sheet material is used primarily for higher print runs.
Surface Finishing. Transparent varnish can also be applied using screen printing
technology (for spot varnishing, in particular) to finish the printed product.
Bottles. Glass bottles with a baked finish or pretreated plastic bottles for the food
and domestic products sector are printed using the screen printing process.
Toys. Toys, such as balls, and so forth, can be printed in full in several operational
steps.
Glasses. The screen printing process is often used for drinking glass decoration,
with thick coatings of all inks and also gold being applied.
Advertising Media. The type of advertising medium that can be decorated or
provided with some other overprinting by the screen printing process ranges from cigarette
lighters or ballpoint pens to pocket knives and pocket calculators.
Digital Printing
Desktop publishing – inexpensive home and office printing is only possible because
of digital processes that bypass the need for printing plates
Variable data printing – uses database-driven print files for the mass
personalization of printed materials
Fine art – archival digital printing methods include real photo paper exposure prints
and giclée prints on watercolor paper using pigment based inks.
Print on Demand – digital printing is used for personalized printing for example,
children's books customized with a child's name, photo books (such as wedding photo
books), or any other short run books of varying page quantities and binding techniques.
Advertising – often used for outdoor banner advertising and event signage, in trade
shows, in the retail sector at point of sale or point of purchase, and in personalized direct
mail campaigns.
Photos – digital printing has revolutionized photo printing in terms of the ability
to retouch and color correct a photograph before printing.
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UNIT - I
3 Marks Questions
1. Define printing.
Printing is a reproduction process in which printing ink is applied to a printing
substrate in order to transmit information (images, graphics, text) in a repeatable form using
an image carrying medium (e.g., a printing plate).
2. What are the three stages of printing process?
(i) Prepress (ii) Press (iii) Post press
3. What are the three areas of traditional prepress?
(i) Type composition (ii) Film Reproduction (iii) Platemaking
4. What are the four main printing process?
(i) Relief Process i-e Letter press Printing, Flexo graphy Printing (ii) Planography i-e
Offset Printing (iii) Recess Process i-e Gravure Printing (iv) Stencil Process i-e Screen
Printing.
5. What are the operations involved the Postpress section?
Cutting, Folding, Gathering, and Binding.
6. State the purpose of image carrier.
To receive the ink and transfer the image on to the substrates.
7. Who is the inventor of lithography?
Alois senifelter.
8. Define DTP.
Desktop publishing means that the capture and editing of text, the capture of pictures
(scanning) and their editing, and designing of graphic elements, as well as the completing of
pages (layout) can be carried out at one computer station.
9. In which year was the concept of DTP introduced to the printing industry.
1980 was the concept of DTP introduced to the printing industry.
10. What is the difference between prepress and post press?
Prepress includes all the steps which are carried out before the actual printing, the
transferring of information onto paper or another substrate.
Postpress includes all those steps which are carried out after printing on paper or
another material has taken place.
11. Who is the father of Printing?
Johannes Guttenberg
12. What is meant by Movable type?
Movable type is the system of printing and typography using movable pieces of metal
type, made by casting from matrices struck by letter punches.
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14 Marks Questions
1. Explain the structure of the Printing Industry.
2. Explain historical background of the Printing Industry.
3. Explain the job suitability of Offset Printing Process.
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Planographic printing
Offset (Lithography) Printing : Here, the image area and non-image area lie in the
same level; but are usually made from different materials (e.g., aluminum and polymer
coating) with different chemical and physical surface properties. During printing, the non-
image areas are treated to receive water and made ink-repellent first (by wetting) and the
plate is then inked so that the ink is taken up only by the image areas. The main example of
lithography is offset printing, which is today the dominant printing technology. Offset printing
is an indirect printing technology, that is, the ink is first transferred to an intermediate carrier
(rubber blanket) and from there onto the substrate. see Figure 1.
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Flexographic printing
Flexography is a process in which the printing image stands up in relief. A liquid is used
which may be solvent-based, and dries mainly by solvent evaporation. Water-based inks
are also widely used, and UV-cured systems are being introduced.
A low printing pressure is essential to the process because of the combination of very
fluid inks and soft, flexible printing plates that are used. The process has several distinctive
features.
Gravure printing
Gravure Printing : In this type of printing, the printing areas are in recess - that is,
on a lower level than the non-printing surface. The recesses are filled with ink and surplus
ink is removed from the non-printing surface by ductor blade. The substrate is then pressed
against the printing cylinder to transfer the ink onto it. The main examples of gravure printing
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are Rotogravure printing and, in the area of arts and crafts, copper plate engraving and die-
stamping (also security printing).
Gravure is an example of the intaglio printing process.
Screen Printing (Stencil printing):
In this type of printing, the image and non-image areas are carried on a mesh(woven)
screen, the image areas being open or ‘unblocked’ in the form of a stencil. The non-image
areas are formed by ‘blocking out’ the mesh by coating. The paper is placed under the
screen. After the screen is lowered into contact with the paper, ink is passed across the
upper surface of the screen. Where the screen is open, ink goes through to the paper
beneath.
Screen printing is an example of the stencil printing process.
Digital Printing:
Digital printing is generally defined as any type of print reproduction method that
utilizes electronic files to produce a printed piece from spots and dots of ink, toner, or dye.
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Applying it to the print workflow has eliminated most of the manual steps involved with
conventional print processes.
Digital printing technology can be divided into two main classifications: Variable Imaging
and Direct Imaging.
Computer-to-Plate
Computer-to-Print
Computer-to-Press
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Flexography Printing
Gravure Printing
Because of the screen pattern or cell structure, which appears over the whole
of the printed image, fine-line work and text matter appear rough/broken at
the edges when examined with a magnifying glass
Under a magnifying glass the ‘screen pattern’ in conventional gravure is seen
to be of a regular square formation (showing uniform cells).
Screen Printing
Because of the use of relatively coarse screen meshes, forming the support
for the stencil, small lettering and fine-line work tends to break up round the
edges and this can be identified when examined with a magnifying glass.
Digital Printing
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Fine screen and high definition printed work even on relatively coarse substrates
Wide range of printing plate material available to suit different applications and
requirements - eg
paper and plastic/polyester plates used mainly for small offset, short-run
applications in generally non-process work,
negative working and positive working presensitised metal plates used mainly
for high quality, fine definition work
Limitations (Disadvantages)
Care must be exercised in ensuring the printed quality is maintained by adjusting and
controlling the ink and water balance
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Variable cylinder cut-offs allow greater flexibility on the length of images that can be
printed.
Limitations (Disadvantages)
Cannot print screen halftones as fine as offset printing, requiring a smooth to coated
stock to reproduce good screen detail
Not economic for sheet-fed printing, therefore unsuitable for short-run general
commercial printed products such as booklets and leaflets
Although print quality has improved considerably in recent years, it is still not as high
as offset lithography.
Letterpress Printing
Advantages
Numbering machines can be used and printed perforations can be included in type
formes
Limitations (Disadvantages)
Storage of bulky type metal or formes expensive, although photo polymer plates now
mainly used
Relatively slow running speeds - ie - reciprocation presses compared to other
processes, except screen.
Photogravure Printing
Advantages
A printing process giving full colour values in reproduction, with rich tonal effects,
particularly in monochrome
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Limitations (Disadvantages)
Type matter and fine-line detail is broken up by the overall cell structure
Make-ready / set-up costs expensive, which along with high costs of printing
cylinders makes gravure unsuitable for short- or medium-sized run jobs.
Screen Printing
Advantages
Suitable for short runs multi-colour jobs.
Ideally suited for printing showcards, posters and unusual & irregular materials such
as heavy gauge metal, plastic, glass, etc
Lays down the heaviest ink film thickness of all the printing processes, resulting in
enhanced results such as very high gloss varnishing and raised printing results when
required.
Limitations (Disadvantages)
Although automatic presses are now available, the process is still in the main
restricted to short-run work
Conventional inks requires some considerable time, plus use of space consuming
racking, to allow the work to dry, leading to the increased use of UV inks.
DIGITAL PRINTING:
Advantages
1. Digital printing requires minimal press setup and has multicolor registration built-in to
its system.
2. Most digital print processing requires less or no color overlap or trapping.
3. Digital printing does not use film masters, stencils, screens or plates. It requires
much less space for archiving text and images than analog printing methods require.
4. Digital printing uses less hazardous chemicals, produces less waste and results in
less negative environmental impact than analog technologies.
5. Digital printing is employing sophisticated color matching and calibration technology
to produce accurate process color matching.
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6. Digital web printers can print images limited only by the width of fabric and the length
of the bolt or roll. They can print panoramas and are not restricted to repeat patterns.
7. Digital files are usually easier and quicker to edit and modify than analog
photographic images.
8. Designers, artists, photographers, architects, and drafts people are increasingly
creating and reproducing their work digitally.
Disadvantages
1. Most digital technologies have slower throughput as compared with comparable
analog printing.
2. Digital printing will often cost more per copy than analog printing for longer print runs.
3. It often requires specially prepared and coated substrates.
4. Most digital printing technologies deposit very thin ink or toner layers. These limits
necessitate layering for applications requiring thicker deposits, resulting in slower
operation.
5. Digital inks and toners are limited in capacity and carry high price tags.
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UNIT - II
3 Marks Questions
1. What is meant be Relief printing Process.
In this process image area (letters, lines, dots, etc.) are in raised form.
2. Write down the classifications of Digital Printing.
(1) Variable Imaging and (2) Direct Imaging
3. Write any two advantages of Letterpress process.
(1) Economic for short runs and overprinting
(2) Ideal for cutting-and-creasing, foil blocking and embossing on adapted presses.
4. What is meant be direct method of printing.
The substrate takes inks directly from the image forms. There is no intermediate
cylinder. In this process image area (letters, lines, dots, etc.) are in raised form. Ex. Letter
press processes and Flexographic printing processes.
5. Name the types of Letter press Rotary machines.
There are two types of Rotary machines (i) sheet fed and (ii) roll fed (web fed).
6. What are the three primary cylinders in Offset machine?
(i) Plate cylinder (ii) Blanket cylinder (iii) Impression cylinder
7. What is called Small Offset Press?
Generally, any press smaller than 11 x 17 inch (279 x 432 mm) without bearers is
called a small offset press or more often, a duplicator.
8. Write the other name for gravure process.
The other name for gravure process Intaglio process.
9. What is called Doctor Blade?
In Gravure process the image cylinder is flooded with ink and before impression is
made on the paper, the excess ink from the cells and on the non-printing surface of the
cylinder is removed by the scraping action of a flexible sheet blade. That is called “Doctor
Blade”.
10. Define Photogravure.
Photogravure is an intaglio process. Image areas are deeply etched below the
surface of the copperised surface of printing cylinder. Liquid ink is filled in the recessed
image areas and a doctor blade wipes the surface clean free from superfluous ink. The
cylinder is pressed on paper or other material for transferring the inked image.
11. Write about the Screen Printing principles.
Screen printing (formerly called silk-screen printing) is a stencil process. Ink is
transferred to the substrate through a stencil supported by a fine fabric mesh of silk,
synthetic fibres or metal threads stretched tightly on a frame. The pores of the mesh are
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‘blocked-up’ in the non-image areas and left open in the image area. This image carrier is
called the screen.
12. Write the parts of a Screen printing press.
(i) Frame (ii) Base (iii) Screen fabric (iv) Squeegee
13. Write about the Flexographic Printing principles.
Flexography is a process in which the printing image stands up in relief. A liquid is
used which may be solvent-based, and dries mainly by solvent evaporation. Water-based
inks are also widely used, and UV-cured systems are being introduced.
14. What is the principle of offset printing?
The principle of offset process is ink and water do not mixed and image and non
image areas are in same level (Planographic).
15. Write any one advantage & Limitation of digital printing process.
Advantage: Digital printing does not use film masters, stencils, screens or plates.
Limitation: Digital printing will often cost more per copy than other printing for longer
print runs.
16. Write any one advantage & Limitation of Sheetfed offset printing process.
Advantage: Suitable for a very wide range of work, from short- to long-run
Limitation: Care must be exercised in ensuring the printed quality is maintained by
adjusting and controlling the ink and water balance.
17. Write any one Advantage & Limitation of Gravure printing process.
Advantage: High quality printed results, especially in colour work, on relatively
inexpensive grades of substrates which cannot be matched by other printing processes
Limitation: Make-ready / set-up costs expensive, which along with high costs of
printing cylinders makes gravure unsuitable for short- or medium-sized run jobs.
18. Write any one Advantage & Limitation of Flexo Graphic printing process.
Advantage: Changes to plates can be made relatively easily and cheaply, by just
replacing the required parts of the overall image areas.
Limitation: Not economic for sheet-fed printing, therefore unsuitable for short-run
general commercial printed products such as booklets and leaflets.
19. Write any one Advantage & Limitation of Screen printing process.
Advantage: Suitable for short runs multi-colour jobs.
Limitation: Conventional inks requires some considerable time, plus use of space
consuming racking, to allow the work to dry, leading to the increased use of UV inks.
20. Write any one Advantage & Limitation of Letter press printing process.
Advantage: Versatility in regard to late corrections such as names, prices, changes of
illustrations, etc.
Limitation: Slow running speeds.
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14 Marks Questions
1. How will you visually identify the Main Printing Process?
2. Write about the advantages and limitations of Letterpress, Screen Printing and Digital
Printing Process.
3. Write about the Merits and demerits of Offset, Flexogrphy and Gravure printing process.
4. Explain the basic principles involved in Gravure Printing with neat diagram.
5. Explain with sketch the Principles involved in Screen Printing Process.
6. Describe the working principle of single colour sheetfed offset printing machine with a
line diagram.
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
A sheetfed offset lithographic press is a printing press that feeds and prints on
individual sheets of paper (or other substrate) using the offset lithographic printing method.
A web, or webfed offset lithographic press is a press that prints on a continuous
web, of paper fed from a roll and threaded through the press.
Ink Vehicle Class Oxidative - Neutral or Ink Vehicle Class Oxidative - Drying oil
synthetic drying oils. varnish
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
A sheetfed press consists of a feeder, one or more printing units, transfer devices to
move the paper through the press, a delivery, and various auxiliary devices (such as a
control console).
The printing unit of a sheetfed offset lithographic press generally consists of three
primary cylinders and systems for dampening and inking the plate:
1. Plate cylinder, a cylinder that carries the printing plate, flexible image
carrier with ink-receptive image areas and, when moistened with a water-
based solution, ink-repellent nonimage areas.
2. Blanket cylinder, a cylinder that carries the offset blanket a fabric coated
with synthetic rubber that transfers the image from the printing plate to the
substrate.
3. Impression cylinder, a cylinder running in contact with the blanket cylinder
that transports the paper or other substrate.
4. Dampening system, a series of rollers that dampen the printing plate with a
water-based dampening solution that contains additives such as acid, gum
arabic, and isopropyl alcohol or other wetting agents.
5. Inking system, a series of rollers that apply a metered film of ink to a printing
plate.
In addition to one or more printing units, a press also includes the following:
1. Feeder, which lifts and forwards the sheets of paper or other substrate from a
pile to the first printing unit.
2. Transfer devices (often auxiliary cylinders with sheet grippers), which
facilitate sheet transport through the press.
3. Delivery, which receives and stacks the printed sheet.
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6. Side gauge
7. Back gauge
8. Forwarding suckers.
a) Lifting suckers :
Air-blast nozzles force air beneath the top five or six sheets of the pile. Rear pickup
suckers then lift the top sheet. The feeder pressure foot drops down on to the pile, where it
steadies the top sheets of the pile while the air-blast nozzles below a cusion of air beneath
the lifted sheet.
b) Forwarding suckers :
This suckers transferred the sheet to the forwarding rollers (On smaller presses a
single set of suckers is used to pick up and forward the sheet). While this is happening, the
rear pickup suckers are already lifting another sheet of the top of the pile.
c) Pile height :
A critical factor for trouble-free sheet feeding is correct pile height, which is usually 3/
16 inch (5 mm) below the forwarding flaps, at the front of the pile. If the pile height is not
correct, the sheet separation unit may not be able to separate the topmost sheet from the
pile, or it may feed two (or) more sheets to the feed board.
d) Flip spring :
It is a thin blade position in linewise. It is used to control more than one sheet. Low
pressure is applied in flip spring.
e) Combers :
It is a brush. Separator brushes or fingers prevent the suckers from picking up more
than one sheet at a time.
f) Side gauge :
It is used for forwarding the paper in correct direction. It is not fit in closely paper set
between even with 1 mm difference.
g) Blowers
Separate the paper in pressed air by combined paper.
2. INKING UNIT:
Inking system, a series of rollers that apply a metered film of ink to a printing plate. In
addition to one or more printing units, a press also includes the following,
Ink fountain - a pan that contains the ink supply
Ductor or ductor roller - a transfer roller that alternately contacts the ink
fountain roller and the first roller of the ink train, often an oscillating drum
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INKING SYSTEM
Oscillating drums, oscillators - driven rollers that not only rotate but
oscillate from side to side, distributing and smoothing out the ink film and
erasing image patterns from the form rollers.
Intermediate rollers - friction or gravity driven rollers between the ductor and
form roller that transfer and condition the ink; often called distributor rollers if
they contact two rollersm, and rider rollers if they contact a single oscillating
drum.
Form rollers - a series of three to five rollers that contact the printing plate
and transfer ink to the cylinder.
As the fountain roller turns, the majority of the ink in the fountain is held back by the
fountain blade, which is set very close to the fountain roller. The distance between the blade
and the roller is adjusted by the means of fountain keys, a series of thumb screws or motor -
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
driven screws or cams behind the blade. This adjustment varies the ink feed across the
press according to the demands of the plate.
3) DAMPENING SYSTEM :
This is a system with a series of rollers that dampen the printing plate with a water
based dampening solution that contains additives such as acid, gum arabic, and isopropyl
alcohol or other wetting agents. Dampening system used for sheet-fed offset lithography are
classified into two categories - the intermittent-flow (ductor or conventional) and continuous
flow. The intermittent-flow dampening system, usually referred to as a conventional
dampening system, consist of the following:
Water pan, or fountain which holds the dampening solution to be fed to the
plate.
Fountain pan roller which rotates in the fountain and carries dampening
solution on its metal surface.
Ductor roller which intermittently contacts the fountain roller and an oscillator
roller, transferring the Dampening solutions.
Oscillator roller which oscillates from side to side to even out dampening
across the press.
Form roller which transfers dampening solution from the oscillator roller to
the printing plate.
4) PRINTING UNIT :
The printing unit of a sheet fed offset lithographic press generally consists of a three
primary cylinders and systems for dampening and inking the plate. The three primary cylin-
ders are
a) Plate cylinder,
b) Blanket cylinder,
c) Impression cylinder
As in detail,
A) PLATE CYLINDER :
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
An aluminium, or bimetal plate is mounted over this cylinder. The plate causes the
image to be printed. Dampening and inking rollers are set in contact with the plate cylinder.
The plate cylinder revolves along with the dampeners and inking rollers. Water layer is
applied onto the nonprinting areas of the plate by dampening form rollers. Similarly ink layer
is applied onto the printing areas of the plate by inking form rollers.
The plate cylinder, which is usefully the upper most cylinder of the three cylinders,
carries the printing plate.
The plate cylinder has four primary functions:
Plate Cylinder
To carry the plate into contact with the dampening rollers that wet the non-
image area.
To bring the plate into contact with the inking rollers that ink the image area.
To transfer the inked image to the blanket carried by the blanket cylinder.
Bearer, at each end of the plate cylinder bearer, a hardened metal ring attached to
the cylinder body or journal. On many presses, the bearers of the plate cylinder run in
contact with the bearers of the blanket cylinder during printing.
Undercut, the body of the plate cylinder is smaller in diameter than the bearers. The
difference between the radius of the body surface and that of the bearers is called the
undercut. A plate clamp is a device designed to first grip to edge of the plate and then pull it
tight against the cylinder body. Gutter, narrow gap between body of the plate cylinder and
the bearers is called gutter.
Gears :
The plate cylinder is driven by this gear, which is, in turn, driven by a similar gear on
the blanket cylinder. The cylinder gear may be spur (on older presses) or helical. A spur gear
has teeth cut straight across the gear, and a helical gear has teeth cut at an angle. A spur
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
gear used as a plate cylinder gear nearly always has a backlash gear, a thin second gear
bolted to it to reduce play- free or unimpeded movement between gears.
BLANKET CYLINDER
This is called second cylinder. The tooth of the gears on both side of the plate
cylinder and blanket cylinder mesh and cause both cylinders to rotate together. The ink
applied on the image on the plate, gets transferred to the blanket(rubber) cylinder because
the ink has the ability to get printed on rubber (blanket) surface. The image printed on
blanket cylinder becomes opposite (indirect) to the plate cylinder.
To transfer, or offset, the ink film image to the paper (or other substrate)
carried by the impression cylinder.
It is very similar to the plate cylinder because it has a gap, gutters, bearers, a gear,
and bearings. However, it does not have clamps like a plate cylinder does. Instead, It has
one or two reels for holding and stretching the blanket tighter. With some presses, the
blanket ends are attached to bars, which, in turn, are mounted to reels.
The position of the blanket cylinder in relation to the other cylinder must be
adjustable for two reasons: to bring it in and out of contact with them, and to compensate for
variations in substrate and packing thicknesses. The distance between the blanket cylinder
and the impression cylinder must also be adjusted to accommodate different thicknesses of
substrate, and blanket packing. This distance is adjusted by another pair of eccentric
bushings. Adjusting the position of the blanket cylinder related to the impression cylinder
does not affected the relationship between plate and blanket cylinders.
IMPRESSION CYLINDER :
Impression cylinder carries the paper into the printing unit, and contact pressure from
blanket cylinder transfers the print to the paper. Impression cylinder too has a gear and gap.
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The gap accommodates the gripper shaft on which are mounted the gripper fingers that hold
the sheet during printing. The grippers hold the unprinted paper in register as the cylinder
turns and presses it against the inked image on the blanket cylinder.
The body of the impression cylinder is not undercut but is approximately the
diameters of the bearers of the other two cylinders. The impression cylinder bearers are, in
fact, undercut and are used only as paralleling devices when setting up the press.
There are two basic mechanical designs for varying the clearance between the
blanket and impression cylinder to accommodate different thicknesses of stock.
In the first design, the impression cylinder is mounted on a set of eccentrics. A
shift of the eccentrics by an impression lever moves the impression cylinders
toward or away from the blanket cylinder.
The second method uses two sets of eccentrics, but these are on the blanket
cylinder. The inner set adjusts the blanket - to - plate bearer pressure and
actuates automatic on - and – off printing contact. The outer set moves the
blanket cylinder only in relation to the impression cylinder.
5) DELIVERY UNIT :
The delivery section begins as the sheet leaves the final impression cylinder. Delivery
grippers take the printed sheet from impression cylinder grippers and transport it to the
delivery pile (or) table. The grippers typically travel on gripper bars.
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Delivery section is the section where printed sheets are jogged and stacked one on
top of another. The first portion of the sheet control system that the press operator is
concerned with is the feeder section.
The following parts are included in delivery unit
a) Sheet decurler
b) Skeleton wheels
c) Suction slow-down rollers
d) Side joggers
e) Front guide
f) Wedge
a) Sheet decurler :
Often located between the last press unit and the delivery is a sheet decurler, a
device that is designed to take troublesome curl out of press sheets.
b) Skeleton wheels :
Skeleton wheels are movable wheels that are positioned in non-printing areas of the
press sheet. Properly positioned skeleton wheels evenly support and help to peel the sheet
from the last impression cylinder.
c) Slow down rollers :
Suction rollers slow down and steady the sheet as it enter the delivery. They are
usually positioned just behind the rear sheet guide and beneath the chain delivery.
d) Blowdown :
Near the top of the delivery are the blow downs, a series of air holes that assist in
dropping the sheet on to the delivery table. Air is blown on the top side of the sheet, forcing it
downwards.
e) Wedges :
Wooden or plastic wedges are used at starting to produce a neat pile. By holing up
the rear (trailing or tail) edge of the sheet, wedges help to counter tail end hook (a sharp curl
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
at the back edge of the sheet) edges can cause marking. Therefore, they must be carefully
used.
f) Side joggers :
It is movable device and jog the sheet into a pile, but the neatness of the pile
depends on the proper positioning of the devices.
Blankets:
Offset press blankets are made of supporting fabric and a rubber composite. Various
rubber materials are used for the transfer of the image from the plate to the blanket.
Blankets come in compressible to hard finishes along with smooth to rough surfaces. The
majority of printers today use compressible type blankets. These blankets give good
compression which eliminates many smashed blankets. Slightly rough blankets are also
preferred as they have less contact with the paper surface thus reducing blanket
contamination.
Types of Blankets:
The blankets are classified into two types.
1. Conventional (or) Non-compressible blankets
2. Compressible blankets
These two types are classified according to the behavior during squeezing action of
printing nips.
1. Conventional blanket (or) Non-compressible blankets:
These blankets are used in olden days. These blankets do not have compressible
nature because these blankets only have fabrics at its underside. The conventional blanket
is squeezed in a nip, it bulges either in one (or) both sides of the nip. Due to this formation of
bulge the problem like slurring may be caused. These blankets are used for printing line
works, solid tints etc. The disadvantage of these blankets is that these are not use for fine
halftone woks.
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2. Compressible blankets:
These blankets are nowadays used in offset printing machines. These blankets
consist of compressible layer along with the fabrics layer in its underside. Due to this while
printing when the compressible blanket is squeeze in a nip. These blanket bulges very low,
which does not, affects the printing quality. These blankets are used for printing any type of
solid works, fine halftone works.
Multicolor sheetfed press, in which more than one color is printed on one
side of a sheet during a single pass through the press because there is more
than one printing unit .
Perfecting sheetfed press, in which sheets are printed on both sides during
one pass through the press.
I. Single Color Sheetfed Offset Press:
A press consisting of a single printing unit, with its integral inking and dampening
systems, a feeder, a sheet transfer system, and a delivery is called a single-color press.
Normally, it can print only a single color in any one pass through the press. On some
presses, the inking system can be modified - split - with ink fountain ink roller dividers so that
two or more colors can be printed at one time. On these presses, the same printing plate is
used, and the colors are widely separated.
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
A single-color press can also be used for true multicolor printing, the printing of
two or more colors, often one over another. Multicolor printing on a single-color press
requires that the sheet be fed through the press as many times as there are colors to be
printed. After each printing, the just- used plate is removed and the inking system is
thoroughly cleaned. A new plate is mounted on the plate cylinder, and the inking system is
filled with the next color. The sheet of paper is run through the press again and printed with
this new color. (Multicolor printing on a single-color press is dependent upon dry trapping
-the ability of a dry, printed ink film to accept a wet ink film over it. The wet ink dries by
oxidation polymerization.)
The printing unit of the single-color sheetfed press is sometimes described as an
“open unit". The plate cylinder, blanket cylinder, and impression cylinder are usually
arranged in a near right-angle relationship. This arrangement is common for three reasons:
To make it easier to feed the paper into the impression cylinder grippers,
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multiunit press. A multicolor press can have two, three, four, five, six, or more printing units.
Multicolor presses are capable of wet trapping, the ability of a wet, printed ink film to
accept another wet ink film printed over it.
In the larger press sizes, the printing units are almost identical and are arranged in
tandem. With some of the other two-and four-color presses, one printing unit may be higher
than the other to obtain better accessibility.
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With another type of sheetfed perfecting press, the blankets from two printing units
are in contact, with the paper passing between the two blankets. This type of press is called
a blanket-to-blanket press, because the two blankets are in contact. No impression
cylinder is needed; each blanket acts as the impression cylinder for the other. (Most web
offset presses print blanket-to-blanket.)
Proofing Press:
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
A proof press is a printing machine used for making a proof, a trial print from a
plate, film negative or film positive to verify correctness and quality. It usually has most of the
elements of a production machine, but not the automatic features for sustained production.
The most commonly used proofing presses have a flat bed for holding the plate and
paper and a rollable blanket cylinder. The blanket cylinder rolls over both, picking up the
image from the inked plate and laying it down on the paper.
In the older types, the plate was dampened and rolled up (inked) by hand. The
blanket cylinder rolled on bearers and gear racks. The cylinder was necessarily heavy in
order to apply sufficient pressure, and on larger presses, it took two people to roll one. Later,
this cylinder was put in a carriage that enabled additional pressure to be put on it, and a gear
reduction crank made it easier to roll. Next, the carriage became power-driven. Still later,
automatic dampening and inking systems were installed.
Proof presses are used less and less. Some proofing is done using a press similar to
the one used for production, or even the same one. Most proofing is done
photomechanically using light-sensitive papers (principally to proof single-color printing),
colored films or photopolymers. This procedure is called off press proofing. There are two
basic types of proofs used for multicolor or process-color proofing:
Single-sheet proof: Where the printing colors are built up on a base through
lamination and toning or other processing.
Overlay, or multiple-sheet proof: Where pigmented or dyed sheets of plastic are
registered to each other and taped or pin-registered to a base.
Small Offset Press:
Generally, any press smaller than 11 x 17 inch (279 x 432 mm) without bearers is
called a small offset press or more often, a duplicator. Duplicators started out as office
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
machines using the offset principle. They are extremely simple, but they have developed into
efficient offset presses that fill many printing needs. Many are being used for multicolor work.
The gap between “duplicators” and the more heavily built offset presses is being filled
by some new presses. These have the simplicity of the duplicator plus many of the quality
features of the larger presses.
WEBFED OFFSET PRESSES
Over the years, several terms have come into common use in web offset
pressrooms, some borrowed from sheetfed printing, others used only in web offset work.
Lithography is the printing process by which ink and water transfer an image from a
level-surfaced plate (planography surface) onto another surface. Image and nonimage areas
are chemically separated.
Offset describes image transfer from the image carrier to an intermediate surface,
then to the paper or other substrate. Offset does not really mean lithography. It is common,
however, to interchangeably use the two words.
Web offset is the process by which presses print on continuous webs of paper. This
is the basic difference between web and sheetfed presses. Compared to sheetfed presses,
web presses have much smaller gaps on the plate and blanket cylinders, which means that
ink and water flow much more continuously. Blanket-to-blanket offset presses lack a hard
impression cylinder, which is inherent in sheetfed press designs.
Direct lithography is the process of printing directly from a printing plate to a
substrate. It is accomplished in web offset by running paper through a blanket-to-blanket unit
so that the paper contacts one plate and takes ink from it. In this case, the blanket cylinder
of the couple acts as an impression cylinder.
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
The web offset press consisting of several sections. The infeed of the press is
where the unprinted rolls of paper are mounted. The delivery is where the final printed
material comes out. Going from the infeed to the delivery, the elements of a heatset web
offset press are, in order, infeed, printing units (press), dryer, chill rolls, and delivery
(either a folder, sheeter, or rewinder). A nonheatset web press does not have a dryer or
chill rolls.
A folder delivers folded signatures ready for mailing or for binding with other
signatures to form a magazine or book. A sheeter cuts the web and delivers flat, printed
sheets. A rewinder, as the name implies, rewinds the printed web back into roll form. A
folder produces signatures; a rewinder produces rolls. The bulk of web offset work involves
folding and producing signatures.
The ends of the press are referred to as the infeed and delivery. The sides also
have specific designations. One side of the press houses the driveshaft and gears that
power the press. This side of the press is called the gear side. The crew always works on
the other side, because this is where all of the press controls are located. This is the
operator side.
Perfecting is the process by which a sheet or web is printed on both sides during
one run through the press or unit. A blanket-to-blanket unit is therefore a perfecting unit,
while a forms press may or may not be a perfecting press.
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
In-line describes a press with printing units that consist of a single printing couple: an
inking system, a dampening system, a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder, and an impression
cylinder. The printing units on an in-line press are no perfecting; that is, they can print only
one side of the web at a time.
Most business forms are printed on in-line presses. Such presses are generally small
and equipped with auxiliary devices like imprinters, numbering devices, perforators, and
punches.
2. Blanket - to - Blanket web-offset presses
The blanket-to-blanket press consists of printing couples that are usually stacked in
pairs, one on top of the other. The blanket of one couple is next to the blanket of the other
couple and the web runs between them. In other words, these presses have no impression
cylinders; the blanket cylinder of the top couple acts as the impression cylinder for the
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
bottom couple, and vice versa. Since these units can print both sides of the web at once, a
blanket-to-blanket press is perfecting.
On a blanket-to-blanket press, the printing units are usually arranged one after the
other an arrangement that offers a great deal of flexibility. With four units, one web can be
run and four colors printed on each side. Or the press can be set up so that four webs are
run and only one color printed per side. Anything in between is possible.
Blanket-to-blanket press units come in two basic configurations. The most
common arrangement is horizontal blanket - to - blanket presses, in which the web run
through the printing units in a horizontal plane; the printing unit cylinders are therefore
stacked vertically, one on top of the other. Vertical blanket-to-blanket presses have the
web running vertically between blankets with the cylinders laid out horizontally. This
arrangement allows or symmetrical design of the printing units and provides easier access to
the printing couples.
3. Common Impression (Satellite) type web-offset presses
Each printing unit of a common - impression - cylinder (CIC) press has one very large
impression cylinder with four or five printing couples radially arranged around it. Because of
the arrangement of the couples and the size of the impression cylinder, these presses are
also called satellite presses.
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
The paper wraps around the surface of the impression cylinder. Large size diameter
of the impression cylinder is the disadvantage in the design of CIC presses. Their speed,
however, is higher than that of blanket - to - blanket presses.
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Unit - III
3 Marks Questions
1. What are the units of offset press?
1. Feeding unit.
2. Printing unit.
3. Inking unit.
4. Dampening unit
5. Delivery unit.
2. What are the purpose of Feeder section in Offset Printing Machine.
Feeder section, where paper is removed from the top of a pile table, forwarded on a
feed board to front stops, laterally positioned on the feed board, and fed into the first printing
unit.
3. Name the types of sheet-fed offset machines.
(i) Single-colour sheetfed press (ii) Multicolor sheetfed press (iii) Perfecting sheetfed
press
4. Name the types of Web-fed offset machines.
(i) In-line Press (ii) Blanket-to-Blanket press (iii) Common Impression Cylinder Press
(CIC press)
5. What are the three primary cylinders in Offset machine?
(i) Plate cylinder (ii) Blanket cylinder (iii) Impression cylinder
6. What is Undercut?
The difference between the radius of the body surface and that of the bearers is
called the undercut.
7. Define Perfector.
Both sides are printing in a single pass through a press is called perfecting; any
press that can do so is called a perfecting press, or perfector.
8. What is called Small Offset Press?
Generally, any press smaller than 11 x 17 inch (279 x 432 mm) without bearers is
called a small offset press or more often, a duplicator.
9. What are the types of Blankets?
1. Compressible Blankets
2. Conventional Blankets
10. What do you mean by cut-off-length?
The web press measure of length of sheet cut, determined by the plate cylinder
circumference.
11. What is the principle of offset printing?
The principle of offset process is ink and water do not mixed.
12. What is called perfecting?
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
The printing of at least one color on both sides of a sheet in a single pass through a
press is called perfecting.
13. Mention the suckers used in Feeding unit.
Lifting Suckers and Forwarding sucker.
14. What is the purpose of inking system?
Inking system, a series of rollers that apply a metered film of ink to a printing plate.
15. Why dampening system used in offset printing machine?
Dampening system, a series of rollers that apply the printing plate with a water-based
dampening solution.
14 Marks Questions
1. Explain the feeding unit on a single colour offset printing machine with neat sketch.
2. Explain the delivering unit on a single colour offset printing machine with neat sketch.
3. Describe the working principle of single colour sheetfed offset printing machine with a
line diagram.
4. Explain the offset inking system with sketch.
5. Explain about various parts in Plate cylinder with sketches.
6. Explain about the various type of Web offset printing press with sketches.
7. Explain the offset dampening system with sketch.
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
A low printing pressure is essential to the process because of the combination of very
fluid inks and soft, flexible printing plates that are used. The process has several distinctive
features.
Liquid inks are used that dry rapidly by solvent evaporation, thus enabling fast
printing speeds to be achieved on non-absorbent materials such as films and
foils.
‘Soft’ and flexible relief printing plates are employed that can be mounted and
registered on a plate cylinder and proofs can also be obtained. Individual
plates can easily be changed or repaired, and a portion of a plate can be
removed to enable items such as price or expiry date to be changed.
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
INKING UNIT :
The function of the inking system is to meter out a fine and controlled film of liquid
ink, and apply this to the surface of the printing plate. It typically consists of an ink trough, a
rubber-covered fountain roller, and a screened (Anilox) inking roller into which cells of
uniform size and depth are engraved. The fountain roller lifts ink to the nip position, where it
is squeezed into the cells in the screened inking roller and by a shearing action is removed
from the roller surface. The ink in the cells is then transferred to the surface of the printing
plates. To regulate ink film thickness in printing, screened ink rollers are available which
have screens of from 40 to 200 cells/cm. These may be engraved or etched metal or
ceramic. The engraved cells are generally square in shape (although many other shapes are
available now) with sloping side walls.
When printing halftones, the cells per centimetre of the anilox roller needs to be
about 3.5 times the halftone screen ruling. The number of cells and their size regulate the
volume of ink transferred. Further regulation of the ink is achieved by varying the surface
speed of the fountain roller, altering the pressure between the fountain roller and screened
roller, and also altering the hardness of the rubber covering on the fountain roller. Despite
these controllable factors it is still the basic characteristic of the anilox roller which
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
determines the ink supply to the plate. The anilox roller is a crucial factor in achieving good-
quality flexo printing.
For high-quality flexographic printing, reverse angle doctoring of the anilox roller has
been introduced (Fig.). Steel blades were originally used but have largely given way to
nylon, polyester or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (of thickness 0.004-0.012 in)
which give less anilox wear. On some presses an ink chamber formed by a double doctor
system is used which has the benefit of providing a totally enclosed inking system (Fig.).
Reverse angle doctoring is not speed dependent to the same extent as the other methods,
which is a distinct advantage.
PLATE CYLINDER :
The plate cylinder is usually made from steel. The printing plates, which have a
thickness of up to a few millimetres are secured to the cylinder with two-sided self -adhesive
material.
IMPRESSION CYLINDER :
The impression cylinder is also made from steel. The substrate passes between the
plate and impression cylinders, which generate light printing pressure. The ink is transferred
from the cells in the screened ink roller to the plate surface, and then to the substrate, during
which it reaches virtually a uniform film. For high-quality flexographic printing the
components of the printing unit must be engineered to very tight tolerances (measured in
tenths of thousandths of an inch). The ability to manufacture to these standards is one of the
factors which has contributed to the growth in flexographic printing, and its use for higher-
quality products than was previously possible.
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All flexographic presses are made up of four basic sections typically mounted in
succession between study side frames.
1. Unwind section
2. Printing section
3. Drying section
4. Rewind section
UNWIND SECTION :
Most of the substrates come in the form of roll or webs. Firstly they are fed through
infeed draw rolls. Which pulls the web in to press section. Now the speed of the web and
press speed should be synchronized ‘to provide correct tension & register control. If the
speed is more in unwind section, it is controlled by unwind breaking. An unwind section may
also include a nest of internally heated steel rolls, or the rolls used for infeed tension control
may be heated for a secondary purpose. This purpose is to ‘open’ the surface of heavily
glazed or ‘tight’ papers by preheating, thus rendering the surface more receptive to printing
ink. Preheating in this manner is also beneficial with some plastic materials, as it ‘normalizes’
the web, making it flatter and reducing the tendency to wrinkle.
PRINTING SECTION:
A single color station with the four essential rolls-fountain, inking, printing plate and
impression-is sufficient to constitute a press. The majority of printing presses are multi-
colour; from two to eight colors in printing section. In some presses these color units are
arranged horizontally, in-line, similar to a rotogravure press. Much over common is an
arrangement, unique of flexography, in one or more ‘stacks’ ,with a single stack of two to four
color units, each color unit arranged vertically one above another. An arrangement of color
units similar to a rotary letterpress, around a single, large, common impression roller is also
common. This later is called a central impression (CI) press.
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DRYING SECTION:
The Drying section require an after drier to remove the remaining solvent from all the
colours before the web can be wound in to a roll, and may require between color driers
between printing units on multi color presses to permit the necessary printing of color on
color. The removal of solvents can be accomplished in several ways, hot air current being
the most common. However revolutionary method of drying or being investigated.
An exhaust system conjunction with the after dryer prevents a build of solvent laden
air that might become on explosive hazard: In between color hot air dryers it is essential that
the exhaust exist the warm air supply, otherwise the location of these dryers in the very
minimal space between color units would result in warm air being blown on to the inking
rollers and plate cylinders. Premature ink drying would seriously interfere with the inking of
the plates and printing of their image on to the web.
REWIND SECTION:
This section is identical to the unwind section in most respects but with some
significant differences. It need be nothing more than a shaft in plain bearings holding the
winding role by means of core chucks. However, their is one important difference. The
unwind shaft is braked to add necessary tension as the press pulls the web off the roll. The
rewind shaft must be driven. Also some means must be provided to let the drive slip so that
lightest tension suitable for the particular material.
TYPES OF FLEXOGRAPHIC PRINTING PRESSES:
Flexographic presses are usually rotary web presses equipped for the printing of one
or more colors. To meet high production speeds with consistent printing quality, flexographic
presses are now rigidly constructed with sufficient weight and strength to withstand stresses
and strain at high speeds from vibration. The modern flexographic press is provided with
means of registering the printing both vertically and horizontally while the press is in motion.
The settings are so arranged that plate cylinder or inking rollers can be altered in any
sequence without upsetting the position of others. Printing adjustments consist of moving the
plate cylinde to the impression cylinder and the inking rollers to the plate cylinders. Plate
cylinders are made easily removable.
If the presses are used for package printing, they print only one side of the web; but
they can also be made to print both sides of the web. Web widths varry from 4" to 99". The
paper or plastic to be printed and converted into package material is normally supplied in
rolls; it is first printed, and may therefore be sheeted, slitted, die cut, etc., in production line.
In addition to the variety of accessories available, presses vary in their basic design,
with three different press types for the variety of applications. They are:
In-line type press,
Stack type press, and
Satellite (Common impression cylinder) type press.
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This press configuration offers plenty of drying space between printing units as well
as easy accessability to all units for working. Generally this type presses are suitable for high
speed printing on heavy kraft and light weight board.
STACK TYPE PRESS :
The stack type press has two or more printing and inking units vertically arranged on
one or both ends of the main press structure. The inking units and impression units are
mounted on each side of the central side frames, so that on a four colour machine the first
and second colour units are on one side of the frames and the third and fourth units are on
the other side of the frames. The closeness of the printing units in this press design provides
satisfactory register and will produce excellent result on highly absorbent surfaces which do
not require special drying.
SATELLITE TYPE PRESS:
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The common impression or central impression press has one central impression
cylinder with the plate and inking units grouped around it. The central impression cylinder
may be as large as five or six feet diameter. The central impression cylinder will give better
registration than the stack type press. But there is more difficulty in drying of inks between
the units, where over printing is necessary. High speed web printing in several colours
requires equipment for the forced drying of inks. Such equipment must be supplemented by
cooling or chilling units, particularly if the printed web is to be rewound.
This press is highly suitable for non - absorbent substrates which requires precise
web tension control and web stability between printing units. The stocks to be printed are
cloth, papers, plastic films and foils, thin stocks. A six colour common impression press is
capable of speeds of upto 100 feet/per minute.
DRYING SYSTEMS
The most common type dryer is the forced hot air system. There are various sources
for heating the air but usually it is natural gas. Steam and electric heat exchangers are also
used. It is important to define ink drying in order to better understand the function of a drying
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system. The drying of ink on any substrate is basically the process of attempting to eliminate
the solvents from the ink.
Water or solvent molecules are held together by their potential energy bond. These
molecules are not static but are always moving at a high speed and colliding with each other.
The higher the temperature of these molecules, the greater their kinetic energy, and
the faster their speed of travel. If these molecules can absorb sufficient energy from hot air
or other heat sources, it is, possible for them to break their potential energy bond and at this
point start to evaporate. Once evaporation has started, a new set of conditions arise. The
molecules now in a gaseous state, must pass through a laminar layer of air that is present
with a moving web. These gas molecules must be removed quickly to prevent their return to
the ink surface; and heat and fresh air must be continually fed to the surface to continue the
evaporation process. The basic purpose of most drying systems is to induce a faster
evaporation rate of the solvents by first heating the solvents, and secondly by continuously
supplying a fresh supply of non solvent laden air to the ink surface in order to absorb the
evaporating solvents.
Whether the flexographic press be a stack central impression cylinder, or in-line type,
all drying systems are designed to dry the ink between each color station as completely as
possible before the next layer of ink is applied. After the web has been print it travels to a
final drying oven to complete the solvent removal. On earlier drying systems, is was common
to use one heat source for heating the supply air, one fan source for blowing the supplying
the air to both the between-color and final oven, and one exhaust fan to exhaust the solvent
laden air from both the between-color and final oven. Today, dual drying systems are
generally used. This is a separate burner, control, and supply fan for both the between-color
and the final oven drying section. The advantage of the dual drying system becomes
apparent when printing is done cellophanes after the initial trapping at the color station the
final oven must perform the added function of providing ink adhesion by fusing they ink to
the cellophane coating. This can be accomplished readily in the dual systems by increasing
the final the oven heat.
There are many different styles of between color drying hoods, but all aim at
delivering the maximum amount of air with the highest possible jet velocity over the longest
web travel possible. There is, however, an optimum goal for designing a jet in order to get
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the maximum heat transfer with high velocity air. This relation is between the air velocity, the
jet opening, jet spacing, and the distance of the jets to the web. High velocity air can be
defined as air movement that is always higher than 10,000 FPM when measured at a
sufficient distance from the jet orifice to simulate the position of the web.
Many presses combine different drying methods. For instance, in the after-oven vari-
ous temperature and velocity zones may be combined. Also, different heat sources can be
combined for different drying applications. Chill rolls are used to cool the printed web back to
room temperature to prevent blocking. Single or multiple rolls in either single wall or double
wall construction are presently used. It is also common to cool the non-printed side of the
web first.
TYPES OF FLEXO INKS
Flexography inks are grouped in following ways,
a) Dye based inks,
b) Water based inks,
c) Pigments or Solvent based inks.
A) DYE BASED INKS:
These have been developed from the original aniline inks. Dye based inks are manu-
factured by making solutions of the dye and lacking agent in the solvent, either by cold or hot
blending on high speed stirring equipment. Dye based inks are usually used for printing on
paper, general purpose bags, wrappings, waxed bread wrappers and sweet wrappers. Dye
based inks have low viscosity and high color strength, and can be used in high speed
machines due to the penetration of the ink in to the paper stock. Dye based inks are rarely
used on plastic film due to dye stiff migration on film surface.
Drying rate of the dye based ink is slow, you can increase it by adding acetone
getting higher speed of production or you can slow down by adding glycol ether but you will
get good result with bad odours.
B) WATER BASED INKS:
In this type of ink water is used as a solvent. Where resins are mixed well with water.
For EX; Shellac is used as a main resin. This water based inks mainly dry by absorption. So
it is best suitable to print on paper, paper boards, kraft, news print and corrugated.
Nowadays, this water based inks are widely used in news paper printing because they do
not rub off on readers hand and has less show through. The wax compound is added in
water based inks for rub resistance and anti-foaming agent.
The advantage of water based inks is cheaper and produce very good quality print
also no odour as there is no solvent. Use of water based inks reduces the press down time,
waste and they are easily washed on press.
The disadvantage of this water based ink is poor level of “gloss” and the slow drying.
Now developments are going in drying of water based ink if printed plastic films and foils.
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Patented "opening" of Flower™ ink unit: Easy and "light" change of all print
elements
The most consistent printing and converting quality (digitally controlled and
adjusted, at any speed)
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The lowest cost per job using analog plates (half of the print and flexible die
plates costs on most jobs)
Comparable costs with Digital Printing over 300/400 linear meters of printing
and die-cutting
Flexo Plates mounting operations are fully automated, with "digital" quality
and consistency
Automated plate positioning with unique gripping solution, digitally assisted by
2 servo motors
Automated plate mounting with double rubber rollers for accurate and
consistent mounting pressure
Accurate automated plate mounting on small size 5 ½" repeat print cylinders,
up to 24" repeat print cylinders.
Food packaging
Food packaging is packaging for food. A package provides protection, tampering
resistance, and special physical, chemical, or biological needs. It may bear a nutrition facts
label and other information about food being offered for sale.
Packaging has several objectives:
Barrier protection - A barrier from oxygen, water vapor, dust, etc., is often
required. Permeation is a critical factor in design. Some packages contain
desiccants or Oxygen absorbers to help extend shelf life. Modified
atmospheres or controlled atmospheres are also maintained in some food
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packages. Keeping the contents clean, fresh, and safe for the intended shelf
life is a primary function.
Containment or agglomeration - Small items are typically grouped together in
one package to allow efficient handling. Liquids, powders, and granular
materials need containment.
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Unit - IV
3 Marks Questions
1. Write about the types of Flexographic Printing presses.
(i) In-line type press
(ii) Stack type press
(iii) Satellite type press (CIC type)
2. What do you mean by cut-off-length?
The web press measure of length of sheet cut, determined by the plate cylinder
circumference.
3. What are the advantages of Water based ink in flexo printing?
The advantage of water based inks is cheaper and produce very good quality print
also no odour as there is no solvent. Use of water based inks reduces the press down time,
waste and they are easily washed on press.
4. What is the purpose of anilox roller?
The function of the inking system is to meter out a fine and controlled film of liquid
ink, and apply this to the surface of the printing plate.
5. What are the units in Flexographic machine?
The inking unit;
The plate cylinder;
The impression cylinder.
6. Define Unwind section.
Most of the substrates come in the form of roll or webs. Firstly they are fed through
infeed draw rolls. Which pulls the web in to press section.
7. Mention the types of Flexographic Printing machine.
In-line type press,
Stack type press, and
Satellite (Common impression cylinder) type press.
8. What are the dryers used in flexographic printing system?
The most common type dryer is the forced hot air system. Steam and electric heat
exchangers are also used.
9. Why drying section used in flexographic printing system?
The basic purpose of most drying systems is to induce a faster evaporation rate of
the solvents by first heating the solvents, and secondly by continuously supplying a fresh
supply of non solvent laden air to the ink surface in order to absorb the evaporating solvents.
10. What are the types of flexographic inks?
Dye based inks,
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
Water based inks,
Pigments or Solvent based inks.
11. What is food packaging?
Food packaging is packaging for food. A package provides protection, tampering
resistance, and special physical, chemical, or biological needs.
12. What is physical protection?
Physical protection - The food enclosed in the package may require protection from,
among other things, shock, vibration, compression, temperature, etc.
13. Write any two advantages of automated flexographic printing machine.
14 Marks Questions
1. Explain the Flexographic Printing Machine with diagrams.
2. Explain the basic principles involved in Flexograpic Printing with neat diagram.
3. State the various types of Flexographic Printing Machines and describe any two of them.
4. Explain the Flexogaphic inking system with sketch.
5. Describe the sections of a Flexographic press with neat sketch.
6. Explain about various drying methods in flexographic printing press.
7. Explain about the various type of flexographic inks
8. Explain the application of Flexographic printing on food packaging.
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UNIT - V : CLASSIFICATIONS OF GRAVURE AND SCREEN PRINTING
Classification and Types of Gravure and Screen Printing Machines
GRAVURE PRINTING:
Gravure is the photographic version of the original “Intaglio” (or) Gravure is a process
follows the intaglio principle.
In Gravure process, the printing image is engraved into a cylinder in the form of cells
which becomes filled with ink and wiped off by doctor blade if any excess ink. Printing is
achieved by passing the substrate between the gravure cylinder and an impression roller
under pressure.
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2. Printing Cylinder:
Basically, a gravure press is still the simplest of the printing machines. Publication
presses have cylinders as big as 102" with a diameter of about of 17". Generally publication
presses are not built to permit inserting of cylinders varying in the diameter.
Presses for package printing can handle cylinder varying in their diameter within a
given range. When variable diameter cylinders are customary, the nature of the jobs controls
the dimension. Cylinders for packaging vary greatly in size from the very small, about 7" long
by 2 or 3 inches diameter up to massive cylinder 80" or more long with a diameter of about
17".
Presses with a printing width of 200"(5 meters) and above are used for speciality
printing, like printing of vinyl floor covering.
3. Doctor blade :
The printing cylinder is flooded with ink and before impression is made on the paper,
the excess ink from the cells and on the non-printing surface of the cylinder is removed by
the scraping action of a flexible sheet blade, known as “Doctor Blade”. As the cylinder turns,
and just before the paper makes contact with it, this doctor blade, made of fine Swedish
steel (.008 inch thick)wipes of all the excess ink. The doctor blade, precision ground and
hand coned (after use), is held against the cylinder under pressure, and scrapes the surface
absolutely dry.
This doctor blade is assemble in such a way to ride on the surface of the cylinder and
remove the surplus ink, without damaging the surface of the printing image are cell. This
doctor blade is assemble as near as possible to the nip pressure, to avoid any ink
evaporation and drying of ink in cells. Usually the thickness of the blade is 0.15mm to
0.25mm. The main blade is supported by backing blade of 0.76mm thick.
The doctor blade is usually set in such a angle that must wipe excess ink from the
nonimage areas. If the blade angle is more steep, it gives cleaner wipe. If the blade angle is
shallow it wipes less ink. Blades are ground with a bevel edge and the angle of bevel is one
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of the factor influencing the printing result. Doctor blades are normally made to reciprocate
up to 6cm. The reciprocate action of blade makes better wiping of ink and disperse the paper
fibers and any foreign particles.
High speed presses are equipped with pre-doctoring blade. This allows an ink film of
0.5mm to final doctor blade. Due to this pre-doctoring blade pressure on the second (final)
doctor blade is reduced and cylinder wear is less, printed results are less affected by speed.
4. Impression roller:
This has a steel core with hard rubber covering to bear the heavy pressure. The
rubber covering is us of 12-20 mm thickness. Its hardness is from 60 to 100 shore. If the
substrate is too rough and more compressible then hard rubber is used. Plastic films are
normally printed with soft roll and with low impression pressure.
In general the pressure applied between impression roller and printing cylinder is
higher than any other processes. The impression roller is oftenly supported with third roller
called “BACK UP” to overcome the impression roller deflection and give sufficient pressure
in the center. Another technique is “flexible” roll which can be adjusted to even out the
pressure across the width of the web.
Now a days impression rollers are employed with electrostatically assisted ink
transfer. To overcome the printing problem “speckle” (individual cells not printing on rough
papers and non- compressible papers even if it is coated one). In this special roller during
the turning (rotation) high voltage is generated. This electric field encourages the ink to leave
the cells and transfer to the paper even the contact is imperfect.
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Gravure plates are made from rolled copper. The ends of the plate must be carefully
bent to fit in to the clamps on the cylinder. The plate covers only parts of the cylinder
circumference since the plate cylinder must house the clamping system. This uncovered
section must be filled in with a “gap cover” or “segment” to provide a bearing surface for the
doctor blade. These type of presses (using a gravure plate) are fast becoming absolete.
Cylinders can be made of iron, steel, copper or aluminium. Ends are usually
fabricated of steel bar and plate, or steel shaft pressed through the cylinder body. Sleeves
cylinders are metal tubes housed in the machine on mandrels. It is only necessary to
produce a sleeve or tube with this system, for subsequent mounting on a machine mandrel.
The sleeve is generally made of steel base and deposited with copper, to a diameter slightly
larger than the required size. It is than turned and polished in a lath to obtain the correct
diameter and perfect stage. This system is not recommended for multi-unit web-fed presses
and for large-run package printing.
In the Ballard process, a thin skin deposit of copper is loosely adhered to the bulk of
the cylinder surface, but is firmly attached at the bar ends. After printing, the copper skin is
removed by cutting and then pulling off. The advantages are elimination of grinding of the old
etching and allowing exact size cylinders for color works. The thin film of copper is
approximately 0.006inch thick and is deposited in about one and a half hours. This type of
cylinder is used for printing of short-run magazine and packing. On an average, to deposit
one square foot of copper for 0.001 inch thick, the requirements of copper is 0.74 oz.
Solid cylinders are invariably used on web-fed presses. The thickness of the copper
deposit varies depending upon the circumference, length and construction of the cylinder.
The copper deposit ranges from 0.015 to 0.050 inch thick, and copper is deposted slightly
more than the required thickness. Afterwards the cylinder is taken out and brought to the
required diameter by turning it on a lathe; then it is polished to a high luster. The accuracy of
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
the cylinder is maintained within a tolerance of + or – 0.0005 inches. The starred D.25 dial
indicator has one eighth sub division of 0.0005 inches.
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The gravure print makes the highlight areas give one color, by permitting light to be
reflected from the paper beneath, while the thick films in the dense areas do not reflect light
from the paper and give a different shade as well as a different color strength.
GRAVURE PRINTING MACHINE CLASSIFICATIONS
1. Packaging Gravure Presses :
Gravure packaging and product presses are divided into two groups according to the
substrates used as light weight and heavy weight substrates. Light weight substrates
include, flexible packaging, gift wraps, paper and foil labels and decorative films: Heavy
weight substrates include folding cartons, floor covering, vinyl sheet, shower curtains, plate
mates and outdoor furniture. Some of the common in-line operations performed on these
process are die cutting, sheeting, punching, perforating, trimming, stripping.
2. Flexible Packaging Presses :
Flexible packaging presses typically have 8 or 11 printing units. Web width range
from under 12 inches to 63 inches, with variable repeat (cut-off). These presses are
designed to print light weight materials like film, foil, paper etc.
Flexible packaging presses require unwinding reel stand with very sophisticated
tension control devices, to stabilize light weight extensible materials prior to entering the first
unit. Most flexible packaging presses are designed for roll to roll operation.
3. Gravure Publication Presses :
Publication presses are designed for high speed printing of high quality color
publications. Typical products include magazines, newspaper, catalogs & advertising
printing. Publication presses have 8 or 10 printing units and web width range from 96 to 108
inches. Because of the speed and width of the presses, gravure publication plants use large
amount of paper. This requires automation in reel loading and splicing.
Publication Gravure presses often add a cloth covered pre-wipe roller to the ink
fountain to improve ink application to the print cylinder. Modern gravure Publication presses
are generally equipped with only one un-winder for eight printing units. Web pre-conditioning
units are used to maintain the paper temperature.
Publication presses are connected to wide variety of In-line operations like folding,
stitching, auto stacking, inserting, gluing, perforating, etc,.
4. Folding Carton Presses :
Folding carton presses typically have 6 to 8 units and available in either narrow web
(under 36inches) or wide web (up to 55inches) with variable repeat (cut-off). This folding
carton presses can be used to print paper as low as 60 lb. per ream. Their reel stand should
adopt maximum outside diameter and weight (upto 84inches diameter) because of thick
board.
Folding carton presses offer a wide variety of in-line converting operations like
Cutting, rewinding, rotary die cutting, rotary embossing. Following pre-conditioning systems
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installed at unwinder exit are heat drum followed by chill roller, blower (hot air), a decurling
device, a web cleaner etc,.
5. Label Presses :
This is a typical application for gravure package printing. This requires some special
application. These presses have 6 to 8 printing units, web width in the range of 36" and
variable repeat length (cut off) from as low as 10" maximum 36":
The weight and size demands of substrates rolls are less extends than in folding
cartons and packaging presses. The typical label roll is 40" in diameter. Dryers are similar to
those on flexible packaging presses. Dryers are attached for drying of waterbased inks and
coatings. Label presses are equipped with following in-line converting equipments like
Sheeter, jogger, stocker, trimmer, coating unit, rewinder, slitter etc,.
Pre-conditioning systems are similar to flexible packaging presses are.
1. A heated drum, followed by a chill roller.
2. A hot air blower.
6. Narrow Web Presses :
Narrow web is generally defined in the flexography rather than gravure. As any web,
less than 24" width is called web presses. Narrow presses differ from their wide web counter
parts in a variety of ways. A primary distinction, is the ability to do multiple converting
operations, along with printing in the same pass. The major of narrow-web presses are
generally built in-line configurations through some are C.I stack press.
There is tremendous variety of product that are capable of being produced on narrow
web equipment. Any product between 0.001" and 0.020" in thickness is used in narrow
press.
Eg : Business forms, small folding cartons, tags, tickets, multiple layer coupons etc,.
PHOTOGRAVURE :
Photogravure is an intaglio process. Image areas are deeply etched below the
surface of the copperised surface of printing cylinder. Liquid ink is filled in the recessed
image areas and a doctor blade wipes the surface clean free from superfluous ink. The
cylinder is pressed on paper or other material for transferring the inked image. Gravure
processes has a much wider application than letterpress or offset as it prints, from a low
viscosity liquid. Ink, coating, varnish, adhesive, hot carbon or anything that will flow on a
cylinder can be printed by gravure. Plastic sheeting, curtains, linoleum, upholstery metallic
foils, paper and boards can be printed. The finished materials can be passed through in-line
machines for punching, cutting, folding, etc. Gravure has advantages in carton making.
Thick film of gold ink can be printed. Deep brilliant glossy solids by the slide of
delicate tones of postal shades can be laid down by gravure. 100, 120, 150, 175, 225, 300
lines screens are used. 175 line screen is popular. The greatest etching depth is 1 to 2 /
1,000 of an inch or 25 / 1000 to 50 / 1000 mm. The ratio of wall thickness to width 1:2.25 or
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AGPC, Sivakasi Printing Processes
1:2.5 for paper and board and 1:3 for solid areas on foil and plastic. Width increases with cell
depth and cell wall becomes thinner. Ink from deep cell spreads more. The dense areas
merge into one another screen pattern largely missing. Highlight cells have little ink. No
contact is made with paper.
Gravure is popular for picture reproduction. Small type printing is a problem. For type
matter rinco process of gravure is popular and plates prepared from a white ink, is printed on
glossy black paper. This gives type in the negative. Paper negatives are then made for
illustrations sheets are pasted up in position and re-exposed to give a complete positive
page.
Advantages of Gravure:
1. The final printed images are of excellent visual quality. Due to its intaglio
character, the closeness of the printing areas and different thickness of ink,
Gravure print displays the pleasing effect of a continuous tone image.
2. Photogravure is an exceptionally fast printing method on almost all kinds of
paper and materials. Press speed attainable-web-fed paper: 1,000 fpm (Feet
Per Minute) ; Film and foil: 300 to 600 fpm. Sheet-fed: 3000 sheets per hour.
3. The printed sheet is usually dried, when it leaves the press, due to the
volatility of the fluid ink.
4. Gravure cylinders yield very large number of impressions and under proper
handling, several millions. Chrome-plated copper cylinder can print 1.5
millions revolutions without re-chroming; and can print 12 to 20 million
revolutions before making new cylinders, depending on material printed.
5. Rotogravure ink, based on, fluid ink can be formulated for printing on a,
variety of printing stocks- paper, paperboard, plastic films, metal foils, textiles,
etc.
6. The supplementary operations like cutting, punching, creasing and stripping
are done
7. “In-line”, fabricated the end product at the same speed at which presswork
progresses.
8. Cheaper paper stock can be used on gravure presses compared with other
processes.
9. Quality reproductions at low cost is possible.
10. Large presses with a web width of 144inch are used for printing of vinyl floor
covering.
11. Virtually, there is no make-ready involved while printing on a Gravure press.
Limitations of Gravure :
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Because of their simplicity, screens can be produced cheaply and this makes it an
attractive process for short-run work. Furthermore, since the image is produced through a
screen rather than from a surface the impression pressure is very low. This makes it ideal for
printing on fragile boxes or awkward shapes.
Irrespective of the type of machine the printing procedure is generally the same. A
working supply of ink is placed at one end of the screen and the screen is then raised so that
the stock may be fed to register guides or grippers on a base. The screen is then lowered
and a rubber or plastic squeegee drawn across the stencil to produce the print. Ink
replenishment is undertaken as necessary.
On most flat-bed machines the base to which the substrate is applied is of a vacuum
type. This prevents the stock sticking to the screen and being lifted by tacky inks.
To a certain extent the thickness of the ink film printed can be controlled by the
pressure, sharpness and angle of the squeegee blade.
The more upright the blade the thinner the deposit of ink. Thus, in general, fine work
requires a more upright blade. However, the type of ink, stock and machine govern the blade
setting also.
SCREEN PRINTING PRESSES (MACHINES)
The screen process is one of the major printing methods used by graphic arts
industry. In screen process, printing is done by forcing ink through openings in a stencil or
photogravure stencil that has been attached to a fabric screen is called screen process
printing. Screen Printing process is carried either by hand or manual and power operated
presses.
Following are the parts of a screen printing press of hand operated one:
1. Frame
2. Base
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3. Screen fabric
4. squeegee
(1) Frame:
The frame serves as a support for the screen fabric. It can be made from wood,
metal or any other rigid material.
a) Wooden frame:
Wood used for screen printing should be soft, straight grained, should resist the
moisture and temperature. Wooden frame are easy to handle and assemble. The cost of the
wooden frame is less than metal frame. Leveling is also important for wooden frames. A two-
component lacquer protects the wood from water and solvent.
Pine or popular wood is usually used for making frames. Before making a frame,
wood is seasoned. The corners of the frame is joined by miter, end lap, or spline joints.
Angle and corner irons are sometimes used to reinforce the corners of a large screen
printing frame.
(b) Metal frames:
Steel is used for screen frames as its rigidity, life is more by comparing the wooden
frames. For corrosion production, steel frames are galvanized or coated with lacquer,
sometime with stored varnish. These steel frames are available in rectangular or square
section. For easier handling of large frames, steel is replaced by aluminium alloy, but care
must be taken in providing rigidity. Also aluminium frames are corrosion – proof while
comparing steel frames.
Leveling of metal frame is very important. This leveling is done on a special leveling
slab. Twisted or warped frames can cause great trouble in printing and in registering. Before
mounting the fabric, sharp edges and pointed comers should be well rounded to avoid the
tearing of fabric. Metal frames should be roughened on the adhesive surface or sand –
blasted, also it should be throughly de-greased with a suitable solvent after roughening.
(2) Base :
This is the surface upon which the substrate to be printed is positioned and held. It is
usually made from a thin sheet of plywood or hardboard or table. This is longer than the
frame used. Loose-pin built hinges serve to hold the frame and base together.
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on the screen surface. This flo-coater .now scrapes the ink back to its preprint position. The
screen is ready for its next operation.
In some machines the printing base remains stationary. Where grippers are used to
take the stock from a “pre-register” table and to the printing section, then it is transferred to
the delivery section. The advantages of the “pre-register” system is its speed does not rely
on operator speed. These machines are made in a wide range of sizes and formats. The
speed ranges around 2500 iph.
(c) Cylinder bed presses
Here squeegee and flo-coater remain in a stationary position and screen frame has
reciprocating motion. Also a large cylinder with vacuum holes carries stock from a pile board
with the help of grippers. When the printed stock is hold firmly on the cylinder surface the
screen carriage comes to the same printing position and the stationary squeegee, its forces
the ink pass on to the stock. At the end of this print sequence the stock is released by
grippers. As well as the screen carriage moves away. Now the cylinder returns to pickup the
next sheet. Maximum speed of the machine is 6000 iph.
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This types of machines are suitable for printing paper & board which are flexible
enough to wrap on the printing cylinder.
(d) Container printing machines
These machines are designed on the cylinder-bed principle. The curved surface of
the printing cylinder is replaced by the curved surface of the container, which is supported by
two roller bearings. The printing action is exactly the same as on the cylinder press; the
screen reciprocates over the rotating container while the stationary squeegee forces the ink
through the screen. These machines are made in a range of sizes to print the smallest
perfume or large oil drums.
(e) Rotary screen
This machines are specially used for high volume production of printed textiles and
floor and wall coverings. The functional principles are entirely different from conventional
screen printing. Here the screen is in the form of seamless perforated cylinder, made of light
metal foil. The squeegee is hollow and run inside the perforated cylinder. Through the hollow
squeegee, ink is pumped to the screen.
As the screen (cylinder) rotates the ink is passed on the web (stock). The screens
are made in various grades according to the ink thickness required on the stock. In this
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method stencil are formed by direct photoemulsion method, but it requires specialized
coating and exposing technique.
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Unit - III
3 Marks Questions
1. What are the other names of Screen printing?
(i) Silk-screen printing (ii) Pores printing
2. Write the parts of a Screen printing press.
(i) Frame (ii) Base (iii) Screen fabric (iv) Squeegee
3. What are the different types of screen-printing machine?
Following are the different types of screen printing machines :
a) Flat-bed hinged frame machines
b) Flat-bed vertical lift machines
c) Cylinder bed presses machines
d) Container printing machines
e) Rotary screen machines
f) Carousel machines
4. What is the principle of Gravure printing?
In Gravure process, the printing image is engraved into a cylinder in the form of cells
which becomes filled with ink and wiped off by doctor blade if any excess ink.
5. What is uses of doctor blade?
The printing cylinder is flooded with ink and before impression is made on the paper,
the excess ink from the cells and on the non-printing surface of the cylinder is removed by
the scraping action of a flexible sheet blade, known as “Doctor Blade”.
6. What are the advantages of Water based ink in flexo printing?
The advantage of water based inks is cheaper and produce very good quality print
also no odour as there is no solvent. Use of water based inks reduces the press down time,
waste and they are easily washed on press.
7. Write any two Screen fabric material.
Silk, Polyesters, Nylon, Metal fabrics
8. Mention the units in Gravure printing machine.
1. Ink duct
2. Printing cylinder
3. Doctor blade
4. Impression cylinder
9. Write about the limitations of Gravure printing press.
1. Length of time to prepare and etch a cylinder.
2. The high initial cost incurred in the cylinder preparation.
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3. Once the cylinder has been prepared, very limited alterations or revisions
alone can be made without having to prepare a new cylinder.
10. Write some applications of Gravure printing press.
Business forms, small folding cartons, tags, tickets, multiple layer coupons.
14 Marks Questions
1. Explain the basic principles involved in Gravure Printing with neat diagram.
2. State the various types of Screen Printing Machines and describe any two of them.
3. State the advantages and disadvantages of Gravure Printing Process.
4. Explain the Gravure Printing Machine with necessary sketches.
5. Explain the working principle of Screen printing with sketches.
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