Five common printing methods
The five common printing methods include lithography, flexographic printing, gravure printing, screen printing, and digital printing. Each of these printing methods has its own unique characteristics and application scenarios
Offset Lithography
Lithography, also known as offset printing, is one of the most commonly used printing methods. Its characteristic is that the graphic and non-graphic parts on the printing plate are almost on the same plane, and the principle of immiscible water and oil is used for printing. Lithography is suitable for a wide range of marketing materials, from business cards to marketing and sales sheets, and is widely used in packaging, especially folding cartons and label printing.
Flexography
Flexographic printing is a type of direct printing that uses a raised plate that is elastic. Due to its large elasticity of the printing plate, it is able to transfer liquid or grease inks to almost all types of materials, making it suitable for plastic bags, labels, and corrugated boxes, among others. The advantages of flexographic printing are that the unit is cost-effective, the production speed is fast and the cost is low.
Intaglio Printing
The graphic part of the plate of gravure printing is lower than the blank part, forming a pit. When printing, the ink is filled into these pits, the excess ink is removed by a squeegee blade, and the ink is transferred to the substrate by pressure. Gravure printing is suitable for high-volume production, such as high-quality prints such as banknotes, securities, and cigarette packs.
Stencil Printing
Screen printing is passed through the mesh hole in the screen printing plate to leak ink onto the substrate. Its advantage is that the ink is thick and the color is bright, and it is suitable for various materials, such as plastics, wood products, metal products, etc. Screen printing is suitable for low-volume production because its installation price is usually very affordable.
Digital Printing
Digital printing is a new printing method in which computer documents are printed directly onto paper. It is characterized by one sheet printing, no need to make plates, immediate and desirable, suitable for small batch production. The advantages of digital printing are high flexibility and short turnaround times, making it suitable for labels, corrugated boxes, folding cartons, etc.