A concise portray defining different printing techniques

Printing is considered as the greatest invention of the second millennium. Since several years there have been lots of new inventions related to different printing methods. Here we are just framing a concise portray and discussing briefly about different printing techniques.


· Digital printing:

Digital printing is the process of transferring a document from desktop or laptop or any other digital storage device to a printing substrate through a device that accepts text and graphic output. There are several methods like inkjet, laser and toner, and magnetic digital printers; to perform digital printing. Printers Essex uses digital printing in large scale.

o In inkjet method, ink cartridge that holds liquid ink releases the ink as tiny sprays onto the paper. It combines several dots and creates an illusion of image on the paper.

o In laser and toner method, a laser is used to charge paper in certain areas that attracts toner of CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) colors to it. Then it passes through a fuser that melts toner on paper.

o In magnetic method, the process is same as laser method but instead of electric charge, it uses magnetic charge and passes through a fuser that melts toner on paper.

· Offset lithography:

Offset lithography is one of the oldest methods and most frequently used printing techniques. In this method, metal or polyester sheets (commonly known as plates) are used to expose image and non-image areas that are burned onto plates using light. Then this plate is attached onto a cylinder that as it goes around presses itself and picks up water onto the non-image areas. It works on the principle that water and ink doesn’t get mixed with each other. So as plate comes in contact with ink, it sticks to the image area and it comes in contact with rubber sheet which transfers the image. This rubber sheet rotates around paper and presses image onto the paper.

· Flexography:

Flexography is a traditional method especially for printing labels. In flexography a rubber stamp etched with tiny grooves picks up ink and is pressed on the surface or printing material. Flexography is often used by packaging industries and is done on plastics, tissues, cardboard, stickers and labels.

· Gravure:

Gravure method is much similar to flexography, in which a cylinder that picks up ink in the tiny etched grooves places it on the paper. Grooves are actually etched on the cylinder rather than on the plates. This method is usually used in printing of magazines.

· Letterpress:

Letterpress method uses stamps to grab ink and compress it on paper or some other material. It is one of the oldest printing methods that is not used much nowadays as it is not an efficient method and is an expensive method.

John Bernard is working with printers Essex since past few years and has observed difference between different printing techniques. He presented just the touching tip of these techniques from iceberg for each of these methods.

Check Also

5 Things You Need to Know About Cryptocurrency Mining in 2020 4

5 Things You Need to Know About Cryptocurrency Mining in 2020


Leave a Reply
