Printing Technology Course Documentation

i n t ro d u c t i o n to p r i n t i n g t e c h n o lo g y

Introduction to Printing Technology

reuben dsilva semester iv

i n t ro d u c t i o n to p r i n t i n g t e c h n o lo g y

“What gunpowder did for war, the printing press has done for the mind.”

~ Wendell Phillips

3i n t ro d u c t i o n to p r i n t i n g t e c h n o lo g y

This document aims at outlining the process of graphic

print production from start to f inish based on the order

of my understanding hence far.

_ Timeline

_ Pre Press

Scanning

Coloursetting,

Halftone

Paper

Imposition

Plateproduction

Ink

Costing

_ Press

Relief

Letterpress

Flexography

Offset

Gravure

Screen

Unconventional

_ Post Press

Methods

Binding

_ Field Visit

_ Reference

04

06

08

11

14

18

26

27

30

32

38

42

46

48

50

53

54

4 i n t ro d u c t i o n to p r i n t i n g t e c h n o lo g y

TimelinePrinting is an industrial process of duplicating or

developing an original for production of text and images,

typically with ink on paper using printing press.

0105 InventionofpaperbyChinese.

0200 Woodblockprinting

0868 Diamondsutra,theearliestprintedblock.

1450JohannGuttenburg,Themovabletype.

1500Etchinginvented.

1655 Oldestexistingnewspaper,TheLondonGazette.

1798 LithographyinventedbyAloisSenefelder.

1867 Typewriterwaspatented.

1871 MonotypebyTolbertLanston.

1887 GelatinBromidedryplate.

1962 Offsetwasinvented.

1969 Laserprinting.

1973 Compugraphics/videosetter.

1977 LinotypeintroducedLinotron.

1978MonotypeintroducedLasercomputer.

1985Rasterimageprocessor/Desktopcomputers.

1991IntroductionofDirectImagingTechnology.

1995 Touchscreenprocesscontrol.

2000Digitalworkflow.



ScanningVery often the images to be printed must be lifted of f

existing originals. The f irst step in digitizing an

original is scanning.

Thescannerisadevicethatopticallyreadsimages

andconvertsittoadigitalimage.Themaximum

resolutionofyourscannersetsthelimitationon

howmuchyoucanenlargeyourimage.Thereare

twofactorstoconsidertodetermineresolutionof

scanning:thescreenfrequencyandwhetherornot

yourequiretochangethesizeoftheimage.Screen

frequencyisdeterminedbyprintingmethodand

paperused.

Therelationshipbetweenimageresolution

andscreenfrequencyiscalled‘sampling factor.’

Optimumsamplingfactoris2,whichmeans

thattheimagetobeprintedon150lpishouldbe

scannedat300ppi.Ifsamplingfactorgoesdownto

1,pixelswillbevisible.

Listofrecommendedscreenfrequencies:

Paper

Newsprint:65-85lpi

Uncoated:100-133lpi

Coatedmatte:133-170lpi

Coatedglossy:150-300lpi

Print method

Offset:65-300lpi

Screen:50-100lpi

Gravure:120-200lpi

Flexographic:90-120lpi


Scalingfactordescribestheratioofthe

originalscannedimagetothesizeatwhichit

istobeprinted.

Optimalscanningresolution=Screen

frequencyxSamplingfactorxScaling

factor(%)

ScannersmostcommonlyusedareCCD

flatbedscanners.

Afterscanning,wemustadjustthegamma

curvedependingontheblack/whiteareasin

animageso thatdetailsarenotlost.Gamma

value<1.8forsnowimages/Gammavalue>1.8

fordarkimages.

Also,itisadvisabletosharpenthe

imageifitapperasslightlysoft.Thiswill

assuregoodresultswhenprinting.

Types of originals

Line art:Blackandwhitemageswithouttonal

variationslikealinedrawinginpen.

Continuos tone:Agrayscaleorcolourimage

havingsmoothcontinuouslyvaryingtonal

rangelikeaphotograph.

Originalsnotsuitableforreproductionmay

containstains,dust,scratches,mattfinish.

Care for originals

Neverwriteonthebackofphotographhs

Coveroriginalswithatracingsheet

Donottouchanoriginalwithoilyhands.

Donotcliporstapleoriginals.

Continuous tone

Halft one


Colour“I’ve handled colour as a man should behave. You may

conclude that I consider ethics and aesthetics as one.”

~ Josef AlbersChromaticsorunderstandingcolouriscrucial

inprinting.Everyimagecontainsthousandsof

differentcolours.Itisnotpossibletousethousand

differentinksorlightsourcestorepresenteach.

Therefore,wefoolthebrainintoperceivingthese

coloursbymixingthreeprimarycoloursand

approximatingthethousands.

Additive colour mixing

Additivecolourmoxinginvolvesaddingsome

amountofred,greenandbluelighttocreatenew

colours.

Ifyoumixallthreeatfullintensity,yougetwhite.

Atalowerintensity,anequalmixofallwillgivea

gray.Twocoloursatmaximumintensitywithouta

thirdgivesyoufollowingresults.

Blue+Green=Cyan(C)

Red+Blue=Magenta(M)

Red+Green=Yellow(Y)

Subtractive colour mixing

Inprinting,coloursarecreatedbymixingthree

primarycoloredprintinginks.Cyan,Magentaand

Yellow.(CMY).Thismethodiscalled‘subtractive

colourmixing.’

Cyaninkabsorbsalltheredlightandreflects

greenandblue

Magentainkabsorbsgreenlightandreflectsred

andblue.

Yellowinkabsorbsallthebluelightandreflects

redandgreen.

Theyarehenceknownas‘subtractive primaries’.


Colour Gamut

Thecolourgamutistherangeofcoloursthat

canbetheoreticallybecreatedwithina

particularcolourmodel.Different colour

modelshavedifferentgamuts.Thewiderthe

colourgamut,themorecoloursyoucancreate

withthatmodel.

RGB has a wider gamut than CMYK. Even

thoughaCMYKfilehasmorebitsperpixel,

it’ssensitivityrangeislimited.Anextended

colourgamutbeyondRGB,iscalledHigh

Fidelityprinting(HiFi).Thesemaybeusedin

multicolourconversionsofuptosix-colour

printing.

Spot colour

Inmulti-colourprinting(four,fiveorsixcolour)

theadditionalchannelisoftena‘spot’colour.

Thismaybeaspecialsecondarycolouror

gold/silver.ItmaybeselectedfromPantone

shades.

Black: theory versus practice

Ifyouprintcyanovermagentaoveryellow,the

resultshouldbeblack.Inpractice,itturnsout

tobeadarkbrownishgray.That’swhyablack

printinginkisaddedtothismodel.Thisblack

isreferredtoas‘registration black.’Itisdebated

whetherKcomesfrom‘key’colourorthe‘k’

inblack.


Imagesexistindifferentmodesdigitally.

Bitmap

Lineartconsistsofblackorwhitepixelsbutno

mid-rangetones.

Grayscale

Animagethathastonesrangingfrom0%black

to100%black.Usually256steps.

Index

Animageinindexcolourcandisplayupto256

colourswithinaspecifiedpalette.Thismeasn

thatallthepixelsintheimagehaveavalue

between1and256basedonthecolourpalette.

ItisoftenusedbysavingGIFformatforwebuse

toreducetheimagesize.


Duoton/Tritone

Two/Threeprintinginksareusedinsteadof

one.Usuallyyouprintwithblackplusone

spotcolour.TIFFformatdoesnotsupport

duotones.

RGB

Thisisthesystemusedincolourmonitors

andphotographicimaging.Eachpixelonyour

screenhasavalueforhowmuchred,green

andblueitcontains.AnRGBimageconsists

ofthreeseparatepixelimages.RGBgamutof

coloursisthelargestandcontainsunto16.7

millioncolours.

CMYK

ACMYKimagecanbeimaginedtobe

separatedintofourseparategrayscaleimages.

Eachoneoftheseimagesdefinestheamount

ofeachrespectiveprintinginkused.


Memory

Bitmap:1bitperpixel=2^1=2tones.

Grayscale:4to8bitsperpixel=16to256scale

tones.

Indexcolour:8bitsperpixel=256colours.

Duotone:8bitsperpixel=256tones.

RGB:24bitsperpixel(8bitsperchannel)=2^24=

16.7millioncolours.

CMYK:32bitsperpixel(8bitsperchannel)=

2^32=4.3billioncolours.

Getting the right colours in print!

Oneofthegreatestchallengesinproducingcolour

forprintingismakingsurethatthecoloursyou

choosearethesameasthatwhichareprinted.The

followingparametersaffectthis.

Colour model

Ifyou’reprintinginsixcolours,youwillget

alargergamutandbetterrangeofhuesas

comparedtoCMYK.Hence,yourpositives

canbeseparatedfromanRGBimage.

Paper

Mostpapershaveaslighttint.Othersmaybe

glosscoated.Reflectivityofthepaperaffectsits

tonalrange.

Printing process

Thicknessofinksusedindifferentprocesses

maybedifferent.Moreink,widerthetonal

range.

Ink

Inreality.yourinkscannotpreciselyreproduce

thesecoloursexactly.Thecloserthepigments

aretothetheoreticalvalues,betterthecolour

consistency.


HalftoneHalftone is a reprographic technique that simulates

continuos tone imagery through the use of dot lines, varying

either in size or spacing.

Aprintingpresscannotproducecontinuostones

likeinaphotographwithsmoothtonaltransitions.

Itcanonlyprintwithorwithoutcolour.Hence,

halftonescreenisusedtocreateanillusionof

continuostone.

Halftone screen

Toreproducetonesinprint,youuseahalftone

screen.Halftonescreensconsistofsmalloptsin

closelyspacedrows.Theirsizevariesdependingon

whichtoneyouwanttosimulate.Thevaryingdots

createanillusionofacontinuostone.Itisasheetof

glassorfilm.Halftonescreensarecalculatedbya

RasterImageProcessor(RIP).

Screen frequency

Thescreenfrequencyisthemeasurementofthe

numberofhalftonecellsperline.Itismeasuredin

linesperinch(lpi).Thelowerthescreenfrequency,

thelargerthehalftonecellandlargerthehalftone

dot.Thismeansthatthesizeofadotprintedwith

a60lpiscreenwillbe4timesthesizeofthesame

dotprintedona120lpiscreen.Thevariablesthat

helpdecideappropriatescreenrulingare:viewing

distance,processofreproductionandtypeof

paper.


Paper

Newsprint65-85lpi

Uncoated100-133lpi

Coatedmatte133-170lpi

Coatedglossy150-300lpi

Printing method

Offset65-300lpi

Screen50-100lpi

Gravure120-200lpi

Flexo90-120lpi.

Output resolution

Whenfilmisoutputtoanimagesetter,an

outputresolutionmustbeset.Othersetting

includeno.ofexposurepointsperunitlength.

Higherthescreenfrequency,highertheoutput

resolution.

Screen angle

Thebraincanperceivepatternsinvolving0

and90degreeangles.Halftonescreensare

thereforetiltedat45degreestomakepatterns

lessrecognizable.Hence,blackwhichis

themostdistractingcolourisorientedat45

degrees.Yellowwhichistheleastdistracting

colouriskeptat0degrees.CyanandMagenta

areorienteduniformlycloseto45degreesat

15and75degreesrespectively.Thisgivesan

evendisplacementof30degrees.Theseangles

applytooffsetprinting.Gravureandscreen

printinghavedifferentangles.


Moire

Itisthecaseinwhichimproperlysetscreenangles

resultinformationofpatterns.Byassigning

differentscreenfrequenciesfordifferentinksor

changingthescreenangles,thiscanbeavoided.

Rosette

Well-registeredscreensresultinarosettepattern.

Therearetwomaintypesofrosettes:thosewith

anopencentreandthosewithadotinthecentre.

Thepatternmaybemoreevidentinareasofless

coverageandonhigherqualitypaperbutless

evidentonsaynewsprint.

Density

Itisthemeasureoftonalvaluesoftheoriginalor

printedimage.Itismeasuredbyadensitometer.

FM vs Traditional halftone

InFMscreening,thehalftonedotsareofthe

samesizebutatvaryingdistances.Intraditional

halftone,thehalftonedotsareofvaryingsizebut

atuniformdistances.IntheFMtechnique,the

exposuredotsarespreadevenlythroughoutthe

cellwhereasintraditionalthedotsarecollected

inthecentre.FMscreeninggenerallyallowsfor

betterreproductionofdetailthantraditional

screening.LaserjetusesAMhalftonewhileInkjet

printersuseFMhalftone.

conventional flat tint

conventional half tone

first order stochastic

second order stochastic


Paper

PaperwasfirstusedinEgyptandwascalledso

becauseitwasderivedfrom‘papyrus’.Itwasalso

aroundthesametimemadeinChinafrombone.

Theuseofwoodpulptoproducepaperbegan

around105AD.Theprocesstakesplaceinthe

followingorder:

Rawmaterial

Chipping

Pulping

Bleaching

Additives

Dehydration

Paper!

Types of paper

Construction paper:coloured,coarse,large,slightly

rough,‘chart’paper.

Inkjet paper:weight,brightness,coatedsurfaceto

preventinkspread.

Photo paper:typeofinkjetpaper,glossy,matte/semi-

matte,silk.

Glossy photo paper:vividlook,highcolour

density(DMAX),widecolourgamut,

everyday(HP),premiumhighgloss(Epson),

Ultima(Kodak).

Paper surfaces

Uncoated papers:havenoaddedlayeronthe

surfaceandarecompletelynatural;however,the

surfacemaybesizedwithstarch.Uncoatedpapers

The tangible element that has continuously fed into

society through print media, advertising, education

and other traditional forms of resources, sales and

information gathering.


receivetheirsmoothnessinthecalendaringstack,

aregenerallymoreabsorbentthancoatedpapers

andareavailableinmanydifferenttextures,

colors,weightsandfinishes.Coatedpapers,in

contrast,haveasmootherfinish,aren’tveryporous

andmaybecalenderedorsuper-calenderedoff

thepapermakingmachine.Inkwill,moreorless,

sitonacoatedpaper’ssurfaceandtakelongerto

dry-producingsharper,brighterimaginesbecause

theinkdoesn’tbleedintothepaperandblurthe

halftonescreen.

Coated paper:Coatingproducespaperswith

excellentinkholdout,whichisidealforcolor

reproduction—detailisnotlostandfinetext

holdsupwell—makingthemapopularchoice

forproductsrangingfrombooksandmagazines

toannualreportsandadvertisingsupplements.

Coatedpapersareoftencalledartpapersandare

commonlyfoundinglossyartbooksandtextbooks

containingphotographsorillustrations.Theyhave

exceptionalrunnabilityandprintability,aswellas

aconsistentlyhigh-qualitysurface,stiffness,bulk

andopacity.

Paper sizes

Paperisavailableintwostandards:Britishand

International.IntheBritishsystem,thefollowing

dimensionsarefollowed:

Fullscap13.5x17in

Demy 17.5x22.5in

Medium18x23in

Royal20x25in

Crown15x20in

Imperial22x30in


Bymultiplyingtheshortersidebytwoand

retainingthelongersidewecanobtain‘Quad’

sizes.

IntheInternationalsystem,thereare3

standards.

Asize:Usedforstationerypurposes

Bsize:Posters

Csize:Envelopes.

Theproportionofallthreeare1:1.414.What

changesaretheir‘0’sizes.C0>B0>A0.

Paper qualities

Newsprint:Lowcost,lowquality,non-

archivalpaper,madebymechanicalpulping,

brittlewithweakbind.

Wove paper:Usedinbillandrecordbooks.

Bond paper:Writingpaperusedinbanks

andoffices,Letterheadsandstationery,rag

pulp,50GSM+

Tracing paper:Translucent,oilresistant,

impervioustowater/gas

Map litho:Smoothtopside,usedforbook

andleaflets,80GSM.

Offset:Roughonbothsides,ragpulp,

80-100GSM.

Duplex board:Boxboardusedtomake

cartons

Cartridge paper:Mostexpensive,rag

content,canbepreservedandhenceusedin

certificateandstamppaper.

Chromo paper:Onesidecoated,80GSM

Art paper:Chinaclaycoatingcoversthe

poroussurfacegivingitasmoothfinish,less

C0 1000 x 1414 mm

B0 917 x 1297 mm

A0 841 x 1189 mm

A0 841 x 1189 mm

A1 594 x 841 mm

A2 420 x 594 mm

A3 297 x 420 mm

A4 210 x 297 mm

√2 proportion

A1

A2 A3

A4

Folio division

Relative sizes


absorptionofink,goodinkdepth,matt/

gloss,100GSM+

Mirror coat:CastcoatedwithChinaclay,

mirrorfinish

Card:Thickerpaper,210GSM+,soldin

gross(144nos.)

Paper weight

ByBrirtishstandard,paperissoldin‘reams’.

Onereamcontains500sheets.Theconvention

followedinspecifyingpaperisasfollows:

Theweightperreamgivesanindicationofthe

thicknessofthepaper.Sincetheno.ofsheets

inareamareconstant,agreaterwt./ream

figurewouldmeanapaperofhigherGSM.

Thecostperkg.isalsospecified.Hence,Cost

ofonereamcanbecalculated.

Grain

Grainreferstothedirectionofthefibersin

asheetofpaper.Inlonggrainpaper,fibers

runinthesamedirectionasthelongest

measurementofthepaper.Inshortgrain

paper,fibersruninthesamedirectionasthe

shortestmeasurement.Withsheetpaper,short

graindirectionisindicatedbyunderscoring(or

bolding)thedimensionalongwhichthegrain

lies,orbychangingtheorderofthenumbers.

Paper quality. width x length x wt. of a ream in kg.


ImpositionHalftone is a reprographic technique that simulates

continuos tone imagery through the use of dot lines,

varying either in size or spacing.

Printingpressesareknowntobethecostliestunit

perhourinthegraphicproductionprocess.Wecan

minimizetimespentprintingmybyusingoptimally

largesheets.Mostprintingpresseshaveamaximum

paperformatof4,6,16,32pages.Impositioncan

bedoneeithermanuallyordigitally.Inmanual

imposition,everypageoftheprintedproducthas

beenoutputontoaseparatefilm.Thepagesare

placedaccordingtotheimpositionschemeand

mountedontoalargertransparentfilmwithtape.

Thecompletedtransparencyisthenexposedontoa

plate.Digitalimpositionmeansthatyouimposeitin

alayoutingsoftware.Thiscanconsiderablyreduce

costespeciallyiftheproducthasmanypages.

The Makeready

Amakereadyinvolvesalltheactivitiesperformed

untilyougetthefirstapprovedprintedsheet.The

numberofmake-readiesmustbeminimizedto

minimizecost.Itincludesthefollowingsteps:

Printingplatemakeready

Settingthefeeder

Registeringthesheets

Pre-settingtheinkscrews

Ink-waterbalance

Registrationcheck

Inkcoveragecheck

Correspondencetoproofcolours


4-page sheetwise imposition (folio)

8-page half-sheet work imposition ( quarto)

12-page imposition (12mo)

24-page imposition (24mo)

32-page imposition


What affects imposition?

1. Design:Themostimportantfactoristhe

layoutwhichistheformatandplacement

ofimages.Thisdeterminesthenumberof

platesneeded.Fewertheplatethefasterthe

makeready.

2.Type of Press:Machineshavelimitsonsize

ofsheetstheycanhandleandnumberoffolds

theycanmake.Typeofpaper/orientation

beingusedistobeconsiderediffoldingmust

takeplace.

3. Budget:Ifyouhaveastrictbudgetyou

maybeforcedtoreducenumberofplatesby

changinga4page/sheetformattoa16page

persheetformat.Thiswouldgiveyouthe

samecontentwithhalfthenumberofplates

thusreducingcostsconsiderably.

Types of Imposition

One side

Itisthesimplestformofimposition.One

printingplateisusedtoprintononesideofthe

printingsheet.Thisiscommoninsmalloffset

pressoperations.

Sheetwise

Themostcommonmethodofimpositionis

calledsheetwiseorworkandback.Withthis

typeofimposition,eachsideofthesheetgets

it’sownmakeready.Hence,twoplatesper

sheet.Thesideofthesheetcontainingthefirst

andlastpage(iftheproductcontains4+pages)

iscalledthefirstform.Thesheetcontaining


page2andthesecondlasttobeprintedon

theothersideiscalledtheinnerform.

Halfsheet work

Thisoccursinasituationwherethesheet

hasspaceforatleasttwiceasmanypagesas

thedocumentcontains.Forexampleifiwish

toprintan8pagebooklet,mysheetmustbe

capableofholdinga16pageimposition.In

thismethod,oneplatecontainingthefirst

formandinnerformgivesoneimpression.

Thesheetisthenreversedandthesame

plateimpressestheotherside.Hence,two

copiesareobtainedfromonesheetandone

plate.

Thisprocessofreversalofthesheetcanbe

doneintwoways:

1. Work and Turn:Thesheetisrotatedby180

aswellasturnedover.Hence,asinglegripper

edgeisusedforbothimpressions.

2.Work and Tumble:Thepaperisrotated

by180andflippedheadoverheels.Hence,

twogripperedgesareused.Workandturn

methodispreferredbecauseithelpsavoid

misregistration.Also,gripperedgetakesa

marginofhalfinch.Bykeepingno.ofgripper

edgesatoneweallowformoreavailable

printingarea.


Ganged-Up

Dependingonhowmanycopiesoftheproduct

youplaceonthesheet,thisimpositionis

referredtoas2-up,3-upetc.Thismethodis

usuallyusediftheproducthasjustoneortwo

printedpages.

Signature

Heretheimpositionisdecideduponbyfirst

foldingthepaperandlabelingtherespective

orderofpagesandthenimposingthepages.

Sincethepaperisfoldedintohalf,signatures

arein4xmultiples.Forexample,4-page

signature,8-pagesignature,12-pagesignature,

16-pagesignature.

Creep

Inthecaseofacentre-staplebind,thepages

ofthefoldedproductarepushedoutwards

causingtheimageareaofthepagesinthe

centretomovefurtherawayfromthegutter

thanthoseinthebeginningandend.You

havetocompensateforthisintheimposition

processbyfirstmakingadummytomeasure

thecreepoftheinnermostpageandthen

reducetheinnermarginbyafactorinallthe

pagesproceedingfromtheinnermosttothe

firstform.

Untrimmed creep

Trimmed


4-page signature

8-page signature 16-page signature

12-page signature


Plate-making

Theprintingplatesuseddependsonthetypeofpress,

theprintingmethod,andquantityoftheprintrun.

Aplateispreparedforeachcolorused,orfourplates

inthecaseof4-color(CMYK)processprinting.Itis

basicallyaprocessbywhichthedigitalfilepositiveis

transferredontotheprintingplatewhichisthenused

forprinting.

Thefollowingaresomemethodsofplatemaking:

Image setter

Animagesetterexposesordevelopsphotosensitive

filmorpaper.Ithasahigherresolutionthanthe

printer.Thismaybeanegativewhichwouldhaveto

beexposedtogenerateapositive.

Offset plate

Inthistheexposedfilmisdevelopedbyanonline

developer.Theimagesetter’sRIPcalculateshalftone

screencreatingalargebitmap.Averyfinelaserbeam

exposestheareasofthefilmthatshouldbeexposed.

Thisexposureisthendeveloped.

PS plate

Aftertheplateisexposedanddeveloped,itundergoes

gumming.Gummingpreventsoxidationofplateand

makesnon-printingareawaterreceptive.

Computer to plate(C2P)

Thisisamoreadvancedtechnologywherethe

positivefromthecomputergivestheplatedirectly.

ThistypewasobservedatArt-o-print.


Inks

InkswerefirstmadeinancientChinaaslong

as50centuriesago.Theyweremadefromsoot

suspendedinvegetableoil.Eventually,petroleum

wasusedininks,whichmadethemcheaperand

morepopularforoffsetprinting.Bythe1960s,

petroleum-basedinkshadcompletelyreplaced

vegetable-basedinksintheprintingindustry.

However,petroleum-basedinksarenotwithout

theircoststotheenvironment.Theycontaina

varietyofheavymetals(barium,copper,zinc)

thatleachintosoilandgroundwater.Volatile

organiccompounds(VOCs)arealsoreleased

bypetroleum-basedinks.Thesecontribute

tosmoginadditiontobeingirritatingtothe

humanrespiratorysystem.Whenconsideringthe

sustainabilityofprinting,VOCsemittedduring

theprintingprocessandtheuseofnon-renewable

resourcesandheavymetalsinpigmentsmustbe

considered.Designersshouldspeakwiththeir

printertokeepthesefactorsinmind.

Nearlyallinkscanbeplacedintothefollowing

categories.

Standardprintinginks:Weboffset,sheetfed,

processink.

Specialityinks:Metallic,fluorescent,security,

phosphorescent.

Ink Ingredients

Pigments:Theingredientthatcontributestothe

colouroftheink.

Vehicle: Substanceintheinkthatcarriesthe


pigmentandbindsittotheprintedsurface.It

maybeoilorwater.

Modifier:Theychangethepropertiesofinks

sothatitcanfulfilltherequirementsofdifferent

typesofprintprocessesandapplications.

Driers:Speedupdryingofink.

Anti-skinning agent:Theseareagentsthat

keeptheinkfromdryingtoorapidlyand

skinningovertheinkfountain.

Extenders:Increasethecoverageofthe

pigmentink.

Distillers:Improvetheflowofink.

Ink characteristics

Body:Consistencyofink.

Tack:Thestickinessoftheink.

Viscosity:Thedegreetowhichinkresistsflow

whenitisunderforcesuchaswhenitisinthe

rollertrain.

Length:Abilityofinktoflow.

Opacity:Thecoveringpowerofink.

Tinting strength:Abilityofaninkcolour

toproduceatintwiththeadditionofwhite

pigmentandreferredtoascoloringpowder.

Permanency:Degreetowhichprintedink

resiststhefadingpoweroflight.

Dryingofinkmaybedonebyabsorption,heat,

precipitationoroxidation.

Ink issues

Set off:Excessiveorslowdryinginktransfersto

othersheet.

Slow drying:Smudgeorsmears.


Poor binding:Dryinkscrapingoffthe

substrate.

Ink adhesion:Poorlyadjustedpresssetting.

Mottling:Unevenabsorptiondueto

inappropriatepaperorpooradjustment.

Special Inks

Scented Ink:Theyarearewaterbasedand

canonlybeprintedonunsealedpaperor

board.Scentedinkscomeinawidevariety

ofsmellsandcanalsobesynthesizedtousea

specificfragrance.Thesmellsaresuspendedin

asemi-clearbaseandthenscreen-printedonto

therequiredsubstrate.

Heat-Sensitive:Theseinkshavealimited

rangeofcolors.Blacktendstoproducethe

mostdramaticresults.Theheat-sensitive

componentissuspendedinasemi-clear

baseandthenscreenprinted.Thereactive

temperaturecanbechangedinaccordance

withclimaticconditions.Likescentedinks,

heat-sensitiveinksarewaterbasedandwork

bestonuncoatedpapersubstrates.Theycan

bemadetoworkonplasticafteranumberof

layersareapplied.Thisisatimeconsuming

processmakingitnotcosteffective.Heat-

sensitiveinkhasthetendencytoscuffwhennot

properly.

Pearlescent & Iridescent: Theseinkscan

beusedwithavarietyofsubstratesand,

dependingonproximity,createadifferent

shadeofmetalliccolorwhenviewing.Theyare

mostcommonlyfoundongiftcards.Theycan

alsoworkwellassolidareaswithtextontop.


CostingCase1: Offset printing Poster

No.ofcolours:2

No.ofsides:1

Unfinishedsize:23”x36”

Finishedsize:23”x12”

Quantity:4000(+100test)=4100nos.

Paper:BallapurOffsetpaper23”x36”x26.6kg

Paperquantity:3posterspersheet

No.ofsheets=4100/3=1366

No.ofreams=1366/500=2.8ream(appx.3ream.)

Papercost:Cost/kg=Rs.50/-

Costof26.6kg(1ream)=26.6x50=Rs.1330/-

Costof3ream=1330x3=Rs.3990/-………Cost A

Positive:11”x22”=27cmx57cm=1653sq.com.

Cost/sq.cm.=0.75p/sq.cm.

Costofpositive=1653x0.75=Rs.1240/-…….Cost B

Platecost:Oneplate=Rs.600/-

2colourprint=2plates-Rs.1200/-……………Cost C

Printing:No.ofplatesxNo.ofcopiesxCostper1000

copiesofONEcolour.

=2x4000x900(ink,labourandoverheads)

=Rs.7200/-…………………...…………Cost D

Cutting,finishingandfolding:Rs.1000/-…...…Cost E

Cost=A+B+C+D+E=Rs.14,630/-

TOTAL=Cost+10%=Rs.16,093/-

Costperposter=TOTAL/4000=Rs.4/-


Case2: Offset printing Book

No.ofcolours(cover):2+0colour

No.ofcolours(inside):1+1colour

No.ofcopies:200nos.

No.ofpages:48

Paper1(cover):Size+Weight

Paper2(inside):Size+Weight

Finishedbooksize:lxhcm

Papercost(inside):

Opensize/sizeofspread=2bxl

6spreads/sheet

12pages/plate

24pages/sheet.

No.ofsheets/book

=No.ofpages/24

=2No.ofsheetsxno.ofcopies

=2x200=

400+10%test

=440nos.

Totalno.ofreams=No.ofsheets/500=1

ream

Costofpaper2=Cost/reamx1ream=

Rs.800/-………………..Cost A

Papercost(cover):No.ofcopies=440

No.ofsheetsofpaper1=No.ofcopies/No.of

coverspersheet=200/3=66nos.

Artpaper/100sheets=Rs.300/-

Costofpaper1=500xno.ofpackets=

Rs.500/-……………….Cost B

Plate:No.ofplates=No.ofinsideplate+No.

ofcoverplate

Platecostforinsidepages=No.ofinsideplatex

Costforinsideplate……….....Cost C

Platecostforcoverpages=No.ofcoverplates

xCostofcoverplate…………Cost D

Processing

(Imagesetting/positivemaking):No.of

positives=No.ofpages/2=24+cover

Cost=No.ofpositivesxcostperpositive

……………..Cost E

Printing:

Insidepages:

No.ofplatesxno.ofcopiesxcostof1000/

colour

Coverpage:

No.ofplatesxno.ofcopiesxcostof1000per

2colour........................Cost F

Post-press:Costpercopy

Cost=A+B+C+D+E+F

TOTAL=COST+15%


Relief PrintingA relief print is an image created by a printmaking

process where protruding surface faces of the plate is

inked; recessed areas are ink free. It is the oldest known

method of printing.

Letterpress printing

Itissformofreliefprintingoftextand

imageusingapresswithaprintingpress

andmovabletype,inwhichareversed,

raisedsurfaceisinkedandthenpressedinto

asheetofpapertoobtainapositiveright-

readingimage.Itwasthenormalformof

printingtextfromitsinventionbyJohannes

Gutenberginthemid-15thcenturyuntil

the19thcentury.Itisaprocessbywhich

manycopiesofanimagecanbeproducedby

repeateddirectimpresionofaninkedraised

surfacetoacontinuosrollofpaper.

Letterpressprintingexertsvariableamounts

ofpressureonthesubstratedependingon

sizeandimageelements.Chemicalusedin

letterpressarefilmdevelopers,inks,blankets

androllerwashes.Itusesinkwithathick

consistency.

Press methods

Rotary press-Theplateismountedontoa

cylinderwherearollersystemappliesinkto

theraisedareaoftheplate.Thepaperpasses

betweentheplatecylinderandanimpression

cylinderwheretheresultingsqueezebetween

thetwocylindersproducestheprinted

impressiononpaper.


Flatbed Cylinder press -Thetypeorplate

islockedintoachasethatisthenmounted

onthepressflatbed.Grippersonarotating

impressioncylinderpickupasheetofpaper

itispulledaroundthecylinderasitrevolves.

Theinkedflatbedwiththeletterpress

platethenmovesunderthecylinder.The

compressionbetweentheimpressioncylinder

andtheflatbedcreatestheprintedimageon

paper.Whentheimpressioniscompletethe

flatbedreturnstoitsoriginalpositionandis

inkedforthenextimpression.

Platen Press -Movablemetaltypeislockedinto

aframecalledachase,whichisthenplacedin

thepressbedandlockedintoposition.During

theprintingprocess,grippersmovepaper

sheetsfromthefeedboardtotheplaten,which

isthesurfacewheretheprintimpressionis

made.Asetofrollersappliesinktothetype

onthepressbed,thenthepressbedandplaten

arepressedtogethertoproducetheimageon

paper.Whentheimpressioniscomplete,the

platenandpressbedspreadapartandthe

grippersremovethepapertoadeliverytray.

Printingandnon-printingareasarehence

separatedmechanically.

Identification

Uponcloseexamination,letterpress

printwillrevealthefollowing:

1.Inksquashesonedges

2.Minorindentationofpaperonthe

back.

3.Highinkintensity

Application

Letterpresswasextensivelyusedbuthas

nowbeenreplacedinmostapplications

byflexography.Itisusedforpublishing

newspapers,labelsorpackagingtext.

However,amorecommonapplicationo

thistechnologyisfordecorativeeffects

likeembossing,die-cutting,numbering,

perforatingandfoilstamping.


Flexography

Thereliefplateusedforflexographyismadeof

mouldedrubberorphotopolymermaterialswith

theimagearearaisedandthenon-imagearea

recessed.Flexographicplatescanbecreated

withanaloganddigitalplatemakingprocess.

Flexographyisadirectprintingmethodinthat

theinkplateappliesdirectlytothesubstrate.An

inkrollerknownasan‘Aniloxroller’,appliesink

totheraisedportionsoftheplatewhichisthen

transferredtothesubstrate.Theanilinroller

hascellsthatcarryaspecificamountofinkto

theplate.Thenumberofcellsperlinearinch

canvaryaccordingtothetypeofprintjoband

thequalityrequired.

Thenameanilinisderivedfromtheinkthat

wasusedfrotheprocessuntil1950.Theink

carryingrollerhascontinuedtobecalledthe

anilinrollereventhoughtheanilinedyeinks

arenolongerusedforflexography.Thecurrent

inksareveryfluidanddryrapidlyandare

mostoftenwaterbased.It’squalityhoweveris

notashigh.Theinkisfastdryingwhichisan

advantage.

Application

Flexographycontinuestobethefastestgrowing

printprocessesandisnolongerreservedjustfro

printingspecialtyitems.Theabilitytoprinton

avarietyofsubstratesallowstheprocesstobe

usedonawiderangeofprintedproducts.Food

packagingisanimportantmarketbecauseof

theabilityofflexographytoprintonnon-porous

substances.Thisabilityisusefulfroprintingon

plasticbags.giftwrap,wallcovering,paperback

books,telephonedirectoriesandbusinessforms.


Offset Printing Nearly 40% of all print jobs are done by of fset printing.

It is an indirect printing process which means that the

image is transferred or of fset from one surface to another.

Principle

Itisbasedontheprinciplethatoilandwaterdo

notmix.Theimageareaandthenon-imagearea

oftheoffsetplateareonthesameplaneanddo

notmix.Thenon-imageareasoftheplateattract

awettingagentandrepelinkmadefromoilbase.

Theimageareasattracttheinkandrepelthe

fountainsolution.Hence,theseparationisdone

chemically.Thisprocessiscalled“offset”because

theimageisn’ttransferreddirectlyfromplateto

paper,buttoablanketfirstbeforefinallyprinting.

Becauseoffsetprintingdoesnotallowforvariable

repeatsinonemachine,offsetpressesarebestused

inhighvolumeapplicationssuchastheprintingof

newspapers.

Plate production

Firstthepositiveisprintedonatransparency.

Thistransparencyisplacedfront-side-downonto

apresensitizedplateleavinggrippermargins

presetbythemachineandmarkingthecentre.

Itisthenexposedwherebythenegativespaceis

hardened.Theplateisthenwashedwithaalkali

developer(Novatone)diluted300g/L.Hence,the

plateismadereadyforprinting.


Process

Theprintingplateismountedonacylinder

thattransferstheimagetoarubberblanket

mountedonanothercylinder.Theimageis

thentransferredfromtheblanketcylinderto

thesubstrateasthesubstratepassesbetween

theblanketcylinderandimpressioncylinder.

Whentheimageistransferredtotheprinting

surfaceitbecomesright-readingagain.Types

ofoffsetpress

Web fed:Awebfedpressprintsona

continuoswebofpaperfedintothepressfrom

alargerollofpaper.Thewebofpaperisthen

cutintoindividualsheetsafterprintingor

sometimesleftperforated.

Sheet fed:Asheetfedpressprintsimage

onsinglesheetsofpaperastheyarefed

individuallyintothepress.Theprintquality

andsheettosheetregistrationisoftenbettter

thanweb-fedprintingbutitisoftenmore

economicaltoproduceverylargerunsonweb

pressesbecauseoftheirhighspeed.

Waterless Printing :Offsetprintingcan

bemademoreenvironmentallyfriendlyby

removingwaterfromtheprintingprocess.

Thewaterlessprocessusesthelithographic

(offset)systemwhileeliminatingthefountain

solution,ordampeningsystem.Insteadof

conventionalmetal,paperorplasticprinting

plates,waterlessoffsetprintingusesamulti-

layeredsiliconecoveredplateandspecialink.


Thisprocessstillprovideshighqualityand

efficiencywithlowdotgainforenhanced

detail,bettercolorsaturationandfaster

makereadies.Withoutadampeningsystem,

waterlessprintingrequirestemperature

controlsfortheinkrollersandmorefrequent

cleaningoftheblankets.Theplatechemistry

issolventbasedandrequiresspecialhandling.

Becauseofthesolventsused,inksinwaterless

printinghaveahigherVOCcontentthanthe

onesusedinconventionallithography.

Identification

1.Evenimageintextandhalftone

2.Sharpandclearoutline

3.Solidcolorsaregood.

4.Goodtextreproduction.

Application

Thetypesofprintedmaterialsthatcanbe

producedwithoffsetarenumerousandvaried.

Newspapers,books,magazines,businessforms,

advertisingpieces,brochures,posters,greeting

cards,businesscards,mailers,couponsetc.


Gravure PrintingGravure is a high quality printing process capable of

producing printed images which have a continuos tone

ef fect similar to a photograph.

Theimageareaconsistsofhoneycombed

shapedcellsorwellsthatareetchedontothe

surfaceofacoppercylinder.Theunetched

arearepresentsthenon-printingarea.The

cylinderrotatesinabathofinkcalledtheink

pan.Asthecylinderturns,theexcessinkis

wipedofthecylinderbyaflexiblesteeldoctor

blade.Theinkremainingintherecessedcells

formstheimagebydirectransomertothe

substrateasitpassesbetweentheplatecylinder

andtheimpressioncylinder.

Themajorunitoperationsingravureprinting

areasfollows:

Image preparation

Cylinder preparation

Printing

Finishing

Besidesbeingveryfluidandthin,theinksused

withotherprocesscolourapplicationsdifferin

huethantheinksusedwithotherprocesses.

Gravurealsooftenemploysspotcolourinks

insteadofthestandardprocesscoloursusedin

four-colourprinting.

Gravureisadirectprintingmethodsothere

isnoneedtoutilizefountainsolutiontokeep

thenon-imageareasclean.Printedimageswith

gravureareofthehighestqualitybecausethe


thousandofinkcellsappeartomergetogether

toformacontinuostone.Howevertheclarity

oftypeinsmallerpointsizesisnotasgoodas

offsetlithography.

Application

Gravureisusedtoprintverylargequantity

ofunto10-15millioncopies.Itisusedto

printpackagingapplications,magazinesand

pressuresensitiveapplications.TheNational

Geographicmagazine,agloballycirculated

magazinethatisfamousforit’ssuperior

photographyusesgravureprinting.Itisalso

usedforitemslikecurrencynotes,stampsand

foils.

Conventional gravure cells have

equal area but dif ferent depth.

Deeper cells hold more ink and

make darker impressions.

Cells with dif fering area

and equal depth are used for

packaging applications.

Cells with variable area and

variable depth are used for high

quality applications.


Screen PrintingIt is arguably the most versatile of all printing processes.

It can be used to print on a wide variety of substrates.

Screen making

Astencilisproducedonthescreen.Thisisdone

byfirstdensifyingthetransparencypositive

withasolutioncontainingpolyvinylalcoholand

ammoniumbichromate.Thepositiveisplacedon

thescreenmeshandthencoatedwithSonakote

solutionandLunarsensitizersolution.Itisthen

placeddownonalighttableandcoveredwith

sandforkeepingtightcontact.Theexposure

lastsforapproximately8minutes.Theexposed

negativespacecoveredbythesolutionhardens

andbecomesimporoustoink.Themeshis

stretchedtightlyoveraframemadeofmetalor

wood.

Printing

Screenprintinginkisthenappliedtothe

substratebyplacingthescreenoverthematerial.

Inkwithapaintlikeconsistencyisplacedover

thescreen.Inkisthenforcedthroughthepositive

openingsusingasqueegeethatisdrawnacross

thescreenfromtoptobottom.Inkonlypasses

throughtheunexposedportionthusformingan

imageonthesubstrate.

Thediameterofthethreadsandthethreadcount

(basicallythelip)willdeterminehowmuchinkis

deposited.


Advantages

Theadvantageofscreenprintingoverother

processesisthatitcanprintonmaterialof

differentshapes,materialsandsize.The

equipmentcostforscreenprintingarelessthan

thatofotherprocessesbutrateofproduction

isslower.Theyarehencesuitableforsmaller

quantitiesofprints.

Identification

1.Slightlyraisedimpressionduetoheavy

depositionofink

2.Highandeveninkdensity

3.Textisblurredcomparedtooffset.

Applications

Productsasvariedassigns,posters,circuit

boards,mugs,clothingandsoftdrinkbottles

canbeprintedusingthisprocess.Screen

printingisveryusefulwhenaninaneneeds

tobewrappedaroundanobjectorwhenthey

needtobefitontooddlyshapedobjects.


Unconventional PrintingThe processes discussed earlier are called conventional

processes. They all required a master plate and were

printed in large quantities. Unconventional processes are

those in which there is no master, no impact press and

more economical for very small quantities.

Thereproductionofdigitalimagesonregular

paper,photographicpaper,andotherprintable

surfaces.DigitalPrintingdiffersfromoffset

printinginthattheinkdoesnotabsorbintothe

paper,asdoesconventionalink,butformsalayer

onthesurface.Itrequireslesswasteintermsof

chemicalsusedandthepaperwastedduringthe

setupprocess.

Mostdigitalsystemsdoawaywiththefilm,plates

andinkthatarepartofoffsetprintinginfavor

ofsomesortofelectrophotographicprocess.

Particlesofdryorliquidtonerareattractedto

anelectrostaticallychargedcylinderthatcarries

theimage.Thetoneristhentransferredtothe

paperor,lessoften,toablanketcylinderandheat

isusedtomeltandsetitonthepaper.Digital

inkjetpressesuseanelectricalchargetoguide

theplacementoftinydropsofinktocreatea

glossyimagethatcanrivalacontinuous-tone

photograph.Hybridtechnologiescombinedigital

andconventionaloffsettechnology.

DigitalPrintingisusedprimarilyforsmall

quantity,short-runprintingandvariabledata

printingjobsthatrequireaquickturnaround.

Thisoptionisacost-effectivemethodforFull

ColororB&Wbooklets,businesscards,catalogs,

magazines,manualsormulti-pagebrochures.

Booksandbrochurescanbeprintedon-demand


astheyareordered,eliminatingtheneedto

holdlargequantitiesininventory.

Advantages

1.Digitalprintingisfastandflexiblebecause

there’snoseparateproofing,nofilmorplates,

andlittlemake-readytimeisneeded.

2.Digitalisverycost-effectiveforsmallruns.

3.Digitaltechnologyisconstantlyevolving.

Newadvancesarebeingmadeinareassuch

asin-linevarnishes,scratch-proofinksand

finishingtechniques.

4.Digitalprintingcanvarytextandimages

onapage-by-pagebasis,allowingfor

customization.

5.Chemicalsassociatedwithfilmprocessing

andplatemakingareeliminatedmaking

digitalmoreenvironmentallyfriendly

6.Electrinksystemsusedindigitalprinting

havelessemissions

Methods

Thermography

Thisisaprocesswhichproducesaglossy,

raisedimagebyusinginfraredlight.The

imageisfirstprintedbyletterpressorlitho

usinganadhesiveinkwhichiscoatedwitha

fusibleresincontainingpigmentonametallic

powder.Whenpassedunderlighttheresin

pigmenthardenstogiveahardraisedimage.

Thermographicpowdersaremadefromplastic

resinswhichwereintroducedinthe1970’s.

Theyhavetakentheplaceoftraditionally

manufacturedwithabasemadefrom

groundtreesap.Thereareawiderangeof

thermographicpowdersthatarecapable

ofproducingawedrangeofeffects.The

powderscomeinmanyparticlesizes.

Itcanaddvaluetomanyordinaryprint

applications.Letterheads,greetingcards,

invitations,businesscards,marketing

applicationsandenvelopes.

Thermographyprintingcangenerally

onlybeusedononesideofthepaper,as

applyingthenecessaryheattothesecond

sidewouldnegativelyaffectthefirstside.

Thermographyshouldnotbeusedovera

foldorwithinaonefourthofaninchfrom

theedgesofthepaper,astheraisedink

tendstofracturewhenfoldedorcut.


Ionography

Aprocessthatmakesuseofanimagewitthe

useofanelectroncartridgewhichcreatesa

negativechargeonanonconductivesurface.

Thenonconductivesurfaceattractsa

magnetictoner.Astaticelectricchargeisused

todrawtheparticlesfromthedrumontothe

substrate.Ahighpressurerollerfusesthetoner

tothesubstrate.

Magnetography

Itissimilartoiconographyexceptthatthe

drumusedismagnetic.Theelectronicimage

isconvertedtoamagneticdrumchargewhich

attractsatonercontainingironparticles.The

tonersareveryopaquesotheprocessisbest

suitedforspotcoloursratherthanprocess

coloursthatrequiretransparentcoloursto

workproperly.Magnetographyisusedfor

applicationswhichrequirevariableimaging

suchaslabels,businessforms,directmail

pieces,ticketsandbarcoding.

Electrography/Xerography

InventedbyChesterCarlsonin1937and

developedbyXeroxCorporation.Artwork

isplacedfacedownonaglassplateandis

illuminatedbyafluorescentlightwhichtravels

thelengthoftheimage.Thereflectedimage

isdirectedthroughthelinesthroughthelens

toanelectricallychargeddrum.Thischarge

leaksawaywherelightfromtheimagefallson

thedrum.Aresinbasedpowdercalledtoneris

transferredtoasheetofpaperwhereitisfixed


byheat.Lasercopiersworklikecombined

scannersandimagesettersbyscanningthe

imagedigitallyandusingalasertowritethe

imageontoanelectrostaticdrum.

Inkjet

Aninkjetprinterisanyprinterthatplaces

extremelysmalldropletsofinkontopaperto

createanimage.

Identif ication:

1.Thedotsareextremelysmall(usually

between50and60micronsindiameter),so

smallthattheyaretinierthanthediameterof

ahumanhair(70microns)!

2.Thedotsarepositionedveryprecisely,with

resolutionsofupto1440x720dpi.

3.Thedotscanhavedifferentcolorscombined

togethertocreatephoto-qualityimages.

In unconventional printing, because

there is no single master an independent

image is generated on the cylinder for

each individual print. Hence, the per

cost copy remains the same irrespective

of quantity.


Post PressPostPress is a crucial part of any printing process even

though it takes place after the actual printing, since it

determines the f inal look, shape and feel of your printed

product.

UV coating

UVcoatingprovidesthefinalglazeontheprinted

materialandprovidesfinelustrouseffecttothe

finalproduct.Ourmachinescanalsodeliver

SpotUVeffectwhereinonlyspecificpartsof

theprintedmaterialarecoatedtohighlighta

particulardesign,fontorcolour.

Advantages

Opacity

Stability

Ecofriendly/nonVOC

Highgloss

Sharpgraphic

Chemicalresisting

Scuffresistance

Deeperandmorevibrant

Die-cutcapable.

Lamination

Laminationfinishingtechniqueissimilarto

varnish,butitdeliversmoreshineandprovidesa

richerappearancethanvarnish.TheLamination

effectworksverywellforsophisticatedpackaging

requirementssuchascosmeticandperfume

packages,invitationcardsanddesignerbrochures.


Die Punching

TheHiedelbergCylinder,PolarMohr

Eltromatetcfordifferentcuttingrequirements

likediepunching,cutting,creasingetc.Apart

fromcuttingandpunching,diepunching

machinescanalsogivecreasedandEmbossed

effects.

Folding

AutomaticInsertFoldingMachines

automaticallyfoldsanytypeofpaperinto

differentfoldingpatterns,primarilyuseful

formedicalinserts,notebooks,textbooks,

magazines,brochures,etc.

Foil Stamping

Foilstampingprovidesarich,shining,metallic

effectonprintedmaterialandpaper.Machines

likeKlugeEHDthroughwhichfoilisstamped

inanydesiredshape,fontanddesignonthe

printingmaterialorpackage.Thisisvery

usefulinweddinginvitations,perfumeand

cosmeticpackages,FMCGpackagingetc.

Embossing

Embossingisanotherdesigneffectthatcanbe

createdthroughmachines,givingtheeffectof

raisedordeepimpressioninanypresetdesign.


BindingBindingisaprocessoffasteningthesheetsofa

publicationintheproperorderandmostoften

withaprotectivecover.

Sometypesofbinding:

Plastic comb binding

AlsocalledGBCbinding,plasticcomb

bindingispunchandbindsystemthatisused

formanyofficedocuments.Itsmainadvantage

isthatitisinexpensiveandeasilyedited.It’s

advantageisit’sappearanceandthesecurity

ofthefinalbook.Also,likeotherpunchand

bindsystems,itrequiresmorelabourthantape

binding.

Spiral Binding

Itisapunchandbindsystemthatusesa

plasticormetalspiralwirethatiswound

throughpunchedholesonbindingedge.Itis

thetypeofbindingmostoftenusedforschool

notebooksandstenopads.

Perfect binding

Itisapunchlessbindingmethodthatworks

byfasteningthebookblocktothecoverspine.

Itisoftenusedforsoftcoverbooksandpaper

backs.

Tape binding

Thisprocessplacesaclothstripofadhesive

tapedownthebindedgeofthebookand

wrapsaroundabouthalfaninchontothe

coverandback.


Saddle stitch

Wirestaplesholdthepiecetogether.A

machinedrivesthenthroughit’sbackbonefold

tothecenterfoldwheretheyclench.

Side stitch

Thepagesarecutallthesamesizeand

stacked,thenstaplesareinserteddowntheside

ofoneedgeofthebook’sfront,2to3times

dependingonthicknessandpaperweight.The

resultisasturdybinding,howeverthebook

willnotlieflatwhenopened.Thisbinding

styleisgenerallylessexpressivethanother

styles.Ithastypicalusesinnotepads,reports

andtear-offcalendars.

Case Bound (Section sewing)

Thisbindingstyleistypicallyusedforbooks

ofmorethan80pages,whichrequireastrong,

high-qualityfinish.Thepagesofthebookare

collated,andthensewntogetherwiththread.

Thecoveristhengluedtothespineofthe

pageblock.CaseBoundisgenerallythemost

expensivestyle,soareusuallyonlyusedfor

booksthatmustwithstandconstantuse.

It’susedforhardcoverbooks,textbook,novels.

Wire-O-binding

Thisbindingholdsthepagesofthebookin

placebyadouble-loopwireinsertedthrough

holesontheleftedge.Itdoesnotspiral

throughthebookratheritcreatesawirecomb.

Thepageslayflatwhenopenedandcanrotate

360degree.Wire-Obindingsaredurable,but

donotpermitprintingonthespine.Itisused

inreferencebooks,reports,cookboooks.


Field VisitWevisitedtwoprintingpressesduringourcourse.

Hereweobservedcommercialscaleprinting,die-

cuttingandpackaging.Wesawtheprocessofoffset

printingandprocedureofit’splatemaking.The

presshadfourandfivecolourprintingsheet-fedoffset

machines.UVprintingwasalsocarriedout.Wealso

observedmedicinepackagingfromfoldingtosealing.

Thesecondpartofourtripwasavisittocorrugated

paperfactorywheresinglesheetsarepassedthrough

corrugatingmachinestoforma‘ply’.Theseindividual

plyarethenlayeredonetopofeachothertoform

multiplycorrugatedsheetsofgreaterstrength.They

werethendie-cut,foldedandstapledintoboxes.

Onthesecondvisit,wewitnessedexecutionofa

calendarandschooltextbookfromstarttofinish.

Thiswasaveryvaluableexperienceaswewereable

toseethepressworkflowinpractice.8-pagesignature

imposedbookprinting,gatheringandside-stitchbind

wasdonethere.



PracticalAttheNIDPrintingLabwegainedpractical

knowledgeintwomethodsofprintingnamelyoffset

andscreen.Foroffsetprinting,wefirstcreatedan

artworkofapproximately11”x8”.Theaimwasto

testoffsetprintingbyexperimentingwithextreme

pointsizesandcolourmediumsandtones.Inscreen

printing,theartworkwasprintedonavarietyofplane

surfacematerialstestingitscapacitytoreproduce

onpaper,plasticandmetalsheetswithavarietyof

textures.Onthesetwodays,wehadastepbystep

understandingoftheprocessfollowedinexecution

oftheprint.Iwassensitizedtotheextremecareand

precisionrequiredinprinting.Theeffortrequiredto

attainevenasinglecolouroffsetprintwasconsiderable.

Loadingtheplate,cleaningtherolllers,dampening

andtestrunsweresomeofthestepsweparticipatedin

duringthesesessions.Wealsohadtutorialsinbook

bindingtechniques.Wecoverednotepadbinding,

pefectbinding,spiralbinding,japanesebindingand

librarybinding.Itwasvaluablebecauseweunderstood

thereasonsbehindimpositionmethodsandwhatwe

requiretobeawareofwhiledesigningadocumentso

thatit’sbindingandfinishingcanbedonewell.



References

Coursenotes

ProcessofGraphicProductioninPrinting,Curwen

PrintingEffects,WayneRobinson

GuidetoPrinting,WilliamCloves

AGuidetoPrintProduction,JohanssonLundberg

Ryberg

www.pneac.org

www.internationalpaper.com

www.paperrep.com

www.heidelberg.com

www.agfa.org

www.wikipedia.org

www.brittanica.org

GoogleImagesearch

DocumentsetinBaskerville/FontFolio09


BharatSuthar

Dr.TridhaGajjar

NIDPrintingLab

Acknowledgments




C0 1000 x 1414 mm

B0 917 x 1297 mm

A0 841 x 1189 mm


A0 841 x 1189 mm

A1 594 x 841 mm

A2 420 x 594 mm

A3 297 x 420 mm

A4 210 x 297 mm

A1

A2 A3

A4