The print industry

THE PRINT INDUSTRY

Hand Printing

Screen Printing EtchingScreen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil to receive a desired image. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate. Screen printing is also a stencil method of print making in which a design is imposed on a screen of polyester or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance. 

Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal. Linocut is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum is used for the relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or gouge, 

Wood Cut Lithography Woodcut-A relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface Multiple colours can be printed by keying the paper to a frame around the woodblocks. The art of carving the woodcut can be called "xylography", but this is rarely used in English for images alone,  

Lithography - Is a method of printing originally based on the principle that oil and water do not mix.

Printing is from a stone (limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by German author and actor Alois Senefelder as a cheap method of publishing theatrical works. In modern lithography, the image is made of a polymer coating applied to a flexible aluminum plate. The image can be printed directly from the plate.

Mechanical

Letterpress printing Gravure Letterpress printing is a technique of relief printing using a printing press. A worker composes and locks movable type into the bed of a press, inks it, and presses paper against it to transfer the ink from the type which creates an impression on the paper. is a technique of relief printing using a printing press. A worker composes and locks movable type into the bed of a press, inks it, and presses paper against it to transfer the ink from the type which creates an impression on the paper. Letterpress printing was the normal form of printing text from its invention by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century until the 19th century and remained in wide use for books and other uses until the second half of the 20th century.    

Rotogravure  (Roto or Gravure for short) is a type of intaglio printing process, which involves engraving the image onto an image carrier. In gravure printing, the image is engraved onto a cylinder because, like offset printing and flexography, is a type of intaglio printing process, which involves engraving the image onto an image carrier. In gravure printing, the image is engraved onto a cylinder because, like offset printing and flexography,

Screen process Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil to receive a desired image. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate.

Digital

Photocopying Laser PrintingA photocopier is a machine that makes paper copies of documents and other visual images quickly and cheaply. Most current photocopiers use a technology called xerography, a dry process that uses electrostatic charges on a light sensitive photoreceptor to first attract and then transfer toner particles (a powder) onto paper in the form of an image. 

Laser printing is an electrostatic digital printing process that rapidly produces high quality text and graphics by passing a laser beam over a charged drum to define a differentially charged image. The drum then selectively collects charged toner and transfers the image to paper, which is then heated to permanently fix the image.

Screen process Desktop publishingScreen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil to receive a desired image. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate. Screen printing is also a stencil method of print making in which a design is imposed on a screen of polyester or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance. 

Desktop publishing is the creation of documents using page layout skills on a personal computer. Desktop publishing software can generate layouts and produce typographic quality text and images comparable to traditional typography and printing. 

Inkjet Printing .   

Inkjet printing is a type of computer printing that creates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper, plastic, or other substrates. Inkjet printers are the most commonly used type of printer

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Type Technique Method Advantages Disadvantages Example (picture)

  Hand

Etching    1. Many circuits can be etched at once 2. Circuits can be very compact - the etched tracks replace wires and leads 3. All etchings will be identical and therefore all circuits will be identical.

 the circuit needs to be updated, then the it will need to be re-designed and re-etched from scratch, and that etching uses some nasty chemicals that can be harmful to the environment.

Linocut   1. Carving is enabled

2. printing is possible embossing is enabled,

3. tough and sturdy, different surfaces

4. easy for simple designs.

 1.Mistakes are unreversible,2. It is not 3D, you have to work hard to get texture,3. Hard to cut4. Limited colour application, hard to clean 5. Hard to get off hands, long time to dry6. Time consuming 

Screen print   1.The inks used are very durable the colours are extremely vivid,2. particularly for outdoor uses, 3. making this a unique reproduction technique.

 1. Slow Production Rate: As no machine is used and all of the process are done by manually; the production rate becomes lower than other printing process. 2. Small Scale Production: If you want to own a big screen printing factory or if you have some bigger plan in future; the hand screen printing is not for you. Due to some reason this kind of printing process provides you lesser production rate. 

Woodcut    1. The ease and speed of the preparation2. Cheap materials and low production costs3.Woodcut printing is very durable4. Printing is very simple and easy

 1. The use of wood within the process can damage the environment if its not used well2. The quality of the product is very dependent upon the quality of wood3. Reproductive is low

Lithography    1.There is less effort needed2. Less cost is needed3.The materials that are used are reusable

 1. The time and cost associated with producing plates2. Smaller quantity printing jobs are impratical3. Smaller printing jobs are now moving to digital offset machines

  Mechanical

Letterpress    1. Once you have a workshop the process is simple2. You get handcrafted and sharp images

 1. You need a lot of space within a workshop to hold and contain the equipment 2. It has an old feel to have paper or product 3. You need a workshop which is costly

Gravure    1.You can get photographic quality with the process2. One can get bright colours with the process 3.One can get superior colour registration

 1. It can only do in short runs which is a print run of approximately 500 copies or less2. The cost is quite high at £500-600 for 500 copies of A4

Screen process    1. There is a high cost to process if done with high quality 2. The art is the creation can be hard to find and can be costly to find a person with the skill-set

 1. One can get high quality printing 2. One can creative and colourful products from the use of a 32 bit or 64 bit image3. You can place the product within the frame and screen the screen

  Digital

Photocopying    1. They make large amounts of copies at once and don’t wear and tear as much as a smaller one2. They are light and easy to move3. They are easy to understand on how to use and they take up little space

 1. They are heavy2. They take a lot of space3. They wear and tear more easily than their industrial version 4.In addition to the home versions they can not make large amounts of copies at the same time.

Laser printing    1. The speed process is very fast this is because the happening happens in seconds2. The resolution is high at 600 dots-per-inch

 1. This may not be the right choice for some people, and due to the cost of the ink2. The prints come from the printger slightly wet and may need time to dry

Inkjet    1. They are good for homes and small offices2.They are cheaper than laser printers2. They normally always emit high-quality printing and an example of this can be photographs

 1. They have an expensive long-term cost as the cost of ink cartridges is fairly high2. The cartridges can get clogged an they wont work and this is a right fuss to deal with

Desktop publishing

   1. Its cheap, fast and simple2. It can emit itself to a wide audience and in particularly a younger audience of teenagers

 1. The creation process may take longer to convert the documents to all the media devices