Basic Printing

Common Forms of Basic Printing include

Traditional
The image is identical each signature.
Offset Lithography, Sheet fed, Web, both heat set and cold set.
Letterpress, sheet fed, and rolls fed, (rotary). Flexography is a type of letterpress printing.
Gravure, rotary
Intaglio, (Die Stamp), sheet fed
Screen, sheet fed and rotary

New
The image may be different each signature.
Digital, Non-Impact Printing
Laser and Photocopying
Ink Jet
Ion Deposition Magneto graphics
Thermal
Xeikon
Indigo

Advantages/Disadvantages of the processes
Lithography

This is a planographic process where the image and non-image areas are on the same plane. The image area is hydrophobic so attracts the ink; the non-image area is hydrophilic so attracts the fountain solution.

Web fed Offset Lithography

Cold set
Drying relies on fast absorption of the ink vehicle into the paper.
Suitable for long run brochure or flyer work in one or multi colour on uncoated stock. The finished job, dried, folded and trimmed is delivered ready for dispatch or for combining with other sections for higher pagination.
Finished sizes are limited by press cut off length and unsuitable for coated stock, or card stock.
Typically used for Newspapers, Flyers, and magazines.

Heat Set.
Drying relies on exposing the printed web to heat generated by infrared or gas heaters.
Suitable for long run, (20,000+) brochures, magazines or flyers, on coated stocks.

Sheet Fed
Sheet fed lithography offers exceptional print quality at relatively low cost for pre press and machine set up. It offers greater flexibility of size, number of colours that can be printed, and finishing procedures when compared to web fed lithography or other sheet fed processes.

Letterpress.
In letterpress printing the image area is raised above the non-image area.
Sheet fed letterpress printing is virtually unused except for over printing invitations and cards. Letterpress machines are used for embossing and cutting and creasing.
Rotary letterpress is used for reel fed labels, a variation; Flexographic printing is commonly used for printing films and wrapping paper.

Gravure
In gravure printing the image area is recessed below the non-image area and a doctor blade is used to remove excess ink from the non-image area.

The pre press cost in preparing gravure cylinders is high. Long print runs are required to justify the high initial set up cost. Reel fed gravure printing relies on long runs for its popularity in the US and Europe. In Australia its use is commonly restricted to long run packaging work. The quality of print relies on a smooth surface.

Intaglio is a sheet fed process also using a recessed image. It allows the finest printing of letters and crests. The ink film may be raised because of the thickness of ink that can be applied, giving an embossed effect.
Intaglio is used for the finest stationery, it is commonly used in the USA for Corporate letterheads invitations, and certificates.

Screen-printing.
In Screen printing the ink is forced through a stencil carried on a wire or nylon screen.

Reel fed screen-printing is used in the printing of reel fed labels.

Sheet fed screen-printing is a versatile process. The heavy ink film that can be applied and the gentleness of the pressure when imparting the image means screen printers claim they can print on anything. The ink film can be light fast and have up to 5 years life when fully exposed to the elements. Screen-printing is used for external display posters, printing vinyl and other difficult substrates, over varnishing and security printing.

Photocopying and Digital Printing

Laser and photocopying.
The image is transmitted by light to a photosensitive drum to create an electronic image. The image attracts a toner that is transferred to the substrate and then set by heat or pressure. Copiers and laser printers require a substrate with defined electrical properties, a reasonably smooth surface and a low moisture content. Most laser and copy machines arte single colour and will only run on uncoated stock up to 200 gsm. To obtain good quality coloured output a good quality colour copy grade, (Cyberstar), is recommended. The copy cost of these machines is comparatively high; their size is generally limited to A3 maximum, and their speed although increasing is slower than a lithographic press. The capital cost of a laser colour printer is higher than ink jet, but the speed is much higher.

The image instead of being created by light may be by ion deposition or other electronic processes. These machines also obtain information digitally, similar to a laser or ink jet printer.

Ink Jet.
The image is achieved by electronically controlling the direction and amount of ink sprayed onto the substrate. The substrate surface is treated to give ink acceptance yet maintain a sharp dot, and bright image.
Ink jet printers are common for office printing of coloured documents downloaded from the Internet or produced in house. In the commercial print world ink jet printing is used for plans, plotting, posters, banners and prepress proofing.

Ink jet is a very economical way of producing short run one individual printed pieces, or a limited number of copies. Machine speed is low, as each line of print has to be sequentially produced, however the set up cost and capital cost is low.
Xeikon

The Xeikon process is a hybrid of traditional and new printing processes. The four colour image is formed electronically on a drum each revolution of the press so each signature can be different. The image is then fused by heat to the substrate. Printing can be on one or both sides of the web, and the job can be delivered in sheets or as a reel. Production speeds are still lower than sheet fed lithography (4000 signatures per hour vs. 12,000) and substrate selection is similar to that available with reel fed lithography, coated and uncoated stocks are available from 60 to 250 gsm for the latest Xeikon model.

The Xeikon has opened a new market to the print user. Short to medium 4-colour print either individually addressed or in identical format can now be produced economically and quickly directly from digital information. Print quality is not as high as 4 colour offset but is superior to inkjet and laser copier especially for production of two sided printed brochures, magazines etc.

Indigo attacks the same market sector with a similar but different product. Liquid inks are used in this digital to colour print reel or sheet fed printing press. Speeds of up to 8000 A4 four colour signatures per hour a claimed. Print quality is stated to be approaching that of sheet fed offset. Again short to medium run four-colour work can be produced economically using an Indigo press. The physical limitations of the machine preclude large format jobs.