Printing knowledge base
Environmental printing
FACT - Paper can easily be recycled into a reusable quality 5-6 times.
FACT - The 3 recycled loop logo represents:
- Collection
- Remanufacture
- Purchase by the consumer
CARBON NEUTRAL - Is defined as the point at which the amount of CO2 produced by a manufacturing process, distribution system and or product being used is equal to the amount being removed.
FACT - Making virgin paper requires more water than recycling existing paper.
TCF - Totally Chlorine free means the pulp has been bleached without the use of any chlorine chemicals whatsoever.
FACT - Vegetable inks do not use any harmful chemicals and pigments that harm the environment.
Printing
DIGITAL - very cost effective for short run printing, it works directly from electronic data and infuses on the paper. The quality is not quite on a par with lithography and you cannot use spot Pantones® or metallic inks.
LITHO - by far the most popular print process, a metal plate is treated so that the image area attracts the oil-based inks, while the wet non-image areas resist them. The process is more expensive than digital though and only starts to pay for itself on larger runs.
SCREEN - is historically the oldest form of printing. Ink is applied to a porous silk screen and passes through a stencil or template to leave an impression. Normally used for banners, POS material and textile printing.
THERMAL - is the process of creating an image using a heated print head . The print does not smear and is water resistant.
Normally used for sell by dates on packaging, eggs and also plastic mailing envelopes for personalisation.
THERMAL PAPER - Thermal papers are high technology products. The base paper is first pre-coated and then treated with a special emulsion containing heat-sensitive modifiers, co-reactants, pigments and colour formers. The heat from a thermal head (eg in a fax machine) melts the modifier, which in turn dissolves the co-reactant which allows the colour formers and pigments to mix, producing a high-contrast image on the paper.
WEB - a method of printing which uses a continuous roll of paper. They are very fast presses and are only suitable for large print runs.
Used for long run high quality work which is not suitable for gravure and also for continuous forms for the IT industry.
GRAVURE PRINTING - Process in which recesses on a printing cylinder are filled with ink and the surplus removed by a blade. The paper contacts the cylinder and ' lifts' the ink from the recesses before depositing it on the paper. Generally used for long-run printing such as magazines and catalogues.
INKJET PRINTING - A printer that sprays drops of ink onto the substrate to form an image this is now extensively used for large format printing due to the quality of print and flexibility to print on different materials.
MICR - Magnetic Ink Character Recognition Paper - usually a high quality bond paper with good surface characteristics and dimensional stability for printing with magnetic inks for computer sorting. Used mainly by the banking industry to facilitate the processing of cheques and also the examining bodies for multiple choice papers.
Artwork
BITMAP - A grid of pixels or printed dots generated by computer to represent type and images.
BLEED - The printed image extends beyond the trim edge of a sheet or page. A bleed may occur at the head, front, foot and/or gutter of a page.
CHROMOLOIN PROOF - A fast proofing method from film origination and uses powder instead of ink. The powder is sealed with a laminate.
DOT GAIN - The amount the ink spreads or bleeds on the page or when making films or plates. This percentage is the amount you have to allow to obtain the optimum reproduction to match the original.
HALFTONE - Picture with shades of tone created by varying size.
RESOLUTION - The number of dots per inch (dpi) in a computer-processed document. The level detail retained by a printed document increases with higher resolution.
Types of finishes to expand the feel and look
BLIND EMBOSSING - No ink is used for this type of embossing; instead, the design or text is only visible as a raised area on the paper or card.
GOLD BLOCKING - A gold leaf finish created by a heated die, bonding gold leaf to the surface of the stock. Heavyweight 330-350gsm.
DIE-CUTTING - a template can be made to cut almost any design or shape. The most common dies are made to form pictures or geometric shapes.
EMBOSSING - A finishing method using stamping dies that result in the image/type being raised above the paper surface.
LAMINATION - A transparent plastic film applied by heat to protect a printed surface.
SADDLE STITCH / WIRE STITCH - A process that uses wire to hold the printed pages together in a brochure. The name comes from the shape of the tool that holds the opened pages which looks like a saddle.
VARNISH - A clear solution applied over the printed surface. Used mainly to reduce marking, but sometimes used to produce a slightly more shiny finish. Can be applied to select areas with a plate.
UV VARNISH - A varnish applied after printing, either as an overall finish to give a high gloss finish, or applied as a "spot" varnish to certain previously printed images, then cured using ultra violet light.
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