Direct printing process

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With direct printing processes , the ink is transferred directly from the printing form to the printing material, so the printing form has direct contact with the medium to be printed.

Examples: flexographic printing , gravure printing , screen printing

In the case of indirect printing processes , the ink is transferred via an intermediate carrier. The color is first transferred from the printing form to the intermediate carrier and finally from the intermediate carrier to the printing material .

Examples: offset printing , letterset , pad printing

This requires the following starting films in the production of the printing plate:

  • Direct printing process: reversed positive or negative (the coating is on the illegible / reversed side of the film)
  • Indirect printing methods: reversed positive or negative (the coating is on the legible / reversed side of the film) reversed positive or negative (the coating is on the illegible / reversed side of the film)

Advantages of indirect printing

  • The intermediate carrier (e.g. rubber blanket for offset printing) can also be used to print substrates with a rough or coarse surface.
  • With pad printing (indirect gravure printing), it is only possible to print on concave and convex bodies using the intermediate carrier (pad).
  • Since there is no direct contact between the printing material and the printing form , the printing form is only mechanically stressed by the compressible rubber blanket and not by the printing material, which extends its service life.
  • Another advantage is that the print image is legible on the printing form . As a result, the printer can check the printing forme before clamping the printing plate.

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