What Is Offset Printing?
Offset printing is the most commonly used printing method today. Over 40% of all print jobs are carried out using offset printing. Offset printing works in a simple manner. It uses three cylinders to transfer the image onto the substrate. The first cylinder is mounted with the printing plate. The image on the printing plate is ‘right’ reading or written with the right side up. The first cylinder is inked and the image transferred or offset onto the second cylinder, which is mounted with a rubber blanket. The image on the second cylinder is thus reversed or becomes ‘wrong’ reading. Finally the image is transferred from the blanket cylinder onto the third cylinder or the substrate. The substrate is mounted on the third cylinder also known as the impression cylinder. The image once again is reversed and becomes ‘right’ reading or right side up in the final printed version. A unique characteristic of offset printing is that the image and non-image areas are on the same surface level. The p
Offset printing is normally used for commercial printing, where large quantities are required. This printing process is when an inked plate with the design/image is transferred onto a rubber blanket and then to the card. The printing quality is generally higher than digital printing. Because a plate has to be created, personalisation with guest names and addresses are not possible.
Offset printing, also referred to as offset lithography, is a type of printing process used by virtually all large commercial printers. It is called offset, because the ink is not directly pressed onto the paper, but is distributed from a metal plate to a rubber mat where it is then set onto the paper. Offset printing can be done on a web printing press, one that use huge rolls of continuously fed paper, or a sheet fed press that, as you would expect, uses sheets of paper. Both types of presses produce printed materials that can be cut to size after printing. Offset printing uses all of the latest technology in printing, including computers that aid in design. Computers are also used to generate instructions for the mixture of ink colors as well as their distribution to the paper. Offset printing works because water and the inks used in the printing process do not mix. The images to be printed are created on the computer and then “burned” onto metal plates using a chemical developing p
Here is some more information to help you understand the printing process. How Offset Printing Works Offset printing is a simple, yet effective process. Three cylinders are used to transmit the image onto the paper or other material of choice. The first cylinder has the printing plate, which presents the image in the way it would appear normally for reading. The second cylinder is covered with a rubber blanket. The third cylinder, also known as the impression cylinder, has the paper or other material on which the image will be printed. To start the printing process, the first cylinder is then given the proper covering of ink. This cylinder then transfers the image onto the rubber blanket of the second cylinder. This causes the image to become reversed or backwards. The second cylinder then transfers the image onto the third cylinder and the final product. This process ensures that the image will appear correctly, and that the final printed product can be read normally. In some cases, o
Offset printing is the most commonly used printing technique in the printing industry. It is often referred to as offset lithography. The basic principle of offset printing is that ink and water do not mix. Images such as words and art are transferred to special plates which are moistened by water rollers and then by ink rollers. The paper type is normally on huge rolls of continuous paper, which is later cut and/or bound for the finished product. While the ink adheres to the image areas, the water adheres to the non-image areas. Because the water and ink do not mix, the water rollers keep the ink off of the non-image areas of the plate. This image is transferred to another surface, most commonly a rubber blanket. Then the image is transferred form the rubber blanket to paper. The name offset printing comes from the fact that the plates never touch the paper but is offset onto the rubber blankets. Offset printing uses the four primary colors – black, cyan (blue), magenta (red) and yell
