When you are looking for printing services, you might wonder what printing techniques are available to you. There are different types of printing techniques available for you. However, the techniques you choose is mostly dependent on the type of outcome you are looking for, the amount of time you have, and the amount of printing done. Printing techniques like gravure printing are best for large volume printing, except for printing equipment that takes time to set up. Additionally, some techniques are old and are rarely used, while others are more modern and keep evolving to improve print quality. This article discusses different techniques you might be interested in.
1. Offset Lithography
If you are looking to print on an item with a rough surface, then offset lithography is the printing technique for you. Offset lithography is a versatile printing method that can also be used on books, paper, and stationery. This method of printing is often called litho or offset printing. Because the print media does not come into contact with the aluminum printing plates, they last a long time making litho suitable for mass production.
2. LED UV
LED UV printing uses a different technique to dry the ink faster during printing. The quick-drying time makes the turnaround times extremely short. This technique is used in printing stationery and leaflets. The upside is that you end up with sharp and clear images in a much shorter time.
3. Gravure printing
This printing technique is best suited for large volume printing. It is efficient and produces high-quality images. Unlike other techniques, the technique makes economical use of ink, saving the client money. Sometimes called rotogravure, it uses copper-plated cylinders to make images on paper. It has become commercialized to print millions of copies of magazines and catalogs across the world in recent years.
4. Large format
As the name suggests, a large format is used to print out large signs such as wallpaper, billboards, posters, and vinyl banners. Traditional marketing media makes excellent use of this print technic. Large format works by using multiple sheets of paper joined to produce one large piece of paper. Most of the other printing techniques are not able to print out such large paper.
5. Digital printing
Digital printing is often used for smaller printing tasks such as menus and letters. This modern printing method uses a variety of techniques, including lasers and inkjets. Digital printing uses images generated from a computer and stored as PDF files to generate a picture or image, eliminating the traditional printing plate’s need. The drawback to this printing method is the image quality cannot compare to images from gravure printing or LED UV printing.
6. Flexography
Often used to print out packaging labels, wallpapers, and gift wraps, flexography is considered the modern version of letterpress printing. It is mostly preferred for printing on uneven surfaces and can be used for high volume printing runs. Because it is done at high speeds, the process uses quick-dry semi-liquid inks to get the job done.
Conclusion
These printing techniques are pretty simple and can be used on pretty much any surface. If you have a project that needs printing, you can try any of these and see which one works best for you. We recommend rotogravure for any large projects that require high-quality finishing.
