Offset Printing Facts to Know

Offset Printing Facts to Know
3 min read
04 November 2022

Printing on Offset

In offset printing, an inked image is transferred (or "offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface. In contrast to the lithographic method, which is based on the attraction of water and oil, the offset technique employs a flat (planographic) image carrier on which the image to be printed receives ink from ink rollers while the non-printing area attracts a water-based film (referred to as "fountain solution"), keeping the non-printing areas ink-free.

Offset Printing Today

Offset lithography is a popular method for creating printed materials. Newspapers, magazines, brochures, stationery, and books are just a few examples. When compared to other printing techniques, offset printing is best suited for producing large volumes of high-quality prints at a low cost and with little maintenance. The use of computer-to-plate technologies rather than the more traditional computer-to-film operations improves the quality of modern offset presses.

Offset printing has the following advantages over other printing methods:

  • Because the rubber blanket responds to the structure of the printing surface, offset printing produces more precise, clear images and types than, for instance, letterpress printing.
  • Printing Plates Can Be Made Easily and Quickly
  • Longer Printing Plate Life - Because there is no direct contact between the printing surface and the plate, the printing plate life is longer than with direct litho presses. Run times of more than a million impressions may be feasible with appropriately designed plates, adequate inks, and fountain solutions.
  • Budget-Friendly - Offset printing is the least expensive technique to manufacture high-quality prints in big quantities.

Offset printing also has the advantage of allowing you to adjust the amount of ink on the fountain roller using screw keys. A metal blade is commonly used to control the amount of ink delivered from the ink trough to the fountain roller. By adjusting the screws that govern the gap between the blade and the fountain roller, the amount of ink applied to the roller in specific areas can be increased or decreased. As a result, the color density in the image's corresponding area is altered. Older machines require manual screw adjustment, however, newer machines use electronic screw keys controlled by the printer that operates the machine, resulting in a significantly more accurate result.

Offset's Advantages

  • High-quality images.
  • Rough paper, plastic, wood, metal, cloth, and paper are all used in the prints.
  • As the quantity increases, so does the unit cost.
  • Quality and cost efficiency are required for high-volume jobs. While current digital presses can create high-quality work at a cost-benefit ratio comparable to offset, they cannot yet compete with offset in terms of volume.
  • Many modern offset presses use computer-to-plate systems instead of the more common computer-to-film processes, which enhances quality even further.

Since its establishment in 2003, Henan Huida Print-All Technology Co., Ltd. has produced 40 million square meters per year on four high-speed production lines. Many European, ASEAN, South Asian, North American, and African countries are export destinations. Please contact us at any time with any order requests!

 

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