Most companies require a printing service on a regular basis, whether it is for marketing purposes or for internal communication. Hence it is helpful to know about the basic working of the frequently used printing process called offset printing.
The users and the printers like offset printing due to its cost effectiveness for the production of large number of prints. The customers giving big printing orders are recommended by the printers to opt for offset printing due to this reason.
The ink employed during offset printing has oil as the medium and does not dissolve in water. The offset printing is so called because the designs are transmitted in an indirect way from the plates to the paper by use of rubber blankets as the medium.
The first step is developing the images. When offset printing began, the images had to be developed by the use of film negatives and they were later put on aluminum plates. This is no longer required as the technology exists for making the plates in one go through an image setting system. The next step is to transfer the plate on to a cylinder such that it is spot on. Next, the water is put on the image plates, which is followed by the ink. While the ink gets fixed to the image, the water gets attached to that part of the plate which has no image so that the ink does not spill beyond the image.
Next, the image is inverted when it is put on to a rubber blanket which is attached to another cylinder. The image is turned around to its right side by transferring the image to sheets which have been cut according to the requirement and are placed on a different cylinder.
Printed sheets are stapled, glued, or assembled in any other way as required and the printing company delivers them after giving some finishing touches.
The users and the printers like offset printing due to its cost effectiveness for the production of large number of prints. The customers giving big printing orders are recommended by the printers to opt for offset printing due to this reason.
The ink employed during offset printing has oil as the medium and does not dissolve in water. The offset printing is so called because the designs are transmitted in an indirect way from the plates to the paper by use of rubber blankets as the medium.
The first step is developing the images. When offset printing began, the images had to be developed by the use of film negatives and they were later put on aluminum plates. This is no longer required as the technology exists for making the plates in one go through an image setting system. The next step is to transfer the plate on to a cylinder such that it is spot on. Next, the water is put on the image plates, which is followed by the ink. While the ink gets fixed to the image, the water gets attached to that part of the plate which has no image so that the ink does not spill beyond the image.
Next, the image is inverted when it is put on to a rubber blanket which is attached to another cylinder. The image is turned around to its right side by transferring the image to sheets which have been cut according to the requirement and are placed on a different cylinder.
Printed sheets are stapled, glued, or assembled in any other way as required and the printing company delivers them after giving some finishing touches.
