NEWS
What is Ink Density in Offset Printing?
Ink density in offset printing is the measurement light that is reflected from an ink. It is essentially the measurement of how dark and ink is. Every ink or substrate has the ability to stop or absorb light. The less light that is reflected back, the higher the density is considered to be. How is ... Read more
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What Are Offset Printing Plates?
Offset printing plates are what transfers an image from the ink supply to the paper. They are usually made from paper, rubber, plastic or metal depending on the printing process. Printing plates have an image that is burned onto them. This image will transfer the ink to the paper. Most offset ... Read more
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Offset Printing Ink Terminology
Lightfastness – The ability of a printing ink to resist fading when exposed to light. This is different from the term ‘permanence’ in that it specifically refers to light, and more precisely to the quality of the pigment. Color gamut – This is the range of colors that a printing ink can reproduce on a given substrate. ... Read more
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Offset Printing Ink Properties
Opacity or Transparency – This is the inks ability for light to pass through it. Some printing inks require high opacity – such as metallic inks, scratch off or mirror inks. This quality depends largely on the type of pigment that is used. This property is also referred to as covering power. Other must be as transparent as ... Read more
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How An Offset Printing Machine Works
Introduction In the late 1800s, German inventor Friedrich Koenig created a printing machine that allowed him to transfer ink from one surface to another. He called it an “offset printing machine,” and his invention has since become one of the most popular methods for printing images onto paper. Even today, offset printing machines are used ... Read more
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How Are Printing Plates Made?
Printing plates are made from mining bauxite and then refining it to get aluminum rolls. The rolls are shipped to a printing plate manufacturer who uncoils, etches, cleans, and then dries them before sending it to a commercial printer. Let’s take a look at each of the steps. There are 3 stages to the ... Read more
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