Recent trends in printing technology

J.P.Nirmala Lecturer in Printing Tech. Anna University

Recent trends

Pre-press Press Finishing Materials

Substrates Inks Coatings

Pre-Press
Prepress refers to the preparation of digital files for printing.

Conventional Pre-Press

Type setting Copy editing Proofing Proof reading Preparing Image Layout designing Imposition Film Making Layout Stripping Plate making

Conventional Pre-Press

Variable data Printing

Customized data Versioning Possible by digital presses Applications

Direct Mailing Customized transaction billing

Web to print

Bridges the gap between digital content online and commercial print production Allows a print house, a client, and possibly a graphic designer to create, edit, and approve computer-based online templates during the prepress phase PDF workflow, digital printing

Cross media publishing

Repurpose content for print, web, mobile devices XML workflow Applications

Newspapers, ENewspapers Magazines, EMagazines Books, Ebooks

Digital Pre press Work flow

Digital Pre-Press

There are four steps that make up the digital prepress process for commercial printing:

Flight checking and color correction. Prepare, RIP and impose files. Digital proofing. Direct-to-plate.

Computer to Technology

CTP : Computer to Plate

Also called Direct imaging Eliminates the use of film The production time of prepress reduced. Reducing the pre press wastes. Need skilled workers Need special sophisticated equipments Higher maintenance cost.

Work Flow Of CTP

Types of CTP

Once Image able

Thermal CTP Technology Violet CTP Technology

Master Thermal CTP Laser CTP Master less/ Surface System

Re-Image able

Thermal CTP Polarization Techniques

Once Image able CTP

Thermal CTP Technology

It changes the plate physically by either hardening the image area or removing the non image area (ablation).

Expensive than Violet CTP Plates are costlier

Ex: GTO-DI (sparc /Laser)

Thermal CTP Technology

GTO-DI sparc
In a high-voltage field the plate is so altered via the electrodes of the imaging head at the ink-accepting points due to spark erosion that the ink accepting layer beneath the inkrepellent surface is laid bare. (ablation).

Violet CTP Technology

The plates are prepared by chemical changes in the image & Non image area. Removal of non image area - developing. Economic compared to thermal CTP Needs more time for preparation. Separate plates are required for each color

Ex: TruePress

Violet CTP Technology

Each printing unit has 2 color separations on one plate. The image is formed on plate in the imaging station.

The image is created chemically.

Then goes to developing station.

Then moves to printing position.

The impression roller transfers paper after 2 revolution

Re-Image able CTP

Thermal imaging With Master

The printing plates are prepared separately on the image carrier and retained on the plate surface for the required print run, then erased for the new job.

Thermal imaging With Master

Laser imaging With Master

Process for generating a re-imageable plate suitable for offset printing.

a Laser imaging of the ink-free areas of the print image; b Dampening and inking of the plate, gradually washing out the non-image areas; c Dampening and inking up in offset printing after longer print runs; d Erasing the printed image through removal of material (based on the status shown in sequence b); e Coating with material to prepare imaging next print job

Master less /Surface system

The image is created on the cylinder surface No separate / special image carrier is used. Less changing over time Each time the image created even for the same print. Either Thermal laser or selective ionization process can be used.

Thermal imaging Without Master

Polarization on surface
1. The initial state the entire surface is neutral
2. An ionographic image created by selective polarization.

3. Liquid toner is charged on the image.

4. Erasing is through uniform homogeneous polarization.

Press
The actual form of printing on the required copy & substrate

Digital Presses

Computer to Print Wide array of paper stocks Inline Finishing

Thermal Binder Stacking, punching Trimming, scoring, Wire stitching, folding

Computer to Print Digital Press

Electro Photography

Liquid Toner Powder Toner

Ink Jet Technology

Electro-Photography- Liquid toner

Electro-Photography- Powder toner

Ink-Jet Digital Printer

Digital Presses

Key Applications

Short-run, on demand printing of books, high-end collateral, photo specialty products, brochures, flyers, postcards, newsletters, catalogs, manuals, point of purchase materials, and sell sheets Variable data pieces Cross-media campaigns

Hybrid Presses

Flexo & Offset Inkjet & Offset/Flexo Inline surface finishing

Die cutting, Foil stamping Conventional inks, Water based coatings, UV coatings, special coatings such as Iriodin or Metalure

Coating units

Distributed Production

Possible by using digital technologies Centralized Prepress, production at many sites Print On Demand Books, Newspapers Production places Homes, small shops

Large Format Printing

Wide format ink jet Printers are used Width of 135 cm to 5/8 m can be printed. Paper textile and plastics can be printed. Bill boards, Hoardings, Posters and Advertisement .

Trends in Material

E-ink E-Paper E-Book

EInk, EPaper

Aims to marry the qualities of paper with the advantages of an updateable electronic display. Displays maintain their image without power Displays are reflective so work from ambient light. Readable from any angle

EInk, EPaper

E-ink , Gyricon. E-ink uses liquid filled microcapsules filled with black and white chips that move to the top or bottom when a current is applied. Gyricons paper uses bi-chromal microcapsules in liquid which rotate.

EInk, EPaper

EInk, EPaper

Application

EReaders Medical devices Electronic shelf displays Smart cards

EInk, EPaper: Applications

Iriodin

Iriodin coatings can create interesting iridescent color effects, for example the color impression created by pigment changes when viewed from a different angle. The thicker the layer of pigment applied, the more pronounced the effect.

Iriodin

The image on the packaging is underlaid with a full-area silver-white Iriodin pearly luster to give it a special sheen. Iriodin with a gold gloss effect has been applied to the part of the image above the eyelid.

Cold Foiling

Apply the cold foil using two conventional offset printing units

Inline Die Cutting

The adjacent sheet with stickers was produced in a single pass on a offset m/c with coating unit and inline diecutting unit.

Hybrid and UV Spot Coatings

A printing unit applies a hybrid special-effect print varnish to the parts of the motif that are to have a matt appearance. Next, the coating unit is used to apply a full-area UV highgloss coating. The matt effect is created where the gloss coating "sinks" into the special-effect print varnish.

Drip-off

A special-effect print varnish is applied to the areas that are to have a matt appearance. Next, full-area high-gloss coating is applied that drips off the areas previously given a matt coating. This maintains the matt effect of these areas and gives the remaining areas a gloss surface.

Scented coating

Makes it possible to convey a fragrance as well as a visual and content-based message, thereby appealing to another of the customers senses. Scented coatings contain microencapsulated scents. The fragrance is released by rubbing the surface of the product.

Scented coatings

The scented print varnish is applied, for example, to the upper part of the product packaging as a spot coating using the last printing unit. Spot coating with a matt dispersion varnish can be applied to the part of the packaging not covered with the scented varnish

Micro-flute Printing

Less raw material is required to achieve a given level of stability. Better stacking and flexural strength and weighs less. Its superior insulating properties also make it ideal for deep-freeze fast-food packaging.

Metal FX

With Metal FX metal pigment ink, versatile metallic tones can be obtained from just one basic metallic ink. MFX basic silver or basic gold is printed first and then overprinted with transparent offset inks. A million different metallic tones to be created with just one basic pigment.

Security printing

Special paper Watermarks Intaglio printing Microprinting Color-changing inks Holograms Security threads Magnetic ink

Serial numbers Anti-copying marks Copy-evident paper Registration of features on both sides RFID

Biodegradable Materials

Definition: Free of plastic coatings, harmful chemicals, do not need an incredible amount of energy to create them, and do not use any tree resources at all. Polymers made from plants, micro-organism, agricultural residues eg. Corn, wheatflour Fiber based materials eg. Jute Recycled paper

Green Printing

Bindings, adhesives, foils, laminates difficult to recycle / biodegrade Post-consumer recycled content, nonchlorine-bleached papers Vegetable & Soy based inks

? Thank You

Imposition