Printing Processes

Advantages:

• good reproduction quality (especially photographs)
• inexpensive
• high printing speed
• available

Disadvantages:

• paper can stretch cause by dampening
• set up costs are uneconomic
• used only on flat materials
• requires a good quality surface
• colour variation

Applications:

• brochures
• posters
• magazines
• newspapers
• stationery

Advantages:

• high spped printing process
• inks dry fast

Disadvantages:

• difficult to reproduce fine detail
• colour may not be consistent
• high set-up costs

Applications:

• packaging
• cheaper magazines
• newspapers
• paperbacks

Advantages:

• easy to produce stencils (photo-emulsion technique)
• versatile (print on any surface)
• economical only for short runs
• automatic methods - produces large volumes

Disadvantages:

• difficult to achieve fine detail
• requires long drying time

Applications:

• t-shirts
• posters
• [lastic and metal signage
• promotional items e.g. mugs and pens

Advantages:

• colour is consistent
• high speed printing process
• wide print presses
• ink dries by evaporation
• good results even on low quality paper

Disadvantages:

• high cost on printing plates and cylinders
• efficient only on long print runs
• very expensive set up costs
• imaged printed as dots (visible to the naked eye)

Applications:

• high quality art and photographic books
• postage stamps
• packaging
• expensive magazines