1. 5 Major Printing Processes
What to know about each:
Substrate
Image Carrier
Image Area
Non-Image Area

2. Toner-Based (Electrostatic)
Digital Printing
Ink-Jet
Toner-Based (Electrostatic)

3. Digital Printing Ink-Jet Products Small Quantity Print Runs
Posters & Signs
Large Format
Billboards
Specialty Wraps

4. Digital Printing Toner-Based Products Low-Medium Quantities
Full-Color Printing
Books
Business Cards
Postcards
Custom Products
Fliers
Brochures
Photo Copies

5. Screen Printing Screen Prints
Substrate – Paper, Plastic, Fabrics, etc.
Image Carrier – Stenciled Screen
Image Area – No stencil, open pores of screen
Non-Image Area – blocked by stencil

6. Screen Printed Products Shirts Hats Signs
Screen Printing
Screen Printed Products
Shirts
Hats
Signs

7. Lithography Printing (Offset)
Water and Oil DO NOT Mix

8. Lithography Printing (Offset Printing)
Substrate – Paper
Image Carrier – Flat Plate
Image Area – Positive areas
Non-Image Area – Negative Areas

9. Lithography Printing (Offset Printing)
Offset Printed Products
Large Quantities
Books
Newspapers
Brochures
Flyers

10. Relief Printing (Flexography)

11. Relief Printing (Flexography)
Substrate – Paper
Image Carrier – Flat Plate, or wrapped around cylinder
Image Area – Top surface of plate
Non-Image Area – removed, below surface of plate.

12. Relief Printing (Flexography)
Flexography Printed Products
Packaging
Plastic Grocery Bags

13. Gravure Printing Non-Image Area Image etched into cylinder.
Ink sets in applied to the etched areas.
Image Area

14. Gravure Printing Substrate – Paper
Image Carrier – Image Etched into Plate
Image Area – Below Surface of Plate
Non-Image Area – Surface of Plate

15. Gravure Printing Gravure Printed Products Extremely Long Press Runs
Catalogs
Magazines
Currency
Plastic Packaging