[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-564782-105":53,"doc-detail-564782-en":120},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":113,"head_meta":115,"extra_data":117,"updated_unix":119},105,"en","chapter-3-printing-processes-overview-of-five-major-printing-processes","Chapter 3 - PRINTING PROCESSES - Overview of five major printing processes","","Chapter 3 explains printing processes as methods that transfer an image onto a substrate using a system that first carries the image. It outlines five major process families: relief printing, planographic printing, recess printing, stencil printing, and digital printing. The chapter then details letterpress and flexography through relief principles, including how raised image areas receive ink under pressure, how products can be identified by indentation, and flexography’s rubber/photopolymer plates and packaging applications. It further introduces planographic printing through offset lithography, describing oil-water immiscibility, dampening and inking roller charging, and the roles of plate, blanket, and impression cylinders.",{"@graph":63,"@context":112},[64,80,95],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":46,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/paper-templates/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/chapter-3-printing-processes-overview-of-five-major-printing-processes/564782/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"author":82,"headline":59,"publisher":85,"fileFormat":88,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":89,"datePublished":89,"encodingFormat":88,"isAccessibleForFree":90,"interactionStatistic":91},"DigitalDocument",{"name":83,"@type":84},"Quinn Holloway","Person",{"url":68,"name":86,"@type":87},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-12",true,{"@type":92,"interactionType":93,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":94},"ViewAction",{"@type":96,"mainEntity":97},"FAQPage",[98,104,108],{"name":99,"@type":100,"acceptedAnswer":101},"What does a printing process describe?","Question",{"text":102,"@type":103},"A printing process describes the method a system uses to transfer an image onto a substrate, including how the printing surface is prepared for reproduction.","Answer",{"name":105,"@type":100,"acceptedAnswer":106},"Which five major printing processes are recognized?",{"text":107,"@type":103},"The chapter lists relief printing, planographic printing, recess printing, stencil printing, and digital printing.",{"name":109,"@type":100,"acceptedAnswer":110},"How does offset lithography work at a basic level?",{"text":111,"@type":103},"It relies on the principle that oil and water do not mix, sensitizing image areas to accept ink while non-image areas repel ink through dampening.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":114,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":86,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":116,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":118,"site_id":56},564782,1791844151,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":121},{"doc_id":118,"user_id":122,"nickname":83,"user_avatar":123,"doc_module":9,"category_id":45,"category_name":46,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":124,"file_id":125,"file_url":126,"file_type":127,"file_size":128,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":129,"language":130,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":131,"faqs":132,"seo_title":133,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":119,"read_time":134},2336474466712,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd","Chapter 3  \nPRINTING PROCESSES  \nA printing process describes the method adopted by a system to transfer the image on to a substrate (material). This also means that a printing system will have a medium that carries the image in the first place before it enables the process of reproduction. Getting this printing surface prepared is dependent on the printing process. Over the years, many different ways of putting ink on paper developed and these evolved to be the printing processes. The mechanics adopted under different systems are so different that they cater to specific applications in the market. For a long time the printing industry recognized five major processes. These were :  \n• relief printing (letterpress, flexography)  \n• planographic printing (offset lithography)  \n• recess printing (gravure/intaglio)  \n• stencil printing (screen)  \n• digital printing (toner and inkjet)  \nRelief printing—letterpress  \nAs the name of the process says, the image areas are in relief and thenon-image areas are in recess. On application of ink, the relief areas are coated with a film of ink and the non-image areas are not. With pressure over the substrate to bring it in contact with the image area, the image is then transferred to the substrate. If you can picture how a rubber stamp transfers ink to paper, then you understand theprinciple of letterpress and flexography.  \nRelief printing was the earliest form of printing and remained dominant for a very long time. The movable type of the hot metal era were all used with letterpress. This printing process takes its name from the manner in which the process was employed, primarily for type, and later engravings.  \nImpression Cylinder  \nPlate Cylinder  \nInk  \nPaper  \nInk Fountain  \nImage Area  \nLetterPress Plate  \nThe plate profile is shown at the lower part of this illustration. In some cases the plate was formed as a cylinder for high-speed printing  \nPin  \nMark  \nFeet  \nGroove  \n Text is made up of movable type. Types are made  \n Face from an alloy of lead, antimony, and tin. A block is made of zinc or copper, in which images that are not  \n  Body or obtainable in movable type are etched. Logos, diaShank grams, and illustrations are made from engraved  \nblocks.  \n Nick  \n A letterpress printed product can be identified by  \n the indentation that it creates in the paper. This is duetothe mechanical pressure applied to the paper.  \nIn spite of this, letterpress produces images that are sharp and clean. It is a direct printing process, which means that ink is transferred directly from the printing surface to the substrate.  \nLetterpress is still used to some extent for embossing, imprinting, and special-purpose reproduction.  \nFlexography  \nThis process adopts the same principle of relief printing and is therefore similar to letterpress. The printing surface is made of rubber instead of metal. The plate (the printing surface) is imaged from film  \nor laser. Rubber plates were replaced by photopolymer plates during the 1970s as was the case with letterpress printing. Flexography is largely used in the packaging industry, where the substrates used are plastic, aluminum, foil, etc., for which the rubber plates are more suitable, due to their being soft. Usually flexography prints rolls of paper or foil instead of cut sheets.  \nPlate Cylinder  \nImpression Cyclinder  \nOriginated From Rubber Stamps in the 1920s  \nStock  \nImage Area  \nRelief Surface of Printing Plate  \n(Rubber or Plastic)  \nEngraved Surface of Anilox Roller (Steel)  \nThe plate profile is at the lower part of this illustration and the process is shown above  \nFlexography features:  \n• Printing from wrong-reading raised image, flexible plate direct to substrate  \n• Principal applications: almost any substrate which can go through a web press – tissue, plastic film, corrugated board, metal foil, milk crates, gift wrap, folding cartons, labels, etc.  \n• Recognition characteristics: as a relief printing method, has recognizable, but sli","cbCaie5HenUd2BRh","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaie5HenUd2BRh","pdf",222298,98,"English","# Chapter 3: PRINTING PROCESSES\n## Overview of major printing processes\n## Relief printing: letterpress and flexography\n## Planographic printing: offset lithography","[{\"question\":\"What does a printing process describe?\",\"answer\":\"A printing process describes the method a system uses to transfer an image onto a substrate, including how the printing surface is prepared for reproduction.\"},{\"question\":\"Which five major printing processes are recognized?\",\"answer\":\"The chapter lists relief printing, planographic printing, recess printing, stencil printing, and digital printing.\"},{\"question\":\"How does offset lithography work at a basic level?\",\"answer\":\"It relies on the principle that oil and water do not mix, sensitizing image areas to accept ink while non-image areas repel ink through dampening.\"}]","Chapter 3 - PRINTING PROCESSES - Overview of five major printing processes | PDF",34]