All-round contest between offset printing and gravure printing

principle

Offset printing is divided into two types: water offset printing and waterless offset printing. Water-based offset printing is to use the immiscible and mutually exclusive rules of oil and water on the flat printing plate to make the graphic parts and blank parts on the same plane of the printing plate oleophilic and hydrophilic, respectively, and finally realize the graphic Transfer. Since the ink and water in the water offset printing act on the same surface, the water offset printing must ensure the balance between the two. Waterless offset printing is to use a special ink to print on the lithographic printing plate with the ink-repellent silicone rubber layer as the blank portion of the printing plate. Unlike water-based offset printing, water-free offset printing eliminates fountain solution and improves performance.

In theory, gravure printing is not as complicated as the principle of offset printing, except that the ink is transferred directly from the gravure printing plate to the substrate to complete the printing. The difference is that a squeegee device is used in the gravure printing process. In addition, the graphic part on the gravure printing plate is always lower than the blank part.

Through practice, the dot area of ​​gravure printing is generally larger than that of offset printing. Because it reproduces the tone and gradation of colors by the thickness of the ink layer, when reproducing images such as human faces, it is not as delicate and soft as offset printing. . However, the printed products printed by the gravure printing method have bright and full color, strong three-dimensional sense and accurate color reproduction, and are generally used for printing packaging products.

Both offset printing and gravure printing have their relatively fixed printing fields, but calendars, high-end color periodicals, and paper packaging products are the focus of competition between the two.

Craftsmanship

Both offset printing and gravure printing have their relatively fixed printing fields, such as sheet-fed printing of offset printing and plastic product printing of gravure printing, but calendars, high-end color periodicals, and paper packaging products are the focus of competition between the two.

Offset printing and gravure printing have their own characteristics in production process, which are summarized as follows. Offset printing: ①Suitable for short-run printing and products whose design content changes frequently; ②Suitable for short-cycle printing, especially for products with limited time, such as newspapers; ③Small space occupation, less capital investment, and less incidental equipment. Gravure printing: ①High printing resistance, suitable for long work, capable of repeated printing many times; ②Stable printing quality and good repeatability; ③Can realize double-sided printing of roll materials, printing of special materials, such as plastic printing 、 Printing of metal materials, etc. ④Short ink conveying ink, the principle is simple and easy to operate.

However, in terms of printing products only, the visual effect of gravure products is stronger and the quality is generally higher. Especially in recent years, the progress of plate making and engraving technology and the development of laser imaging have greatly improved gravure printing. Product consistency.

cost

The consumption of raw materials is the most important part in the calculation of printing costs, including plate-making costs, paper costs, ink costs and energy costs. Because the production cost of gravure printing plates is much higher than that of offset printing plates, many people mistakenly believe that the cost of using gravure printing is also higher than that of offset printing, but this is not exactly the case.

In small batch printing, the cost of gravure printing is indeed higher than that of offset printing, but for fixed repetitive printed jobs, such as cigarettes and alcohol packaging boxes, after printing multiple times, the difference between the two The cost difference will shrink quickly, and even the cost of gravure printing will be lower than that of offset printing. When printing on thin paper, the printing performance of gravure printing is better than offset printing, such as the effect of gravure printing on 52g / m2 advanced calendar paper. If offset printing is used, it needs to be achieved on 57g / m2 coated paper. . Therefore, when printing in large quantities, the difference between the two types of paper will make the printer more inclined to gravure printing. In addition, the longevity of the offset printing plate is far inferior to the gravure plate cylinder.

In fact, offset printing and gravure printing each have a certain cost advantage, so it depends on the specific situation. If the number of printing jobs is large and the quality requirements are high, it is best to use gravure printing; if the number of printing jobs is not large, only tens of thousands of prints or less, and the quality requirements are not high, then offset printing can be the first choice.

cycle

The production cycle is a measure of the choice of printing method, and there is a clear difference between offset and gravure in the production cycle.

In fact, gravure has formed a strict and thoughtful workflow. From the original design to proofing, to the final printed product, customers generally have to confirm it step by step. In addition, the gravure printing plate generally needs a transportation process after production, that is Shipping from the plate-making point to the printing company will undoubtedly extend the production cycle and increase production costs. On the contrary, the workflow used in offset printing is much simpler and straightforward, and it usually takes no more than two weeks from original design to delivery. So for now, compared with offset printing, gravure printing does have obvious shortcomings in short-cycle printing. Although the development and application of laser imaging technology and light-weight plastic cylinders will relatively shorten the period of gravure printing, but if you want to Offset printing is generally fast and impossible in the short term.

market

According to relevant information, in the global printing market, offset printing accounts for about 40%, gravure printing accounts for about 15%, flexographic printing accounts for about 25%, and other printing accounts for 20%. Specifically in China, the proportion of offset printing will increase, while the proportion of other printing methods will decrease accordingly. Of course, these data are not fixed. Due to the combined effect of various factors, the ratio in the short term depends on the specific situation.

The development trend of printing technology determines the proportion of various printing methods in the market in the future. According to the characteristics of global printing development, high-quality and short-run printing can be predicted or the development direction of printing. All along, the improvement of printing machine precision, the improvement of printing process and technology, and the improvement of printing material performance have made the improvement of printing quality a necessity. While the quality of printing is improving, the business volume of short-run printing is also rising, which is an opportunity created by the diversification of information media and printed products. Taking domestic journal printing as an example, a magazine with a circulation of more than one million copies 20 years ago, due to the large increase in similar magazines in recent years and the competition for reader resources by electronic media such as TV and the Internet, the current circulation may not exceed 200,000 copies, in fact, this number is the highest limit of the circulation of most domestic journals. There may be a few journals with a circulation of more than one million copies, but because of the establishment of several printing points, the printing volume of each printing point will not be too much, and it should belong to medium and short version printing.

In view of the development trend of the market, offset printing has introduced relevant technologies that meet market development needs, such as a CTP system that does not require film, and a digital printing system that can perform on-demand printing. It not only improves the quality of printed matter, but also greatly shortens the printing cycle, and quickly opens up new markets. Gravure printing, which has always been based on printing long-term jobs for survival and development, has never even worked on jobs under 1 million prints, but in the face of current printing jobs such as cigarettes and wine packaging, it may be more than 1 million prints. The less the situation, how to find a place in the competition with offset printing has become the main issue facing it.

Both offset printing and gravure printing are quite important printing methods in the printing market. They have different strengths in technology and craftsmanship. They also have common ground in the printing field, and they are both developing rapidly. Its purpose is only one, that is, through continuous technological innovation, to adapt to the future development trend of printing, to provide customers with more rapid, high-quality, low-cost products. We should also choose the appropriate printing method according to the characteristics of the printing job to maximize the profit.

Second, the advantages of a single grid paper packaging box

1. Save costs

Single-sided paper packaging box has obvious advantages in production cost. Because its material is mainly paper, the source is wide and the price is relatively low, so the production cost is relatively low. In addition, the manufacturing process of the single carton is relatively simple, and the production efficiency is high, which further reduces the cost. For catering enterprises and takeout platforms, the use of single-sided paper packaging boxes can effectively reduce packaging costs and improve profitability.

2. Environmentally friendly and lightweight

Environmental protection is another significant advantage of the box. Paper materials come from renewable resources, are highly degradable, and have less impact on the environment after waste. Compared with plastics, metals and other materials that are difficult to degrade, the single-grid paper packaging box has obvious advantages in environmental protection. In addition, the light texture of the paper material makes the single-grid paper packaging box have better portability. Consumers can easily take packaged food home or to the office, while also reducing delivery costs for merchants.

3. Easy to store and carry

The design of the single-grid paper packing box fully considers the storage and carrying needs of users. It is moderate in size, easy to stack, and easy to store in the refrigerator or cabinet. At the same time, the lid of the single-grid paper packing box is tightly designed, which can effectively prevent food from being scattered or spilled during storage and carrying. For delivery platforms, single-sided paper boxes also ensure that food remains intact and hygienic during delivery. In addition, because the paper material has good thermal insulation performance, the single box can also maintain the temperature of the food to a certain extent and improve the dining experience.