If you have been in the printing press business for at least one decade now, you will have noticed that the gravure printing style is one of the favorites. The method isn’t chosen by expert printers simply because it is cost-effective but also because the process is straightforward and requires less effort.
If you are new to gravure printing, you might be interested in finding out what the characteristics are. In thing article, you will see the most prevalent characteristics of the gravure printing process. This article will also show you some of the benefits and some of the downsides of the printing method.
What is gravure printing?
Gravure printing is a method of printing used by the printing press to etch images on substrates like fiber, wood, and others. Gravure printing is done by etching an image on the gravure printing cylinders using cells. The cells on the cylinder are dipped in ink, while the other parts of the cylinder are cleaned to ensure that they don’t stain the substrate.
The characteristics of the gravure printing process
The following are some of the characteristics of the gravure printing process. If you had been using the process, you should be aware of some or all of these by now:
1. High quality
Anyone who has used gravure as a printing method knows that the level of line clarity and richness on layers are incomparable. The printing method uses a lot of ink and offers convex graphics that offers a great feel.
2. Applicable for several surfaces
There are very few limits to what you can print on with gravure printing. The printing process can be done on surfaces like plastic, wood, fiber, paper, aluminum foil, textile materials, and several others. It even works best on foldable, stretchable, and contractible materials.
3. Best for mass printing
One of the reasons why gravure printing is more preferred to other printing methods is because of its ability to carry out lots of tasks in the long run. If you are into printing large quantities, this is the printing method you should be getting into.
4. The machine is durable
You can’t take away durability from the gravure printing process. This is one of the many reasons why the gravure printing process is majorly used for long term printing jobs. The spare parts are strong and are easy to find in the market. They will also not cost you so much to repair. From setting up to the entire printing process, you will find it very straightforward.
5. Almost completely automated
You have only very little to do once you are all set up. The gravure printing process does most of the work for you.
Gravure printing also has some downsides, like not being suitable for short-term printing jobs. Not that you cannot use it but because it would consume a lot of ink.
Conclusion
Gravure printing is a trending printing method that every printing press should focus their energy on because it offers more advantages than disadvantages.
