Abstract: This paper expounds the advantages of combination printing. Detailed description of the combined printing process of screen printing and flexo printing, screen printing and offset printing, screen printing and digital printing. With the development of packaging and printing products in a more individual and diversified direction, combined printing will be increasingly applied to the packaging and printing industry.
Keywords: combination printing screen printing package
Since the beginning of the 21st century, with the improvement of people's material living standards, consumers have become increasingly demanding on the quality of packaging and printing products. In order to maintain an invincible position in the fierce market competition, packaging prints should be given the artistic, decorative and exquisitely beautiful characteristics under the premise of guaranteeing the quality of printed products. Obviously, it is difficult to achieve so many characteristics of the printed product at the same time under the single printing process conditions. In the case where a single printing method is difficult to meet the demands of these increasingly complex products, a combined line printing method capable of simultaneously performing a plurality of printing processes in a single printing process has become a printing manufacturer's choice. Object.
The superiority of a combination printing
Combining printing refers to the combination of two or more different printing methods, on-line completion of different printing and even post-press printing process, that is, a paper (or plastic film and other printing materials) to complete a number of printing processes and Postpress printing method. Simply put, it is a production line consisting of various types of printing and finishing machines. In combination printing, flexography, screen printing, letterpress, offset printing, gravure printing, hot stamping, cold stamping, and indentation can be mixed and used. The most common combination printing units currently include screen printing, flexo printing, embossing, and hot stamping.
Combination printing is the product of continuous development of printing technology. Compared with the traditional single printing method, the combined printing process using multiple printing methods has the following advantages.
1. Make up for the defects of various printing methods and improve the printing quality. The combined printing process combines various printing methods to make full use of the advantages of a single printing method, complement each other, meet consumers' various quality requirements for packaging prints, and effectively improve the printing effect.
2. Add decorative and artistic effects to packaging prints to make prints unique. Compared with conventional printing methods, combination printing has the advantages of high production efficiency, low loss rate, small total investment in equipment, small footprint, and few operators.
Second, the function of screen printing and package printing
Screen printing is one of the oldest printing methods. It can print on a variety of substrates, such as plastics, textiles, metals, glass, ceramics and other materials. Screen printing is widely used in commerce, advertising, packaging, fine arts, construction, publishing, printing and dyeing, and electronics. In short, any shaped object, regardless of shape, thickness and thickness, can be screen printed regardless of surface or plane, regardless of softness or hardness. So screen printing is called universal printing. In the middle and late 20th century, screen printing has developed rapidly. This is mainly manifested in the high quality of screen printing materials, the automation of printing equipment, the updating of the technology, and the prepress processing system, color desktop publishing system, and digital computer plate making. The use of computer technologies such as electronic imaging has gradually evolved into a modern screen printing technology that goes hand in hand with flexographic, offset, and gravure printing. The emergence of composite printing technology has expanded the scope of development for screen printing. Due to the special nature of screen printing, it can make up for some deficiencies in other printing methods, and the effective combination with other printing methods can achieve the purpose of improving the printing quality, increasing the decoration and artistic effects, and making the printed materials unique. In combination printing, screen printing mainly undertakes the following functions: to increase the attractiveness of printed products. In the use of air-through effect design, the need to use very strong colors or light-emitting ink, etc.; need to appear on the cigarette pack or cosmetic packaging, embossing, frosted and other effects; use of optical variable temperature screen printing ink, to increase the price of tickets, trademarks Anti-counterfeiting features. In addition, screen printing combined with other printing methods can also print labels used in harsh environments, such as battery labels, paint labels, etc.; printing products that need to emphasize product branding and labeling, such as drug labeling, injection labeling, etc. Printing packaging that needs to obtain metallic effects such as gold and silver, packaging that prints simple and elegant decorative effects, such as using screen printing to print large-area field and anti-white characters, and no longer print fine text; printing and scratching prizes, Such as various types of lottery and other securities.
Third, screen printing in package printing
Combined printing includes different printing methods, which together with other processing processes realize the purpose of value-added printing. Mr. Steve Leibin, Sales Manager at M ati kNorth America, listed three requirements for packaging prints: higher print quality; better display appearance; and “unlabeled†appearance of the product, reverse printing, or use of metal. / Fluorescent label requirements. Leibin believes that printers combine the unique advantages of each printing method to provide a stronger visual impact on label prints. For example, screen printing can provide higher ink hiding power and higher than flexo printing. Color Intensity; Using screen printing, a printing plant can remove solid white pigments on transparent white adhesive materials; using gravure printing, printers can apply special effects such as heavy metal or fluorescent inks, bright oils, or thermal inks.
At present, in the combined printing, the combined application of screen printing and other printing methods mainly includes a combination of screen printing and flexographic printing, a combination of screen printing and offset printing, and a combination of screen printing and digital printing.
1. Combination of screen printing and flexo printing
In the combined process of flexo printing and screen printing, the screen printing has unique advantages such as thick printing ink layer and adjustable ink layer, thus making up for the effect of flexographic printing. At present, the combination of rotary screen printing units with high printing precision and flexible printing presses has played an important role in the field of packaging security printing. The combination of rotary screen printing and flexo printing has the following features.
1 Increased print product quality and creativity and enhanced product appeal. If you need a more expressive product, you can achieve the desired effect by adopting the air-through effect design, and then using thick colors or light-emitting inks; apply to exquisite packaging, decoration and printing, and use it in cigarette packs, medicines, cosmetics and other products On the packaging, the effect of embossing, matte, etc. can be displayed through technical processing.
2 Can print large areas of the field and anti-white characters. With the use of light change, temperature change screen printing ink, you can also improve the ticket, high-grade trademark security features.
3 can get gold, silver and other metal effects on the substrate. Such as the cover of books and magazines, exquisite greeting cards, etc.
4 The use of this combination printing method to print specific signs (such as the blind, etc.) can be used to achieve ideal results. Combining stamping, screen printing, and flexo printing with stamping, die-cutting, and other processes to form a streamline for label printing production can achieve multiple effects on the same product, and rapidly increase the quality of printed products. This combination printing method is simple and economical. From the perspective of domestic and foreign market demands, this combination printing method will have a good development prospect in the label printing industry.
2. The combination of screen printing and offset printing has a thick, ink-filled ink layer that also provides advantages for offset printing in combination printing. The white ink surface after screen printing, like the surface of the white printed material, can be easily printed on the surface using offset printing to present a high-quality printing effect. The combination of offset printing and screen printing is the preferred process for many high-end packagings, especially fine packs, and even meets the demand for printing high-end labels. In the combination process of screen printing and offset printing, the use of screen printing ink thick and uniform advantages, can print a large area of ​​solid color; and use offset printing pressure flat strength, printing four colors and complex lines, which can be obvious Improve printing quality, and effectively enhance security. The combination of offset printing and screen printing can display artistic creative effects such as frosted, icy, crystal, wrinkle, and refraction. It is the preferred process for many high-end packagings, especially specialty cigarette packs and certain products (such as securities). In addition, the combination of offset printing and screen printing can even be applied in aluminum printing. The combination of offset printing and screen printing can create high profits for enterprises and is therefore very popular and rapidly developed.
3. The combination of screen printing and digital printing
Digital printing saves resources, saves costs, has a short business cycle, and has high operational efficiency. It can also deepen the level of intimacy with customers and is the backbone of printing development at home and abroad. Since the birth of digital printing, it has been known as “the number is variable, information is variable, and one copy can be printedâ€. Digital printing is required for various printing needs such as on-demand printing, variable data printing, and personalized image copying. The application space is rapidly expanding.
Screen printing is versatile and can be printed on almost all kinds of substrates. The depth and flexibility of color is unmatched by digital printing. The combination of digital printing and screen printing can just make up for this defect. At the same time, it can effectively solve the problems of centralized screen printing, tight delivery time, and further expand the space for digital printing and screen printing.
Conclusion
From the perspective of domestic and foreign market demands and the current situation of the packaging and printing industry, the combination of screen printing and flexo printing, the combination of screen printing and flexo and embossing, offset printing and screen printing, and combination of embossing and screen printing are currently And in the future, a more economical combination printing method, screen printing in which it occupies a crucial auxiliary role. There are many technical problems and material problems in the combined printing technology that need to be further explored and improved. With the increasingly individualized and diversified packaging and printing products, the combination printing will be widely used in the packaging and printing industry.
Zhang Xiaolin Screen Printing-2006 No.7