Gravure printing is an automated process used for high-volume print jobs, such as magazines and food packaging. It involves engraving cylinders with images and using low viscosity inks to produce intense colors. Gravure cylinders are expensive but can produce a high amount of impressions without degradation. The process is commonly used for ribbons or rolls of paper and has been historically used for printing photographs on newspapers.
The gravure printing process is a modern type of automated gravure procedure used to print commercial materials such as wrapping paper, magazines, greeting cards, catalogues, newspaper advertising inserts, and food packaging. Typically, a gravure press comprises several smaller units for each color in the printing process: magenta, black, cyan, and yellow. Each unit contains a rubber coated impression cylinder and engraving cylinder which is pre-engraved with an image, with deeper engraving areas producing more intense colors in the final product. A gravure cylinder is rotated in an ink bath while excess ink is removed using a flexible doctor blade. The residual ink is then immediately transferred directly onto the surface to be printed, using the force of the printing cylinder.
The inks used in the gravure printing process are low viscosity and extremely fluid. The printed substrate should be run through an electric or gas dryer between each application of separate colours. This is necessary so that previously printed layers do not fade or become dirty when the next layer is applied.
Also known as gravure, the gravure printing process is typically used for high-volume or long-running print jobs. This type of press is usually custom made for specific product applications. The gravure cylinder is often made of copper-plated steel with a light-sensitive coating. Historically, cylinders were chemically etched or etched with a diamond-quality stylus; in modern times, they are mostly laser engraved. While significantly more expensive than other types of printing processes, gravure cylinders are known for their ability to produce a high amount of impressions without exhibiting significant image degradation.
Although sheet-fed gravure presses are occasionally used for special jobs, it is more common for the gravure printing process to involve ribbons or rolls of paper or other substrates. A sheet-fed press is likely to be used for the reproduction of high quality photographs or other visual arts. Both types of gravure printing process consistently offer a wide range of densities which results in light and shadow detail in the printed image.
Gravure printing has long been used to print photographs on newspapers. Between 1930 and 1970, it was customary for newspapers to print separate Sunday sections with captioned gravure photographs. A 1932 Gallup poll determined that gravures or “rotos,” as they were sometimes called, attracted a larger audience than other newspaper sections, making these sections highly desirable to advertisers.
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