Printing techniques are crucial in determining the suitable and perfect graphical designs of packaging material. When choosing the proper technique for printing, there are ways to maximize it to improve the quality of your brand. Here’s a breakdown of the most popular printing methods used in packaging:
Offset Printing
Lithographic printing, commonly referred to as offset printing, uses plates to take an image in ink. The image is then transferred to a rubber blanket before it is transferred to the packaging material surface. It is suitable for high-end vocational full-color printing results in one pass and provides great image definition. It is applied for detailed designs and logos.
Advantages:
– Exceptional color accuracy
– Sharp, detailed images
– Relatively cheap for large-scale production.
– A very high degree of consistency in different printings.
Applications:
– Custom retail packaging
– Rigid boxes
– Paper bags
– Luxury packaging
Mostly, offset printing is preferred where marketing plays an important role and packaging needs to appear high-end.
Digital Printing
Digital printing is a recent technique that transfers digitally stored data from a file onto the packaging surface. Therefore, it does not employ print plates and is more efficient, especially for short or small runs or customized packaging. As such, it fits well for small-scale projects where time is of the essence and comes with high flexibility. Since the digitization of the world, iot has become a widely used technique.
Advantages:
– Quick turnaround times
– Most appropriate for short runs or small-scale printing
– Low cost
– Eliminates the need for setup costs as well as the requirement for the use of printing plates
Applications:
– Mailer boxes
– Gift packaging
– Small promotional runs
– Variable data printing or information printing includes using individual names or bar codes.
Flexographic Printing
Flexographic printing is a highly diverse printing process that employs flexible plates to print on plastic, film, cartons, and many other substrates. This method is deemed suitable for mass production since it provides high speed and great quality.
Advantages:
– Fast, high-volume production
– It can print on various materials ranging from paper to cloth, metals, plastics, leather, and glass,
– Continuous pattern and ample area coverage
Applications:
– Food packaging
– Plastic bags
– Corrugated boxes
– Label printing
It has the ability to print on non-porous materials which makes it a go-to method for food packaging.
Screen Printing
Screen printing, also called silk screen printing, is in which ink is forced through the screen from a stencil or a mesh onto the packaging material. This is especially effective with bold graphics, and the brightness of the color can be used on flat and curved designs.
Advantages:
– The first one is the thick ink deposit technique used to achieve rich and opaque colors.
– Durable, long-lasting prints
– In its turn, the conveyor is suitable for various types of material.
Applications:
– Custom bottles
– Apparel packaging
– Promotional products
– T-shirts and tote bags
Gravure Printing
Gravure printing is a delicate art intaglio printing process in which the image is etched into a cylinder, and the recessed areas are filled with ink.This method offers excellent detail and clear photos and is therefore suitable for long-run, high-volume jobs requiring high-quality images.
Advantages:
– Fine reproduction or high-contrast image resolution
– Perfect for engravings and highlighting
– Of great use when there are a whole lot of prints that need to be made.
Applications:
– Luxury packaging
– Magazines and catalogs
– For the top of the labels and wrappers
UV Printing
UV printing is one of the most recent printing technologies. It employs ultraviolet light to dry or cure the ink simultaneously as it is being printed. This leads to the use of bright colors and a tough layer, which in turn gives the surface resistance to wear out. Appearing best for special packaging is very appropriate, particularly in situations where the surface cannot absorb ink, such as plastic or metal.
Advantages:
– Smoothness and quick disappearance of a film on the surface and high wear resistance.
– Ability to print on nonporous media
– Glossy, vibrant finishes
Applications:
– buckets, cans, tins, bottles of various sorts, polythene, polyvinyl chloride, glass, containers, and tubes.
– Premium gift boxes
– Shiny surface or stained surface
We at custom boxes provide all kinds of printing along with customized packaging. Reach out to us for more details.