Chapter 2. Custom Packaging Printing Types

Before you go on and learn about packaging, you should also have an idea of different types of printing. Using different printing methods can impact your packaging design and the end product you get. You can read about six of the most common printing types for packaging and other needs.

• Offset Printing
• Rotary Screen
• Gravure
• Screen Printing
• Flexographic
• Digital

These printing types can transform how you create packaging labels for your products. Using these custom packaging and printing methods for small businesses and big corporations works perfectly.

Top Printing Types And Their Benefits

Offset Printing

Offset printing is one of the best ways you can use for your packaging prints. It allows you to get high-quality images and does not cost as much as other printing types. In addition, you can use it for high-volume jobs.

This type of printing is amazing because of its ability to work for different surface types. Moreover, you can use these plates to save time and money.

How To Do Offset Printing?

• You can do offset printing with three different cylinders that work for this process.
• The first one is a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder, and an impression cylinder.
• The process starts with plate cylinders that come into contact with moistening rollers. Then, inking rollers work to bring moisture to the metal granulations.
• Then, you can make inking rollers go and pass over the plate, which makes the ink reject. So, you get it to the greasy image, and this is how you can transfer the image you want to print.
• The image is transferred to the paper that moves around your machine’s impression cylinder.This process is easy if you have the right skills to understand the process. The better you know how to print, the more impressively you can follow the right packaging guidelines. Offset printing is one of the top custom packaging printing types that exist in the industry.

Screen Printing

Screen printing is the second one we are going to discuss as it is famous for the different benefits it can provide. Using it can make your life easier in many ways, so here we go:

• You can use it for 3D effects on white paper.
• Perfect for flexibility as it allows printing on wood, glass, fabric, and many other materials.
• It works with both hands and with machines.
• You can use multiple types of inks, like discharge and water-based inks.
• Screen printing works well by being strong against sunlight and temperature fluctuations.
• The shape or size of the material you use it on does not impact the printing outcomes.
• Moreover, it works well with its sticking power for materials.
• Using this method of printing is easier than many other types.
• It is a great choice if you need a long-lasting printing job.
• You can try this method to get better results with fewer bucks spent, as it is quite a better investment with better economic results.

How To Do Screen Printing

Creating a screen printing product happens with 7 simple steps:

• First, you can start as a printer by printing a design on our acetate film.
• In the next step, you choose a mesh screen that suits the design, and the screen is coated with emulsion.
• Next, you expose your screen to light and harden the emulsion leaving the covered parts as it is.
• Then, you can print other colors to design stencils.
• Then, you can remove the emulsion part that did not get hard.
• You can put the material on the printing board and then print.
• The screen is taken down on the board, and you can add it to the screen and press. You can raise the screen to create more items and repeat the process. Once the print is done, you can remove it with a fluid.
• The last step will be to pass it through a drying process that creates the end product.

Rotary Screen

Rotary screen printing provides benefits that many others may not offer. So, you can try it for:

• It offers you the benefit of continuous printing.
• Moreover, it works well to provide great productivity.
• You can use it to provide exact printing for multicolored patterns.

One of its disadvantages is that it does not work as an economical production type.

Gravure Printing

It works perfectly well to create big volumes and high-speed productions. The inks used in this printing process are fast drying. Also, you can use it or same-tone images.
Moreover, your labor costs go down with this method too.

Digital Printing

Digital printing can be a choice due to its enormous benefits. So, this section is to offer information about digital printing in packaging benefits like:

• You do not have to worry about the delivery time it offers as it works perfectly fine for orders that are medium level in size.
• It offers a huge range of color options and different effects for image production.
• Digital printing works perfectly for one-time and smaller volumes.
• You can use it with less money spent on smaller projects.
• Starting its production is easier and quicker.
• Its effects work well for various customer needs for printed products.
• It is one of the easiest printing methods that exist today.
• Using this method reduces your chances of causing environmental issues due to less ink waste.

These benefits improve your results for digital printing in packaging and get you more sales and a better brand image.

Flexographic Printing

Flexographic printing is another way you can use it for great results.

• Flexographic printing goes for almost all types of printing surfaces, making it an easier process.
• Using this printing method improves your ability to create high-quality images.
• It has lower labor, process, and plate costs, reducing the overall costs.
• This type works immensely well for speed processes.
• It works for all types, like water-based, UV-curable, and solvent-based inks.
• At the same time, it is more eco-friendly than many other printing processes.