Printing ink

Printing ink fluid suspension thin film

substrate (Drying process) adhesion
substrate paint pigment transparency
( organic pigment)
paint
- Pigment
- Film former
- Liquid medium
printing ink Paste ink
solvent content Liquid ink
Letterpress Lithographic ink
paste ink Gravure Flexographic liquid ink
Printing process
5

1. Lithography printing
2. Flexography printing
3. Gravure printing
4. Letterpress
5. Screen printing
4 Printing plate (carry the image) substrate
plate (flat)
continuous printing plate 2 physical area area
image or printing area non-image or non-printing area
(Relief printing) letterpress flexographic processes
image area printing plate non-image area
Gravure printing
lithographic image area
non-image area area
printing plate (Engraving process)
(Photographic method)
screen printing nonimage area film crosslink

 direct method Gravure, flexographic,

letterpress Screen printing
offset printing lithographic printing
image image carrier intermediate cylinder
substrate
computer
computer ink-jet printing toner printing
The offset lithographic process

image area non-image area printing plate
2 ( highly polar solvent) viscous printing ink (based on a
non-polar resin system) 2 Plate chemical
treatment non-image area hydrophilic attract
solvent hydrophobic image area
hydrophobic character 1

Figure 1 Surface interaction on a lithographic printing paste

Figure 2 Offset lithographic prinitng

offset lithographic 2
( fountain solution) plate cylinder fountain solution
water-soluble additive film forming agent,
desensitiser, buffer biocides. film water-

accepting area inked roller

printing roller roller
offset
Lithography paste pressure
high-speed
operation printing plate
simple photographic process

Flexographic process
3 letterpress flexible material rubber metal cylinder
flexible surface
(non-adsorbent substrate) plastic film, metal foils
non-adsorbent paper 3 inking unit, plate
cylinder impression cylinder plate cylinder
impression cylinder solvent
alcohol, ester ether
organic solvent medium
water-base
solvent

Figure 3 Flexographic printing

Gravure process
4
doctor blade non-image
area cylinder printing cylinder impression
cylinder high solvent content ink
attract capillary action

 Long running printing

stamp, mail-order catalogue travel brochure adsorbent
substrate board packaging material ( plastic
flexographic )

Figure 4 Gravure printing

Letterpress process
flexograhic 5
applied roller printing plate film
image area contact inked surface pressure
surface high viscosity
lithographic adhesion plate surface spreading
pressure
short-run printing

Figure 5 Letterpress printing

 1
Table 1 A summary of the main features of the four traditional printing processes.

Printing process Nature of image area Ink transfer method Ink viscosity
plane
offset
High (paste)
Lithography
raised
direct
Low (liquid)
Flexography
recessed
direct
Low (liquid)
Gravure
raised
direct
High (paste)
Letterpress
Screen printing
stencilling process screen
silk screen printing silk
mesh flat screen
printing squeegee blade
continuous production rotary-screen printing
cylindrical screen stationary squeegee screen printing
design adhere
textile thick film, sticker
computer
2
- Ink-jet printing
- Toner printing (laser and photocopying)
4
Electronic colorant
2 electronical control rheological control
Film formation of printing ink
painting (drying process)
- Printing ink drying without chemical reaction
- Printing ink drying with chemical reaction
2
1) Adsorption penetrate capillary
action supplied pressure weathering fastness

2) Evaporation film linear polymer

cellulose-nitrate acrylic polymer

 solvent alcohol, ether etheralcohol water-based system

weathering fastness
drying with chemical reaction
organic peroxide UV-curing benzophenone radical initiator
3
- Adsorption mechanism (penetrated liquid)
- Evaporate for higher viscosity
- Crosslinking for film setting
crosslink printing ink
painting oxygen