In today's world, more and more tasks can be performed by a computer and devices that are directly connected to it. This even applies to printing - since the advent of color printing, other methods have begun to lose their relevance. However, this does not mean that the color printer is now responsible for all newspapers and magazines - in fact, everything is far from being so simple. Offset plates can still be found everywhere, so do not write off offset printing. It is still incredibly popular for a number of pretty good reasons. So, if you are interested in learning about offset printing, offset plates and everything connected with them, then this article is for you.
What is this?
Before embarking on a detailed consideration of what offset plates are, it is necessary to look at this type of printing as a whole. With its help, most newspapers, magazines, and many other color publications are still created. The name of this type suggests that the work is done without contact between the printing plate and the printed material. This is where offset plates come into play, making this approach possible.
How does it work?
The process of offset printing is quite simple - as you already understood, the form and material do not contact each other - between them there is a series of shafts made of offset plates. Each of them performs its function. Most often there are two of them - one is responsible for the form, and the other for the image. The ink from the printing plate is first transferred to one shaft, then to another, and from there it ends up on the final material.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantage of this method is the high quality of the end result - not a single modern color printer can yet bypass offset printing in quality. Secondly, it gives you a virtually limitless choice of materials to work with, as well as giving you the widest possible post-press options for perfect results. Thirdly, this type is used in order to produce a large circulation of materials in a fairly short time - color printers will not be able to work at such a speed when it comes to hundreds of thousands of copies. And, of course, it is worth noting that with large print runs, the total price is significantly reduced.
But, of course, it is not without flaws. The most important of these is the need for post-press processing. This includes color separations, color balancing, and more - all the things you don't have to do if you're using regular computer printing that gives you the finished material. Naturally, all these processing steps make the quality of the material an order of magnitude higher, but they alsomake it impossible to make quick orders, while color printing on a computer can take no more than an hour for small volumes. Secondly, the issue of profitability has a downside - the complexity of the offset version process makes it incredibly profitable for large runs and at the same time extremely disadvantageous for small ones. As you can see, offset printing has both advantages and disadvantages, and in some cases it can be useless and at a loss, while in other situations it will be an ideal solution.
Offset plates and their production
It's time to talk about something without which offset printing would be impossible - offset plates. It is because of them that the cost of the process is so high - they make it unprofitable for small runs, but very profitable for large ones. After all, each of them is made separately. The production of offset plates is a complex process. For their manufacture, various non-ferrous metals are used, which are eventually rolled into finished products used for further printing.
The complexity of the process lies in the fact that the plate goes through numerous stages of development before being sent to the customer. First, it is cleaned of any impurities, then grained in a special acid, through which an electric current is later conducted, which prepares the plate for further work in printing, endowing it with all the necessary properties. Naturally, these are not all stages of production -Offset plates are time consuming to produce, but high quality materials are produced that provide the highest level of color printing.
Bending
In order to use offset plates in printing, it is necessary to bend their edges in order to obtain the desired shaft of a suitable diameter. For this, there are special machines on which offset plates are bent. This is a very important step, because you have to work with incredibly detailed material - no damage can be done to it, so that it will not be reflected in the print. Therefore, bending should always be carried out on high-quality machines by first-class specialists.
What to do next?
However, it should be understood that offset plates are not reusable material - they are suitable for the production of one print run, after which they have to be disposed of. This is one of the reasons why the cost of this type of printing is high and making short runs is therefore not cost effective. Given the fact that they are made from non-ferrous metals, used offset plates should not be thrown away, but recycled - this way you will do a service to nature and be able to return part of the money spent.
