What Is Offset Printing?

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<h1>What Is Offset Printing?</h1><strong> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Bill Kozak.aspx'>Bill Kozak</a></strong><br /><p>Offset printing has essentially been around since printing was invented by Gutenberg. The term describes what happens when an image is transferred from one substance and onto another before being put on paper or any other form of substrate. The most popular form of offset printing is lithography, and today the term “offset printing” and lithography are almost synonymous. Lithography utilizes the offset printing method by using ink and water to reproduce images. A printing plate that is hydrophilic, or water loving, will attract water. However some parts of the printing plate will be sensitized, or made oleophillic. These parts of the plate will repel water and hence attract oil based products such as ink. The ink then transfers, or offsets to a thin rubber layer called a blanket. The blanket will then transfer the image to the sheet of paper. Offset printing is the most common form of printing in the world. It accounts for more than 80% of all printed material and is used to print most daily newspapers and flyers. Contributing to its popularity is the fact that it is the fastest form of printing currently known and able to produce magazines and flyers at over 100,000 per hour. The two main forms of offset printing are web and sheetfed presses. Web presses run with rolls that are produced by a paper mill for mass production. They can weigh up to two tons. These presses are the fastest, but most wasteful. They can produce high quality color printing and the cheapest price if printed in mass quantities. Sheetfed presses are somewhat slower but have the ability to produce slightly higher quality. They are also more practical for shorter runs since they waste less. Offset printing has come under fire from digital printing. While offset printing can give consumers mass amounts for a cheaper price, digital printing is capable of producing customized products, even different for every printed piece. Moreover it is capable of providing quick turnaround times. This industry continues to take market share from the offset printing market and is forcing offset printing presses to become more efficient to survive. Additionally, offset printing requires much more skill and personnel and so is only profitable on longer print runs. Environmental concerns also plague the industry. The heat used to dry heatset web presses evaporate solvents from the ink and send them into the atmosphere. Regulations in most countries requires pollution control to curb the amount of chemicals released into the atmosphere. Tighter environmental laws continue to be another pressure on the offset printing industry. In conclusion, it can be said that offset printing is a form of printing that is here to stay. Though it has lost market share, it continues to be the most popular form of printing in the world. Its various forms will continue to evolve in order to be competitive with emerging technologies. </p><strong>About the Author:</strong><br />Bill Kozak is a <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.printingpressman.com">pressman</a> who works in the printing industry. He teaches basic skills about what <a rel="nofollow" href="http://offsetpressman.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-is-offset-printing.html">offset printing</a> is as well as advanced courses in troubleshooting offset printing equipment.<p> Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_What-Is-Offset-Printing_65998.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_What Is Offset Printing?_65998.aspx</a></p>

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