3.
0 Gravure Printing
Applications - Process Overview - Inks - Press Design and Equipment
3.1 Applications:
Typical gravure printed products include:
i. Food packaging
ii. Wall paper
iii. Wrapping paper
iv. Furniture laminates
v. Paneling
vi. Greeting cards
vii. Magazines
3.2 Process Overview
3.2.1 Diagram of Image Carriers Used in Printing Processes
Gravure printing is characteristically used for long run, high quality printing producing a sharp, fine
image. The number of gravure printing plants in the U.S. is significantly lower than other printing
processes. This is due, in part, to the cost of presses and components. While a lithographic press will
cost in the range of $100,000 the cost of gravure press will be in the range of $1 million. Additionally a
single gravure cylinder will cost around $5000 versus around $15 for a lithographic plate. Additionally,
the gravure cylinder has a long service life and will yield a very large number of impressions without
degradation.
The gravure process has its origins in the early seventeenth century when the intaglio printing process
was developed to replace woodcuts in illustrating the best books of the time. In early intaglio printing,
illustrations were etched on metal, inked, and pressed on paper. Gravure, still also known as intaglio
printing, makes use of the ability of ink to adhere to a slight scratch or depression on a polished metal
plate.
Currently, the dominant gravure printing process, referred to as rotogravure, employs web presses
equipped with a cylindrical plates (image carrier). A number of other types of gravure presses are
currently in use. Rotary sheet-fed gravure presses are used when high quality pictorial impressions
are required. They find limited use, primarily in Europe. Intaglio plate printing presses are used in
certain specialty applications such as printing currency and in fine arts printing. Offset gravure
presses are used for printing substrates with irregular surfaces or on films and plastics.
Today almost all gravure printing is done using engraved copper cylinders protected from wear by the
application of a thin electroplate of chromium. The cylinders (image carrier) used in rotogravure
printing can be from three inches in diameter by two inch wide to three feet in diameter by 20 feet
wide. Publication presses are from six to eight feet wide while presses used for printing packaging
rarely exceed five feet. in width. Product gravure presses show great variation in size, ranging from
presses with cylinders two inches wide, designed to print wood grain edge trim, to cylinders 20 feet
wide, designed to print paper towels. The basics of Gravure printing is a fairly simple process which
consists of a printing cylinder, a rubber covered impression roll, an ink fountain, a doctor blade, and a
means of drying the ink.
3.2.2 Gravure Process Flow Diagram
Gravure printing is an example of intaglio printing. It uses a depressed or sunken surface for the
image. The image areas consist of honey comb shaped cells or wells that are etched or engraved into
a copper cylinder. The unetched areas of the cylinder represent the non-image or unprinted areas.
The cylinder rotates in a bath of ink called the ink pan.
As the cylinder turns, the excess ink is wiped off the cylinder by a flexible steel doctor blade. The ink
remaining in the recessed cells forms the image by direct transfer to the substrate (paper or other
material) as it passes between the plate cylinder and the impression cylinder.
The major unit operations in a gravure printing operation are:
o Image preparation
o Cylinder preparation
o Printing
o Finishing
3.2.3 Gravure Inks - Solvent Based, Water Based
Gravure inks are fluid inks with a very low viscosity that allows them to be drawn into the engraved
cells in the cylinder then transferred onto the substrate. In order to dry the ink and drive off the
solvents or water, which essentially replaces most of the solvent, the paper is run through Gas fired or
electric fired driers. The ink will dry before the paper reaches the next printing station on the press.
This is necessary because wet inks cannot be overprinted without smearing and smudging.
Therefore, high volume air dryers are placed after each printing station.
The solvent-laden air from the dryers is passed through either a solvent recovery system or solvent
vapor incinerator. A typical recovery system uses beds of activated carbon to absorb the solvent.
Saturated beds are regenerated by steam. The solvent laden steam is then condensed and the water
and solvent separate by gravity. Greater than 95 percent of the ink solvents can be recovered using
this process (Buonicore). The solvents can either be reused or destroyed by incineration.
Water based inks, especially used for packaging and product gravure, require a higher temperature
and longer drier exposure time in order to drive off the water and lower vapor pressure constituents.
As mentioned subsequent sections, Flexo and Gravure inks are very similar and the constituents are
essentially the same. Again, a pollution control device may be needed.
3.2.4 Gravure Press Design and Equipment
Web-fed gravure presses account for almost all publication, packaging, and product gravure printing.
These presses are generally custom manufactured machines designed for a specific range of
products. The typical press is highly automated and consists of multiple print units. The printing
mechanism in a rotogravure press consists of a gravure cylinder and a smaller, rubber clad
impression cylinder.
Other types of gravure presses in commercial use today are sheet-fed, intaglio plate, and offset
gravure. These types of presses are used primarily for special printing applications.
3.3 WEB FED GRAVURE
There are several types of web presses used in gravure printing, including publication presses,
packaging presses, product presses, label presses, and folding carton presses. The printing process
is basically the same regardless of which press is used.
(A) PUBLICATION GRAVURE
Publication gravure is used primarily for very long press runs required to print mass-circulation
periodicals, directories, inserts, and catalogs. Publication gravure maintains a competitive edge in the
printing of mass-circulation magazines because the process offers high speed, high quality four color
illustrations on less expensive paper, variable cut-off lengths, and flexible folding equipment. These
presses can have as many as ten printing stations - four for color and one for monochrome text and
illustration in each direction so that both sides of the web can be printed in one non-stop operation.
They can handle web widths of up to 125 inches and are equipped to print most large format
publications in circulation today. Publication gravure presses can also be fitted with cylinders of
differing diameters to accommodate varying page sizes.
The major types of chemicals used in publication gravure include adhesives, metal plating solutions,
inks, and cleaning solvents. In terms of chemicals, publication gravure differs from packaging and
product gravure primarily in its heavy reliance on toluene-based ink (GATF 1992b). The publication
gravure industry has had little success with water-based inks (Buonicore). The industry has found that
in publication gravure where the substrate is always paper stock, water-based inks have not been
capable of printing commercially acceptable quality productions runs of 2,000 to 3,000 feet per
minute.
(B)PACKAGING GRAVURE
Packaging rotogravure presses are used for printing folding cartons as well as a variety of other
flexible packaging materials. In addition to printing, packaging gravure presses are equipped to fold,
cut, and crease paper boxes in a continuous process. Packages are usually printed on only one side,
so the number of print stations is usually about half that required for publication gravure presses.
However, in addition to printing stations for the four basic colors, packaging gravure presses may
employ printing stations for the application of metallic inks and varnishes as well as laminating
stations designed to apply foils to the paper substrate prior to printing.
Packaging gravure presses are designed with the accurate cutting and creasing needs of the
packaging material in mind. However, image quality is generally less important in packaging printing
than in most other types of printing and, subsequently, receives less emphasis.
The chemicals used in packaging gravure are similar to those used in publication gravure. However,
the inks used in packaging gravure are largely alcohol- and not toluene-based (GATF 1992b). Water-
based inks are being successfully used for lower quality, non-process printing on paper and
paperboard packaging and for printing on non-absorbent packaging substrates such as plastics,
aluminum, and laminates (Tyszka 1993). Use of water-based inks is expected to increase; however,
problems still limit their use at press speeds above 1,000 feet per minute (Buonicore).
(C) PRODUCT GRAVURE
The continuous printing surface found on gravure press cylinders provides the "repeat" required to
print the continuous patterns found on textiles and a variety of other products. In the textile industry, a
gravure heat transfer process using subliming dyes is used to print images on paper. These images
are then transferred from the paper to a fabric (usually polyester) through a combination of heat and
pressure. The gravure process is also used to print continuous patterns on wallboard, wallpaper, floor
coverings, and plastics.
The chemicals used in product gravure are similar to those used in both publication and packaging
gravure. However, product gravure uses both water- and solvent-based inks (GATF 1992b). The
industry has used water-based inks successfully on medium-weight papers and on nonabsorbent
substrates such as plastics, aluminum, and laminates (Tyszka 1993). However, problems such as
paper distortion and curl persist with lightweight papers (Buonicore).
3.3.1 Image Preparation
Image preparation begins with camera-ready (mechanical) art/copy or electronically produced art
supplied by the customer. Images are captured for printing by camera, scanner, or computer.
Components of the image are manually assembled and positioned in a printing flat when a camera is
used. This process is called stripping. When art/copy is scanned or digitally captured, the image is
assembled by the computer with special software. A proof is prepared to check for position and
accuracy. When color is involved, a color proof is submitted to the customer for approval.
3.3.2 Cylinder Preparation
The gravure cylinder is composed of a steel or aluminum base, is copper plated and then polished to
a predetermined diameter. Precise diameter of gravure cylinders in a set is critical. Any variances in
diameter, as little as 2 thousandths of an inch can significantly affect the print registration. These
cylinders are extremely sensitive to scratches and abrasions. Extreme care is taken when handling
and storing the cylinders.
Because copper is so soft the image areas quickly wear. Cylinders that are used for press runs of a
million impressions or more are chromium plated. Some gravure printers "Double Chrome" cylinders
in order to run them even longer. When the chromium begins to wear or the image is no lit is stripped
off and the cylinder is re-chromed. This is much cheaper (and environmentally responsible) than
etching a new cylinder. Once the cylinder has degraded or the image is no longer needed the image
can be stripped off and the base cylinder can be reused for other printing jobs unlike other printing
processes.
a) Gravure Cylinder Imaging:
o Chemical Etching
o Electromechanically Engraved
o Direct Digital Engraving.
There are three processes used for making gravure cylinders. The first is for conventional gravure
using chemical etching that produces cells of the same size or area with varying depths. The second
is Electromechanically engraved cylinders.
In electromechanically engraved cylinder making, the image or copy is wrapped around a scanning
cylinder. The scanning head moves across the scanning cylinder which sends impulses to a
computer. The computer signals a pneumatic head, which contains a diamond stylus, when and
where to make a cell in the copper cylinder. The diamond stylus cuts an inverted pyramid shaped cell
into the copper cylinder. Engraved cells may be up to 200 microns wide and up to 50 microns deep.
Chemical etching is hardly used now, but the process involves applying iron chloride solution of
varying strengths over carbon tissue that has been sensitized to light by submerging it in a bath of
potassium bichromate and water. The carbon tissue is a water-sensitive, fibrous paper that has been
coated with a smooth gelatin resist.
In summary the gelatin resist is made to adhere to the cylinder. The cylinder is then exposed to UV
light to harden the gelatin resist and then rinsed with plain water. Finally the etching technician applies
the ferric chloride etchant which creates the printing cells on the cylinder.
Electromechanically engraved cells hold a lot less ink, yet print quality is equal to or better than
chemically etched cylinders. In fact, an Electromechanically engraved cell holds approximately 30%
less ink than a chemically engraved cell.
Recently direct digital engraving has become widespread. With this process the image can be created
and manipulated using an image handling computer. Therefore, the steps of creating, copying, and
rescanning film, and the loss of quality inherent in these steps, can be avoided (GAA 1991).
3.4 WEB GRAVURE PRINTING
3.4.1 The Doctor Blade and Impression Cylinder
The doctor blade is a simple device used to shear the ink from the surface of the plate cylinder.
Pressure is applied to the doctor blade to assure uniform contact along the length of the cylinder. The
blades must be angled to cut the surface of the ink, but pressure and angle must be carefully adjusted
to prevent premature wear on the cylinder. The doctor blade also oscillates back and forth to prevent
a flat surface being worn into the cylinder.
The rubber coated impression roll brings the substrate in contact with the engraved cylinder resulting
in proper ink transfer. The impression roll also acts to adjust the tension between print units and helps
move the substrate through the press.
The impression roll is made of a tubular sleeve coated with a rubber compound. The cover material is
determined by the press conditions. Typically the coating is made of natural rubber, neoprene, nitrile
or polyurethane. These impression rolls are typically purchased from an outside vendor rather than
made on site.
3.5 SHEET-FED GRAVURE
3.5.1 Applications:
Sheet-fed gravure is used when very high quality impressions are required. Uses include the
production of pictorial impressions for art books and posters and short runs of high quality packaging
material such as cosmetics cartons. Sheet-fed gravure presses are also used for overall coating of
products printed by sheet-fed offset to provide high brilliancy to the printed sheet and for the
application of metallic inks that cannot be applied by the offset method. Additionally, sheet-fed gravure
presses are used to produce proof copies prior to large rotogravure runs (GAA 1991).
Intaglio plate printing is used to produce stamps, currency, bank notes, securities, and stationary
items such as invitations and business cards. It is also used for fine arts printing. Most intaglio plate
presses use gravure printing cylinders. However, a flat gravure plate is used for fine arts printing.
Intaglio plate printing presses differ from other gravure presses primarily in the inking system which is
designed to handle thick paste-like ink (GAA 1991).
Another type of offset gravure press, the flexo-gravure press, is currently used for printing clear film
overwraps for paper towels and tissues as well as high quality plastic shopping bags. A flexo-gravure
press is a flexographic press on which the anilox roller has been replaced by a gravure printing
cylinder (GAA 1991).
3.5.2 Process Overview
The sheet-fed gravure press differs from the web-fed press primarily in that paper is delivered to the
press as pre-cut sheets instead of a continuous web. The printing mechanism in a typical sheet-fed
gravure press consists of a gravure cylinder and an impression cylinder of the same size. The plate
itself is a flexible metal sheet wrapped around a carrier cylinder equipped with a gripper to hold the
plate in place during printing.
The offset gravure press is a standard gravure unit to which a rubber-covered transfer roller has been
added. The image to be printed is transferred from the gravure printing cylinder to the roller. The
transfer roller then prints the image on the substrate.
The gravure process has its origins in the early seventeenth century when the intaglio printing process
was developed to replace woodcuts in illustrating the best books of the time. In early intaglio printing,
illustrations were etched on metal, inked, and pressed on paper. Gravure, still also known as intaglio
printing, makes use of the ability of ink to adhere to a slight scratch or depression on a polished metal
plate.
Currently, the dominant gravure printing process, referred to as rotogravure, employs web presses
equipped with a cylindrical plates (image carrier). A number of other types of gravure presses are
currently in use. Rotary sheet-fed gravure presses are used when high quality pictorial impressions
are required. They find limited use, primarily in Europe. Intaglio plate printing presses are used in
certain specialty applications such as printing currency and in fine arts printing. Offset gravure
presses are used for printing substrates with irregular surfaces or on films and plastics.
Today almost all gravure printing is done using engraved copper cylinders protected from wear by the
application of a thin electroplate of chromium. The cylinders (image carrier) used in rotogravure
printing can be from three inches in diameter by two inch wide to three feet in diameter by 20 feet
wide. Publication presses are from six to eight feet wide while presses used for printing packaging
rarely exceed five feet. in width. Product gravure presses show great variation in size, ranging from
presses with cylinders two inches wide, designed to print wood grain edge trim, to cylinders 20 feet
wide, designed to print paper towels. The basics of Gravure printing is a fairly simple process which
consists of a printing cylinder, a rubber covered impression roll, an ink fountain, a doctor blade, and a
means of drying the ink.
The transfer of the image from the cylinder to the roller is similar to the transfer method used in offset
lithography. Offset gravure presses are used to print substrates with irregular surfaces such as wood
veneer or decorated metal (GAA 1991).
In some printing processes, both sides of the web can be printed simultaneously. However, in
gravure, printing of one side of the web must be completed before the other side can be printed. In
practice, the web is printed on one side, rewound, flipped over, then printed on the other side. Some
rotogravure presses are designed with a turning station that rotates the web 180 degrees. The web is
then run through a parallel paper path with different cylinders that prints the opposite side of the
paper. These presses are called double-ended presses.
