This rubber roller is larger than the plate cylinder to help it distribute the ink evenly, resulting in higher-quality prints.

The plate cylinder then transfers the ink to a rubber roller-also known as a blanket cylinder.

These plate cylinders pass through several ink rollers that apply ink to them. This plate is mounted on a plate cylinder, which rotates as the press runs. The areas of the plate that don’t form part of the image are then covered with a water-repellant treatment to prevent the ink from sticking to them.

The plate will have a slightly raised image of what is being printed. The image that needs to be printed is prepared digitally and then transferred onto a printing plate, usually made from aluminum. However, the rest of the process takes additional time and effort to set up. Interestingly, the first step in the offset printing process starts digitally. Of course, offset printing has continued to evolve and improve with new innovations optimizing each step of the process.Īlthough it may seem that this type of printing is outdated, the use of newer technologies makes it one of the best printing solutions available today. He found that the image quality produced by this process was far higher compared to other methods and allowed him to use a wider variety of paper types. In 1903, the first offset press was created by Washington Rubel, an American printer who started using a rubber roller to transfer ink from a plate to paper rather than directly from the plate. This meant there was significant pressure on the paper, and only a small range of paper types could be used. In the 19th century, offset printing began when printers started experimenting with different ways to transfer ink from a printing plate to paper.Īt the time, traditional printing methods involved ink being transferred directly from the plate to the paper. What is the history behind offset printing? Instead, the ink is applied to a rubber blanket first-more on this shortly.

The reason this technique is referred to as ‘offset’ is because the ink isn’t applied directly to the paper or another material as it would be in traditional printing. Usually, offset printing is ideal for printing large quantities of materials, but the process can also be used to print a single product. Offset printing works differently from digital printing techniques and can often offer better results in terms of color accuracy and image consistency. Known for its ability to produce fine details and vibrant colors, offset printing is used by artists, publishers, advertisers, photographers, and businesses worldwide.ĭating as far back as the 19th century, this method has revolutionized the printing industry, making printing faster, more affordable, and of higher quality than ever before. Offset printing is a service typically offered by a printing company like ours.

Lithograph fine art