Gravure printing technology and its application in anti-counterfeiting packaging
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Gravure printing is a direct printing method that directly imprints the ink contained in the gravure pit onto the substrate. The shade level of the printed image is determined by the size and depth of the pit, if the pit is deep. , the ink contained more, the ink layer left on the substrate after embossing is thicker; on the contrary, if the pit is shallow, the amount of ink contained is less, and the ink layer left on the substrate after embossing It is thinner. The gravure printed plate consists of a pit and a plate surface corresponding to the original image. During printing, the ink is filled into the pit, and the ink on the surface of the printing plate is scraped off with a doctor blade. The printing plate is in contact with the substrate under a certain pressure, and the ink in the pit is transferred to the substrate to complete the printing.
First, the characteristics of gravure printing
The ink-carrying body at the time of gravure printing is a pit which is engraved on the printing plate, and the shape of the pit is exactly the same as that of the original image, and there is no ink on the surface of the printing plate. When the printing plate is in contact with the substrate, the ink in the pit is transferred to the surface of the substrate to complete the printing process. Therefore, gravure printing has some unique features that are different from other printing methods, which are discussed separately below.
1, anti-counterfeiting features
Gravure printing uses the pits engraved in the original image to carry ink. The thickness of the lines and the shade of the ink can be arbitrarily controlled during the engraving. It is not easy to be imitated and forged, especially the depth of the ink pit, according to the printed image. The possibility of realistic engraving is very small. Therefore, current securities such as banknotes, stamps, and stocks are generally printed in gravure, which has a good anti-counterfeiting effect. At present, trademarks and even packaging and decoration of some enterprises have been consciously used in gravure printing, indicating that gravure printing is a more viable anti-counterfeiting printing method.
2, a wide range of applications
A general soft material can be used as a substrate for gravure printing. Such as plastic, paper, aluminum foil, etc., especially for some materials that are easy to extend and deform, such as textile materials, have better adaptability, which is unmatched by letterpress printing and lithographic printing.
3, high printing quality
The amount of ink used in gravure printing is large, the graphics are convex, and the layers are rich, the lines are clear, and the quality is high. Most of the prints of books, magazines, and packaging are printed in gravure.
4, suitable for large-volume printing
Gravure printing has a long plate making cycle, which is more efficient and costly. However, the plates are durable, so they are suitable for large-volume printing. The larger the batch size, the higher the benefit, and the lower the efficiency for small batch printing. Therefore, the gravure method is not suitable for printing of small-sized trademarks.
Second, the type of gravure printing
The types of gravure printing are divided into two categories according to the plate making method: engraved gravure and corrosion intaglio.
1, engraving gravure
The engraving gravure is a pit that is directly engraved on the surface of the plate cylinder with a knives corresponding to the original image. According to the control method of the knives, it can be divided into a hand-engraved gravure, a mechanical engraving gravure and an electronic engraving gravure.
(1) hand-engraved gravure
The hand-engraved gravure is made by a technician using a knife to manually engrave the surface of the plate cylinder according to the original image, and the plate material can be made of copper plate or steel plate. Manual labor is heavy, plate making costs are large, and the cycle is long. However, the hand-engraved gravure lines are clear, and the prints are highly layered and difficult to forge. Mostly used in the production of printed intaglios for securities and high quality art.
(2) mechanical engraving gravure
The mechanical engraving gravure is made by mechanically controlling the knives on the surface of the plate cylinder. It reduces the heavy work of hand engraving, the plate making speed is fast, the cycle is short, and the plate making cost is also low. Mainly used to make printed gravure of securities.
Due to the high cost of the above two engraving plates and the long plate making period, the scope of use is limited. But things are divided into two. In the case of anti-counterfeiting packaging, hand-engraved intaglio may be the best method of making plates. Because the secret anti-counterfeiting is a main method of anti-counterfeiting packaging, the technicians can use the various methods to engrave some hidden notes in the process of hand-engraving the intaglio. The hidden marks on these hand-engraved intaglios are not easy to be found, and it is more difficult to distinguish in the printed matter. This forms a secret anti-counterfeiting.
(3) Electronic engraving gravure
This version is controlled by an electronic control device to engrave the surface of the plate cylinder. Using an electronic engraving machine, according to the photoelectric principle, the engraving knife is controlled, and the cells are engraved on the surface of the drum, and the area and depth thereof are simultaneously changed.
2, corrosion gravure
The etching intaglio is made by etching a single ink pit on the surface of the plate cylinder by chemical etching according to the original image. Corrosion intaglios can be classified into an etch intaglio, a gravure, and a dot intaglio according to the difference in the original text conversion method.
The etching intaglio is made by a plate making method in which engraving and etching are combined. That is, the shape of the original image is manually engraved, and the intaglio is produced by etching.
The gravure application is widely used, and it is the most widely used printing plate in gravure printing, and is mainly used for printing plates and the like.
The dot intaglio is mainly used for packaging decoration printing and building materials printing.
Third, the application of gravure printing technology in anti-counterfeiting packaging
1. The anti-counterfeiting effect of hand-engraved gravure printing is better.
The secret anti-counterfeiting is a major aspect of commodity anti-counterfeiting, and this is carried out by trademarks. Hand-engraved gravure printing provides the necessary means. Hand-engraved gravure printing is easy to implement secrets during plate making. The depth of the pits during engraving determines the shade level of the printed graphic. The imitation can easily imitate the size of the graphic and the thickness of the lines, but it is difficult to imitate the shade. Prints of the same level (ie, the same deep ink pit). This is the main reason why long-term securities must use intaglio.
The less the amount of printing, the better the anti-counterfeiting effect. Since the period of hand-engraving gravure is long and the cost is high, the price of the printed product is higher when the amount of printing is small. The purpose of counterfeiters is mainly to pursue economic interests. When they are unprofitable or have little interest, they are not willing to take any risks. Therefore, it can be said that the anti-counterfeiting effect of the small-volume trademark using gravure printing may be better than the large-scale gravure printing.
2, plate making and printing are carried out in two places
Off-site plate making and printing have better anti-counterfeiting effects. The printing house generally has the ability to make plates, but the plate-making work of the trademark-using enterprises should be an alternative unit, because one of the keys to the prevention of anti-counterfeiting is to know that the fewer people, the better, even if you know, you should only know a part, but you cannot let them know. The whole process of trademark design and printing, so that even if there is a loophole in a certain link, other links are enough to meet the needs of anti-counterfeiting. When the trademark is printed in the printing house, the company must send responsible personnel to the site to supervise the printing, in order to prevent the stolen version of the plate and the trademark being stolen. After the printing is completed, the plate should be taken back and saved.
3, combined with anti-counterfeiting ink technology
Ink anti-counterfeiting technology is also an aspect of secret anti-counterfeiting. Combining gravure printing technology with ink anti-counterfeiting technology to achieve double secret anti-counterfeiting, anti-counterfeiting effect will be better.
Some printing anti-counterfeiting inks have larger pigment particles and require a thicker ink layer, while the intaglio printing ink layer is thicker and the printed product has a stronger texture, and the combination of the two will obtain double anti-counterfeiting and decorative effects. If gravure printing uses fluorescent ink, it not only ensures the micro-convex feeling of gravure printing, but also ensures the use of fluorescent ink. The secret anti-counterfeiting function of both is also guaranteed.
The ink should be dispensed by itself and then handed over to the printing company. After printing, the ink should be taken back and stored, so that better anti-counterfeiting effect can be obtained.