Special effects printing process standardization

(Process Standardization for Special-Effect Printing) ink adjustment, squeegee features, and other “requirements” and “don’ts” in special effects inks, talked about some important points to note in special effects printing from the point of view of art and craftsmanship. This article will talk about the standardization of special effects printing process, especially the standardization of screen, squeegee and printing angle selection. Special effects printing requires the same process standardization as other printing processes. To a certain extent, it has more standardized types than other types of printing. However, it is also different from the standardization of flat printing. Special effects inks are required to form an eye-catching appearance that is more dazzling than the appearance obtained only through design. The control and standardization of the process are prerequisites for ensuring the consistency of the final product. To make the production repeatable, standardization must be carried out. By implementing the aesthetic requirements for the standardization of variables, you must document all aspects of the production process as documents. Its purpose is to provide a reference for the standardization of new workers. Some workshops even use the standards of individual workshops in the factory-owned workshops. This is not enough. They must learn to understand previously documented documents, learn to analyze documented records, and have the ability to adjust individual conditions to achieve the best results. The first and most crucial step in standardization work is documenting records. The lack of previously documented records is the primary reason for the lack of consistent print in print. For a given fixed job, the document will be recorded based on the first good product produced. Standardization of special effects printing From the perspective of document standardization, one of the challenges faced by special effects printing is that the number of printing parameters and variables contained in this document is more than that contained in other types of printing. For example, the number of screen lines can range from 40 lines/inch to 305 lines/inch; the squeegee parameters have hardness requirements and edge section requirements; the screen stencil is an ultrathin stencil (250 microns or more) from traditional thickness stencils to high-density printing. thin). Therefore, without the right documentation to get the right inks, stencils, and squeegees, it's hard to get consistent results in repeated printing. One way to standardize the process is to create a parameter table (Table 1) that satisfies printing requirements. This table can serve as a reference for plate-making personnel, printers, and print operators. The values ​​in this table are only suitable for most printers. You can create a similar standardized table suitable for your workshop according to your own workshop. Table 1: Process Standardization of Special Effects Standard Printing Special Effects 123456789 Screen Wire Number (l/in.) 408686/1258660862306086 Optimum Tension 404040/35403540283540 Scraper Hardness 75/90/7565/90/6565/90/6575/90/7575 /90/7565/90/6575/90/7575/90/7565/90/65 Squeegee angle (degrees) 807575758575858075 Squeegee section (circular or angular) round round circle/corner round Circular corners rounded corners viscosity change volume (volume) 5% NA5% 5% NANANA 5% NA1. Metal powder 2. Metal ink 3. Inflation ink 4. Reflection ink 5. High-density ink 6. Product body ink 7. Fluorescent ink 8. Sticky ink 9. Standardization of Electrostatic Bonded Ink Wire Screen Numbers In this table, I have listed the number of standardized screen lines for different special effects inks. Again, it is for reference only. You can determine the number of screen lines for different special effects inks for the different types of visual effects you want. Once you have established your own optimal number of wire meshes, you must record them as a table to ensure the consistency of the number of wire meshes to be selected one after the other. It is also conducive to streamlining and reducing confusion. The best screen tension Standardization of screen tension You may have established and put into use. If so, standardization is to record the standard tension for each screen in the table. If you have not standardized the tension, you will need to experiment until you get the correct tension for each mesh. Changes in tension between jobs or between screens can prevent you from achieving the desired results on a consistent basis. For companies that print using expensive inks such as reflective inks, consistent results from the economic point of view are also necessary. Squeegee hardness and edge squeegee hardness and edge section If you do not make the right choice and standardize the document for a specific printing effect, it may be more troublesome than other parameters in printing. The choice of the squeegee to be treated has its own point of view. Some people think that the squeegee with the same hardness/edge slicing is suitable for all types of screen printing, and some people think that there should be four different types for a specific type of screen printing. Kind of squeegee. I agree with the latter point of view. As provided in Table 1, there are two types of triple hardness blades and two kinds of edge cuts. Most shops can find the type of cutting edge suitable for their special effects in this table. Use hard blades when you want thinner ink layers, and softer blades when you want to get thick ink layers. The table also provides two squeegee edge indicators: R is round and S is angular. Round or ray-shaped edges are used for special effects ink printing with 86 lines/inch or less, that is, printing requiring more ink. The rounded edges slide over the surface of the screen without removing the ink, leaving the ink on the surface of the screen forming a thick layer of ink. The use of angular squeegee for printing, when the squeegee through the surface of the screen, take away the ink, in order to obtain a thicker ink layer requires a second ink, in order to meet the printing requirements. The squeegee angle squeegee angle is another tricky variable to standardize. Some printers completely ignore the choice of angles, and some printers only adjust the angle randomly and have a unified whole. For special effects printing, one of the following two different angles should be used: 75 degrees or 85 degrees. Typically, I use 85 degrees for most jobs and 75 degrees for jobs that require thicker ink layers. Change the viscosity: In general, I recommend not changing the ink stickiness because most inks do not need to do this. However, some special effects production can occasionally obtain better results by changing the viscosity of the ink. As described in Table 1, do not change more than 5% for any special effects ink, and only some special effects inks can be changed in viscosity instead of all inks. Refer to the manufacturer's product description for more information on how much the ink provided by the manufacturer can be changed, and then change the viscosity of the ink. If possible, add the manufacturer's suggested value to your parameter list. Conclusion The standardization process should be seen as part of the company's production process. The standardization of documents, regardless of their form, should be easy for workers to understand. You can even apply this principle to other aspects of your business. Standardization can reduce confusion and improve efficiency, and adherence to standardization is the only way to ensure product consistency.