Best of printing processes:Lithography, Flexography, Gravure, Letterpress, Screenprinting, Ink-jet printing, Toner printing sysyems

The main printing processes are:

1. Lithography, which use a flat printing plate. The imagine area is ink-receptive, while non printing ares are wetted by watter and repel ink.
2. Flexography, which is a relief printing process.
It is a rotary process using rubber or photopolymer plates and inking system suited to low viscosity water and solvent based inks. The image area is raised above the non printing ares, and is inked from an "anilox" area.
3. Gravure, where the image is sunk into the plate surface.
The entire plate surface is flooded with ink and the excess removed with a doctor blade. Ink filled cells remain and transfer the ink to the substrate.
4. Letterpress, which is a relief printing process.
The image area is raised above the non printing areas, is inked by rollers and pressed into contact with the substrate.
5. Screen printing, which employs a stencil principle.
A rubber squeegee is used to push ink through the stencil on to the substrate.
6. Ink-jet printing, in which a computer controlled stream of ink drops is projected a high speed onto the substrate.

7. Toner printing systems such as electrophotographic printing, in which light is used selectively to discharge an electrostatic field, thus forming an electrostatic latent image. The image is "develop" using toner appropriate electrical charge, which is then transferred to the substrate and fused by heat or other means.