Not to be ignored in the printing field: special printing

What is called special printing, with the development of technology, this concept is constantly being updated. China's "Special printing Technical terminology Standard" defines special printing as: special printing is a printing method that is different from the general on-duty, printing, post-press processing methods and material production for special purposes. This clearly points out that the main difference between special printing and general printing is in the five aspects of plate making, printing, post-press processing methods and material production and use, and any one of these five aspects is different from general printing should belong to special printing. Common special printing methods are: Metal printing, glass printing, leather printing, plastic film printing, flexible tube printing, curved surface printing, magnetic card and smart card printing, ticket anti-counterfeiting printing, decal printing, self-adhesive label printing, thermal ink printing, color-changing ink printing, pearlescent ink printing, foaming ink printing, magnetic ink printing, fluorescent ink printing, embossing printing, three-dimensional printing, laser holographic iris printing Brush, liquid crystal printing, combination printing, etc.

With the improvement of customer demand and the development of special printing technology, recently, a new definition of special printing has emerged: special printing is a general print does not have, and the elements that have an impact on people's five senses are injected into the print, so that it can enhance the performance of the same time can better play the unexpected function as a print. In other words, it is a means to enhance the additional value of printed matter. Therefore, the Great Japanese printing company changed the name of the original special printing to "value-added printing". It can be interpreted as that in the same time, using the same amount of materials, using the same printing process, you can obtain more than two functional printing methods.

No matter how special printing is clearly defined, the potential of special printing is immeasurable, and as a printing company and printing customers, we should predict the prospects for the development of special printing.

First, special printing has a potential big market

At present, in China, the enterprises engaged in special printing work are small and medium-sized printing enterprises, and the large enterprises really engaged in or involved in the field of special printing are really few. What is the reason for this? The answer of many people in the industry is that the special printing market is too small, the number of customers and customers are insufficient, and the profit margin is too small. In fact, this idea is unscientific, the development of special printing to the present, in fact, in the packaging, magazines, advertising and other fields has occupied a very important position.

1, special printing is the "combination party" in the field of packaging

There is no doubt that packaging plays an important role in the current commodity market. In order to win the attention of more consumers, businesses are sparing no effort to package goods, and specialty, differentiation, and fine beautification have become important elements of commodity packaging. In order to make more different effects of commodity packaging, it is difficult to achieve by ordinary printing methods, at this moment, special printing well meets the needs of packaging designers. In recent years, it can be seen that special printing technology has been unprecedented development, penetrated into all areas of packaging and printing, forming a huge market space, as long as you can in the special process, special ink and special materials selection, combination of a new road, special printing can find its own world in printing.

2. Special printing affects magazine sales

At present, magazines for young people and women, on the cover, advertising pages, appendices, etc., use a variety of special printing, or special processing cases. For example, apply a metallic gloss foil such as a hologram on the name part of the magazine, or evaporation film on the entire cover; For example, the cover of the magazine is made into a single fold or folded inward twice, and advertisements are published on the opposite side, so that for advertising owners, they can get more eye-catching advertisements, and for publishing units, it is a good plan to kill two birds with one stone because of the increased advertising page on the cover. In addition, the spread of metallic gold and silver thread on the raised print to make it glossy, striking images of advertising, making cosmetics advertising more popular, some magazines even take cd-rom or special printing made of novelty goods imposed on the appendix. The large magazine market provides another option for specialty printing.

3, special printing has a special advertising effect

For large scale advertising, special printing technology can be described as the world. Like screen printing technology, large format inkjet technology well matches the needs of advertising, and special processes can make more eye-catching effects, fully in line with the requirements of advertisers. Even in the face of small advertising products, special printing also has its use, such as spice printing is to make printed matter with special fragrance, in order to increase the attractiveness of printed matter, spice printing can be perforation printing, photogravure printing, mainly used for packaging printing, printing on food packaging with the same fragrance as the internal food. Printing a variety of perfumes and fragrances on cosmetics, general manuals, postcards, calendars, New Year tablets printed on some flowers, in order to sell goods. In fact, as long as there is advertising, there is room for special printing to survive.

In fact, special printing is not as the industry thinks - "the market is narrow and the amount is small". The statistics of the global printing industry in 2005 show that the global special printing output value has exceeded 130 billion US dollars. There is such a case, Japan has one of the largest printing company, is also the world's largest printing company, called Nippon Printing Company, the per capita output value of its workers is 100 million yen, but 35% of the company's total output value comes from special printing. The second largest printing company in Japan, called Letterpress Printing, is said to make $1 million for its thin, soft, dynamic 3-D prints alone. Japan's third largest printing company is called joint printing company, and there are more than 20 kinds of products made by special printing methods. Like these large-scale special printing enterprises in foreign countries there are many, why can not create such a large special printing enterprises in China?

Second, special printing has unique technical advantages

Special printing, as the name suggests, special types of printing methods, that is, different types of printing methods for ordinary printing methods. Special printing technology is mainly to study the printing process, printing materials, printing equipment and printing adaptability in some specific occasions. Special occasions mainly include: special uses, special printing principles, printing methods and special printing effects. The specific and unique technology of special printing is mainly the following aspects:

1, a variety of substrates

The reason why special printing appears is because ordinary printing cannot handle some special materials, so the most prominent advantage of special printing is that it can be printed on various types of substrates. First, the shape of the substrate is diverse, whether it is flat or three-dimensional, regular or irregular, special printing can be completed. Second, the substrate is a variety of materials, in addition to paper can also be iron, plastic, cellophane, cardboard, wood, ceramics, glass, and metal products. Third, the surface properties of the substrate are diverse, there are smooth, rough, uneven, uniform and so on. Fourth, the size of the substrate is diverse, large format and small format. Special printing is extremely compatible with the substrate, so that it can accept a lot of work that ordinary printing can not achieve.

2, the application field is very broad

Special printing can be used in many fields, such as packaging printing, fabric printing, building materials printing, securities printing, decorative printing, ceramic printing, glassware printing and so on. In these areas, many areas are still only special printing can contact the scope, special printing in these areas can even be said to be the champion.

3, unique printing effect

Special printing can make a unique printing effect. Such as three-dimensional printing three-dimensional effect, holographic printing anti-counterfeiting effect, woodcut watermarking simulation effect. The cultural relic reproduction effect of collotype printing, the display and temperature indication effect of liquid crystal printing, and the visual and olfactory unity effect of fragrance printing, etc.

4, proprietary printing equipment

The particularity of the printing process determines that special printing uses proprietary equipment. Although the exclusivity determines that these devices can only be used for the production of special printing, it also determines that these devices are targeted to engage in the production of special printing, which well ensures the efficiency of production.

The unique technical advantages make it impossible for ordinary printing to exist alone from special printing, which determines the industrial characteristics of modern printing: the function of ordinary printing and special printing.

Closing remarks

Special printing is developed on the basis of traditional printing technology. Although, at present, China's special printing industry has a certain industrial scale, and the relevant printing processing technology is increasingly perfect, but the domestic special printing market has not been well developed, and it is still far from the mature stage. Compared with developed countries, our special printing industry has a big gap in market size, product level, quality specifications and consumption level. However, the special printing market has great potential, for our country, as long as we work hard to develop the market and strive to improve technology, I believe that the future of the special printing industry is bright.