lithography, more commonly litho or offset printing[printing?:printing cutting finishing solution]. Lithography is based on the principal that basically, oil and water don’t mix. There is no raised surface on the printing plate; that is, it is plano graphic, consisting of imaging surfaces that repel water, and non-printing surfaces that attract it. The printing plate is attached to a cylinder that is covered in water before the ink is applied.
When the ink is delivered to the plate, it adheres only to the image area. As the plate cylinder turns, the ink is transferred to a blanket cylinder which does the actual printing to the substrate
For the folding carton[carton?:carton box sample cutting machine] industry, offset lithography has long been the domain of the highest possible print[print?:printing image graphic cutting solution] quality. Improvements in computer and press technology however, are leveling the playing field so that purchasing decisions can be made more and more on other factors, such as run length, setup times and the cost of make ready materials such as plates, blankets and ink.
