Offset Printing's Current Status and Development Trajectory

Release Date： 2024-06-16 16:54:56 View Count： 1

　　Despite the rapid advancements in flexography and the continued significance of gravure in the printing industry, offset printing's dominant position remains unshaken. This is primarily due to the highly developed and sophisticated nature of offset printing technology and equipment, along with the maturity of materials, which together enable high-quality prints at relatively low costs. Offset printing stands out as the most ideal method for reproducing half-tone color images, delivering rich tonal ranges, crisp details, clear dots, harmoniously balanced, and realistic colors.

　　While offset printing presents challenges such as complex machinery and processes, high technical skill requirements, and less substantial ink layers compared to gravure and screen printing, its overall advantages significantly outweigh these drawbacks. It has been widely accepted by printing enterprises both domestically and abroad, leading the way among various printing methods. Presently, offset printing accounts for over 65% of total printing output globally, and in China, nearly 100% of book and newspaper printing is done through offset. Moreover, offset printing also dominates in the packaging sector, with a share of around 60%. Experts predict that, for a considerable period, offset printing's leading role will persist, with its proportion possibly decreasing, but the absolute value of printed output continuing to rise.

　　Offset printing's prolonged dominance is attributed to continuous technological advancements and the integration of high-tech in offset presses, bringing these machines to near-perfection. This has not only ensured their stability and reliability but also increased efficiency (with faster printing speeds and reduced preparation and auxiliary times) and enhanced quality, all while prioritizing environmental protection. The advent of high levels of automation and intelligence has practically transformed offset presses into 'foolproof' machines, enabling user-friendly human-machine interaction, characterized by features such as:

　　Robust Mechanical Platforms and Enhanced Speed: After decades of evolution, the mechanical components of offset presses have matured, coupled with precision digital control manufacturing, high-precision inspection, and specialized testing equipment usage. This has significantly elevated the precision of offset press platforms, ensuring stability and reliability, thereby laying a solid foundation for the dramatic increase in printing speed in recent years—now reaching up to 15,000 to 18,000 sheets per hour for sheet-fed presses and 15 meters per minute for web-fed presses.

　　Enhanced Automation and Efficiency: Automation and intelligent control systems, including remote ink density control, automatic or semi-automatic plate loading, automatic cleaning of plates, blankets, and ink trains, automatic ink supply systems, ink-water balance controls, automatic registration systems, fault display and diagnosis, real-time color adjustment technologies, and image control systems, have simplified offset press operation. Systems like Heidelberg's CP2000 control system and Roland's Pecom system, which integrate press control with production organization and management, along with Heidelberg's latest Hinect workflow software aiming to connect prepress, press, and postpress processes, significantly boost automation levels and efficiency, ensuring high-speed, high-quality, rapid, and dependable offset printing.

　　Modular Structure and Flexible Equipment Configuration: To cater to diverse customer needs and facilitate production management, offset presses have evolved towards modular and standardized designs. Standardized modules of units or components allow for customization based on user requirements, enabling the formation of different configurations to meet varied demands, and facilitating upgrades from single-color to multi-color presses.

　　Multi-functional Product Development: Both sheet-fed and web-fed offset presses are evolving towards multi-functionality to adapt to the trend of diversified printing products. Features such as sheet-turning devices, in-line coating and drying units, UV ink printing and drying systems, specialized mechanisms for corrugated board printing, and in web-fed presses, multifunction folding machines capable of adding pages, punching, stapling, cutting, and handling variable trim sizes, are illustrative of this trend.

　　Ongoing Technological Innovations: New technologies like waterless offset printing, direct plate-making (digital) offset presses, remote fault diagnosis and adjustment through the internet, short inking paths and ink key-less technologies in web-fed presses, shaftless drive technology, seamless sleeve cylinder technology, and the use of water-based inks in offset printing are continually advancing.

　　Human-Centric Machine Design: Human engineering principles are increasingly applied in the overall layout design of offset presses. Shifting from a focus on compact structures and minimal footprint to emphasizing human factors and optimizing man-machine interaction, modern designs prioritize safe, comfortable working environments, ease of operation, and low labor intensity. In summary, offset presses have become more user-centric.

　　In conclusion, offset printing's ongoing leadership is reinforced by continuous technological refinement and the successful integration of advanced technologies, ensuring its relevance and adaptability in an ever-evolving printing landscape.

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