Cardboard material has a large thickness and rigid structure, because of this printing on cardboard requires compliance with certain rules. This method produces many products, including calendars, business cards and brochures. Of particular distribution is cardboard packaging.
Features
Due to the high density of the material, the printing process on it is quite complicated. To prevent delamination and deformation, significant bending must be avoided.
Printing business cards on cardboard in large print runs rarely without changing the slipway, since the power of the receiving and recording elements of the device is not enough for the thickness of the cardboard. Due to the frequency of replacements, it becomes rational to ensure a continuous workflow using automatic mechanisms.
It also requires equipment to remove dust due to its large amount, which is typical for cardboard.
Cardboard Printer
Often a situation arises when you need to print text or an image on cardboard. To do this, use a printing machine or printer, the choice of device depends on the size of the sheet and their number.
Laser or inkjet type equipment with a direct path allows you to print on cardboard at home. Trays for loading and receiving in such a printer have one level with loading pages. The need for this condition is justified by the lack of the possibility of bending of the material and its slight deformation. It is possible to use sheets with a thickness of not more than 3 mm.
First you need to take into account the parameters of the device and find out the maximum density with which work can be carried out. The use of a laser printer for printing requires the use of the upper tray and setting the required parameter, otherwise stripes will appear instead of text.
Widescreen Products
Color printing on cardboard in a wide format is more suitable for a digital specialized machine. It can be found in the printing house, where appropriate services are provided. Devices are classified according to the method of printing on roll, sheet, offset and digital. Each of them is suitable for working with this material. Modern technology allows you to automate many operations that previously had to be performed manually.
With the help of a computer, the entire workflow is controlled, thanks to which the machines acquire new opportunities. In addition to the function of urgent printing, you can add the necessary amendments in unlimited quantities during the run. It is worth noting that digital devices have a laser principle of operation.
Due to automation, ensuring high speed and excellent print quality, it remains only to set the desired parameters and start the machine, after loading the sheets of cardboard.
Flexographic method
Flexographic printing has become widespread due to the ability to work with absolutely any materials. This can be aluminum foil, a film with the finest structure, corrugated cardboard and so on. This method has amazing technological flexibility. The use of lamination, characterized by the absence of vapor formation from solvents, made it possible to obtain a film with many layers and a picture on one of them during one run.
The type of device itself, its functionality, the quality of the finished image, performance and reliability directly depend on the printing mechanism. Flexographic machines have a simpler design of the printing device compared to offset. The standard scheme is represented by a colorful element and two cylinders - for printing and molding.
Printing on cardboard for packaging dense or corrugated type is most often done using flexographic sections. Previously, this technique allowed applying only numbers and text, but the improvement of this area and new developments ensured the production of high-quality multicolor products.
Offset printing
The main field of application is printing on cardboard, cardboard and paper elements. At the same time, sheet-based multicolour devices are most popular; they provide the display of text and pictures on both sides with a constant register of paint.
In the field of the packaging industry, the best quality is ensured precisely by using offset printing. It is possible to work with boxes for perfumes, cosmetics, food and alcohol, as well as the implementation of additional operations, for example, stamping. They allow you to create decorative packaging, letters and gift paper, packaging for medicines, tobacco, food products, business cards on designer cardboard.
Printing on high-density hard materials requires sheet machines to meet certain conditions. For example, there should be no large bending of the material, which is ensured by a suitable summing of sheets and a larger cylinder.
Other species
In the field of printing and packaging products, the deep format is no less common. This method allows you to work with a variety of materials of a large circulation: propylene film, foil, cellophane, paper and cardboard with various coatings. Volume, economy and quality contribute to the active use of gravure printing. The resulting surfaces are glossy, resistant to sunlight and abrasion.