Comparison of offset printing of rolls and sheets
Introduction
Many consider the invention of the printing press to be the most important invention of mankind throughout history.
Throughout history, the printing industry has played an invaluable role in recording, storing, and distributing information throughout the universe Since the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, many advances have been made in the printing industry
Currently, the most common printing technology in the world for printing more than a thousand copies is offset printing technology
This technology consists of two stages: lithography and printing
In the lithographic stage: what is to be printed is transferred to a metal plate called zinc
In printing stage: Zinc is placed on the rotating cylinders and the desired design is printed on paper by means of a rubber cylinder
Offset printing is of two types: sheet printing and roll printing
The main difference between the two technologies is the type of input paper to the printing press
In Sheet-fed technology, which is known as sheet printing in the Iranian market, paper is imported into the machine in the form of separate sheets
In Web-fed technology, which is known as roll printing in the Iranian market, paper enters the printing machine in the form of continuous rolls
But the difference between the two technologies is not only in the type of input paper to the printing press
The two technologies differ significantly in terms of print speed, cost-effectiveness, paper thickness, and machine output format
Some of the differences between the two technologies are as follow: