There are 3 main types of print production: hand, mechanical, and digital. Hand techniques include etching, woodcut, and screen printing. Mechanical techniques involve letterpress and gravure printing. Digital techniques are photocopying, laser printing, inkjet printing, and desktop publishing. Each technique has advantages and disadvantages related to quality, cost, speed, and other factors. Hand techniques allow for detailed work but take more time. Mechanical techniques provide consistency but are more expensive. Digital techniques are faster and more affordable but result in lower image quality. The appropriate technique depends on the job and production needs.

1. Research techniques and technologies used in print production.
There are 3 types of print production,
Hand
Mechanical
Digital
Hand Techniques
Technique What Is It? Advantage Disadvantage
Etching Using acid on Is very detailed Acid is toxic and
untreated may burn through
metal to metal
create
pattern.
Linocut Cutting a Can be duplicated The image would be
design into a with ease. Involves reversed which
sheet of lino, lots of tools could cause some
creating a problems if you
reverse image were writing.
and then
pressing it into
fabric or
wood.
Screen Print Screen Stencils are cheap Stencils are
printing is a to create. You can inaccurate and
printing just cut out the could come out
technique that shape you want faded and in some
uses a woven with scissors. areas.
mesh to Screen printing It’s difficult to
support an can be used of achieve fine detail
ink-blocking material such as because it uses
stencil. The fabric which is a stencils.
attached real positive It has a very low
stencil forms output. Which is
open areas not good for long
batch of production
Woodcut A print of a You can print as It takes a long time.
type made many times as u Needs alot of
By: Jonathan Newton Unit 7 task 1C

2. from a design want and the specialist
cut in a block wood will last equipment
of wood,
formerly
widely used
for
illustrations in
books..
Lithography The process of The colour is It takes a long time
printing from consistent, unlike to do. But with a lot
a flat surface some others. of skill
treated so as It’s very
to repel the Economical if
ink except printed for short
where it is periods of time
required for
printing.
MechanicalTechnique
Technique What Is It? Advantage Disadvantage
Letterpress Letterpress is a It doesn’t need It may take longer
type of relief people to operate it than other technique
and therefore if a
printing. Movable
company needs to
type is locked into make lot of prints
the bed of the they don’t need to
printing press, waste money on
then inked and hiring a lot of people
pressed onto a to use the machines
sheet of paper,
producing the
image.
Gravure Gravure printing Photographic quality It has a high cost-
is a technique Bright colours because you have to
Superior colour make the plates. Also
that uses
registration it is expensive to
engraving to Best appearance maintain the plates.
produce the possible Because it is
image. The image Because it has and expensive to run, its
is engraved onto engraved plate, it only good to run for
a cylinder and a can be used to long periods of time.
By: Jonathan Newton Unit 7 task 1C

3. sheet of paper is create high quality
rolled under it, art and photography
book. Also expensive
pressing the
magazines
image onto the
paper.
Screen Process A screen of wood It’s one of the best It one of worst to do
or aluminium with prints to use for any art or images or
texts. pictures
a fabric mesh
stretched over it.
The mesh is
covered with an
emulsion which
closes the holes.
Photographic film
is then exposed to
UV light. The
emulsion is
washed away and
the mesh is
dipped in ink.
DigitalTechnique
Technique What Is It? Advantages Disadvantages
Photocopying A cylindrical drum They make large Its heavy and it
is charged amounts of copy’s takes up a lot of
electrostatically. at once and don't space
The drum is wear and tear Photocopied
coated in a easies. images/pictures
photoconductive Can also copy don’t tend to be
material. A bright images and text in very good
lamp lights up the well. detail.
original image. The only pick up
The areas of the bolder line.
drum that are
exposed to light
become
conductive and
the areas that
aren’t become
By: Jonathan Newton Unit 7 task 1C

4. negative. This
creates an
electrical image. A
toner is applied to
the drum to
develop the
picture and the
toner is applied to
a piece of paper,
which is melted
together to create
the image.
Laser Printing This is a method It uses the same Laser printers are
of digital printing printing press as also known to be
that produces other digital dangerous to the
high-quality methods. atmosphere and
images quickly. It The main your health. Due
uses an analogue advantages of to the high
printer, but it laser printers are voltages when
uses the direct speed, precision running the
scanning of a and economy. machine
laser beam across toner powder is They are a lot
the printer’s cheap and lasts a more costly.
photoreceptor. long time
Inkjet Printing Inkjet is a method Inkjet printers are Due to the cost of
of computer common and ink, running an
printing that fires relatively cheap. inkjet printer over
drops of ink onto Inkjet printers are time is a more
paper. The considerably expensive than a
principle is also cheaper to buy. laser printer.
used to directly
put ink onto Higher end Prints emerge
materials. printers are from the printer
capable of slightly wet and
producing good may need time to
quality images dry.
when used with Printing is slower
special quality and therefore
photo paper. inkjets aren't
Most models are designed for high
By: Jonathan Newton Unit 7 task 1C

5. relatively light volume printing.
weight and
compact so they
don't take up too
much space on
the desk.
Desktop Desktop Control over Setup expenses
Publishing publishing publications. for computer,.
programs create Inexpensive Need knowledge
print material via departmental of using desktop
a standardised publications. publishing
format. Quick production software.
of transparencies
for meetings.
By: Jonathan Newton Unit 7 task 1C

6. Examples of Hand techniques
Etching
Wood Cut
By: Jonathan Newton Unit 7 task 1C

7. Examples of Mechanical techniques
Letterpress
Gravure
By: Jonathan Newton Unit 7 task 1C

8. Examples of Digital techniques
Photocopying
Laser Printing
By: Jonathan Newton Unit 7 task 1C