Below are the questions I would like to find the answers to as an ongoing investigation.
- What qualifies as mass production?
- What is pad printing and how is it applied to design?
- The cost of high end packaging
- How to emboss/impression
- How does the ink used on high end branding/packaging differ to low end?
- What are examples of bespoke brands?
There are also some other questions which other students proposed, I would like to touch on these too.
- Spot varnish
- Difference between mass produced/short run
- How receipts are printed
- How to make inks
- How to print on napkins
- Pantone
- Refresh the colour theory
- How to foil professionally
- Improving general knowledge (binding etc)
- Printing white on black stock
- Packaging software (one of my thoughts)
What is mass production?
Mass production is the name given to the method of producing goods in large quantities at low cost per unit. But mass production, although allowing lower prices, does not have to mean low-quality production. Instead, mass-produced goods are standardized by means of precision-manufactured, interchangeable parts. The mass production process itself is characterized by mechanization to achieve high volume, elaborate organization of materials flow through various stages of manufacturing, careful supervision of quality standards, and minute division of labour. To make it worthwhile, mass production requires mass consumption. Until relatively recent times the only large-scale demand for standardized, uniform products came from military organizations. The major experiments that eventually led to mass production were first performed under the aegis of the military.
Machine tools and interchangeable parts The material basis for mass production was laid by the development of the machine-tool industry--that is, the making of machines to make machines. Though some basic devices such as the woodworking lathe had existed for centuries, their translation into industrial machine tools capable of cutting and shaping hard metals to precise tolerances was brought about by a series of 19th-century innovators, first in Britain and later in the United States. With precision equipment, large numbers of identical parts could be produced at low cost and with a small work force.
The system of manufacture involving production of many identical parts and their assembly into finished products came to be called the American System, because it achieved its fullest maturity in the United States. Although Eli Whitney has been given credit for this development, his ideas had appeared earlier in Sweden, France, and Britain and were being practiced in arms factories in the United States. During the years 1802-08, for example, the French émigré engineer Marc Brunel, while working for the British Admiralty in the Portsmouth Dockyard, devised a process for producing wooden pulley blocks by sequential machine operations. Ten men, in place of 110 needed previously, were able to make 160,000 pulley blocks per year. British manufacturers, however, ignored Brunel's ideas, and it was not until London's Crystal Palace exhibition of 1851 that British engineers, viewing exhibits of machines used in the United States to produce interchangeable parts, began to apply the system. By the third quarter of the 19th century, the American System was employed in making small arms, clocks, textile machinery, sewing machines, and a host of other industrial products.
The assembly line. Though prototypes of the assembly line can be traced to antiquity, the true ancestor of this industrial technique was the 19th-century meat-packing industry in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in Chicago, where overhead trolleys were employed to convey carcasses from worker to worker. When these trolleys were connected with chains and power was used to move the carcasses past the workers at a steady pace, they formed a true assembly line (or in effect a "disassembly" line in the case of meat cutters). Stationary workers concentrated on one task, performing it at a pace dictated by the machine, minimizing unnecessary movement, and dramatically increasing productivity.
Drawing upon observations of the meat-packing industry, the American automobile manufacturer Henry Ford designed an assembly line that began operation in 1913. The result was a remarkable reduction of manufacturing time for magneto flywheels from 20 minutes to five minutes. This success stimulated Ford to apply the technique to chassis assembly. Under the old system, by which parts were carried to a stationary assembly point, 12 1/2 man-hours were required for each chassis. Using a rope to pull the chassis past stockpiles of components, Ford cut labour time to six man-hours. With improvements--a chain drive to power assembly-line movement, stationary locations for the workmen, and work stations designed for convenience and comfort--assembly time fell to 93 man-minutes by the end of April 1914. Ford's methods drastically reduced the price of a private automobile, bringing it within the reach of the common man. (see also Index: automotive industry ) Ford's spectacular feats forced both his competitors and his parts suppliers to initiate his technique, and the assembly line spread through a large part of U.S. industry, bringing dramatic gains in productivity and causing skilled workers to be replaced with low-cost unskilled labour. Because the pace of the assembly line was dictated by machines, the temptation arose to accelerate the machines, forcing the workers to keep up. Such speedups became a serious point of contention between labour and management, while the dull, repetitive nature of many assembly-line jobs bored employees, reducing their output.
Effects on the organization of work. The development of mass production transformed the organization of work in three important ways. First, tasks were minutely subdivided and performed by unskilled workers, or at least semiskilled workers, since much of the skill was built into the machine. Second, manufacturing concerns grew to such size that a large hierarchy of supervisors and managers became necessary. Third, the increasing complexity of operations required employment of a large management staff of accountants, engineers, chemists, and, later, social psychologists, in addition to a large distribution and sales force. Mass production also heightened the trend toward an international division of labour. The huge new factories often needed raw materials from abroad, while saturation of national markets led to a search for customers overseas. Thus, some countries became exporters of raw materials and importers of finished goods, while others did the reverse.
In the 1970s and '80s some countries, particularly in Asia and South America, that had hitherto been largely agricultural and that had imported manufactured goods began industrializing. The skills needed by workers on assembly-line tasks were easily acquired, and standards of living in these developing countries were so low that wages could be kept below those of the already industrialized nations. Many large manufacturers in the United States and elsewhere therefore began "outsourcing"--that is, having parts made or whole products assembled in developing nations. Consequently, those countries are rapidly becoming integrated into the world economic community.
Pad printing (also called tampography) is a printing process that can transfer a 2-D image onto a 3-D object. This is accomplished using an indirect offset (gravure) printing process that involves an image being transferred from the cliché via a silicone pad onto a substrate. Pad printing is used for printing on otherwise difficult to print on products in many industries including medical, automotive, promotional, apparel, and electronic objects, as well as appliances, sports equipment and toys. It can also be used to deposit functional materials such as conductive inks, adhesives, dyes and lubricants.
Physical changes within the ink film both on the cliché and on the pad allow it to leave the etched image area in favor of adhering to the pad, and to subsequently release from the pad in favor of adhering to the substrate.
The unique properties of the silicone pad enable it to pick the image up from a flat plane and transfer it to a variety of surfaces, such as flat, cylindrical, spherical, compound angles, textures, concave, or convex surfaces.
Pad printing cycle
- From the home position, the sealed ink cup (an inverted cup containing ink) sits over the etched artwork area of the printing plate, covering the image and filling it with ink.
- The sealed ink cup moves away from the etched artwork area, taking all excess ink and exposing the etched image, which is filled with ink. The top layer of ink becomes tacky as soon as it is exposed to the air; that is how the ink adheres to the transfer pad and later to the substrate.
- The transfer pad presses down onto the printing plate momentarily. As the pad is compressed, it pushes air outward and causes the ink to lift (transfer) from the etched artwork area onto the pad.
- As the transfer pad lifts away, the tacky ink film inside the etched artwork area is picked up on the pad. A small amount of ink remains in the printing plate.
- As the transfer pad moves forward, the ink cup also moves to cover the etched artwork area on the printing plate. The ink cup again fills the etched artwork image on the plate with ink in preparation for the next cycle.
- The transfer pad compresses down onto the substrate, transferring the ink layer picked up from the printing plate to the substrate surface. Then, it lifts off the substrate and returns to the home position, thus completing one print cycle.
Pad -printed candles in collaboration with Headquarter boutique in Mexico City.
Excellent Quality | Competitive Prices
Its come to our attention that many of our new clients might be “put off” by our portfolio of luxury clients. They think that because we supply luxury brands, we must be expensive. But the truth is quite the contrary.
To supply a luxury brand there are four things that are important:
1) Excellent quality control procedures
2) Ethical and Lawful manufacturing conditions
3) Professional and pro-active service
4) Competitive pricing
1) Excellent quality control procedures
2) Ethical and Lawful manufacturing conditions
3) Professional and pro-active service
4) Competitive pricing
Our portfolio of brands wouldn’t buy from us if we didn’t deliver on each of these points. We wouldn’t even get the opportunity to have our factory audited or produce samples if we couldn’t manage to produce a printed bag or printed box at a competitive price.
So to try and re-assure new customers that we commercially focused on what we are doing, here are a few guide prices on some products that we have produced:
SAND IN MY TOES BOX
Description: Hinged Lid Box
Dimension: 200 x 150 x 100mm
Material: 1500micron + buckram embossed
Print: 1 colour foil
Extra: 1 colour printed ribbon
3’000 @ £3.50 per box (approx)
5’000 @ £2.50 per box (approx)
10’000 @ £2.00 per box (approx)
50’000 @ £1.50 per box (approx)
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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CHLOE GIFT BOX
Description: Collapsible Magnetic Box
Dimension: 300 x 120 x 300mm
Material: 1500micron + 157gsm artpaper + gloss lamination
Print: 2 colour print + embossing
Extra: 1 colour printed ribbon
3’000 @ £3.50 per box (approx)
5’000 @ £3.00 per box (approx)
10’000 @ £2.50 per box (approx)
50’000 @ £2.00 per box (approx)
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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HEY JO BOX
Description: Lift off lid box
Dimension: 200 x 200 x 100mm
Material: 350gsm + matt lamination
Print: 1 colour + 1 colour foil
Extra: None
3’000 @ £2.00 per box (approx)
5’000 @ £1.50 per box (approx)
10’000 @ £1.00 per box (approx)
50’000 @ £0.50 per box (approx)
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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START GIFT BOX
Description: Rigid Box with lift off lid
Dimension: 250 x 200 x 100mm
Material: 1500micron + 150gsm Kraft paper
Print: 2 colour foil
Extra: Flocked inside
3’000 @ £3.50 per box (approx)
5’000 @ £3.00 per box (approx)
10’000 @ £2.00 per box (approx)
50’000 @ £1.50 per box (approx)
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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AUSTIN REED GIFT BOX
Description: Lift-off lid box
Dimension: 280 x 70 x 200mm
Material: 350gsm + 157gsm artpaper + matt lamination
Print: 1 colour + U.V print + embossing
Extra: Integrated pre-tied ribbon
3’000 @ £2.50 per box (approx)
5’000 @ £2.00 per box (approx)
10’000 @ £1.50 per box (approx)
50’000 @ £1.00 per box (approx)
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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HARRODS GIFT VOUCHER BOX
Description: Tray and
Dimension: 180 x 120 x 25mm
Material: 1500micron + soft touch lamination
Print: CMYK + 1 colour foil
Extra: Gift Card Voucher Fitment
3’000 @ £3.50 per box
5’000 @ £2.50 per box
10’000 @ £2.00 per box
50’000 @ £1.50 per box
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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VIVIENNE WESTWOOD BAGS
Description: Carrier Bag
Dimension: 160 x 60 x 200mm
Material: 250gsm mirri board
Print: 1 colour print + embossed logo
Extra: PP handles
3’000 @ £1.20 per bag (approx)
5’000 @ £1.00 per bag (approx)
10’000 @ £0.80 per bag (approx)
50’000 @ £0.60 per bag (approx)
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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BREAD & HONEY BAGS
Description: Carrier Bag
Dimension: 240 x 80 x 320mm
Material: 200gsm FSC card
Print: 1 colour print
Extra: PP handles
3’000 @ £1.00 per bag (approx)
5’000 @ £0.80 per bag (approx)
10’000 @ £0.60 per bag (approx)
50’000 @ £0.50 per bag (approx)
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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ISABELLA OLIVER BAGS
Description: Carrier Bag
Dimension: 350 x 150 x 300mm
Material: 250gsm artcard + matt lamination
Print: 1 colour print + U.V logo
Extra: PP handles
3’000 @ £1.30 per bag (approx)
5’000 @ £1.10 per bag (approx)
10’000 @ £0.90 per bag (approx)
50’000 @ £0.75 per bag (approx)
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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FITZDARES BAGS
Description: Carrier Bag
Dimension: 240 x 120 x 320mm
Material: 300gsm brown textured card
Print: 1 colour foil
Extra: Herringbone Handles
3’000 @ £2.00 per bag (approx)
5’000 @ £1.75 per bag (approx)
10’000 @ £1.50 per bag (approx)
50’000 @ £1.25 per bag (approx)
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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ALICE TEMPERLEY BAGS
Description: Carrier Bag
Dimension: 420 x 140 x 350
Material: 250gsm artcard
Print: 2 colour print + embossed logo
Extra: 25mm grossgrain
3’000 @ £2.50 per bag (approx)
5’000 @ £2.00 per bag (approx)
10’000 @ £1.50 per bag (approx)
50’000 @ £1.00 per bag (approx)
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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ANNA LOU BAGS & BOXES
Description: Rigid Box with Organza Pouch
Dimension: 100 x 40 x 100mm
Material: 1200micron + 157gsm artpaper + matt lamination
Print: 2 colour print
Extra: Organza pouch
3’000 @ £2.00 per box + £0.60 per pouch
5’000 @ £1.50 per box + £0.50 per pouch
10’000 @ £1.00 per box + £0.40 per pouch
50’000 @ £0.75 per box + £0.35 per pouch
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
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ARIA PRINTED RIBBON
Description: Hinged Lid Box
Dimension: 200 x 150 x 100mm
Material: 1500micron + buckram embossed
Print: 1 colour foil
Extra: 1 colour printed ribbon
3’000 @ £3.50 per box
5’000 @ £
10’000 @ £
50’000 @ £
Delivery: 4 to 10 weeks
How to emboss/impression
This is something I have done for both my print and my print and web brief and I now feel confident with this process.
I have discovered that the answer to this question is more closely linked to the printer used as opposed to the ink.
h2. What is a printer? A printer is an output device that produces text and graphics on paper.
h2. Major types of printer Printers can be divided into two main groups, impact printer and *non-impact printer*. Impact printer produces text and images when tiny wire pins on print head strike the ink ribbon by physically contacting the paper. Non-impact printer produces text and graphics on paper without actually striking the paper.
Printers can also be categorized based on the print method or print technology. The most popular ones are inkjet printer*, *laser printer*, *dot-matrix printer and *thermal printer*. Among these, only dot-matrix printer is impact printer and the others are non-impact printers.
Some printers are named because they are designed for specific functions, such as photo printers*, *portable printers and all-in-one / *multifunction printers*. Photo printers and portable printers usually use inkjet print method whereas multifunction printers may use inkjet or laser print method.
Inkjet printers and laser printers are the most popular printer types for home and business use. Dot matrix printer was popular in 70's and 80's but has been gradually replaced by inkjet printers for home use. However, they are still being used to print multi-part forms and carbon copies for some businesses. The use of thermal printers is limited to ATM, cash registers and point-of-sales terminals. Some label printers and portable printers also use thermal printing.
Due to the popularity of digital camera, laptop and SoHo office (small office / home office), the demand for photo printers, portable printers and multifunction printers has also increased substantially in recent years.
h1. Inkjet Printers Inkjet printers are non-impact printers which print text and images by spraying tiny droplets of liquid ink onto paper. They are the most popular printers for home use.
Currently, most inkjet printers use either thermal inkjet or piezoelectric inkjet technology. Thermal inkjet printer uses heating element to heat liquid ink to form vapor bubble, which forces the ink droplets onto the paper through the nozzle. Most inkjet manufacturers use this technology in consumer inkjet printers.
Piezoelectric inkjet technology is used on all Epson printers and industrial inkjet printers. Instead of using heating element, these printers use a piezoelectric crystal in each nozzle. The piezoelectric crystal changes shape and size based on the electric current received, and forces tiny droplets of ink onto the paper from the nozzle.
Thermal inkjet printers use aqueous ink which is a mixture of water, glycol and dyes. These inks are inexpensive but they can only be used on paper or specially coated materials. Piezoelectric inkjet printers allow the use of a wider range of inks, such as solvent inks, UV-curable inks, dye sublimation inks, and can print text and graphics on different uncoated materials.
The inkjet head design is also divided into two main groups: fixed-head and disposable head. Fixed-head is built into the printer and should last for the whole life of the printer. It produces more accurate output than cheap disposable head. The ink cartridges for fixed head printers are also cheaper as the print head does not need to be replaced. However, if the head is damaged, the entire printer has to be replaced.
Disposable head is included in replacement ink cartridge. It is replaced each time an ink cartridge runs out of ink. This increases the cost of ink cartridges and also limits the use of high quality print head in these cartridges. However, a damaged print head is not a problem as one can easily replace it with a new ink cartridge.
Some printer manufacturers use disposable ink and disposable print head separately. The print head can last much longer than cheap disposable head and is suitable for high volume printing. However, it can also be replaced easily if the head is clogged or damaged.
Although inkjet printers are generally used in home and small businesses, some manufacturers, such as Hewlett Packard, have produced high end inkjet printers for industrial use. These professional inkjet printers are usually used to print advertising graphics or technical drawings.
Advantages of inkjet printers:
1) Low cost
2) High quality of output, capable of printing fine and smooth details
3) Capable of printing in vivid color, good for printing pictures
4) Easy to use
5) Reasonably fast
6) Quieter than dot matrix printer
7) No warm up time
Disadvantages of inkjet printers:
1) Print head is less durable, prone to clogging and damage
2) Expensive replacement ink cartridges
3) Not good for high volume printing
4) Printing speed is not as fast as laser printers
5) Ink bleeding, ink carried sideways causing blurred effects on some papers
6) Aqueous ink is sensitive to water, even a small drop of water can cause blurring
7) Cannot use highlighter marker on inkjet printouts
Many consumer inkjet printers are selling at very low price (under $100) these days. It is the printer manufacturer's marketing strategy to reduce the price of the printers but dramatically mark up the price of replacement cartridges. However, consumers still have the options to buy cheap compatible and remanufactured inkjet cartridges or ink refill kits to cut down printing cost.
h1. Laser Printers Laser printers are non-impact printers which can print text and images in high speed and high quality resolution, ranging from 600 to 1200 dpi.
Unlike inkjet printers, laser printer use toner (black or colored powder) instead of liquid inks. A laser printer consists of these major components: drum cartridge, rotating mirror, toner cartridge and roller. The drum cartridge rotates as the paper is fed through. The mirror deflects laser beam across the surface of the drum. Laser beam creates charge that causes the toner to stick to the drum. As the drum rotates and presses on paper, toner is transferred from the drum to paper, creating images. Rollers then use heat and pressure to fuse toner to paper. Colored laser printers add colored toner in three additional passes.
Advantages of laser printers:
1) High resolution
2) High print speed
3) No smearing
4) Low cost per page (compared to inkjet printers)
5) Printout is not sensitive to water
6) Good for high volume printing
Disadvantages of laser printers:
1) More expensive than inkjet printers
2) Except for high end machines, laser printers are less capable of printing vivid colors and high quality images such as photos.
3) The cost of toner replacement and drum replacement is high
4) Bulkier than inkjet printers
5) Warm up time needed
h2. Dot-matrix printer Dot-matrix printer is an impact printer that produces text and graphics when tiny wire pins on the print head strike the ink ribbon. The print head runs back and forth on the paper like a typewriter. When the ink ribbon presses on the paper, it creates dots that form text and images. Higher number of pins means that the printer prints more dots per character, thus resulting in higher print quality.
Dot-matrix printers were very popular and the most common type of printer for personal computer in 70's to 80's. However, their use was gradually replaced by inkjet printers in 90's. As of today, dot matrix printers are only used in some point-of-sales terminals, or businesses where printing of carbon copy multi-part forms or data logging are needed.
Advantages of dot matrix printer:
1) Can print on multi-part forms or carbon copies
2) Low printing cost per page
3) Can be used on continuous form paper, useful for data logging
4) Reliable, durable
Disadvantages of dot matrix printer:
1) Noisy
2) Limited print quality
3) Low printing speed
4) Limited color printing
h2. Thermal printers Thermal printers use two types of printing technologies: direct thermal and thermal transfer printing.
Traditional thermal printers use direct thermal method by pushing electrically heated pins against heat-sensitive paper (thermal paper). The coating on the thermal paper turns black in the areas where it is heated, producing characters or images. Direct thermal printers have no ink, toner or ribbon. These printers are durable, easy to use and cost less to print than other printers. However, the thermal paper is sensitive to heat, light, water, and abrasion and the text and images may fade over time.
In thermal transfer printing, a thermal print head applies heat to a heat-sensitive ribbon, which melts ink onto paper and a wide range of materials to form text and images. The printouts can be extremely durable and can be stored over long period of time.
Thermal printers are often used in cash registers, ATM and point-of-sales terminals. Direct thermal printing was used in some older fax machines before the 21^st^ century. However, these old models are now replaced by new machines which use laser and inkjet printing. Thermal printing is still considered as the best technology for bar code printing because it produces accurate, high quality images with exact bar widths. Some portable printers and most label printers still use thermal printing method.
Thermal printer is not the same as thermal inkjet printer. The latter uses inkjet print technology by heating liquid ink to form vapor bubble, which forces the ink droplet onto the paper from the nozzle.
h1. Specialty Printers h2. Photo printer Photo printers are color printers that produce photo lab quality pictures on photo paper. They can also be used to print documents. These printers have a very high number of nozzles and can print very fine droplets for improved image quality.
Some photo printers also have media card readers. They can print 4" x 6" photos directly from the media card of digital cameras without a computer in between.
Theoretically, most inkjet printers and high end laser printers are capable of printing high quality pictures. Sometimes, these printers are marketed as "photo printers". However, a dedicated photo printer is designed to print photos effectively and economically. Apart from a higher number of nozzles and very fine droplets, these printers also use additional cartridges, such as photo cyan, light magenta and light black. These additional color cartridges allow the printing of more vivid and realistic photos and the result is better than ordinary inkjet and laser printers.
h2. Portable printer Portable printers are small, lightweight inkjet or thermal printers that allow computer users to print from laptop computers when traveling. They are easy to carry, convenient to use but generally more expensive than normal inkjet printers due to the compact design. Their printing speed is also lower than normal printers. Some portable printers are designed to print photos immediately from digital cameras and are known as portable photo printers.
h2. MultiFunction / All-in-One Printers Multifunction printer (MFP) is also known as all-in-one printer or multifunction device (MFD). It is a machine that includes several functionalities including printer, scanner, copier and fax.
Multifunction printer is very popular in SoHo (small office / home office) offices. It can use either inkjet or laser print method. Some multifunction printers also have media card readers, allowing printing of pictures directly from digital cameras without using a computer.
Advantages of multifunction printers:
1) Low cost - it is often cheaper to buy a multifunction printer than individual components (fax machine, scanner, printer, copier) separately
2) Take up less room
Disadvantages of multifunction printers:
1) If one component is broken, the entire machine has to be replaced
2) Failure in any component will affect other functions
3) The print quality and speed may be lower than some stand alone components
Examples of bespoke brands
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