Cardboard Printing: Features and Techniques Used

Cardboard printing is the process of placing images, texts, or designs on cardboard using different techniques and tools. Cardboard printing has many features, and there are many methods and techniques used in it. In this article, we will learn about these different features and techniques.

Features of Cardboard Printing

Cardboard printing has many features and benefits that make it a preferred choice in many commercial and industrial applications. Here are the most prominent features:

1- Flexibility in design so that designs we can adapt to suit different needs such as brand promotion, communicating marketing messages, or providing instructions.

2- Relatively low cost compared to other materials.

3- Sustainability and environmental friendliness due to cardboard’s ability to be biodegradable and recycled.

4- Strength and tolerance to different environmental conditions such as humidity, pressure, and shocks.

5- Diversity in applications such as packaging, labels, cards, promotional materials, and creative industries.

6- Light weight and ease of handling compared to other materials such as metals or plastics.

7- Compatibility with multiple printing technologies including offset printing, digital printing, and screen printing.

8- Improving customer experience by providing important information about the product, such as instructions, ingredients, and warnings, which enables enhancing the visual identity of the brand.

9- Ease of folding and shaping for packages and boxes of different shapes and sizes.

10- Visual and aesthetic impact through the use of a wide range of colors, which helps attract the attention of consumers.

11- The ability to produce different quantities as needed, while maintaining high quality.

Methods and techniques used in printing on cardboard

Offset Printing

Offset printing is one of the most common printing techniques in commercial printing. In this technique, we use metal plates to transfer ink to cardboard via a rubber cylinder. We characterize this technique by high print quality and color accuracy. The cost of setting up this technique is high when we compare it to digital printing, so it is economically suitable for printing large quantities only.

Digital Printing

Digital printing uses laser or inkjet printers to transfer images directly from digital files to cardboard. We characterize this technique by flexibility in printing on demand. It has a low setup cost suitable for printing small or medium quantities.

Silkscreen Printing

This technique is based on transferring ink to cardboard through a soft screen that filters the ink through specific areas of the design. Its advantages include that it is effective for bright colors and large designs, and we can use them on thick cardboard, but it is not suitable for fine details or photographs.

Flexographic Printing:

This technique is based on using flexible plates made of rubber or plastic to transfer ink to the carton. It is often used in packaging printing, and is characterized by high flexibility. Flexographic printing is suitable for printing on non-flat materials, but the printing preparation can be expensive, so this technique is effective for printing large quantities.

Hot Foil Stamping

This technique uses thin paper covered with foils (such as metal foil) that are attached to the carton using heat and pressure.

Hot foil printing adds a luxurious and attractive touch, and is used to emphasize certain elements of the design. It is considered high-cost because it requires special molds.

Embossing/Debossing

This technique is used to shape the surface of the carton so that the design stands out (embossing) or sinks (debossing) on ​​the surface. This technique gives a tangible and aesthetic effect and is used to add a luxurious artistic touch at an additional preparation cost.

Finally, it is worth noting that choosing the appropriate printing technology on cardboard is subject to many influential factors such as the material cost, the required quantities, and determining the required level of quality in terms of accuracy, clarity, and colors. The thickness and quality of the cardboard also affect the choice of printing technology, as do the design details and the required colors.