1. Producing Print Based Media
LO1
Your name

2. To do
• Explain method in own words
• When it was invented/by who (if information is available)
• How the method works/what do you need to do to use this
method
• What does the method look like when used (include images)
• What are the costs involved with using this method
• How quickly the process can be done
• Provide images to illustrate discussion
• Reference at least one example with a image.

3. Hand Printing Methods

4. Etching
Etching was invented in the early 15th century by a man
named Daniel Hopfer, who was from Augsburg in Germany.
He was a craftsman and used etching to decorate armor,
and also applied the method to print-making. For the basic
method of etching, a plate which is made of metal
(commonly copper, steel, or zinc) is covered with a waxy
substance which is resistant to acid. Afterwards, the waxy
substance is scratched off with a pointed etching needle in
the way you want the design to look in the finished piece.
By doing this, you are exposing the bare metal underneath.
When the design is finished, the plate is either dipped into a
bath of acid or alternatively has acid washed over it. The
acid eats away at the metal in the areas where it is exposed,
leaving behind lines that have sunk into the metal plate. The
remaining wax is cleaned off of the plate, and the plate is
covered in ink. The ink sinks into the etched lines, so when
the ink is wiped away, it remains inside the lines and the
design can be seen. The metal plate is then put through a
high pressure printing press along with a sheet of moistened
paper (wetting the paper softens it). The paper then picks
up the ink from the etched lines and transfers the design,
which makes a print. Because the plate is metal, it can be
used hundreds of times to create the same print. Changes to
the plate can also added by repeating the process of
covering the plate with wax and dipping it in acid.

5. Etching
Glass Etching
Glass etching can add elegance and
sophistication to ordinary, plain household
items. Glass etching is effective on vases,
mirrors, picture frames, and windows. The
most popular designs for glass etching are
flowers, leaves, monograms, and geometric
shapes. To begin a glass etching, you will
need some basic supplies and an area to
work that is well-ventilated. Unless you
have a specific object that you want to
work on, you can purchase glassware at
discount stores, garage sales, and thrift
shops. You can purchase etching cream at
any major craft store. It contains an acid
which removes a fine layer from the glass,
and that makes the glass look frosty. The
adhesive plastic stencils can also be found
in craft stores, and they make it easier to
put a design onto a curved piece of glass.

6. Linocut
The linocut printing technique was first used for
wallpaper printing by the artists of Die Brucke, in
Germany from 1905-13. Linocut is a printing method
which is a variant form of woodcut, where a sheet of
linoleum is used as the relief surface. The linoleum is
sometimes mounted on a wooden block. Using a sharp
knife or gouge, you would cut a design in the surface of
the linoleum, leaving the raised areas showing a mirrored
image of the parts which would be visible when printed.
The sheet is then inked with a rolled and pressed onto
the fabric/paper. You can do this printing by hand, or you
can choose to have it done with a press. Linoleum
doesn’t have a grain, meaning you don’t have to cut in
one direction like you would have to with wood. When
heated it is also much easier to cut than wood, although
it isn’t as durable. I have found that you are able to buy
Linocut starter kits on websites like Etsy and Ebay for
around £30 - £40. The starter kit includes a linocutter,
lino tool, roller, brayer, ink, relief printing ink, linoleum
and lino. The process of linocutting can vary in time span
depending on how long it takes the person to carve out
the design. The more intricate the design, the longer it
will take to add more detail, unlike if you was doing a
more simple design.

7. Linocut
Linocut Cards
Linocut printing is a
great use for making
greetings cards because
you can print as many
cards as you need, and
you are also able to
customize them
however you want,
adding various colours
and inventing your own
designs. You will be able
to re-use them in the
future as well.

8. Comparison
The similarities between etching and linocut are that both of the
methods involve having to use a sharp tool to scratch away parts of the
substance so you can create your own design. You would both need
some sort of ink to print the design you have made, although linocut is
much cheaper to make yourself whereas making an etching would be
extremely expensive because of the price of the large pressing
machines you would need, and depending on how many different
designs you wanted to print you would have to pay for the metal as
well. The metal plates used in etching would be more durable than the
linoleum so you would be able to get more use out of it and also more
copies of the print. Overall, it is much easier to make your own prints
using the linocut method because the supplies are cheaper and easier
to get hold of, and personally I prefer this method because I think it
looks much more artistic and stylised.

9. Mechanical Methods

10. Letterpress
Letterpress printing is a type of relief printing which uses a
printing press. In the mid-15th century letterpress printing
was the main form of printing, and it was invented by
Johannes Gutenberg. Letterpress remained a popular choice
for the printing of books until the second half to the 20th
century. The process of printing includes several stages:
composition, imposition, and printing. The first stage is
where moveable pieces of type are changed and placed to
form the desired text. After the type is composed and has
been proof-read, the imposition process begins. During this
time, the assembled type is converted into a “form” so that
it is ready to use on the press. The stoneman, who is the
person that does imposition, works on a large and flat
imposition stone. The time it took and how the press
worked all depended on the model of the press, as this
varied by time period. Hand presses would usually require
two people to operate them, with one person inking the
type and the other working the press. The later model of
press needed only one person because the inking and
pressing and done automatically, so the operator would only
have the job of feeding and removing the paper. The printed
sheets are then taken away to dry. Depending on the variety
of prints being produced, they will also be taken for
finishing. For example, newspapers are taken to a folding
machine and sheets for books are sent for bookbinding.

11. Letterpress
Wedding Invitations
Letterpress printing is a
popular choice when making
wedding invitations and
menus. This is probably
because the press gives a
classic and sophisticated look
because of the indent it
leaves. People who work with
letter presses say that
printing this way gives a
cleaner, richer and more
elegant appearance, which is
why it is ideal for such things
as formal invitations. With
this form of printing, you are
also able to have it
customised the way you
would like it.

12. Rotogravure
Rotogravure involves engraving the image onto an image
carrier, which in this case is a cylinder because like most offset
printing, it uses a rotary printing press. The beginning of
rotogravure came along in the last quarter of the 19th century,
as image photo transfer onto carbon tissue was discovered.
The rotogravure process is used today for the commercial
printing of magazines, postcards, and cardboard product
packaging. The ink is directly applied to the gravure cylinder,
and then it is transferred to the paper. While the press is
moving, the cylinder is covered in ink from the ink tray at the
bottom, which fills the recessed cells. As the cylinder rotates it
draws the ink out of the fountain so it stays on the cylinder. The
doctor blade scrapes the cylinder before it meets the paper
which removes the excess ink and leaves the right amount of
ink in the cells. Then the paper gets sandwiched between the
impression roller and the cylinder with the ink on it. After the
ink is applied to the paper, the print goes through a dryer
before it can accept another coat of ink from the next colour
unit. The advantages of a rotogravure printing is that it can last
through a high volume print without the image being of lesser
quality. The price for running these long prints is much more
affordable and good value than if you wanted to make just a
few prints.

13. Rotogravure
Food packaging, wall paper, wrapping
paper, panelling, and greetings cards.
Rotogravure printing is
perfect for the printing of
these products because
rotogravure is typically used
for long run, high quality
printing, and this produces
a sharp, fine image. Gravure
cylinders last a long time
before degrading so you can
make hundreds upon
thousands of prints before
worrying about having to
invest in a new gravure
printer. However, the price
of a gravure press is around
£1 million.

14. Comparison
Both of these methods use a press to transfer the type onto the
paper, although the rotogravure is quicker and better for larger
prints which is ideal for its purpose of food packaging, which
would need thousands upon thousands of copies. The
letterpress is better used for products that are in lesser and
fewer demand, like invitations and greetings cards, because the
process takes longer with the arranging of the type and having to
feed and remove the paper. So, depending on what type of
product you are wanting, and if you want a stylish and
personalised finish then that would decide on which method you
would pick. However, as I mentioned before using a letterpress is
time consuming and the range of fonts are limited so it may not
be the best choice for printing packaging.

15. Digital Methods

16. Photocopying
The inventor of photocopying was an arthritic called Chester Carlson,
who started doing experiments with photoconductivity, as he found
his job of copying large numbers of important papers painful and
tedious.
How a photocopier works:
1. The cylindrical drum is electrostatically charged by a high
voltage wire, which is called a corona wire or a charge roller.
The cylindrical drum is coated with a photoconductive material,
which means that when it is exposed to light it will become
conductive.
2. A bright lamp illuminates the document that is to be copied,
while the white areas on the document reflect the light onto
the surface of the cylindrical drum. The areas of the drum that
are exposed to the reflected light become conductive and
therefore discharges to the ground. The dark areas of the drum
will remain negatively charged. This results in a latent electrical
image being left on the surface of the drum.
3. The toner is applied to the drum so that the image can be
developed. The toner is attracted and sticks to the areas that
are negatively charged, because it is positively charged.
4. The image made by the toner is transferred from the drum onto
a piece of paper which has a higher negative charge than the
drum.
5. Finally, heat and pressure rollers help melt and bond the toner
to the paper.
Photocopying is used extensively in business, education and
government, because it is quick and cheap process.

17. Photocopying
School Worksheets
Teachers use photocopiers
to make multiple
worksheets for their pupils
because it is cheap and easy
to do. Choosing to
photocopy worksheets is
suitable for the amount
needed because you can
have as many duplicate
prints as you want, and
there is no need for
worrying about paying
attention to detail or
missing bits out because
the photocopier will do it
for you.

18. Laser Printing
In 1969, a worker at the American Xerox
Corporation named Gary Starkweather had
the idea of having a laser draw the image
directly onto the copier drum. The year
after he worked with Butler Lampson and
Ronald Rider and they added a control
system and character generator, which
resulted in a printer that was called EARS
(Ethernet, Alto Research character
generator, Scanned laser output terminal).
This printer was later named the Xerox
9700 laser printer. The process is done by a
laser beam, which is usually from an
aluminium gallium arsenide semiconducter
laser, and the image is projected onto an
electrically charged rotating drum that is
coated with selenium. Photoconductivity
means that the charge is able to leak away
from the areas that are exposed to light.
Then toner particles are electrostatically
picked up by the charged area’s on the
drums which have not been exposed to the
laser beam. The drum prints the image
onto the paper via direct contact as well as
heat, and this fuses the ink to the paper.

19. Laser Printing
Large Companies
The price of laser printers has
fallen over the years, with the
HP LaserJet selling for $3500
in 1984 and low-end laser
printers nowadays sometimes
selling for less than $75. The
fastest models of laser
printers can print over 200
monochrome pages per
minute, and the fastest colour
laser printers can print over
100 pages per minute. This
fact makes it very beneficial
and useful to big companies
who will want to print out
lots of bills or send letters and
information to the public.

20. Comparison
The comparison between
photocopying and laser printing
is that they are both cheaper
and easier ways to produce lots
of documents in short amounts
of time. The only difference
between these two methods is
that the laser printer doesn’t use
ink, which ultimately lowers the
price to run them. Laser printing
gives you a clean and crisp
image. As for any ink needed for
photocopying, that can be
expensive and if you are printing
in bulk then the cartridge will
need to be replaced often. The
toner for a laser printer is also
quite pricey, but needs to be
replaced less often than with the
ink cartridges.

21. Print Methods Situations

22. To Do
• For each of the following scenarios, you need
to decide on the best printing method to use.
• You need to explain your choice of method
considering technical and aesthetic qualities,
cost, speed and the skills and knowledge
required.

23. 100 high quality wedding invitations.
• Your client wants very high quality wedding
invitation and is prepared for them to cost a
lot of money and take time to produce. The
invitations will be on high quality paper. The
invitations will only have text on them.

24. Decision and justification
I think the best choice for this situation would be to have the invitations
printed by a printing press. I say this because high quality paper will be used,
and the fact that there will be no images and only text is also beneficial
because the printing press specialises in printing specifically text. The printing
press will give an elegant or modern look to the invitations, depending on the
clients preferences. The client is also prepared to spend quite a bit of money,
and will allow lots of time for the invitations to be made, so the high quality
and professionalism of the finished product will be to their standard. There are
plenty of websites that can provide many styles of personalised invitations
which are produced using a printing press.

25. 50 special edition greetings cards.
• Your client, a talented local artist, wants to
produce small print runs of greetings cards.
They do not want to use electronic printing
methods. They need a cheap and simple
method of printing so they can produce small
runs of different designs but it needs to look
arty and handmade when it’s finished.

26. Decision and justification
I think that the best choice for this situation would be linocut. I think this
because the artist will be able to create his/her own designs and re-use them
to make sets of cards. Also, linocut printing doesn’t require any electrical
equipment, only ink and a set of knife-like tools that help to cut out the design.
This process is also cheap because you can get starter kits for about £30 on
Ebay or Esty. Linocut looks arty because you can create your own design, and
mix up the ink you use, so the designs do not have to be all one colour.

27. 3000 flyers for coffee shop.
• You client has a one week only special coming
up and wants 3000 basic, single colour flyers
to promote it. As the flyers will be given out in
the street they only need to be cheap, in fact,
the cheaper the better. They also need to be
produced quickly.

28. Decision and justification
I think that the best choice for this situation would be to photocopy the flyers
because it is cheap and easy and will be fast enough to produce that many
products in bulk. Because the flyers will only be in one colour, this is also good
for photocopying because they will not need to pay more for colour cartridges.
This would be a better option than laser printing because it is more expensive,
and the flyers don’t necessarily need to be of the best quality so a photocopier
would do the job just fine.

29. 100 copies of the village news letter.
• The parish council want to produce a monthly
news letter for the village. It will be a single
side of A4. It will mostly contain text but might
occasionally have a black and white picture. It
will be given away for free so should be cheap.
The council would be interested in printing it
themselves to save money.

30. Decision and justification
I think the best choice for this situation would be laser printing, because the
council will be paying for it themselves and would not want it to be too
expensive, and the cost for black and white laser printing is cheaper than
colour so that would also be an advantage. Having a laser printer and using it
every month for 100 copies will also be of good value because it will be unlikely
you will need to change the toner, as if you had a photocopier you would have
to keep replacing the ink cartridges, which are expensive in themselves.

31. 10,000 copies of a fashion magazine
• WM Fashion want to produce a new catalogue
to send out to its current customers as well as
its existing ones. It needs to be high quality
colour printing but it needs to have a low per
copy cost.

32. Decision and justification
I think that the best choice for this situation would be rotogravure. I think this
because the price per copy would be lower since thousands of copies would be
issued, although the cost for the actual cylinder and the machinery would be a
bit more pricey. As well as this, rotogravure printing always produces high
quality prints and it would be years before the cylinder begins to degrade. This
will allow professional and clean copies, with the additional colour not
increasing the price of the prints.