Tulostuslevyjä

Tulostuslevyjä, known in English as printing plates, are essential components in the printing industry. They are typically flat, thin sheets made of materials like metal, plastic, or rubber, onto which an image or text is transferred. This image is then used to transfer ink onto paper or other substrates during the printing process. The type of printing plate used depends heavily on the specific printing method employed.

In offset lithography, a dominant printing technique, printing plates are usually made of thin aluminum or polyester. The image is created on the plate through a photochemical process, resulting in areas that attract ink (image areas) and areas that repel ink (non-image areas). For flexography, a printing method often used for packaging, plates are typically made of flexible rubber or photopolymer. These plates have raised image areas that transfer ink directly to the substrate. Gravure printing utilizes plates with recessed cells that hold ink, which is then transferred to the paper. Letterpress printing, an older method, uses plates with raised type or images, similar in principle to flexography.

The durability and quality of a printing plate are crucial for achieving high-quality prints and for determining the total print run possible. Advances in plate technology have led to improved image resolution, faster plate making processes, and environmentally friendlier options. The development of computer-to-plate (CTP) technology has largely replaced older methods of creating printing plates, streamlining the pre-press workflow.