bedrucken

Bedrucken is a German verb meaning to print on or to apply printing to a surface. The word combines Druck (print, pressure) with the prefix be-, which in German commonly marks action directed at an object. In everyday and technical usage, bedrucken covers any process that places ink, color or patterns onto a substrate.

Bedrucken is used on a wide range of materials, including textiles, paper and cardboard, plastics, glass, ceramics and metals. It enables decorative designs, branding and informational patterns on items such as clothing, packaging, wallpaper, signage and consumer products.

Industrial bedrucken employs several printing processes, chosen according to substrate, volume and quality. Common methods are: screen printing (Siebdruck), which pushes ink through a mesh stencil; offset printing (Offsetdruck) for high-volume paper products; digital printing (Digitaldruck) for short runs and variable data; flexographic printing (Flexodruck) for packaging on flexible substrates; gravure printing (Tiefdruck) for high-volume, high-quality images; and pad printing (Tampondruck) for irregular surfaces. For textiles and some plastics, sublimation printing (Sublimationsdruck) and heat-transfer processes are widely used.

Color management and process control are important in bedrucken to ensure consistent results across substrates and machines. The term has historical roots in traditional textile printing and decorative arts, and modern bedrucken encompasses a range of industrial and digital techniques that enable wide reuse of patterns, branding and customization.