sheetfed

Sheetfed refers to a class of printing processes and equipment that feed individual sheets of paper into the press, as opposed to web-fed presses that use continuous rolls. In commercial printing, sheetfed presses are typically offset presses in which each sheet passes through a sequence of cylinders that transfer ink from a plate to a rubber blanket and then to the paper. Sheetfed printing is widely used for short- to mid-run jobs and is favored for high image quality, precise color registration, and the ability to handle a variety of paper stocks.

In sheetfed offset printing, a plate containing the image is mounted on a plate cylinder. Ink is applied and transferred to a blanket cylinder, which then impression-transfers the image to the sheet. Color is built up through multiple impressions, usually starting with CMYK and adding spot colors as needed. Prepress preparation, including accurate trapping, color management, and proofing, is important to ensure consistent results across runs. Registration marks and careful paper handling help maintain alignment between colors and sides when printing on both sides.

Advantages of sheetfed printing include excellent image quality and color accuracy, strong handling of a wide range of paper weights and finishes, and rapid make-ready when switching between jobs. It is well suited to producing short- and medium-length runs with tight turnaround times, variable data printing, and inline finishing options such as cutting, folding, and binding.

Limitations include higher setup and makeready costs per job compared with continuous-run methods, making sheetfed less economical for very long runs. The efficiency of sheetfed production depends on press design, job complexity, and finishing requirements, and modern presses often integrate automation to improve speed and consistency.