syväpainatusta

Syväpainatus, also known as gravure printing or rotogravure printing, is a high-volume, high-quality intaglio printing process. In this method, the image is etched into a copper cylinder or a cylinder coated with copper. The image areas are recessed below the surface of the cylinder, creating cells that hold the ink. The non-image areas are left at a higher level.

During the printing process, the entire cylinder is immersed in ink, which fills all the recessed cells. A doctor blade, a flexible metal blade, then scrapes off the excess ink from the non-image areas, leaving ink only in the cells. The substrate, typically paper or plastic film, is then pressed against the inked cylinder by a rubber-covered impression roller. The pressure forces the ink from the cells onto the substrate, creating the printed image.

Syväpainatus is known for its exceptional print quality, especially for continuous tone images like photographs. It can reproduce subtle gradations of color and fine detail with great accuracy. This makes it ideal for applications requiring high fidelity, such as magazines, catalogs, packaging, and decorative laminates. The process is also very fast and efficient, making it suitable for extremely long print runs where the cost of cylinder preparation can be amortized over millions of impressions. However, the initial setup costs, particularly for engraving the cylinders, are significant, making it less economical for short print runs. The process uses a wide range of inks, including solvent-based, water-based, and UV-curing inks, depending on the substrate and application.