trykkplate

A trykkplate, in a printing context, is a plate that carries an image to be printed onto a substrate such as paper. The term is used most often for plates used in commercial offset printing, but it also covers plates used in traditional printmaking techniques such as relief and intaglio. The core idea is a surface in which the image area accepts ink while non-image areas repel ink and accept water.

Types and materials vary by process. In offset lithography, plates are typically metal, especially aluminum, often with a photosensitive coating that forms the image when exposed to light. Photopolymer plates, presensitized plates, and polymer-coated substrates are common in modern workflows. Other printing traditions use different materials: gravure uses etched or engraved metal cylinders, while relief printing may use wood or linoleum blocks, or metal plates with raised areas.

Production and workflow have evolved significantly. Traditional plates were prepared chemically or photographically, then mounted on a press. In contemporary production, computer-to-plate (CTP) systems expose the plate directly from digital data, reducing analog steps and film from the workflow. After exposure and processing, the plate is mounted on the press and used to transfer ink to a blanket cylinder before final transfer to the substrate.

Usage and function: on an offset press, the plate determines where ink is applied; the non-image areas are kept damp to prevent ink adhesion. The plate is a core element in many printing technologies, enabling repeatable, high-volume image production. As workflows modernize, digital plate technologies continue to expand capabilities and efficiency.