Trends in printing finishing technology

The printing industry is a service-processing industry, and its development depends on market expansion and technological advancements. As a crucial part of post-press surface finishing, the development of coating also hinges on the changing demands of the printing market and the development and application of new technologies. This determines the development trend of coating technology for paper printing.

I. The Trend of Multi-layered Printing Markets and Diversified Printing Products

Currently, the domestic printing market includes both large-volume, mass-produced printing products such as general books, pictures, brochures, packaging and decoration prints, trademarks, labels, samples, and instruction manuals; and also high-demand, high-quality, high-end printing products such as exquisite books, brochures, and export packaging prints. The former requires coatings that are inexpensive, high-quality, and highly efficient. Publications and packaging and decoration prints have different requirements for the physicochemical properties of coatings, all requiring the development of applicable new coating materials to replace traditional solvent-based and oil-based coating materials. The latter requires high efficiency, high quality, and high added value, with good adaptability to printing and post-press processing, and extensively uses water-based coating, UV coating, local UV coating, and combination coating. With the sustained and rapid development of China's economy, the growth in the variety and quantity of export goods, and the continuous improvement of people's cultural and living standards, the demand for the latter will become increasingly large, and the requirements for coating quality will also become increasingly high. Despite the different grades of coating objects, the development of new products, improvement of quality, non-toxicity (or low toxicity), and low cost are development trends and common requirements.

II. The Trend Towards Green and Environmental Protection

"Green printing" and "green packaging" are social responsibilities bestowed upon the printing industry by the times, a need for developing an export-oriented economy and serving the growth of export goods, and also an opportunity and important prerequisite for the development of the coating industry. Coating materials must meet environmental protection requirements, and develop towards non-toxic, non-harmful volatile substances, and water-based directions; develop water-based coatings, UV coatings, and water-based UV coatings; develop coatings with good compatibility, good adhesion, and good printing and post-press processing suitability, suitable for offset and gravure printing water-based coatings, UV coatings, and other new high-end coating materials; develop new coating materials that can be recycled and naturally degraded, i.e., the cured products of coating materials are easy to dissolve, decompose, and can be recycled without causing environmental pollution.

III. The Trend Towards Automated Production and Combination Coating

The development of digital network technology and the popularization and application of digital workflows have led to the integration and automation of pre-press, printing, and post-press processing, with the entire production process being subject to systematic control and management. The development trend of the printing market is small batches, short cycles, and high requirements. In order to pursue luxury and refinement, improve artistry, and enhance anti-counterfeiting functions, packaging and decoration printing has become a trend from the application of multiple processes to combine processing a single product, to forming combined printing of convex, flat, concave, and perforated printing, inline coating, and combination coating in color packaging and decoration printing. This is because it is an important means and measure to improve printing quality, improve production efficiency, reduce enterprise operating costs, and increase product added value.

Since different printing processes use printing inks with different structures, properties, and drying methods, the suitability requirements for coating materials are also different for processing a single printed product with multiple printing processes. Some multicolor offset presses are equipped with two coating units, which can perform both full-surface coating and local coating; both water-based coating and UV coating are possible, which will put forward new and higher requirements on the printing suitability and post-processing suitability of coating materials and processing technologies. It is precisely because of these functions that the competitiveness of offset printing in packaging and decoration printing has been enhanced, opening up new avenues and expanding new markets for improving the quality of packaging and decoration printing, developing new products, and increasing added value.