2.8.1

Paper & Board: Techniques & Processes

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Specialist Techniques

The use of production aids helps the designer and manufacturer produce accurate and high-quality materials and products every time.

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The use of production aids

  • The use of production aids helps the designer and manufacturer produce accurate and high-quality materials and products every time.
  • Templates and CAD/CAM can allow for accurate shape-cutting or continuous production that has consistent patterns e.g. gift wrapper based products.
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Tools, equipment and processes

  • Tools and equipment have been invented to speed up the process of producing paper-based products and allow for products to be produced identically.
  • Production aids such as rulers and self-cutting printers eliminate errors and increase the quality of paper and board based production.
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Measuring

  • Rulers can be on the margins of the cutting area to help accurately cut paper and boards.
  • Plotting machines can remember registration marks which then enable for fast and accurate cutting.
  • Protractors and dividers can be used to measure angles and reproduce lines.
  • Set squares can help to make a paper square or to create two two-dimensional shapes.
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Scoring and cutting

  • Scoring the paper and board can be done using creasing tools.
  • Laser cutters or die cutter can create perforated edges for accurate and easy folding.
  • Packaging benefits from this as it is a slow process to accurately produce crease lines every time.
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Scoring and cutting cont.

  • Clean cutting of paper and boards can be done through craft knives and paper trimmers. They offer speed and precision that many end users can benefit from.
  • Craft knives are versatile and can produce many different types of creases and cuts.
  • However, die cutters offer better speed and precision but have high set up costs and tooling costs.

Commercial Processes

Commercial processes offer companies a distinct advantage as they can produce items and products quickly and accurately whilst also reducing unit costs in the long run.

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Commercial processes

  • Commercial processes offer companies a distinct advantage as they can produce items and products quickly and accurately whilst also reducing unit costs in the long run.
  • Unit costs are the cost of producing a single item.
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Offset lithography

  • This is a process where ink is applied usually in four or more stages.
  • Offset lithography applies the colour in four stages of colour.
  • It applies dots in each area that requires it eventually forming the picture or graphic that is intended to print.
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Offset lithography cont.

  • Registration marks are produced at the bottom of the piece where colour testing and accuracy of prints can enable high-quality prints every time.
  • Due to the similar processes used, fabric printing uses near enough identical processes when producing a large amount of fabric based prints.
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Colours

  • The colours used in offset lithography are CMYK:
    • C stands for cyan (blue).
    • M stands for magenta (pink/purple palette).
    • Y stands for yellow.
    • K stands for key which (refers to black).
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Die cutting

  • Die cutting is a technique that allows for paper to be cut and creased accurately in large amounts.
  • Using sharp blades that are put into a base material such as ply allow for an evenly distributed and heavy cut which can cut through a material perforate at the same time.
  • Die cutting uses a stamping motion to evenly cut, crease and perforate.

Jump to other topics

1Core Technical Principles

2Paper & Board: Specialist Technical Principles

3Timber: Specialist Technical Principles

4Metal: Specialist Technical Principles

5Polymers: Specialist Technical Principles

6Textiles: Specialist Technical Principles

7Designing & Making Principles

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