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In order to attract consumers' attention and stimulate consumers' desire for purchase, the packaging of goods nowadays is getting brighter and brighter. When customers purchase goods, their gaze stays on each product for no more than 1.8 seconds. In a medium-sized supermarket, there are no less than 30,000 kinds of products. In order to win the attention of customers, novel and unique packaging has become important for businesses. The killer. When you go shopping or strolling in a supermarket or shopping mall, you will find that metal effects and holographic effects are more and more widely used in packaging products.
Mr. Sam McElree, product and sales manager of KURZ Transfer Products, pointed out: “The packaging of perfumes, chocolates, chewing gum, film, CDs, DVDs, cigarettes and foods, like the fine labels of wine, champagne and liquor, also needs High-level design. With the intensification of market competition, the promotion of packaging has become more and more popular. In general, attractive packaging and the use of holographic foil to achieve brand awareness." At present, hot stamping has become an important method for surface finishing of metallic effects, and it is an effective way to enhance the visual effects of labels, cartons, and trademarks, and has been widely applied. Hot stamping methods mainly include hot stamping and cold stamping. Both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, in practical applications, suitable stamping methods should be selected according to specific conditions, especially in balancing the cost and quality. More attention should be paid.
Hot Stamping Technology
Hot stamping technology refers to the use of a dedicated metal hot stamping plate to transfer the hot stamping foil to the surface of the printing material by means of heat and pressure. 1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Hot Stamping Technology The advantages of hot stamping technology mainly include the following points. (1) Good quality, high precision, hot stamping image edge sharp and sharp. (2) The surface gloss is high and the hot stamping pattern is bright and smooth. (3) Wide selection of hot stamping foils, such as hot stamping foils of different colors, hot stamping foils with different gloss effects, and hot stamping foils suitable for different substrates. (4) The hot stamping process also has a prominent advantage, that is, it can perform three-dimensional hot stamping. Using computer numerical control engraving (CNC) method to make a three-dimensional hot stamping version, so that the hot stamping processing into a graphic with a clear three-dimensional level, the formation of relief effect on the surface of the print, and produce a strong visual impact. Three-dimensional hot stamping allows the package to have a unique feel. It is the hot stamping process that has many advantages as mentioned above, and it is widely used by users and consumers.
However, the hot stamping process requires the use of special equipment, the need for heating devices, and the need for hot stamping. Therefore, obtaining high quality stamping results also means higher costs.
Mr. Chris Corbett, International Sales Manager of ITW Foilmark, pointed out that the price of rotary hot stamping cylinders is relatively high, which accounts for a large proportion in the cost of hot stamping processes. It is the main cost factor for hot stamping processes. At the same time, he also pointed out that in the past five or six years, the price of hot stamping cylinders has been reduced to a great extent, and a drop of up to 50%.
In addition to lowering the cost of the stamping cylinder, hot stamping system suppliers have also challenged the hot stamping speed limit. Previously, due to the limitations of the hot stamping speed, most of the hot stamping work was done off-line, and now the situation is very different. A few years ago, the hot stamping machine's hot stamping speed reached less than 5,000 sheets/hour. At present, regardless of whether it is a platform-type hot stamping machine or a roller-type hot stamping machine, the speed can reach 7500 to 12,000 sheets/hour. Of course, the speed of hot stamping is also related to the type of machine used. The continuous increase in production speed has greatly reduced the cost of hot stamping.
2. Development trend of hot stamping technology
One of the development trends of hot stamping technology in the future is online hot stamping. The improvement of the chemical properties of the hot stamping foil provides a reliable guarantee for the rapid increase of the stamping speed. Therefore, the hot stamping process can already be completed online, and the application of the online hot stamping process will become more and more common in the future. In addition, sheet-fed folding carton printing is moving in the direction of web printing, which also creates conditions for on-line hot-stamping processes.
Another development trend of the hot stamping process is the first hot stamping, that is, after the stamping, the overprinting is performed on the hot stamping foil. The first hot post-printing process also benefits from the improvement and improvement of the chemical properties of the hot stamping foil so that UV ink can be used to print on the hot stamping foil. The first hot post-printing process can provide more excellent decorative effects and enhance the visual appeal of the image. Overprinting the opaque or transparent color inks after hot stamping can achieve fascinating results, provide package designers with endless design solutions, and provide designers with ample space to fully express their creative talents.
Cold Stamping Technology
Cold stamping technology refers to the use of UV adhesive to transfer the stamping foil to the printing material. The cold stamping process can be further divided into dry film cold stamping and wet film cold stamping. The dry film-covering cold stamping process is to cure the applied UV adhesive before the stamping. Ten years ago, when the cold stamping technology was just introduced, the dry film-covering cold stamping process was used. The main process steps are as follows. (1) Print cationic UV adhesive on roll printing material. (2) Curing UV adhesives. (3) The pressure roller is used to compound the cold foil with the substrate. (4) Remove the excess hot stamping foil from the substrate and leave only the desired hot stamping image on the adhesive-coated area. It is worth noting that the use of dry film cold stamping process, the UV adhesive curing should be fast, but can not be completely cured, to ensure that it still has a certain viscosity after curing, so that it can be very hot stamping foil Bonding together well. The wet film-covering cold stamping process is after the UV adhesive is applied, the first stamping and then the UV adhesive curing, the main process steps are as follows.
(1) Print free radical UV adhesive on web printing material. (2) Composite cold stamping foil on printing materials. (3) Curing the radical-type UV adhesive, since the adhesive is sandwiched between the cold-stamped foil and the substrate, the UV light must pass through the foil to reach the adhesive layer. (4) The hot stamp foil is peeled off from the printing material, and a stamping graphic is formed on the printing material.
It should be noted that: First, the wet film-covering cold stamping process replaces the traditional cationic UV adhesive with a free radical UV adhesive; Second, the initial adhesive strength of the UV adhesive is stronger and cannot be cured after curing. Adhesive; Third, the aluminum foil of the stamping foil should have a certain light transmission, to ensure that the UV light can pass through and trigger the UV adhesive curing reaction. The wet film-covering cold stamping process can connect hot stamping metal foils or holographic foils on a printing press, and its application range is also becoming wider and wider. At present, many narrow-width paper boxes and label flexographic printing presses already have such cold hot stamping capability.
1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Cold Stamping Technology The outstanding advantages of cold stamping technology mainly include the following aspects. (1) There is no need for special hot stamping equipment, and the prices of these equipment are usually relatively expensive. (2) It is not necessary to produce metal hot stamping plates, and ordinary flexographic plates can be used. Not only the plate making speed is high, but also the cycle time is short, and the production cost of hot stamping plates can also be reduced. (3) Fast hot stamping up to 450fpm. (4) No need for heating devices and energy savings. (5) The use of a photosensitive resin plate can be used to simultaneously finish the registration of the halftoning image and the hot stamping of the solid color blocks. That is, the halftone image and the solid color block to be hot stamped can be formed on the same hot stamping plate. Of course, just like the reconciliation of the real-world color block system to the same printing plate, both the hot stamping effect and the quality may have a certain loss. (6) The hot stamping substrate has a wide range of applications. Hot stamping can also be performed on heat-sensitive materials, plastic films, and in-mold labels.
However, cold stamping technology also has certain deficiencies, mainly including the following two points. (1) Cold stamping graphics often require secondary processing of the film or glazing, which increases the stamping cost and process complexity. (2) Coated high-viscosity adhesives have poor leveling and are not smooth, causing diffuse reflection on the surface of cold stamping foils, affecting the color and gloss of hot stamping graphics, and thus reducing the aesthetics of the product.
J.Michael Rivera, deputy general manager of sales for AMAGIC Hologrphics, said that although the cold stamping process cannot achieve the high precision and high definition of the hot stamping process, the cold stamping technology can bring many advantages to the flexographic printer, among which, Including: less initial equipment investment, lower plate making cost, faster hot stamping, online completion on the press, materials that are not suitable for hot stamping processes (such as films without substrates, PET and plastic bags, etc.) ) Hot stamping and so on.
Cold foil stamping technology can achieve the best hot stamping effect on film and non-absorbent paper materials. On the contrary, cold stamping on porous materials with high permeability is not ideal. However, Mr. Rivera pointed out that some of AMAGIC's customers have performed hot stamping on Raflatac Raflasilk's matte PSA material, and the feedback results are also quite good. In addition, some customers can obtain better cold stamping results by applying primers and gluing on matt paper materials.
Cold stamping technology has become a strong competitor of hot stamping technology, and cold stamping technology is expanding from narrow flexographic printing to other printing processes, such as wide flexographic printing, embossing, web offset and single printing. Sheet offset printing and so on. For example, on Drupa 2004, Roland 700 sheet-fed offset press equipped with Manroland's new Prindor InLine cold stamping device was exhibited.
Cold stamping technology has provided new opportunities for printing companies. Its greatest advantage is less investment, or even no investment at all. Another outstanding advantage is the high cost performance, which is also the biggest selling point of cold stamping technology. As some industry insiders have said: “For customers, the cost-effectiveness of cold stamping technology is higher, which can help customers increase the added value of the products, and it is very economical.†In addition, since cold stamping technology does not require the production of expensive hot stamping, So it is very suitable for short-lived, low-quality labeling and proofing production. However, compared with the hot stamping technology, the cold stamping technology still has certain defects in quality, and needs to be further improved. Therefore, the cold stamping technology is not suitable for the processing of high-quality packaging and label products.
Here, I would also like to mention here that although gold and silver ink printing can also produce metallic gloss decorative effects similar to those of hot stamping, gold and silver ink printing technology has made great progress in recent years, but it still cannot be achieved. Hot stamping or cold stamping technology brought about by the kind of strong visual impact. 2. Conditions required for cold stamping process In general, cold stamping can usually be applied to a job printed on a UV flexographic printing press. The equipment and materials required for the cold stamping process are as follows. (1) Standard flexographic printing or embossing unit. (2) Photopolymer plates and anilox rollers, and there must be enough spare anilox rollers to choose from. (3) The embossing roller with a hardness of HS90 must be able to be easily installed in the printing unit and ensure that sufficient pressure is provided to ensure that the hot stamping is performed smoothly. (4) Hot stamping foil unwinding device and rewinding device. Care should be taken to adjust the winding tension when cleaning waste to avoid wrinkling or delamination of the stamping material. (5) Hot stamping foil. (6) UV adhesives. (7) UV curing system. The UV curing system must be as close to the imprinting device as possible to cure the UV adhesive in time after printing and stamping. Moreover, the power of the UV curing system is required to be at least 300 W. The UV lamp and reflector must be kept clean and free of UV varnish and dust impurities so as not to affect the curing effect of the UV adhesive. (8) Stripping device. The peeling device is installed at the back end of the UV curing system. Apart from peeling the waste foil, the device can also prevent the delamination phenomenon of the hot stamping foil before the UV curing, and can also reduce the wrinkles, skew and other defects of the printing material.
In addition, in order to obtain high-quality hot stamping products and high profit margins, skilled operators are also required to be able to handle and solve various problems that occur in the production process, especially those related to UV systems.
Conclusion
In actual production, in the end choose hot stamping technology or cold stamping technology? The answer is: It should be based on specific circumstances. Using hot stamping technology can achieve the best hot stamping quality and hot stamping effect, but the cost is higher. Although the quality of the cold stamping is not bad, it is inferior to the hot stamping but at a lower cost. No matter which kind of hot stamping technology you use, you should pay attention to these two kinds of hot stamping technologies because the price of hot stamping is constantly being adjusted downwards, and the quality of cold stamping is also constantly improving. Both types of hot stamping technologies are in constant development. Progress and development. When a printing company decides whether to invest in cold stamping technology, it must combine the actual situation of the company to understand the situation of the company's printing press, because the use of cold stamping process means that a printing unit is to be replaced by cold stamping units, but also need to add The stripping device may affect the normal printing of the job if the number of color groups of the printer is not enough. In addition, it is also necessary to determine whether the job is suitable for the cold stamping process. A careful study of the graphic texts to determine whether it can achieve the desired effect after cold stamping. Printing companies can work together with UV adhesive suppliers to test cold stampings to provide customers with more choices and improve their ability to serve customers. On the basis of existing customers, it can also enhance the company's own competitiveness and create the potential for consumer demand for its products.
Mr. Sam McElree, product and sales manager of KURZ Transfer Products, pointed out: “The packaging of perfumes, chocolates, chewing gum, film, CDs, DVDs, cigarettes and foods, like the fine labels of wine, champagne and liquor, also needs High-level design. With the intensification of market competition, the promotion of packaging has become more and more popular. In general, attractive packaging and the use of holographic foil to achieve brand awareness." At present, hot stamping has become an important method for surface finishing of metallic effects, and it is an effective way to enhance the visual effects of labels, cartons, and trademarks, and has been widely applied. Hot stamping methods mainly include hot stamping and cold stamping. Both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, in practical applications, suitable stamping methods should be selected according to specific conditions, especially in balancing the cost and quality. More attention should be paid.
Hot Stamping Technology
Hot stamping technology refers to the use of a dedicated metal hot stamping plate to transfer the hot stamping foil to the surface of the printing material by means of heat and pressure. 1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Hot Stamping Technology The advantages of hot stamping technology mainly include the following points. (1) Good quality, high precision, hot stamping image edge sharp and sharp. (2) The surface gloss is high and the hot stamping pattern is bright and smooth. (3) Wide selection of hot stamping foils, such as hot stamping foils of different colors, hot stamping foils with different gloss effects, and hot stamping foils suitable for different substrates. (4) The hot stamping process also has a prominent advantage, that is, it can perform three-dimensional hot stamping. Using computer numerical control engraving (CNC) method to make a three-dimensional hot stamping version, so that the hot stamping processing into a graphic with a clear three-dimensional level, the formation of relief effect on the surface of the print, and produce a strong visual impact. Three-dimensional hot stamping allows the package to have a unique feel. It is the hot stamping process that has many advantages as mentioned above, and it is widely used by users and consumers.
However, the hot stamping process requires the use of special equipment, the need for heating devices, and the need for hot stamping. Therefore, obtaining high quality stamping results also means higher costs.
Mr. Chris Corbett, International Sales Manager of ITW Foilmark, pointed out that the price of rotary hot stamping cylinders is relatively high, which accounts for a large proportion in the cost of hot stamping processes. It is the main cost factor for hot stamping processes. At the same time, he also pointed out that in the past five or six years, the price of hot stamping cylinders has been reduced to a great extent, and a drop of up to 50%.
In addition to lowering the cost of the stamping cylinder, hot stamping system suppliers have also challenged the hot stamping speed limit. Previously, due to the limitations of the hot stamping speed, most of the hot stamping work was done off-line, and now the situation is very different. A few years ago, the hot stamping machine's hot stamping speed reached less than 5,000 sheets/hour. At present, regardless of whether it is a platform-type hot stamping machine or a roller-type hot stamping machine, the speed can reach 7500 to 12,000 sheets/hour. Of course, the speed of hot stamping is also related to the type of machine used. The continuous increase in production speed has greatly reduced the cost of hot stamping.
2. Development trend of hot stamping technology
One of the development trends of hot stamping technology in the future is online hot stamping. The improvement of the chemical properties of the hot stamping foil provides a reliable guarantee for the rapid increase of the stamping speed. Therefore, the hot stamping process can already be completed online, and the application of the online hot stamping process will become more and more common in the future. In addition, sheet-fed folding carton printing is moving in the direction of web printing, which also creates conditions for on-line hot-stamping processes.
Another development trend of the hot stamping process is the first hot stamping, that is, after the stamping, the overprinting is performed on the hot stamping foil. The first hot post-printing process also benefits from the improvement and improvement of the chemical properties of the hot stamping foil so that UV ink can be used to print on the hot stamping foil. The first hot post-printing process can provide more excellent decorative effects and enhance the visual appeal of the image. Overprinting the opaque or transparent color inks after hot stamping can achieve fascinating results, provide package designers with endless design solutions, and provide designers with ample space to fully express their creative talents.
Cold Stamping Technology
Cold stamping technology refers to the use of UV adhesive to transfer the stamping foil to the printing material. The cold stamping process can be further divided into dry film cold stamping and wet film cold stamping. The dry film-covering cold stamping process is to cure the applied UV adhesive before the stamping. Ten years ago, when the cold stamping technology was just introduced, the dry film-covering cold stamping process was used. The main process steps are as follows. (1) Print cationic UV adhesive on roll printing material. (2) Curing UV adhesives. (3) The pressure roller is used to compound the cold foil with the substrate. (4) Remove the excess hot stamping foil from the substrate and leave only the desired hot stamping image on the adhesive-coated area. It is worth noting that the use of dry film cold stamping process, the UV adhesive curing should be fast, but can not be completely cured, to ensure that it still has a certain viscosity after curing, so that it can be very hot stamping foil Bonding together well. The wet film-covering cold stamping process is after the UV adhesive is applied, the first stamping and then the UV adhesive curing, the main process steps are as follows.
(1) Print free radical UV adhesive on web printing material. (2) Composite cold stamping foil on printing materials. (3) Curing the radical-type UV adhesive, since the adhesive is sandwiched between the cold-stamped foil and the substrate, the UV light must pass through the foil to reach the adhesive layer. (4) The hot stamp foil is peeled off from the printing material, and a stamping graphic is formed on the printing material.
It should be noted that: First, the wet film-covering cold stamping process replaces the traditional cationic UV adhesive with a free radical UV adhesive; Second, the initial adhesive strength of the UV adhesive is stronger and cannot be cured after curing. Adhesive; Third, the aluminum foil of the stamping foil should have a certain light transmission, to ensure that the UV light can pass through and trigger the UV adhesive curing reaction. The wet film-covering cold stamping process can connect hot stamping metal foils or holographic foils on a printing press, and its application range is also becoming wider and wider. At present, many narrow-width paper boxes and label flexographic printing presses already have such cold hot stamping capability.
1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Cold Stamping Technology The outstanding advantages of cold stamping technology mainly include the following aspects. (1) There is no need for special hot stamping equipment, and the prices of these equipment are usually relatively expensive. (2) It is not necessary to produce metal hot stamping plates, and ordinary flexographic plates can be used. Not only the plate making speed is high, but also the cycle time is short, and the production cost of hot stamping plates can also be reduced. (3) Fast hot stamping up to 450fpm. (4) No need for heating devices and energy savings. (5) The use of a photosensitive resin plate can be used to simultaneously finish the registration of the halftoning image and the hot stamping of the solid color blocks. That is, the halftone image and the solid color block to be hot stamped can be formed on the same hot stamping plate. Of course, just like the reconciliation of the real-world color block system to the same printing plate, both the hot stamping effect and the quality may have a certain loss. (6) The hot stamping substrate has a wide range of applications. Hot stamping can also be performed on heat-sensitive materials, plastic films, and in-mold labels.
However, cold stamping technology also has certain deficiencies, mainly including the following two points. (1) Cold stamping graphics often require secondary processing of the film or glazing, which increases the stamping cost and process complexity. (2) Coated high-viscosity adhesives have poor leveling and are not smooth, causing diffuse reflection on the surface of cold stamping foils, affecting the color and gloss of hot stamping graphics, and thus reducing the aesthetics of the product.
J.Michael Rivera, deputy general manager of sales for AMAGIC Hologrphics, said that although the cold stamping process cannot achieve the high precision and high definition of the hot stamping process, the cold stamping technology can bring many advantages to the flexographic printer, among which, Including: less initial equipment investment, lower plate making cost, faster hot stamping, online completion on the press, materials that are not suitable for hot stamping processes (such as films without substrates, PET and plastic bags, etc.) ) Hot stamping and so on.
Cold foil stamping technology can achieve the best hot stamping effect on film and non-absorbent paper materials. On the contrary, cold stamping on porous materials with high permeability is not ideal. However, Mr. Rivera pointed out that some of AMAGIC's customers have performed hot stamping on Raflatac Raflasilk's matte PSA material, and the feedback results are also quite good. In addition, some customers can obtain better cold stamping results by applying primers and gluing on matt paper materials.
Cold stamping technology has become a strong competitor of hot stamping technology, and cold stamping technology is expanding from narrow flexographic printing to other printing processes, such as wide flexographic printing, embossing, web offset and single printing. Sheet offset printing and so on. For example, on Drupa 2004, Roland 700 sheet-fed offset press equipped with Manroland's new Prindor InLine cold stamping device was exhibited.
Cold stamping technology has provided new opportunities for printing companies. Its greatest advantage is less investment, or even no investment at all. Another outstanding advantage is the high cost performance, which is also the biggest selling point of cold stamping technology. As some industry insiders have said: “For customers, the cost-effectiveness of cold stamping technology is higher, which can help customers increase the added value of the products, and it is very economical.†In addition, since cold stamping technology does not require the production of expensive hot stamping, So it is very suitable for short-lived, low-quality labeling and proofing production. However, compared with the hot stamping technology, the cold stamping technology still has certain defects in quality, and needs to be further improved. Therefore, the cold stamping technology is not suitable for the processing of high-quality packaging and label products.
Here, I would also like to mention here that although gold and silver ink printing can also produce metallic gloss decorative effects similar to those of hot stamping, gold and silver ink printing technology has made great progress in recent years, but it still cannot be achieved. Hot stamping or cold stamping technology brought about by the kind of strong visual impact. 2. Conditions required for cold stamping process In general, cold stamping can usually be applied to a job printed on a UV flexographic printing press. The equipment and materials required for the cold stamping process are as follows. (1) Standard flexographic printing or embossing unit. (2) Photopolymer plates and anilox rollers, and there must be enough spare anilox rollers to choose from. (3) The embossing roller with a hardness of HS90 must be able to be easily installed in the printing unit and ensure that sufficient pressure is provided to ensure that the hot stamping is performed smoothly. (4) Hot stamping foil unwinding device and rewinding device. Care should be taken to adjust the winding tension when cleaning waste to avoid wrinkling or delamination of the stamping material. (5) Hot stamping foil. (6) UV adhesives. (7) UV curing system. The UV curing system must be as close to the imprinting device as possible to cure the UV adhesive in time after printing and stamping. Moreover, the power of the UV curing system is required to be at least 300 W. The UV lamp and reflector must be kept clean and free of UV varnish and dust impurities so as not to affect the curing effect of the UV adhesive. (8) Stripping device. The peeling device is installed at the back end of the UV curing system. Apart from peeling the waste foil, the device can also prevent the delamination phenomenon of the hot stamping foil before the UV curing, and can also reduce the wrinkles, skew and other defects of the printing material.
In addition, in order to obtain high-quality hot stamping products and high profit margins, skilled operators are also required to be able to handle and solve various problems that occur in the production process, especially those related to UV systems.
Conclusion
In actual production, in the end choose hot stamping technology or cold stamping technology? The answer is: It should be based on specific circumstances. Using hot stamping technology can achieve the best hot stamping quality and hot stamping effect, but the cost is higher. Although the quality of the cold stamping is not bad, it is inferior to the hot stamping but at a lower cost. No matter which kind of hot stamping technology you use, you should pay attention to these two kinds of hot stamping technologies because the price of hot stamping is constantly being adjusted downwards, and the quality of cold stamping is also constantly improving. Both types of hot stamping technologies are in constant development. Progress and development. When a printing company decides whether to invest in cold stamping technology, it must combine the actual situation of the company to understand the situation of the company's printing press, because the use of cold stamping process means that a printing unit is to be replaced by cold stamping units, but also need to add The stripping device may affect the normal printing of the job if the number of color groups of the printer is not enough. In addition, it is also necessary to determine whether the job is suitable for the cold stamping process. A careful study of the graphic texts to determine whether it can achieve the desired effect after cold stamping. Printing companies can work together with UV adhesive suppliers to test cold stampings to provide customers with more choices and improve their ability to serve customers. On the basis of existing customers, it can also enhance the company's own competitiveness and create the potential for consumer demand for its products.