TIPS & TRICKS: THE BLANKET: KEY TO GOOD OFFSET PRINTING
The blanket is a real all-rounder in offset printing. It transfers text and graphic elements exactly from the printing plate to printing stock, which is an incredibly demanding task when you take a closer look at what all that involves. The blanket must be able to take on colour as well as it dispenses it. It also has to distribute dampening solution evenly, and irregularities in thickness in the printing stock have to be evened out. The blanket also has to serve as a kind of "damping system." Specific material characteristics determine how well the printed material releases from the blanket (quick release effect), how high quality the replication is in terms of colour and tone, and how strongly the printed image is affected by mechanical strain. Blankets are made up of multiple layers, and the company subjected these blankets to extensive testing. These tests focused on surface properties (for example roughness, chemical composition) as well as "damping qualities...