The Art of Printing

Thinking about getting some t-shirts or signage printed for your business but curious about how it’s actually done? You may be new to the world of printing, and Fusion Group USA is here to help you navigate and understand how printing can help boost business. We print nearly anything you can think of – from business cards and stationery to t-shirts and sunglasses, if you want it printed, we can probably do it for you. Brand exposure, recognition, and creativity are important in business so that you stand out from the rest. However, the world of printing can be difficult to understand. To give you a better understanding of some of the terms you may come across when working with Fusion Group USA, here’s a rundown of the basic terms:

Printing Methods:

Offset lithographic: This type of printing is typically used for general commercial printing. The process is a little different than other printing methods because a printing plate never actually makes contact with the paper. Instead, the ink is applied to a custom printing plate which is then transferred to a rubber mat or blanket. The image is then printed on the paper from the rubber mat.

Flexography: This form utilizes a flexible plate that also relies on the relief to print the image. It can be used to print various materials like plastic, packaging, foil, etc.

Screen printing: This technique uses a mesh screen to get the ink onto the surface desired, typically fabric. The mesh screen has a stencil in place that creates the design and then ink is forced through the screen. It can also be used on other mediums like posters, wood, stickers, etc.

Digital printing: This method uses ink-jet and laser printers to transfer the image onto the desired surface. Images can be uploaded and quickly printed on a variety of surfaces.

Color Process:

CMYK: You will see this acronym a lot in the printing world, it stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Many of these printing methods rely on this color scheme to create images.

Spot color: This is a color process that relies on premixed inks that are specified through the Pantone Matching System (PMS). There is no dot scheme in using this process; the image is printed at 100% with the colors that are specified. This is helpful if trying to print using exact colors – if you were printing a company logo with specific colors for instance. Spot color is used in commercial printing and in promotional items or apparel printing.

Discharge printing: This color process is the longest-lasting method. The reason for this is that the actual fibers are bleached and color is then re-added. The process starts with an activating agent that effectively causes the dye that already exists in the fabric to deactivate or become bleached. Water-based pigments can then be introduced to the bleached area to dye the fibers in the design that is desired. Discharge printing is primarily used with clothing or when dealing with fabric fibers.

Fusion Group USA is here to help with all your printing needs. With offices in Grand Junction, Colorado and Phoenix, Arizona, Fusion Group USA can print high-quality, professional business stationery, large format signage, apparel, promotional items, and much more. Knowledge, talent, and great customer service are just a few things you can expect from Fusion Group USA when starting any of your printing projects. Call us today for more information!