Answer the following questions

Platemaking

Printing plates vary according to the individual technology – offset, letterpress/flexography, gravure, and screen printing.

During platemaking itself, the film is transferred optically onto the unexposed printing plate. This is done by means of either a contact copy or projection. In the former process a film is used whereas projection is done either from film or a reflection copy, that is, a paste-up. A printing plate is produced for each primary color of the intended print on the basis of the corresponding color separation.

Radiation or exposure of the unexposed printing plate in accordance with the image may be followed by an intermediate step (such as heating) before the printing plate is developed using the chemical/physical processes appropriate to its material. This is followed by the final treatment of the plate, in which the latter undergoes after-treatment (e.g., baking to increase possible run length) or preservative measures (e.g., gumming-up to improve storage properties and printability) and is prepared for fitting in the press (e.g., punching, beveling).

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