An inextricable link exists between graphic design and printing. Although not applicable to websites or digital signage, the process of planning and developing designs for flyers, posters, leaflets, packages, or books, typically involves considering the materials (e.g., paper, plastic) and printing/finishing techniques at the same time as the creation of visual images. In particular, when designing product packages for food items, beverages, or cosmetics, it should be considered that the package would be available for customers to see and feel directly before they make the decision to purchase, as such packages are usually placed on store shelves to represent and convey the brand's values. For the final outcome to fully reflect the designer's intention and concept with perfect consistency, it is essential to work closely with the companies that perform the printing/finishing process of the actual product. Herein, I studied five cases from past projects in which printing/finishing techniques, and the companies that carried out the process, contributed greatly to the final outcome. For each case, I would like to describe the design concept and the main features in the printing/finishing process.

Digital embellishment, which involves the addition of gloss and irregularities on printed matter using UV inkjet printers, has attracted attention both in Japan and abroad. Digital embellishment is characterized by the ability to produce beautiful and interesting printed materials at a low cost and with a short delivery time. In this paper, we explain the principle of digital embellishment, and further, introduce some printing companies who bought them. In addition, we explain the importance of digital decorating, in the context of brand owners who employed this technique, and highlight some examples as well.

This article introduces laser processing technology and its application to paper cutting. This technology allows the cutting of paper, which is inherently delicate, in a precise and fast manner. Paper can be easily burnt owing to its low ignition temperature; therefore, laser power and irradiation time have been optimized in order to prevent paper from scorching. In small factories, various paper products with original and novel designs are realized by combining this technology and the creative ideas of designers. The laser processing technology can thus increase the value of printed products by transforming them into decorative products.

Decorating the surface of an object adds value by enhancing the luxury feel and appeal of the original object. The hot stamping technique is a dry decoration method capable of realizing a wide range of metallic designs. This method is used in the decoration of many products such as paper packages and cosmetic containers, among others. This article focuses on the metallic hot stamping technique. First, we describe the hot stamping method and hot stamping foils. Then, various hot stamping techniques including those for the decoration of automobiles using three-dimensional shapes are described; the use of these shapes is expected to expand in the following years.

This paper focuses on three separate processes of flexographic form development using DuPont FAST technology. These processes differ in terms of the volume, driving force, and absorption mechanism for low viscosity photopolymer into nonwoven materials. Research was conducted on the absorption capacity of nonwoven materials of different synthetic fibers. In addition, the possibility of using needle-punched nonwoven canvases, made from a mixture of synthetic and bicomponent fibers, to function as an absorbent of melted thermoplastic polymers in the production of print forms was also investigated. Geometric modeling shows that the amount of photopolymer extracted from the forming plates depends on the deformation experienced during compression, the plate dimensions, and the distance between the raster form printing elements. The optimal compression range of the forming plate and the thermal processing range of needle-punched nonwoven canvases for full extraction of photopolymer melt from the gaps in the printing forms were determined.

The characteristics of a screen printing method were evaluated in the context of the application of the method for the fabrication of printed electronics. A squeegee that generated high pressure against the ink, with an aperture part made of rigid material (hereinafter called pressure-type squeegee), was used in an on-contact method, and it produced a uniform thickness of ink printed in the desired line width between 30 and 100 μm. The thickness of the printed ink was approximately 1.3 times larger than that obtained using a conventional squeegee bar in an off-contact method. In addition, the distortion in the printed area was reduced to one sixth the value achieved by using a conventional squeegee bar, and the asymmetry of strain toward the printing direction was also reduced. By using the pressure-type squeegee, the amount of residual ink on the edge of the printing operation could be reduced to half owing to the convened motion of the sack-back and scraping operations. It was also suggested that ink having low plastic viscosity and yield value is suitable to reduce the residual ink on the screen mask. The results indicate that the application of the pressure-type squeegee provides both the wide pattern capability for producing printed circuits and stability for continuous printing.

The rubber of print blankets and transferred rolls may deteriorate owing to the swelling and extraction resulting from the interaction of solvents and ink on the printing machine. A method of evaluating rubber deterioration has previously not been clearly established. In the present study, a technique for understanding the deterioration of rubber due to the effect of ink and solvents was developed using analytical instruments. The process of rubber swelling and extraction was evaluated in detail as an effect of the solvents and ink. As a result, compatibility between rubbers and solvent/ink types could be predicted before printing.