Surface printing is the oldest automated printing method still in use today. Surface machines lay down very heavy amounts of ink. Because the ink is pushed onto the paper, the images are not as crisp as the other methods. Also, there is no drying stage between laying down each color, so the order of color run-throughs is very important to keep the inks from running into each other. Because of the amount of ink required for impressions, and the inexact image rendering, surface printing has a very distinct look. It is especially well suited for multi-colored floral patterns and classic document designs. Surface printers can usually print up to 12 colors.
See also
- Wallpaper