Which term describes the method of transferring ink from plate to blanket to page?

Which term describes the method of transferring ink from plate to blanket to page?

• A. Digital Printing
• B. Offset Printing
• C. Color Separation
• D. PMS

Answer: (B)

Offset printing describes the process of transferring ink from a plate to a rubber blanket and then onto the paper. In this method, the image is engraved on a plate and ink sits on the image areas while a water film keeps the non-image areas from accepting ink. The ink is first picked up by a blanket cylinder, then transferred to the paper. The term “offset” comes from this intermediate transfer step—the ink is offset from the plate to the blanket before it reaches the page. This approach is efficient for large runs and produces consistent results. Digital printing, by contrast, uses direct imaging without plates or blankets; color separation is a prepress step to break down an image into color components for printing; PMS refers to a color standard (Pantone) rather than a transfer method.

Offset printing describes the process of transferring ink from a plate to a rubber blanket and then onto the paper. In this method, the image is engraved on a plate and ink sits on the image areas while a water film keeps the non-image areas from accepting ink. The ink is first picked up by a blanket cylinder, then transferred to the paper. The term “offset” comes from this intermediate transfer step—the ink is offset from the plate to the blanket before it reaches the page. This approach is efficient for large runs and produces consistent results. Digital printing, by contrast, uses direct imaging without plates or blankets; color separation is a prepress step to break down an image into color components for printing; PMS refers to a color standard (Pantone) rather than a transfer method.