4 Major Steps Of Cylinder Engraving

The cylinder engraving is one of the initial and most crucial stages of gravure printing. The process of cylinder engraving includes the engraving of the image to be printed on the cylinder. The image could be anything from writings to the image of a substance and so on.

So, do you do cylinder engraving? Well, there are steps that you should follow to ensure that you are getting everything right. In this guide, we have put together these steps. If you are a beginner in-cylinder engraving, here are the 4 major steps that you should follow:

Galvanic Processing

The galvanizing process includes the creation of an engraving layer on the gravure cylinder. Note that cylinder engraving does not include the engraving of the permanent layer of the cylinder. It is done on a temporary layer that is created through the process of galvanizing. In this process, a layer of copper is added to the cylinder. The thickness of the coppered layer depends upon the kind of depth of the engraving that you would like to do.

Engraving

With the galvanic process complete, the process of cylinder engraving is ready to start. One of the key thing things you need to get right is the digitization of the image to be engraved. That’s why it is recommended that you work with highly effective engraving software that can easily create a digital image. Make sure all the setting of the engraving machine are working and the cylinder properly installed. Then you can start with the process of cylinder engraving.

Test Printing

Once the cylinder has been engraved, the second thing you need to do is testing it. You need to know whether the engraving has been done correctly before you can go for real printing. It is through test printing that you will identify errors in the engraved cylinder and fix them for the final printing. That’s simply why test printing is a very crucial stage.

Chroming

Once the cylinder has been engraved and is expected to be used for a very long time, you need to have it chromed. This is where the engraving part of the cylinder covered with a thin layer to help extend its lifespan. The chroming of the cylinder also ensures that the etched cells can maintain their form for a longer time. Note that the galvanized layer can also be removed after the printing is done and new engraving is needed.