6 Hybrid Printing Systems

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Contents Chapter 6

Hybrid Printing Systems

6.1 Overview of Printing Methods and 6.3.3 Hybrid Printing Systems combining
Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 761 Conventional and NIP Technologies . . . . . . 766
6.3.4 Hybrid Printing Systems combining
6.2 Combination Variants of Hybrid Printing Computer to Press/Direct Imaging
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763 with NIP Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 768
6.3.5 Hybrid Printing Systems combining
6.3 System Concepts and Examples of Conventional Printing Technologies
Implementations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765 with Computer to Press Technologies . . . . . 769
6.3.1 Hybrid Printing Systems combining
Conventional Printing Technologies . . . . . . 765 6.4 Hybrid Techniques for In-line and Off-line
6.3.2 Hybrid Printing Systems combining Print Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 771
NIP Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765

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6.1 Overview of Printing Methods and Technologies

Figure 6.1-1 provides an outline of the printing tech- within the production process taking in prepress,
nologies (see sec. 1.3.1 and [6.1-1]). The diagram shows press, and postpress, is equipped with suitable tech-
conventional printing requiring a master, as well as nology, as already explained in the previous chapters
non-impact technologies, which operate without a and sections.
master, printing on sheet or web material using the It is evident that every technology has its own special
relevant inks. The printing press, as a component applications, which can be characterized by the size of

Printing Technologies

Conventional Printing Non-Impact Printing

(with master) (masterless)

Screen Letterpress Lithography Gravure Electrophoto- Ionography Magnetography Ink jet Thermography Photography
(Relief printing) graphy
“X”-Graphy
Letter- Flexo- Waterless Continuous Drop on
Offset
press graphy Offset Demand
Ink/Toner

Sublimation Transfer

Ink Powder Liquid Magnetic Liquid Hot-melt Color donor Color sensitive
(liquid) toner toner toner ink ink (ribbon/foil) coating

Production flow Sheet or Web (substrate)

Original Prepress Press Postpress Printed product

(analog and digital)

Fig. 6.1-1 Overview of printing technologies for the production of print media

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762 6 Hybrid Printing Systems

Conventional printing technologies

(“mechanical” printing)
With master (plate, cylinder)/
permanent, stable/fixed image
e.g., Offset
Conventional Printing
RIP C to Film
platemaking press
Digital full page/sheet
(image, graphics, text, multicolor) e.g., Offset, Gravure
C to Plate Printing
RIP
(C to Cylinder) press Printed Sheet
e.g., Offset
Prepress, Post- Digital
Premedia Script- printing C to Press/ Printed
RIP Finishing
file (processes, Direct imaging product
systems)
RIP C to Press/
Direct imaging
Electronic printing technology with re-imageable
(NIP technologies) master
Without permanent master,
i.e. no fixed, stored image

e.g., Electrophotography

Imaging Inking Printing

C to Print Imaging
RIP (NIP tech- Printing
& Inking
nology)
e.g., “X”-Graphy
Inking directly
to paper
e.g., Ink jet

Fig. 6.1-2 Digital printing: technologies, components, and systems

the run, the quality of the print, further processing op-
tions, cost structure, and economy.
Also of importance is incorporation in the complete
workflow for producing the printed matter. Computer
to … technologies and digital printing are used both
for conventional printing, that is, processes requiring a
master, as well as, in particular, for non-impact print-
ing technologies.
Figure 6.1-2 shows those versions that are capable of
digital printing and are currently in use.
References in 6.1
[6.1-1] Kipphan, H.: Digital Multicolor Printing – State of
the Art and Future Challenges. IS&T/SPIE Symposium
on Electronic Imaging: Science and Technology, Color
Hardcopy and Graphic Art IV (Proceedings), Vol. 2413.
SPIE – The International Society for Optical Engi-
neering, Bellingham (WA) 1995, pp. 7–31.

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6.2 Combination Variants of Hybrid Printing Systems

There are many methods and practical examples tions, with both a high degree of economy for the print-
demonstrating that it is not always just a single printing ing company and benefit to the customer; see [6.2-1].
technology that is used for the production of a printed
product, but that a combination of various printing tech- Hybrid Printing Systems. Figure 6.2-1 shows how so-
nologies can bring about very interesting production op- called hybrid printing systems can be set up from a com-

Printing Technologies

Hybrid Printing System

e.g., Electrography e.g., Ink jet
e.g., Offset e.g., Flexography

Conventional Printing Non-Impact Printing

(with master) e.g., Offset e.g., Ink jet (masterless)

Screen Letterpress Lithography Gravure Electrophotography Ionography Magnetography Ink jet Thermography Photography
(Relief printing)
“X”-Graphy
Letter- Flexo- Waterless Continuous Drop on
Offset
press graphy Offset Demand
Ink/Toner

Sublimation Transfer

Ink Powder Liquid Magnetic Liquid Hot-melt Color donor Color sensitive
(liquid) toner toner toner ink ink (ribbon/foil) coating

Production flow Sheet or web

(substrate)

Original Prepress Press Postpress Printed product

(analog and digital)

Fig. 6.2-1 Combination of various printing technologies to set up hybrid printing systems

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764 6 Hybrid Printing Systems

Fig. 6.2-2
Computer to press/direct imaging and Data file Page/Sheet to be printed
computer to print technology as alterna- (PostScript, PDF) (image, graphics, text
tives for setting up digital hybrid printing single-color and multicolor)
systems (e.g., combination of offset print-
ing/direct imaging with ink jet/NIP tech- RIP
nology)
Computer to press

Direct imaging Computer to print

(with master) (masterless)

Once-imageable Re-imageable
master master e.g., Electrophoto-
graphy e.g., Ink jet

Plate imaging Surface imaging Imaging Imaging paper

(per job) (per job) (print per print) with ink
Inking Inking (print per print)
e.g., Offset
Printing Printing

Print

bination of conventional and non-impact printing
technologies.
Hybrid printing systems can also be set up from a
combination of various conventional systems, that is,
technologies using a master, or by combining various
non-impact printing technologies. Such combined tech-
nologies are also shown in figure 6.2-1.
For computer to … technologies (see sec. 4.1), figure
6.2-2 shows selected parts of the computer to press
variants of direct imaging and computer to print. Effi-
cient hybrid printing systems can also be set up by com-
bining these computer to press variants, as is explained
with examples in the following chapter.
Regarding the different types of ink used, printing
with hybrid systems can be problematic, in particular
when overprinting is carried out with different
processes, for instance when printing by ink jet on a
multicolored offset printed picture.
Flexibility. Hybrid printing systems can be modular in
design so that they are formed, for example, by separa-
ble linkage of a multicolor offset press to a single-col-
or or multicolor NIP press. This has the advantage that
in-line production is possible combining both printing
technologies, while each of the two printing systems
can also be operated separately.

Substrates and Inks. The characteristics of the substrate References in 6.2

are of particular importance when printing with hy-
brid systems. Where printability, ink acceptance, print
quality, and paper run in particular are concerned, they
must fulfill the requirements of both technologies em-
ployed.
[6.2-1] Kipphan, H.: Digital Multicolor Printing and
Printmedia Production – Status, Trends, Challenges and
Innovations in Technology, Equipment and Market.
42nd FINAT World Congress (Proceedings). FINAT
(The International Association for the Self Adhesive
Label Industry), The Hague (NL) 1999.

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6.3 System Concepts and Examples of Implementations
6.3.1 Hybrid Printing Systems combining
Conventional Printing Technologies
Within conventional printing technologies, hybrid sys-
tems are already well-known that combine offset and
flexographic printing such as sheet-fed offset presses; the
latter have an attached coating unit for the whole sur-
face or partial (spot coating) application of a coating
onto a high-quality multicolor print produced in the
same press (fig. 6.3-1, see also sec. 2.1.2.7).With these sys-
tems, it is also possible to produce colored imprints by
means of a flexographic plate, for instance, with special
effect coatings or special colors (spot color).
Where a multicolor offset press is prepared for wa-
terless offset printing (temperature control of the ink-
ing unit), and the printing units are nevertheless
equipped with the dampening units, this press can be
operated as a hybrid printing system by combining
conventional and waterless offset printing. With this
kind of printing system it is possible to produce the job
by applying the waterless offset process for the multicol-
or print and the conventional offset technology for the
single-color printing of text and line art.
Coating unit
(flexography)
Fig. 6.3-1
Multicolor sheet-fed offset press with coating unit as a hybrid printing system combining offset and flexographic printing
(Speedmaster SM 74, Heidelberg)
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Other examples of hybrid printing systems based on
technologies requiring a master are systems for label
printing, such as those described in section 2.5.3. The
combination of flexographic printing, offset printing, and
screen printing is shown for label printing in figure 6.3-2.
Figure 6.3-3 shows the structure of another hybrid
printing system that uses flexographic printing (for
multicolor printing as well as for coating), screen print-
ing, and embossing (with letterpress plate).
6.3.2 Hybrid Printing Systems combining
NIP Technologies
Combined processes are also possible for non-impact
printing systems. Figure 6.3-4 shows a system where
electrophotography, for high-speed single-color print-
ing, has been combined with an ink jet printer for im-
printing additional information in color (see also fig.
5.5-15 in sec. 5.5.3).
Section 5.8 (fig.5.8-2) describes a printing system with
which high-quality multicolor prints can be produced
through a combination of the NIP technologies of pho-
tography and thermography (with low productivity).
Offset printing unit
766 6 Hybrid Printing Systems

Hot-foil stamping
Offset printing unit

Flexographic printing unit Screen printing

Fig. 6.3-2
Hybrid printing system for label printing; combining the printing technologies of flexography, offset, and screen, as well as letterpress
(with heated plate) for hot-foil stamping/embosssing (CombiPrint, Goebel)

Flexo printing units * Hot-foil stamping (using letterpress)

*) can be replaced by rotary screen printing units

Fig. 6.3-3
Hybrid printing system for label printing; capable of combining flexography for multicolor printing or coating and letterpress for hot-foil
stamping/embossing and numbering as well as rotary screen printing (Arsoma EM 280 KS, Gallus)

6.3.3 Hybrid Printing Systems combining

Printing system Conventional and NIP Technologies
(electrophotography)
Of particular interest when setting up hybrid systems
is the combination of conventional with non-impact
printing technologies. With these installations, the
advantages of both technologies can be optimally com-
bined.
By means of a hybrid system with printing units for
color printing of the highest quality based on a print-
ing technology using a master (in particular offset
printing) and one or more printing units based on non-
impact technology (e.g. ink jet), it becomes possible to
add personalized information to the high-quality col-
Ink jet imprinting system or print in-line. As shown in figure 6.3-5, these printing
systems are able to print different information sheet by
Fig. 6.3-4 sheet, as well as to segment a complete job, for instance,
Hybrid printing system combining the NIP technologies of elec-
trophotography (single-color web-fed printing) with ink jet for mul-
by printing parts of the job with single-color informa-
ticolor (spot color) imprints (corresponding to figs. 5.5-15, 4.5-9), tion (in particular text) in different languages or with
(InfoPrint 4000/Info Print Highlight Color, IBM) different recipient/company addresses.

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 6.3 System Concepts and Examples of Implementations 767

Splitting the entire print Page contents partly Complete pages with
Identical content
run into segments personalized (personal- different content
of the entire print run
(versions) of the same izing, individualizing) (variable image)
(fixed image)
content

Segment 1
(version 1)
text 1

2
text 1
Print job

Segment 2
(version 2)
text 2

4
text 2

5
Segment 3
text 3 (version 3)

text 3

Total: 10 000, for example, “1”

Run length: e.g., 5000 with 10 segments of 1000 “1”
(e.g., ”Book on Demand”)

Fig. 6.3-5
Production options with hybrid printing systems by combining printing technologies requiring a plate and NIP technologies (the sheet con-
tent marked in blue is identical for the entire print run)

The illustration in figure 6.3-5 shows that hybrid In section 5.5.2 (fig. 5.5-10) application examples of
printing systems provide production capabilities rang- ink jet systems are described for off-line personaliza-
ing from print jobs with a fixed content throughout the tion/addressing, in particular in connection with fin-
entire print run (0% variable page content) to jobs with ishing processes. An example of an in-line installation
a completely variable content from page to page (100% of ink jet systems for sheet-fed offset is shown in figure
variable page content). 6.3-7; the ink jet heads can, for example, be used – for
Figure 6.3-6 shows an example of a hybrid printing sys- individualization and/or segmentation purposes – to
tem where a four-color sheet-fed offset press is equipped add variable information to the offset print over the
with an additional printing unit for personalization. complete sheet width on security paper or package
This printing unit can operate, for example, on the ba- printing.
sis of the NIP technology ink jet. In the example shown The very different top production speeds when setting
in figure 6.3-6, the non-impact technology ink jet has the up hybrid printing systems employing different print-
advantage that the imprinting unit does not come into ing technologies are, however, problematic. The fastest
contact with the not quite dry offset ink on the paper NIP technology for single-color printing achieves print
surface. Where drying is positioned downstream of the speeds between 0.3 and 5 meters/second (electropho-
final offset unit, it is also possible to print the personal- tography, magnetography, ink jet). With NIP systems
ized information with an electrophotographic printing for multicolor printing, print speeds are between 0.1 and
unit, where the imaging or the intermediate drum phys- 0.5 m/s (electrophotography, ink jet). Further develop-
ically touches the surface of the substrate. ments are in progress and some have already been

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768 6 Hybrid Printing Systems
Direct-to-print printing
unit (NIP technology)
Fig. 6.3-6
Hybrid printing system combining offset printing for multicolor printing with NIP technology for the imprinting unit for printing partly vari-
able contents from sheet to sheet (SM 74 + NIP/concept study, Heidelberg)
Fig. 6.3-7
Hybrid printing system: multicolor offset printing press with ink jet
imprinting system for numbering, personalization, and segmenta-
tion of the job (Domino/Heidelberg)
announced (like from Elcorsy, see sec. 5.9.2, around
2 m/s). With offset printing presses, by comparison, the
print speeds are in the upper range between 1.6 and
4.5 m/s for sheet-fed and between 8.5 and 15 m/s for
web-fed printing. Due to process-based differences, in-
line combination of printing technologies may prove
to be unsuitable, or the productivity of the hybrid sys-
tem must be adapted to the slower technology.
Offset printing units
IR drying
Ink jet imprinting system
Offset printing press
Fig. 6.3-8
Hybrid printing system for web printing for in-line personalization/
addressing of print media (Mohndruck; [6.3-1])
Figure 6.3-8 shows one installation example where a
web offset press is combined in-line with a high-speed
ink jet system to personalize the print, that is, to pro-
vide additional information for specific customer
groups. Finishing equipment incorporated in the web
offset printing system is then used for in-line produc-
tion of a print product such as a stitched brochure.
6.3.4 Hybrid Printing Systems combining
Computer to Press/Direct Imaging
with NIP Technologies
Figure 6.3-9 shows another combination for setting up
a hybrid printing system: A computer to press/direct
imaging press together with a computer to print sys-
tem. High-grade printed matter of uniform high qual-
ity is produced with the direct imaging multicolor
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 6.3 System Concepts and Examples of Implementations 769

Fig. 6.3-9 Computer to press/

Digital hybrid printing system using the Direct imaging printing system
combination of computer to press/direct
imaging technology for multicolor printing
(waterless offset) and computer to print
imprinting system (NIP technology, e. g.,
ink jet) (Quickmaster DI + NIP/concept
study, Heidelberg)
Computer to print unit
(NIP technology)

sheet-fed offset press, to which personalized informa- of different model variants. A firmly incorporated NIP
tion in one or more colors can be added by the modu- printing unit is also possible, as in figure 6.3-6.
lar imprinting unit connected. The hybrid printing system as in figure 6.3-9 is a dig-
For a system configuration as in figures 6.3-6 or ital printing system in which computer to press/direct
6.3-9, where printing is carried out by means of the off- imaging and computer to print are combined. Accord-
set technology and the NIP technology is used for per- ingly, the complete print job can be processed with re-
sonalization or segmentation of the print job, various gard to its fixed and variable image content using dig-
NIP technologies can be used depending on the drying ital job definition. Digital in-line imaging of the master
process and the degree of drying of the offset print. If prior to print start is used for the fixed image portions,
the ink has not yet been dried, a non-contact printing and real-time imaging during printing is used for the
process, such as ink jet printing, is advantageous. Where variable page content.
suitable ink and drying systems (e.g., UV inks and UV NIP printing systems can be equipped for single-col-
dryer) are used for offset printing, the printed image or printing as well as for multicolor printing.
will already be dry after multicolor offset printing, and
can therefore be imprinted using contact NIP tech- 6.3.5 Hybrid Printing Systems combining
niques (the ink-carrying surface of the printing unit is
in contact with the substrate) such as electrophotogra-
Conventional Printing Technologies
phy. with Computer to Press Technologies
Where the personalized imprint with NIP technolo- Figure 6.3-10 shows the components of a hybrid printing
gy takes place prior to offset printing, the preprinted system for the production of print media by web offset.
variable image portion will already have been dried In addition to the system illustrated in figure 6.3-8,
thanks to the fixing process implicit in the procedure, there is an imprinting unit that can be used to print sin-
and the printed image can in principle come into con- gle-colored text within the multicolored printed mat-
tact with the blanket cylinder of the offset printing ter [6.3-1]. By exchanging the plates it is possible to
press without loss of quality. print in a different language; the complete print run is
The hybrid printing system as in figure 6.3-9 is mod- thus segmented into partial runs according to lan-
ular in design, that is, the imprinting unit is not rigid- guage. With a sufficiently well-designed imprinting
ly incorporated in the computer to press offset print- unit, the plate can be changed without any interrup-
ing system. This offers benefits with regard to the flex- tion to production. The imprinting unit can be
ibility of the printing system and the modular structure equipped with two plate cylinders, with one always in

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Computer to press Offset printing units
(Direct imaging, Offset printing) (with computer to plate/off-line
or in-line with direct imaging)
Paper supply Offset printing system
prints identical, multicolored
signatures
Imprinting unit for non-stop plate change,
e.g., for printing in different languages
(segmenting the job)
Fig. 6.3-10
System components of a hybrid printing system for web-fed printing for the production of segmented, personalized/individualized print
media
production and the other at the same time being fitted
with the new plate for the next job segment. This per-
mits an “on-the-fly” exchange of the imprint with a
minimum waste rate.
In principle, such an imprinting unit can be designed
as a computer to press/direct imaging unit. This provides
the means for production of segmented runs accord-
ing to the target group on the basis of the digital job
specification. A hybrid printing system is thus set up, in
which computer to press/direct imaging (digitally im-
aged offset master in the imprinting unit), the comput-
er to print technology (ink jet imprinting unit), and the
offset technology are combined. The printing plates for
multicolor offset printing can be produced off-line us-
ing computer to plate systems. A digital printing sys-
tem is therefore set up as a hybrid system and functions
with varying degrees of digitization (see also fig. 6.1-2).
As explained in section 4.4.2, research is being car-
ried out on printing systems with rewritable (re-im-
ageable) surfaces and a few laboratory prototypes have
already been presented. Flexible hybrid printing sys-
tems can be designed with computer to press/direct
imaging systems using rewritable masters (see fig.
6.2-2). In printing units using direct imaging tech-
nologies, a completely new master can be imaged, or
sections of the master can be erased and re-imaged.
Computer to print
(NIP technology)
Printed product
(e.g., brochure)
Finishing, e.g.: cutting, folding,
gluing, punching, stitching
Ink jet imprinting system, e.g., for
individual text, personalization
(logo, addresses, etc.)
Thanks to the memory capability of direct imaging sys-
tems with reusable masters, the same printing unit can
be used for long runs with an identical printed image
as well as for very short runs. In one operating mode
the printing system, following imaging of the master,
produces print-by-print the same printed image, while
in the other operating mode the printed image can be
changed for each print. Of particular interest is most
certainly the application in which the run can be di-
vided into sections with different imprints, so that
there is no new imaging from print to print. As shown
in fig. 6.1-2 this kind of printing system represents a hy-
brid technology for digital printing, a combination of
conventional “mechanical” technologies using a fixed
master and “electronic” printing processes based on
NIP technology, the latter of which can be re-imaged
from print to print (with NIP technologies, new imag-
ing is normally always required, since the image carri-
er has no memory capacity).
References in 6.3
[6.3-1] Hübler, A. C.: Eindruckwerke für Rollendruck-
maschinen. Wissenschaftliche Tagung für Print-
Medientechnik RAPO 96 (Rationalisierung in der
Polygrafie). Technische Universität Chemnitz-Zwickau,
Institut für Print- und Medientechnik 1996.
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6.4 Hybrid Techniques for In-line and Off-line
Print Production
For the production of print media, various printing
technologies may often be in competition with each
other. Whether using masters/printing plates or the
NIP technology, every technology has its advantages
for specific applications, types of production, and pro-
duction strategies.
Hybrid Printing Systems. As described in the previous
section the combination of various printing technolo-
gies (hybrid printing systems) can create powerful
means of production, making possible special produc-
tion methods and strategies. This ultimately means
that the processes can be adapted more flexibly and
with greater customer focus to product and cost re-
quirements. It is to be expected that an increasing num-
ber of combination systems will be employed for the
in-line production of printed products. In any case, the
off-line use of various printing technologies/systems
will be employed for the production of a print job (e.
g., printing the job using conventional printing tech-
nologies and subsequent personalization or segmenta-
tion with the aid of non-impact printing techniques).
In the simplest case, this involves the numbering, ad-
dressing, or addition of recipient-specific information
on preprinted forms with a general content.
Hybrid Production. Various printing technologies are
used for the production of print media; these can be
done in-line in the case of hybrid printing systems as
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771
well as off-line when using automatic print production
systems. The printing equipment used for production
in printing companies will become increasingly diverse,
both for the formats or production on sheet or web ma-
terial, and for the application of different printing tech-
niques. Both conventional printing systems as well as
those based on NIP technologies will be used. The sys-
tems will, for the most part, produce independently of
one another although they can be interconnected for
job-specific or system-specific reasons. In a printing
company with hybrid production, print systems with
various printing technologies will be used. One exam-
ple is given in section 9.2, figure 9.2-13; the view of the
press room shows sheet-fed offset presses and a non-
impact printing system producing different print jobs
alongside each other.
Digital Printing. The penetration of digital prepress is
leading to an increasing integration of the workflow for
producing print media, with the job being increasing-
ly provided in digital form. With the help of different
digital printing technologies (see fig. 6.1-2) it is possible
to meet the most diverse, job-specific customer re-
quirements. The use of production systems based on
various printing technologies (see fig. 6.1-1) and hybrid
printing systems (see fig. 6.2-1) is increasingly being
taken for granted. It is also essential for successful eco-
nomic production of print media of high quality and
in short throughput times.