Lithography is often used for printing on flexible paper, for collateral, publications, and folding cartons. It’s the go-to for higher quantities of printed collateral and publications. It is best for printing intricate designs, small fonts, and photorealistic images.
It can be used for corrugated boxes, but not as a direct print method like flexography. To print corrugated boxes with lithography, first a single layer of paper is printed, then it’s mounted to corrugated board. This means there are more material options available when printing litho on corrugated, including substrates with a glossy finish. It is one way to achieve a glossy finish on corrugated board. Alternatively, you could print directly on Kemi. Printing litho on corrugated requires several more steps than direct print, which is part of the reason it can have a higher setup cost than flexography.
Metal print plates can capture finer details, smaller text, and photography.
Can be accurately color-matched to Pantone colors
Print plates are relatively inexpensive
Multiple substrate options with a variety of finishes available.
Can only be used on flexible materials, like paper and paperboard.
Uses oil-based inks
Printing litho on corrugated has an increased setup cost because it requires several more steps than direct print.
