Printing Technologies without

a Master (NIP Technologies)

predominating
technologies
• The predominating technologies
are electrophotography and ink
jet printing.
• Ionography, magnetography,
thermography, and photography
are, however, also used. New
physical processes that could be
incorporated in non-impact
printing are constantly being
developed in specialist fields.
Printing Technologies without
a Master (NIP Technologies)
• Printing technologies, which do not require a stable, physical, fixed
image carrier and can, in principle, generate a different printed page
print per print.
• This type of process is referred to as non-impact printing (NIP
technology). The term non-impact is based on early digitally
controlled printing systems where computing centers would often
print out data using dot matrix printers.
dot matrix
printers
• Typefaces for matrix
printers of this kind
were controlled
electronically and the
information
transferred to the
paper via typeforming
pins impacting an ink
ribbon.
Non-impact printing
• Such impact systems have been replaced by electrophotographic
technologies, in which type is no longer transferred to the paper by
impact
• Instead, a laser sends information to an intermediate carrier,a drum
with a photoconductive coating, with-out impact (non-impact). The
latent (nonvisible), charged image stored on this drum is inked with
toner and then transferred to the paper. There is, of course, contact
between the inked (toned) information carrier and the paper during
printing, but the information is not transferred by impact. This
process, therefore, is considered as non-impact printing.
Electrophotography

• imaging in
electrophotography can
be done both by laser
light and by light given
off by light-emitting
diodes,the frequently-
used term “laser
printer” instead of the
term“electrophotograp
hic printer” is
misleading
Inks used in electrophotography
• electrophotographic technologies use powder or liquid toner. The use
of liquid toners is still not very widespread, although they essentially
have the advantage of assuring higher print quality with considerably
smaller toner particles (approx. 1 to 2 μm)
Advantage
• the advantage of this technique due to the fact that a completely different
print image can be created rotation by rotation (variable printing), thus no
printing plate (master) for each printed sheet required.
• Short print runs (even just one copy) can be produced economically in this
way (print on demand).
• Each page of a book (or brochure) can be produced in succession; the
pages for the second copy are not printed until the first book has been
completed (book on demand).
• Personalizing a part of the print images, for instance by inserting an
address or recipient-specific additional information, can be directly carried
out copy by copy (personalization, customizing)
Disadvantages
• Unlike printing methods that use a fixed image carrier (e.g., a plate),
this process (taking a print run of one hundred identical impressions,
for example) requires that the same print image be created again and
again, rotation by rotation, in the form of a latent charged image. This
repetition could lead to process related variation in the print image.
 Ink Jet

• In the ink jet process the ink can be

transferred directly onto the paper .
• ink jet technologies can be classified
as continuous ink jet and drop on
demand ink jet.
• ink jet printing represents the most
compact technology for transferring
information to normal paper in the
form of a printed image
• generate a droplet of ink on the basis
of image-dependent signals and to
spray this droplet directly onto the
substrate without an intermediate
carrier.
• Printing systems based on the ink jet technology are usually slow in
comparison to conventional printing technologies with master, that is,
they operate at a lower printing speed, especially if imaging is carried
out with individual nozzles.
• Ink-drying presents a particular problem in ink jet printing, and the
paper surface’s ability to carry ink deserves special attention. Special
coated papers are usually required for high quality impressions,
although specially formulated inks used in conjunction with an
adapted drying process can greatly increase the range of suitable
papers
Printing Systems based on Non-Impact
Printing Technologies
• full description of the printed product is
required in digital form. In a simplified
representation, operations must be carried
out in prepress in order to prepare the entire
printed page with text, graphics, and
illustrations (pictures) in digital form for single
or multicolor printing.
Definition of terms
• duplex printing = Printing on both sides of a sheet
• copiers = Printing systems which receive information as analog copy
(original)
• Printer = Printing systems which receive job data directly in digital
form
• Toner= ink used in electrophotography
• Master=printing plate, image carrier
Further reading…
• https://www.imaging.org/site/IST/Resources/Imaging_Tutorials/Elect
rophotography_Overview/IST/Resources/Tutorials/Xerography.aspx?h
key=fcba9c09-db7e-45f1-b80e-fa3bc182cb49
• https://www.fujixerox.com/eng/company/technology/carlson
• https://opentextbc.ca/graphicdesign/chapter/6-3-
electrophotography/