What Is The Difference Between Web And Sheetfed Printing?

Introduction to web and sheetfed printing

Web and sheetfed printing are both excellent ways to print your product.

At Warners, we run both types of machine in-house and are excellently placed to offer advice on the pros and cons of each method.

What is Sheetfed Printing?

Sheetfed printing is a very common method in the UK, and we use this process.

As the name would suggest the paper passes through the press as a sheet. Some sheetfed printing presses can print both sides of the sheet in a single pass. This is thanks to a process called perfecting which is not to be confused with perfect binding! A perfecting press usually has between 8 and 10 ink units. The sheet is printed with CMYK  on one side before it is flipped over in the middle of the press to have the lower side of the sheet then printed CMYK.

Depending on the press and the inks used there may be a drying period required before the sheets can be prepared for finishing. If the ink is not UV and not dried with UV lamps, then a very fine powder is applied to each sheet to prevent them from sticking together while the ink dries over a few hours.

Before the print can be collated and prepared for the binding process, sheetfed work will have to be cut and folded separately, which requires additional time and costs compared to web printing.

At Warners, we use sheetfed presses to compliment our web machines, printing high-quality covers and special options such as gatefolds.

What is Web Printing?

We are web printing specialists with decades of experience.

Web printing, like sheetfed, is a four-colour process. The word web refers to the paper which is delivered reels which are huge rolls. Web paper is taken through the press in a continuous ribbon where it is printed, dried and folded in line and ready for finishing.

The paper follows the press through a bit like a roller coaster.

When the paper goes through the press the top and bottom are printed at the same time

The paper is taken from the reel and fed into the press. The ink is applied to both the top and bottom of the ribbon and each colour is added one after another. Once the ink has been applied, the paper is taken through the drier, where it is heated to dry the ink. Once through the dryer, the paper passes through several rollers, getting progressively cooler before being taken up to the folder. The ribbon is then folded down several times and cut to form the appropriate section before following a conveyor belt to be stacked for transportation to the bindery

Which is better between web and sheetfed printing?

Both Web and Sheetfed printing are excellent options for customers looking to print. As you have read from above, the best choice for a customer will be based on their specification.

Each method is used to produce high-quality print depending on the requirements of each customer. As we use both methods in-house, we provide a more rounded perspective and offer customers the choice where the specifications allow. Most customers tend to use a mixture of the two methods, having a sheetfed cover and the text printed, allowing them the best of both worlds.

Whichever method you pick with us, all of our presses have closed-loop colour systems and all the benefits of recent technology to reduce waste, improve quality and provide competitive pricing.

Further Help

Warners offer a free no obligation Consultation Service to help advise customers who are unsure which method is best for them. We are always happy to help and are here to work with you to get the best result for your plan, specification, and budget.