Photopolymer strength

enriquevw
on 28 Mar 12 (23:58)

Hi printers!

I have a question.

Is photopolymer strong enough to make a somewhat deep, (not too deep, but noticeable) impression on the cardboard used for hardcover books? or might I need a mag/zinc/copper plate?

Thanks for your input!

typenut
on 29 Mar 12 (11:46)

If you mean Binder’s Board, a Mag die is better suited for it.
Or you use the Polymer to print on a 90# chip board first and than glue that to the binders board.

enriquevw
on 29 Mar 12 (16:03)

Thanks a lot, I’ll consider your advice.

Widmark
on 30 Mar 12 (01:01)

I’ve always read that mag is stronger then photopolymer, but in my one experience with mag plates, I found the opposite. I may have been pushing it with really fine small type, and I was printing with a fair amount of pressure on chipboard cardstock, but the small type got really beat up. The larger type was fine. I’ve never seen this on photopolymer. I know you can damage the plastic by nicking it, but I’ve never seen it get damaged from just normal printing.

Bielerpr
on 1 Apr 12 (00:31)

enriquevw

Photopolymer is quite hardy under severe impression. Unfortunately so. But it can be used for debossing / embossing, even foil stamping. Bunting bases can be specified for such operations:

http://bielerpressxi.blogspot.com/2008/05/bunting-magnetic-cerface-flat-...

Once upon a time… I walked into a lab and there was a student (not one of mine!) who had raised the bed of a Uni to increase impression, which, of course, even though the wording on the bed wheel says as much, is something you should never do.

She was using a steel backed photopolymer plate on a rubber surfaced PatMag. She was printing a border of some sort and the impression was so severe the surface of the plate was now even with its floor. Literally, a heroic attempt at fashionable deep impression that likely could have resonated through the earth and disturbed Chinese folk in their sleep.

I readjusted the press and locked the impression wheel. Removed the plate, laid it face down on a rubber mat, placed a slab of thick plywood on its steel side, and whacked the crap out of it with a hammer. The plate popped back to its former state without incident and was willing and ready for even more student abuse.

Gerald
http://BielerPress.blogspot.com

enriquevw
on 1 Apr 12 (02:43)

Thanks a lot, Gerald, that is quite the story and very much sums up what photopolymer can withstand. I’ll give it a go and see how it behaves on the binders board :)