Substrates: The Base of Printing.

By Gene H. Lee, Shelly Dodson, Erin Haferkamp

Substrates: The Definition.

sub·strate (sbstrt)

  • a term used in printing, mainly industrial printing, to describe the base material that images will be printed onto. These materials include (though are not limited to) films, foils, textiles, fabrics, plastics, and any variety of paper (lightweight, heavyweight, coated, uncoated, paperboard, cardboard, etc.). The end use of the printed product is the main factor used in determining the substrate.

 


Substrates: The Categories.

Plastics & Metals
The printing processes of materials such as aluminum, plastic bags, coroplast, etc.

Paper
The effects of paper color and varnishing on printing.

Clothlike-Materials
The printing processes on materials such as canvas, mesh, vinyl and cloth.

Definitions of Terms