Lesson 4

Exercise 1. Read and translate the text.

OFFSET

In the past few decades, offset printing (also called offset lithography) has replaced letterpress and intaglio methods almost entirely for commercial work. The name offset refers to the fact that the printing plates do not come into direct contact with the paper. Instead, the inked printing plates (which are attached to a cylinder) transfer, or offset, the image to a rubber blanket covering another cylinder. As the inked blanket cylinder rotates, it deposits the image onto the paper, which is fed from another set of rollers.

The offset technique was made possible at the beginning of the 20th century after the development of certain photographic processes and the rotary web fed press. Offset printing plates are usually made of steel, aluminium, or a chrome-copper alloy.

Unlike letterpress or intaglio printing, offset does not depend on raised or etched surfaces to transfer images. Instead it relies on the fact that grease and water do not mix. As the plate cylinder rotates, the plate passes first under water-soaked damping rollers and then under inking rollers that carry a grease-based ink. The offset plate is chemically treated so that the area to which the ink is transferred retains the greasy ink and repels water. The rest of the plate retains water and repels ink. As the cylinder continues to rotate, the plate presses against the rubber blanket, which accepts ink from the plate and transfers it to the paper. Since there is no type to wear out, an offset plate can make a large number of impressions.

Offset presses can be designed to print both sides of the paper at once and to reproduce images with one or more colours. Because web fed presses are usually used for this method, material can be printed at high speed. Offset plate making and storage costs are much lower than the costs of letterpress methods.

Vocabulary notes:

1. offset – плаский офсетний друк

2. rubber blanket – офсетне (гумове) полотно, офсетна гумовотканинна пластина

3. instead –замість того, натомість

4. etched surface – протравлена поверхня

5. grease – пластичний мастильний матеріал, мастило

6. to grease – зажирювати (друкарську форму)

7. roller – валик, матричний каландр

8. inking roller – фарбовий валик

9. damping roller – зволожуючий валик

10. ink – друкарська фарба

11. grease-based ink – чорнило, яке містить в собі мастило

12. to treat - обробляти

13. to repel - відштовхувати

14. to retain – утримувати, удержувати

15. storage – зберігання

Exercise 2. Answer the questions:

1. Why has offset printing replaced letterpress and intaglio methods?

2. Do the printing plates come into direct contact with the paper?

3. When was the offset technique made possible?

4. What metals are offset printing plates usually made of?

5. Does intaglio printing depend on raised or etched surfaces to transfer images?

6. What fact does offset printing rely on?

7. How is the offset plate treated?

8. Why can an offset plate make a large number of impressions?

9. What kind of presses are usually used for offset printing?

10. What are the advantages of offset printing?

Exercise 3. Find in the text the English for:

Заміняти, удержувати, фарбовий валик, відтворювати зображення, певний, сплав, гумове полотно, офсетний циліндр (барабан), фотографічні процеси, змішувати, фарбовий валик, зволожуючий валик, на відміну від…,покладатися на….

Exercise 4. Translate into Ukrainian:

Intaglio method, inked blanket cylinder, offset plate, raised surfaces, greasy ink, rotary web fed press, chrome-copper alloy, to transfer, to be designed, at once, storage, to cost, to carry, to wear out, grease-based ink.

Exercise 5. Give the four forms of the verbs:

to begin to have

to use to retain

to make to come

to rely to rotate

to set to feed

Exercise 6. Write T (True) or F(False) next to each sentence.

1. The inked blanket cylinder deposits the image onto the paper.

2. Offset depends on raised or etched surfaces to transfer images.

3. Letterpress and intaglio printing has replaced offset printing in the past few decades.

4. Offset presses can be designed to print only one side of the paper.

5. An offset plate can make a large number of impressions because there is no type to wear out.

6. Offset plate making and storage costs are much lower than the costs of letterpress methods.

7. Because web fed presses are used, material can be printed at high speed.

Exercise 7. Join the broken sentences:

1. Grease and water

2. Letterpress printing depends on

3. The rest of the plate

4. Chrome-copper alloy

5. The four-colour press has

6. Offset presses can be designed

7. Material can be printed at high speed because

1. retains water and repels ink.

2. to reproduce images with one or more colours.

3. web fed presses are usually used.

4. raised and etched surfaces to transfer images.

5. do not mix.

6. is used to make offset printing plates.

7. a colour plate cylinder for each negative.

Exercise 8. Put the sentences in the right order.

1. The offset plate is chemically treated so that the area to which the ink is transferred retains the greasy ink and repels water.

2. After the rotary web fed press was developed the offset technique was made possible.

3. Offset presses can be designed to print both sides of the paper at once.

4. The rest of the plate retains water and repels ink.

5. Offset lithography has replaced letterpress and intaglio methods almost entirely for commercial work.

6. Offset printing relies on the fact that grease and water do not mix.

7. The inked printing plates are attached to a cylinder.

8. The rubber blanket accepts ink from the plate and transfers it to the paper.

Exercise 9. Complete the following sentences:

1. The name offset refers to the fact that the printing plates…

2. After certain photographic processes were developed…

3. …deposits the image onto the paper.

4. The inked printing plates transfer the image to…

5. Letterpress and intaglio printing depends on…

6. As the plate cylinder rotates, the plate passes under inking rollers that…

7. The rubber blanket accepts ink from the plate and…

8. …to reproduce images with one or more colours.

Exercise 10. Find pairs of synonyms.

make vacant begin work nearly at once transfer decade image speed

immediately picture do move ten years job empty velocity almost start

Exercise 11. Fit the meaning and the word.

Photography, a decade, to develop, ink, a press, to attach, an alloy

1. any of various devices or machines for squeezing, stamping or crushing;

2. to fasten or affix; to join, to connect;

3. the process of producing images of object on special paper by the chemical action of light;

4. a period of ten years;

5. a substance made up of two or more metals;

6. a coloured liquid used for writing or drawing;

7. to come or to bring to a more advanced state.