Overprinting refers to the process of printing one colour on top of another in
reprographics. This is closely linked to the reprographic technique of
'trapping'. Another use of overprinting is to create a
rich black
Rich black, in printing, is an ink mixture of solid black over one or more of the other CMYK color model, CMYK colors, resulting in a darker tone than black ink alone generates in a printing process.
A typical rich black mixture might be 100% b ...
(often regarded as a colour that is "blacker than black") by printing black over another dark colour.
It is also the term used in the production of envelopes customised to order by printing images (such as logos) and texts (such as slogans) on mass-produced machine-made envelopes; the alternative way of producing such envelopes is to print "on the flat" and then cut out the individual shapes and fold them to form the envelopes. However the latter method is generally only economically viable for large print runs offering
returns to scale
In economics, the concept of returns to scale arises in the context of a firm's production function. It explains the long-run linkage of increase in output (production) relative to associated increases in the inputs (factors of production).
In th ...
.
Overprinting also refers to the printing of additional information onto self-adhesive labels and product packaging. "Best Before", "Use By" dates and batch codes are printed in situ onto product
packaging as the items are packed. Generally
thermal printers, ink jet printers or laser printers are used.
References
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Printing terminology
Envelopes