The plates hold the image of the pages to be printed. They are placed onto large cylinders and during the printing process the plates are the first items to receive the ink. As the plate cylinder rotates, it is actually applying the ink to another cylinder that has a large rubber blanket. The rubber blanket accepts the ink, at which time the cylinder with the rubber blanket applies the ink to the paper. This process is called, "OFFSET PRINTING," because the ink on the plates offsets onto the rubber blanket, which offsets onto the paper.

The entire printing process happens at a high rate of speed and requires constant maintenance to be sure the final product is acceptable. Once each section is printed, the signatures are stacked on pallets and are now ready to be bound. the printing of the signatures is performed on web presses that can accommodate rolls of paper up to 35 inches wide.

Covers for books are printed on presses which require sheets of paper, hence the name "sheet-fed presses." Sheet-fed presses are slower and are a lot easier to control. Both types of presses have limitations with types of paper stocks so careful planning is critical. Talk to your sales rep concerning your print requirements.