What is "surface printing"

Surface \Sur"face`\, n. [F. See Sur-, and Face, and cf. Superficial.]

1. The exterior part of anything that has length and breadth; one of the limits that bound a solid, esp. the upper face; superficies; the outside; as, the surface of the earth; the surface of a diamond; the surface of the body.

   The bright surface of this ethereous mold.
   --Milton.

2. Hence, outward or external appearance.

   Vain and weak understandings, which penetrate no deeper than the surface.
   --V. Knox.

3. (Geom.) A magnitude that has length and breadth without thickness; superficies; as, a plane surface; a spherical surface.

4. (Fort.) That part of the side which is terminated by the flank prolonged, and the angle of the nearest bastion.
   --Stocqueler.

   Caustic surface, Heating surface, etc. See under Caustic, Heating, etc.

   Surface condensation, Surface condenser. See under Condensation, and Condenser.

   Surface gauge (Mach.), an instrument consisting of a standard having a flat base and carrying an adjustable pointer, for gauging the evenness of a surface or its height, or for marking a line parallel with a surface.

   Surface grub (Zo["o]l.), the larva of the great yellow underwing moth ( Triph[oe]na pronuba). It is often destructive to the roots of grasses and other plants.

   Surface plate (Mach.), a plate having an accurately dressed flat surface, used as a standard of flatness by which to test other surfaces.

   Surface printing, printing from a surface in relief, as from type, in distinction from plate printing, in which the ink is contained in engraved lines.

Surface printing is the oldest automated printing method still in use today. Surface machines lay down very heavy amounts of ink. Because the ink is pushed onto the paper, the images are not as crisp as the other methods. Also, there is no drying stage between laying down each color, so the order of color run-throughs is very important to keep the inks from running into each other. Because of the amount of ink required for impressions, and the inexact image rendering, surface printing has a very distinct look. It is especially well suited for multi-colored floral patterns and classic document designs. Surface printers can usually print up to 12 colors.