Analogue Printing - What is analogue printing?

Definition of ANALOGUE PRINTING:

Any method of printing that creates copies of the original image being printed, where the image is processed as an analogue (rather than digital) image. The term “analogue” has a number of definitions, two of which are useful when defining analogue printing. As a noun, “analogue” can mean something that is similar to or corresponds to something else, while as an adjective, “analogue” can mean data that is represented by non-discrete, continuously variable, measurable, physical quantities (such as length, width, voltage, or pressure), usually in contrast to digital data, which is represented by discrete numerical values in the form of the digits 0 and 1.

Analogue printing creates copies of the original image, which is created on an image carrier such as a plate; the copies are made from a fully formed representation of the original image, which can be described by its physical dimensions (such as its height and width). Each print, therefore, corresponds to the original and is the same as (or similar to) both the original image and all of the prints that are made from that original image.

It should be noted that analogue printing can begin with an image in analogue or digital format (for example, the image on the image carrier can be made using a photographic negative or a stencil representing the original image) or by using a laser that is driven by a computer according to the binary information contained in a digital image.

Analogue printing can be used to describe a number of traditional methods of printing, such as flexographic printing, gravure printing, letterpress printing, lithographic printing, and screen printing.

Here is the Harvard-style citation to use if you would like to reference this definition of the term analogue printing:
Label Planet (2020) What is analogue printing? | Analogue Printing Definition. Available at: https://www.labelplanet.co.uk/glossary/analogue-printing/ (Accessed: January 1, 2024).