A gravure printing unit, which is usable for printing on a substrate, according to a gravure printing method, includes a forme cylinder which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and an inking unit, by the use of which the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder is inked. The forme cylinder can be partially inked from an inking device via a first inking unit cylinder which has recesses in the region of its outer cylindrical surface that correspond to recesses on the forme cylinder, and via a second inking unit cylinder, which cooperates with the first inking unit cylinder and which comprises ink-transferring elements or raised areas on its circumference. For controlling the transfer of ink, the first inking unit cylinder having the recesses, is configured as being temperature controllable or has a temperature control device in the ink unit supply. Alternatively, a printing pressure between inking units cylinders can be varied during operation. The invention also relates to a method for adjusting or modifying a transfer of ink and for operating the gravure printing unit.

In some examples, an intaglio gravure printing press includes at least one gravure printing unit having at least one forme cylinder, at least one impression cylinder, at least one inking unit and/or at least one ink collecting cylinder. Additionally, at least one assigned inking unit, at least one print head, and at least one wiping device are arranged at the at least one forme cylinder. The wiping device is arranged along the direction of rotation of the forme cylinder, and downstream from the print head when the print head is arranged at the at least one forme cylinder. In addition, the wiping device is arranged along the direction of rotation of the forme cylinder, upstream from a contact region of the forme cylinder with the impression cylinder. Alternatively, in some examples, at least one print head is arranged at the at least one impression cylinder.

In some examples, a gravure printing unit for printing onto a substrate includes a forme cylinder that has an image-forming pattern of recesses, and comprising an inking unit for inking the pattern of recesses on the forme cylinder. The inking unit includes a first inking unit cylinder having recesses that correspond to the recesses on the forme cylinder, an inking device, and a second inking unit cylinder that cooperates with the first inking unit cylinder. The linear recesses on the first inking unit cylinder that correspond to continuous linear recesses on the forme cylinder include at least one supporting ridge, which interrupts the recess on the first inking unit cylinder that corresponds to the continuous linear recess on the forme cylinder, and the upper surface of which lies at the level of an undisrupted and non-engraved outer cylindrical surface of the first inking unit cylinder.

A gravure printing unit is usable for printing onto substrate according to a gravure printing method. The gravure printing unit has a forme cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and has an inking unit for inking the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder. The inking unit comprises a first inking unit cylinder, which comprises recesses in a region of its outer cylindrical surface that correspond to the recesses on the forme cylinder, and which form a nip point downstream with a second inking unit cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, ink-transferring elevations or raised areas. The recesses are formed on the outer cylindrical surface of an ink transfer forme sheath. The first inking unit comprises a cylinder body which is or which can be mounted rotatably in the inking unit and on which a circumferentially closed ink transfer forme sheath, that carries the recesses of the first inking unit cylinder on its outwardly facing surface, is or can be detachably arranged. A printing press has such a gravure inking unit. A setting up method, an ink transfer forme sheath, and a method for producing the same are also disclosed.

There is described a printing press (100) comprising a printing group (2) adapted to apply on a substrate at least one ink or varnish vehicle containing magnetic or magnetisable flakes and at least one magnetic orientation unit (10) located downstream of the printing group (2) along a path of the substrate, which magnetic orientation unit (10) includes at least one magnetic-field-inducing device (12) adapted to orient the magnetic or magnetisable flakes contained in the ink or varnish vehicle applied on the substrate to induce an optically-variable effect in the ink or varnish vehicle. The printing press (100) further comprises a drying/curing unit (15) located along the path of the substrate and cooperating with the magnetic orientation unit (10), which drying/curing unit (15) is adapted to dry or cure the ink or varnish vehicle applied on the substrate following orientation of the magnetic or magnetisable flakes. The drying/curing unit (15) is mounted on a movable supporting structure (16) that is adapted to move the drying/curing unit (15) between a working position (WP), where the drying/curing unit (15) is cooperating with the magnetic orientation unit (10) and which is located proximate to the path of the substrate next to the magnetic orientation unit (10), and a retracted position (RP), where the drying/curing unit (15) is retracted away from the magnetic orientation unit (10) and from the path of the substrate.

An intaglio printing press includes: a first intaglio printing unit; a second intaglio printing unit; a dryer for drying a printed surface of a sheet subjected to printing by the first intaglio printing unit; a convertible unit which holds and conveys the sheet received from the first intaglio printing unit and passes the sheet to the second intaglio printing unit in such a way that a surface of the sheet to be subjected to intaglio printing by the second intaglio printing unit is switchable between one surface and another surface of the sheet; and a second skewing adjustment cylinder and a second circumferential adjustment cylinder which are disposed between the convertible unit and the second intaglio printing unit and which adjust a position of a pattern to be intaglio-printed on the sheet by the second intaglio printing unit.

A gravure printing unit is usable for printing onto substrate according to a gravure printing method. The gravure printing unit has a forme cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and has an inking unit for inking the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder. The inking unit comprises a first inking unit cylinder, which comprises recesses in a region of its outer cylindrical surface that correspond to the recesses on the forme cylinder, and which form a nip point downstream with a second inking unit cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, ink-transferring elevations or raised areas. The recesses are formed on the outer cylindrical surface of an ink transfer forme sheath. The first inking unit comprises a cylinder body which is or which can be mounted rotatably in the inking unit and on which a circumferentially closed ink transfer forme sheath, that carries the recesses of the first inking unit cylinder on its outwardly facing surface, is or can be detachably arranged. A printing press has such a gravure inking unit. A setting up method, an ink transfer forme sheath, and a method for producing the same are also disclosed.

In some examples, an ink feed system for providing and feeding printing ink to an inking unit of an intaglio printing unit includes an inking device in the inking unit for inking a first inking unit cylinder. A provision device includes a storage receptacle with an ink reservoir of printing ink that is fed via an outlet and a line to the inking device. Furthermore, a wall of the storage receptacle encompassing the outlet can be heated and/or a metering device may be provided in the line path to support and/or effectuate delivery of the printing ink from the storage receptacle. On an output side, the metering device may provide a mass flow or volume flow that correlates with a working speed of the metering device via a defined relationship, and the metering device may be connected to a control device to control the working speed of the metering device.

In some examples, a gravure printing unit for printing onto a substrate includes a forme cylinder that has, on an outer circumference, a pattern of recesses for forming an image. The gravure printing unit further includes an inking unit for inking the pattern of recesses on the forme cylinder. The inking unit includes a first inking unit cylinder having line-like recesses on an outer cylindrical surface that correspond to line-like recesses of the pattern of recesses on the outer circumference of the forme cylinder. Two end-aligned line-like recesses on the outer cylindrical surface of the first inking unit cylinder are separated by a supporting ridge and correspond to a single uninterrupted line-like recess on the circumference of the forme cylinder. An upper surface of the supporting ridge lies at a level of an undisrupted region of the outer cylindrical surface of the first inking unit cylinder.

A gravure printing unit, which is usable for printing on a substrate, according to a gravure printing method, includes a forme cylinder which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and an inking unit, by the use of which the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder is inked. The forme cylinder can be partially inked from an inking device via a first inking unit cylinder which has recesses in the region of its outer cylindrical surface that correspond to recesses on the forme cylinder, and via a second inking unit cylinder, which cooperates with the first inking unit cylinder and which comprises ink-transferring elements or raised areas on its circumference. For controlling the transfer of ink, the first inking unit cylinder having the recesses, is configured as being temperature controllable or has a temperature control device in the ink unit supply. Alternatively, a printing pressure between inking units cylinders can be varied during operation. The invention also relates to a method for adjusting or modifying a transfer of ink and for operating the gravure printing unit.