Center drum type gravure printing apparatus, and gravure printing method and method of manufacturing printed matter using said apparatus

A gravure printing method, comprising:

• providing a center drum type gravure printing apparatus comprising a rotatable center drum having a diameter and a guiding means for guiding a material to be printed, and for introducing the material to be printed to a drum surface of the center drum so that the material to be printed is brought into contact with the drum surface, and for delivering the material to be printed from the drum surface, the center drum type gravure printing apparatus further comprising a plurality of gravure plate cylinders arranged so as to be brought into abutment against a surface of the material to be printed, which is guided to the drum surface of the center drum, each of the plurality of gravure plate cylinders having a plate surface with gravure cells, the center drum type gravure printing apparatus further comprising an ink chamber arranged relative to the plate surface of each of the plurality of gravure plate cylinders so as to supply an electron beam curable ink to the gravure cells of each of the plurality of gravure plate cylinders, the center drum type gravure printing apparatus further comprising an electron beam irradiation means for curing the electron beam curable ink transferred from the gravure cells supplied with the electron beam curable ink to the material to be printed, the electron beam irradiation means being positioned on a downstream side of the material to be printed, which is being guided;
• transferring the electron beam curable ink to the material to be printed and curing the electron beam curable ink with the electron beam irradiation means through use of the center drum type gravure printing apparatus.

A method of manufacturing a printed matter, the method comprising:

• providing a center drum type gravure printing apparatus comprising a rotatable center drum having a diameter and a guiding means for guiding a material to be printed, and for introducing the material to be printed to a drum surface of the center drum so that the material to be printed is brought into contact with the drum surface, and for delivering the material to be printed from the drum surface, the center drum type gravure printing apparatus further comprising a plurality of gravure plate cylinders arranged so as to be brought into abutment against a surface of the material to be printed, which is guided to the drum surface of the center drum, each of the plurality of gravure plate cylinders having a plate surface with gravure cells, the center drum type gravure printing apparatus further comprising an ink chamber arranged relative to the plate surface of each of the plurality of gravure plate cylinders so as to supply an electron beam curable ink to the gravure cells of each of the plurality of gravure plate cylinders, the center drum type gravure printing apparatus further comprising an electron beam irradiation means for curing the electron beam curable ink transferred from the gravure cells supplied with the electron beam curable ink to the material to be printed, the electron beam irradiation means being positioned on a downstream side of the material to be printed, which is being guided;
• transferring the electron beam curable ink to the material to be printed and curing the electron beam curable ink with the electron beam irradiation means through use of the center drum type gravure printing apparatus to thereby manufacture a printed matter.