Printed electronics is a set of
printing methods used to create electrical devices on various substrates. Printing typically uses common printing equipment suitable for defining patterns on material, such as
screen printing,
flexography,
gravure,
offset lithography, and
inkjet. By electronic industry standards, these are low cost processes. Electrically functional electronic or optical inks are deposited on the substrate, creating active or passive devices, such as
thin film transistors; capacitors; coils;
resistors. Printed electronics is expected to facilitate widespread, very low-cost, low-performance electronics for applications such as
flexible displays,
smart labels, decorative and animated posters, and active clothing that do not require high performance.