Comparison of Offset Printing and Digital Printing 2

Offset Printing vs Digital Printing

There is no gainsaying the fact that the design and printing industry is a rather complex one. It is considered to be a multi-layered industry.

A good design doesn’t end with the approval or delivery of a draft or when ink reaches the paper or even when the design is printed on a material. These are just the initial steps.

There are actually further steps and layers before one can finally conclude that a particular design is good and effective.

Implementation of a design must be given loads of thought.

Some extra care, and time MUST be put into it if you really want to see good success and gain maximum effects from the design; and part of implementation of a good design is the printing.

For printing a design, there is the question of what stock or what finish, or whether to use offset or digital printing. These questions often arises during this particular phase.

Comparison of Offset Printing and Digital Printing

These days, there are several choices: wide format printing, offset printing, waterless printing, digital printing and a host of others.

Over the years, digital printing has seen many changes. In time past, printing companies used to depend more on a large volume of orders, but now people are demanding for more customizations and personalization.

This has become really popular because of a whole lot of factors like availability of more options, technical advancements, and increased affordability.

The question we should be asking now is: should we be using digital or offset printing? Well, the answer would depend on specific needs, the company’s goals and the functions of the printed material.

To make the right choice though, a very good understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of offset printing versus digital printing is crucial in making the right decision for your printing needs.

Let’s have a look at a comparison of the two.

Offset Printing vs. Digital Printing

Offset printing is the most commonly relied upon for high volume commercial printing. It passes through the lithographic process which is based on the repulsion between oil and water while digital printing is the printing from a digital-based image directly to a number of media.

A very good example of digital printing is when you print from a desk top printer you have at home or in the office.

Offset printing produces a better image quality or resolution. And unit cost becomes cheaper as the quantity produced increases. It is also more cost effective in high volume jobs.

In fact, many modern day offset presses use computer-to-plate to increase quality. Another huge advantage of offset printing is that it works on a wide range of printing surfaces like paper, wood, plastic, leather, metal, cloth, you just name it.

On the other hand, digital printing delivers shorter turnaround, offers lower costs for very small print runs and there is availability of variable printing.

Though some people do prefer in-house printing, it is a whole lot more practical to use professional printing services. For a good number of businesses and firms, offset printing just happens to be a whole lot more cost effective.

When deciding which type of printing to use, you need to know the quantity required, printing medium, the pantone, the color and turnaround. Proof check to know which one allows for more customizations.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *