Digital Printing vs Offset Printing: Know the Difference
If your business has printing needs, like flyers, greeting cards, and newsletters, it's important to understand the differences between digital and offset printing. Many people often request a certain type of printing without understand what that type of printing should be used for. Here are the differences between offset and digital printing, so you can make the right choice between them.
Offset Printing
Offset printing is so named because plates transfer the ink to a rubber sheet which then transfers the ink to paper. Because the ink isn't directly transferred to the paper, the printing is "offset." Good for runs of prints over 500, offset printing is the choice for people who want great color over many copies. Offset printing offers the best in color reproduction and the largest number of specialty inks available. It also provides options for a larger number of different types of paper, and it gets cheaper when more items are printed. Artists may choose offset printing for their brochures.
Digital Printing
Digital printing uses laser printers and toner to produce its copies. If you're not worried about color fidelity and are printing a smaller number of copies, digital printing is cheaper to set up and print. Black and white copies are easiest. Digital printing also allows the capture of digital information for each file. Digital printing quality has improved to become acceptable for most uses, and if you need fewer than 500 copies, digital printing is usually the best way to go.
If you need to print a set of greeting cards, digital card printers may be able to help you with labeling the cards with different addresses and names. This is a big advantage to digital printing because it doesn't require you to print up extra labels or hand print the names of people you want to send the cards to! For mailing out a smaller run of letters or announcements, digital printing makes the most sense because it saves you labor.
