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What is Offset versus Digital Printing?
Offset printing is known as lithography printing. It is called "offset" because the emulsion offsets the water which offsets the ink.
Advantages of offset printing over digital printing include:
- Consistent high image quality. Offset printing produces sharper and cleaner images and type than traditional digital printing because the rubber blanket conforms to the texture of the printing surface and the images/type are much sharper.
- Economical advantages with longer print runs due to larger sheet sizes and/or faster run speeds
Offset printing is the most common form of high volume commercial printing, due to advantages in quality and efficiency in high volume jobs. While modern digital "presses" (toner or inkjet based) are getting closer to the cost/benefit of offset for high quality work, they have not yet been able to compete with the sheer volume of product that an offset press can produce. Furthermore, many modern offset presses are using computer to plate (CTP) systems as opposed to the older computer to film (CTF) workflows, which further increases their quality and reduces setup time.
Digital printing is the reproduction of digital images on physical surface, such as paper, cloth, plastic, etc.
It can be differentiated from offset printing in many ways, some of which are;
- Every impression made onto the paper can be different, as opposed to making several hundred or thousand impressions of the same thing from one set of plates, as in traditional methods.
- Economical advantages on shorter runs due to significantly less setup time or plate making time.
- Digital printing is dry when printed. Offset printing requires a longer drying period.
- The workflow is simpler with few chances for introduced errors.
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Avoid Obsolete Print
Due to the significant cost to setup a printing press, offset buyers tend to "over-buy" because shorter volume reprints often become cost prohibitive. Any unused overage then becomes "spoilage". Prudent buyers realize that they need to factor in the "spoilage" factor into arrive at their true "cost-to-print".
Digital printing does not require a setup charge. This means the cost is very consistent quantity to quantity. Therefore, buyers will only print what they need. Should they need more, they only buy what they are short at a cost that favorably compares to the initial run.
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Variable Content
Variable content means every sheet is different with in the same print stream. Variable print can not be accomplished with offset printing within the same print stream as there is only one image that the offset press can use at one time.
The advantages that this brings is print runs can be tailored to the interests of the reader. If the reader is a woman, the content can be created around images and text that would interest the woman. If the reader is a man, the content can be created around images and text that would interest the woman.
Marketing tests have proven time and time again that Personalized content has a much higher rate of message acceptance that does static content. |
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Run Length
Historically, digital printing is most economical for runs of 1 to 1,000. However, the iGen3 extends this economical advantage through 2,500 to 10,000, depending on the finished size. |
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Turnaround
Offset printing requires plate-making, press setup and print drying time. The standard offset turnaround is 3 to 5 days.
Digital printing is similar to printing to a local printer. Once the file is prepared, the operator can print to the digital printer, with copy coming out in seconds. The average turnaround for digital printing is the same day to 24 hours. |
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