From Offset to Digital: Understanding the Pros and Cons of Different Printing Techniques

Printing has come a long way since before 220 AD when the first printing technique involved carving an image onto a wooden surface. Today, professional printing services have evolved with technology, allowing printing on almost any type of material and in multiple formats. It all depends on your requirements for your business.

If you're new to the printing industry, it can be overwhelming to choose the right type of printing. Some printing services are great for printing low volumes while others are ideal for large volumes. In this blog, we will explore different types of printing services, what they are ideal for, and how they work.

Offset Printing is the most popular method for printing in large volumes. It is also known as offset lithography or litho. Offset printing is ideal for books, paper, stationery, labels, brochures, and more, especially when using special colors. It involves aluminum plates with an image of the content to be printed. These plates transfer ink from rollers onto rubber blankets, which then transfer the image onto the material like paper, cardboard, etc. Offset printing is not the most cost-effective printing service for printing small amounts, but it is the best option when printing a large amount of content or special colors.

Flexography is a modern version of letterpress printing that originated in the 15th century. It is commonly used for printing on irregular surfaces and uses quick-drying, semi-liquid inks. Flexography is ideal for packaging, labels, grocery bags, printing on non-paper materials like plastic, cans, and more, and anything with continuous patterns like wallpapers and gift wraps. It involves flexible photopolymer printing plates wrapped around rotating cylinders. The inked plates have a slightly raised image of the content, and the cylinders rotate at high speeds while transferring the image onto the material. Flexography is a popular choice for its high-speed ability and can print on a range of materials, including plastic, cellophane, and metallic films.

Digital Printing is a modern printing service that covers a variety of techniques, including inkjet printing and laser printing, also known as xerography. It saves a lot of time, prevents chemical and paper wastage, and gives high-quality finishes. Digital printing is ideal for poster printing, signages and banner printing, labels, newsletters, menus, and letters. Content is sent directly to the printer via files such as PDFs, Word Docs, etc. The ink and toner remain on the surface and don’t get absorbed by paper. Digital printers provide quick turnaround for businesses that print on demand. Additionally, digital printing is great for printing in small amounts due to speed and low cost.

Large Format Printing Service, also known as wide-format printing, can produce a maximum print roll width. It is widely used by businesses on conventional advertising mediums such as large maps or charts, store displays, wall panels, large posters, and banners, building wraps, and more. While a typical printer can handle up to 1,020mm wide paper, large format printers can operate on materials up to 2,500mm wide. Large Format Printing is ideal for large signages such as billboards, maps, posters, outdoor signage, vinyl banners, wallpapers, murals, backlit displays, trade show wall panels, and more. The dimensions are programmed into the printer, and rolls of prints or flat sheets are fed gradually through the printer. The printer sprays the ink to match the graphics. From printable materials such as metal, wood, PVC, vinyls, plastics, canvas, paper, and fabrics, you can decide on the size, shape, and design of large format printing. 

Now that you know a little more about each method of printing, you should have a better idea of which method is best for whatever print job you've got coming up next. Got any questions? Leave them in the comments below and we'll do our best to answer them.