Confused about Digital Printing and Offset Printing?
The printing industry tackles a lot of topics which include but are not limited to design, marketing & advertising, materials used and printing machines which make it seem a little complicated for some. Another thing that can be quite confusing is the printing method to be used.
Currently, the two most popular methods are digital printing and offset printing and we're here to get things clarified for you and let you know the difference between these two.
So firstly... What are they?
Offset printing is a printing method wherein inked images and texts are transferred from metal plates to rollers and then to the printing surface (paper). On the other hand, digital printing is more modernized because the printing comes from a digital image and/or text that prints directly to various printing media other than paper.
Which is more affordable?
Generally, it depends on how many you need. Digital printing requires less setting up and is cheaper for short run printing. Offset printing requires more setting up and more expense because of the use of a printing plate to come up with the first copy. If you require large quantities, offset printing is cheaper.
Which is faster?
Offset printing takes more time, again, because of the use of plates, while products that are digitally printed come out faster because laser or inkjet printers are being used.
Which produces better color quality?
Both methods of printing use a full color process to come up with various colors but offset printing provides more color accuracy as it uses dedicated spot colors.
The printing method to choose generally depends on what you need so it is best to identify these key points first before deciding which method to use.