Digital Versus Offset Print. Guide to choosing what method is right for you!

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1 Digital Versus Offset Print Guide to choosing what method is right for you!

2 Digital Versus Offset Print 2 Introduction There are so many ways to print your books and publications these days that it can be confusing. Trying to decide what is best for you may be different than what is best for someone else. There are many things to consider before making this important decision. This paper was written to help clarify the choices and put to rest some of the misconceptions that are found in the industry at large. What is Offset Printing? Offset printing is a commonly used printing technique in which the inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket and then to the printing surface. Offset printing uses plates, which use light sensitive chemicals to transfer the images and text. This plate is then used on the press to print the content.

3 Digital Versus Offset Print 3 Each offset press has four (or more) set of cylinders for each color used. The resulting image is colors overlayed to create the final image. If you zoom in (closer than can be seen by the naked eye) offset print looks like this: * * * Close-up images of print courtesy of The Print Guide blog

4 Digital Versus Offset Print 4 What is Digital Printing? Digital printing is a method of printing from a digital-based image directly to the media. Digital printing can quickly move from one content to the next without the need to switch out plates or inks. There are two main kinds of digital print (toner based) laser and (water soluble) inkjet print. Laser Printing Laser printing uses a laser to draw an image onto an electrically charged rotating drum. Powdered ink (toner) particles are then electrostatically picked up by the drum s charged areas (the areas that have not been exposed to the laser). The drum transfers the toner onto paper by direct contact and heat, which fuses the ink to the page. If you zoom in super close (closer than the human eye can see) toner printing looks like this: * Close-up images of print courtesy of The Print Guide blog * *

5 Digital Versus Offset Print 5 Inkjet Printing Inkjet printing creates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto the paper using heat. Many consumers have small inkjet printers that produce low quality, smeared and streaky images. Inkjet presses don t have those same issues since they use inline monitors to ensure print quality and backup inkjet Print Nozzle Ink droplets Paper nozzles to keep the color clean, consistent and rich. The HP T200 Inkjet Press has a special ink called bonding agent. As the name would suggest, this invisible ink helps the ink bond to the paper without soaking in. Keeping the ink on the surface of the paper keeps the color clean and crisp. Zoomed in close, you can see the ink pattern. Ink Heat * * Large inkjet presses, like HP T200 press, are advancing at an incredible rate and slowly taking over as the digital printing medium of choice. * Close-up images of print courtesy of The Print Guide blog

6 Digital Versus Offset Print 6 Offset vs Digital Digital or traditional offset which is right for you? There are some very distinct differences between these two printing processes. For the purposes of this article, we will compare traditional offset to inkjet printing. Quality Both digital and offset printing offer a wide gamet of colors. Digital print uses CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) to produce all colors, where offset printing can accommodate Pantones, varnishes and specialty inks. Currently, offset printing has slightly better print quality, however, this is becoming debatable as digital technology advances. Paper Choices Digital inkjet printers can use standard paper or specialized inkjet paper. Inkjet has less choices in the coated stocks than offset. This is due to the limited time that inkjet presses have been widely available. Inkjet paper creation is currently in the developmental stages and is expected to be more widely available in the near future. Green Inkjet printing can boost the green credentials of any company. Unlike offset printing, there are no pre-press stages between the digital document file and the final print, so there is no need for film, plates or photo chemicals. HP T200 also uses inks that are non-flammable and non-combustible. The press itself gives off very low VOC emissions and there is very little waste. Speed Offset printing has always required a lengthy setup process, including the production of plates and specialized ink, which pushes production time out by a considerable amount of time. With digital printing, there s no need to prepare the press. Digital printers can begin whenever you re ready, allowing for immediate results when you re short on time.

7 Digital Versus Offset Print 7 Variable Digital printing is entirely customizable. You can print as many personalized letters as you need without stopping or slowing production. Offset presses do not offer this option due to the static images on the plates. Producing variable publications on the offset press would involve a two-step process that would include a digital printer. Cost Offset printing services have much higher upfront costs and may have minimum order quantities. Offset printing unit price does go down as the quantity rises, but for real savings you are looking at very high quantities. Digital printing does not have quantity boundaries, providing the freedom to get the exact amount you need. Proofing Before printing hundreds or even thousands of flyers, it is always a good idea to get a few full-color proof prints of what the final product will look like when printed in mass. Digital printers can produce immediate and accurate proofs as inexpensively as the rest of your prints. Offset proofing involves special proofing printers and can be expensive and time-consuming. Short Runs Digital printing is the ideal method of producing short to medium runs in more effective ways than traditional print. Digital data is easily stored and updated, therefore, changes are easily made either prior to printing or in future runs. Digital printing allows more effective print management there s no need for bulk stock and no need to dump out-of-date stock. Changes and reruns on offset printers will result in the additional charges of a new setup. Size Offset presses can print up to 40 where digital presses are limited to 19. Larger projects, such as posters, may need to go to offset because of this limitation.

8 Digital Versus Offset Print 8 Choosing What is Right for You The following checklist will help you determine which press is right for your next project. 1. Turn-around Digital Digital is always faster and can help you meet tight timelines. Offset If a quick turn-around time isn t an issue, offset is an option. 2. Quantity Digital If your run is small to medium in size, you will benefit from digital as there isn t the setup costs. Offset For long print runs with high quantities, offset may be cheaper than digital. 3. Proofing Digital Press proofing is very easy and inexpensive. This process can happen seamlessly between other runs. Offset Press proofing is very expensive on the offset press as there is need for setup. 4. Customization Digital Because of the nature of the digital press, customization is easy and will not slow down the printing process. Offset Variable Data is very difficult on an offset press, involving two runs, one most likely on a digital printer. 5. Color Digital CMYK output on the digital press is similar to the output on offset. The major difference is that digital presses are not able to match PMS colors exactly, as they will print the CMYK equivalent. Offset Offset is able to print with PMS colors, giving your company color the exact match.

9 Digital Versus Offset Print 9 6. Paper Selection Digital Paper stock is more limited than offset. Offset Wider range of paper stock is available. 7. Content Digital Inkjet digital is more suited for pages without full bleed. Full-dense colored pages may bleed through depending on the paper choice. Toner based digital printing is the opposite, and works great with full coverage. Offset Offset is suited to the spectrum from single ink to full color projects. 8. Availability Digital Digital printing allows you to print your books on demand. Print what you need when you need it without the costly setup costs. Changes are also quick and easy without the need for new setup and plates. Offset Offset printing is not a good fit for print-ondemand publications. It is best suited to print large quantities and warehouse the extras. Changes require the entire setup step (and costs) again. About Documation Documation s goal is to provide our customers superior quality products and printing services with exceptional customer service. Documation offers tailored solutions to manage, create, produce, and distribute printed products and/ or digital media products nationwide. With state-of-the art technology, we take pride in continuing to be a leader in the printing industry through creative innovative products and tools. When choosing a print or digital media company, call us today and discover the industry s leading products and printing services we offer!