What Is The Difference Between Digital
Printing And Offset Printing?
Printing is magic in the world of packaging. A simple box can become a masterpiece with the use of enchanting and wise printing. For effective results, various methods are used. Among many types, two common are digital printing and offset printing. Both differ in various aspects. Read on to know what is the difference between digital printing and offset printing. By understanding this you can opt for the one that better matches your budget, preferences, and requirements.
Look in your vicinity, there are unlimited pretty printed things surrounding you. The reason is mesmerizing printing plays several important roles. Printing attracts customers, conveys necessary information, and communicates the essence of a brand. Thus, the world of printing utilizes different methods and technologies to excel in their field. People often think about what role printing plays in putting the soul in pictures, images, or texts on various substrates. Two common and popular types of printing are digital printing and offset printing.
Both printing processes are known for their high-caliber printing. They are suitable for professional-quality printing for brands. Still, there are some key differences between the two. The volumes of the print project and the requirements of the project are the main variables. They influence consumers to select one over the other. In this article, we will explain what is the difference between digital printing and offset printing. Knowing both aspects helps you to choose the better option for fulfilling your printing needs.
Digital Printing Vs Offset Printing: Key Differences:
Digital printing differs from onset printing in various aspects. Even digital printing definition is different from that of offset printing. Let's look at their definitions first.
What Is Digital Printing?
It is the most advanced form of printing. Digital printing allows the direct transfer of digital images onto various surfaces. This printing process utilizes two types of digital printers- inkjet or laser. The inkjet printing system was created in 1867. Later on, a Canon engineer named Ichiro Endo brought innovation and introduced thermal inkjet printers in 1957. They provide high-quality images with great accuracy. As a result, digital inkjet printers become popular in various places such as offices, homes, and educational institutes. On the contrary, laser printers use toners instead of ink. These printers are equally beneficial in digital printing. With the help of graphics software or digital files like PDFs, the image is sent to the printer to print directly on the media. The popularity of this process causes an increase in the digital printing market size. According to a survey, it is expected to increase at an annual growth rate of 6.4% from 2023 to 2030.
What Is Offset Printing?
It is a traditional method. The offset printing process is not simple. First, images are created on plates and then transferred to a rubber blanket. Afterward, they are transferred from this rubber blanket onto the media. As this requires the preparation of a plate for each image it is a complex and time-consuming process. Offset printers are used in the whole process. In 1875, Robert Barclay (from England) started the offset printing press, doing rotary offset lithography.
You may want to know what offset lithography is. Well, it is similar to ordinary offset printing but differs in its principle shortly. It emphasizes the use of specific lithographic principles. In it, the principle stating that oil and water repel each other is used to print images.
Offset Printing Vs Digital Printing: The Difference in The Printing Technology:
The Mechanism of Transferring Images:
The mechanism by which the images are transferred onto the paper differs technologically. Thus, the mechanism is different between the two printing techniques. Digital printing technology involves no intermediate medium to transfer images. On the other hand, offset printing methods require mediums such as plates and rubber mats. This discrepancy impacts the cost-effectiveness of operating the digital printers' equipment. Hence, this cost difference is transmitted directly to the printing customer.
The Mechanism of Transferring Ink:
In offset printing, etched metal plates impart ink to the paper. It requires far more time and money for setup than digital press printing. The metal plates must be engraved for the rollers that transfer the ink directly onto the paper. One plate for each color is used. You must then run the offset printing machine on "scrap" sheets of paper. This process should run for a short time until the plates are correctly inked. You may see them as "warmup" sheets that you will eventually throw away.
Conversely, service digital printing employs electrostatic rollers, called "drums," to apply toner. They provide full color to the paper. The drums use an electrostatic charge to draw in the toner in the form of toner density. There is a need for one drum for each color scheme you will print. Following application, the toner is fused onto the paper. It passes through a high-heat unit. You can print one sheet of paper or a duplicate of a booklet with digital printing. Moreover, this process requires a little setup for printing. Offset printing, however, necessitates significantly more setup time and material. Compared to a digital press, offset presses use less ink and paper per sheet. Moreover, this difference is only noticeable if you have done a print job in large volumes.
The Difference in The Number of Sheets:
Here, the number of copies, not the total number of sheets, is important. Making a few thousand copies of identical sheets is the only situation where offset printing makes sense. A 100-page catalog would require printing 50,000 pages even though you needed only 500 copies. As "short run printing," this is acceptable. (Offset is not practical because each sheet would require a separate plate). Digital press machines are good enough to meet the needs.
Modern brands that frequently change their print content use digital printing. Also, businesses that print in bulk often search for “offset printing near me”. Moreover, brands whose printed content is stable also use offset printing. However, digital offset printing is best for all nowadays. It is a hybrid technology. You can combine the advantages of digital printing with the superior quality output of offset printing. Digital offset printer makes the job easy.
Cost-Effectiveness of Offset Vs Digital Printing:
Most people want to know which is cheaper, digital or offset printing. The cost-effectiveness of both types depends on particular factors. The most important one is the volume of the print run. Digital printing is cheaper for small-quantity productions. The reason lies in its minimum setup requirements and lower initial costs. On the other hand, offset printing is suitable for larger volume runs. As there is a need to create new plates, it is more expensive if used on smaller printing runs. However, it becomes economical for large-quantity printing due to a significant decrease in per-unit cost for bulk quantities. In short, digital printing is cost-effective for small runs, while offset printing is suitable for large-quantity prints.
The Sheet Size of Digital Vs Offset Printing:
With some machines rising as high as 29", digital printing press machines use smaller sheet sizes. Their typical sizes may be 19". On the other hand, the printing offset press commonly contains a paper feeding system that takes in 29" and 40" sheets. Occasionally, this increase in size enables certain types of printing. These printing types are impractical on smaller sheets. Examples include publishing books with huge covers, posters, and specific types of brochures.
Digital Press Vs Offset Press:
Customers resort to wide-format digital printing presses for short-run printing. It happens when dimensional print size is crucial. However, the print quantities do not warrant the usage of an offset press. Digital wide-format presses are not always suitable for wide-format printing. Examples include using particular printing substrates, such as plastics and containers.
Difference in Turnaround Time:
Nothing rivals the raw speed of digital printing when it comes to speed because the setup time is so much less. Digital printing is the best option if you need to print some flyers or business cards on a digital press. It can complete the job within a short amount of time. As opposed to offset printing, many businesses offer effective digital printing services. This is because digital printing is speedy.
After you have set up offset printing, you can complete printing faster. It isn't easy to offer same-day or next-day printing services. This is due to the time required to set up the offset press for printing. Many contemporary presses use dryers to provide a specific coating. It helps to hasten the drying of the print so that you can finish it fast.
The Color Representation:
Each printing device provides varied interpretations and controls for colors. They provide different interpretations of how colors are applied to a page. Digital printing cannot always match the color control capabilities of offset presses. That is why offset printing is better. Offset presses use Pantone ink. Printing Pantone colors is more accurate. Mostly, large business brands can opt for this since color constancy can appear expensive.
Remember, the difference between digital and analog printing is the same as that of digital vs offset. Analog printing is similar to offset printing.
Final Thoughts:
There are many differences between offset and digital printing. The above article has brought a clear picture to show you how they can be different from one another. These two techniques differ in various aspects such as variable financial investment, printing techniques, and time. Therefore, different businesses can use these two techniques depending on their needs and budget.
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