Offset Printing vs Digital Printing: What Is The Difference?

When you are looking for the right printing company for your business, you may go into it thinking that there is really only one option for your project. Printing is printing, right? In actuality, you will have a whole slew of options when you bring your project to printing professionals. One of the decisions you will have to make is between offset printing and digital printing. Continue reading to learn about Offset Printing vs Digital Printing.

Offset Printing vs Digital Printing:

Offset Printing

This type of production is called offset printing because the ink is not transferred directly on to the paper. Instead, the process involved plates usually made from aluminum that transfer an image on to a rubber surface. Then, the image rolls on to a sheet of paper. The design of offset printing is to produce high volume orders because of the process it takes to set up a job. So the more you print, the less expensive the price is per piece. Since the majority of shoppers (92%) prefer to make their purchasing decisions by receiving direct mail, using offset printing for a large mailing job is very cost effective. This method also gives your printing job the best possible printing quality. Also, with a crisp and clean look and vivid color reproduction. Offset printing can also utilize a range of paper types with custom finishes and custom inks.

Digital Printing

Digital printing is a company’s best option when looking for Short run capabilities. This process prints using dry ink toner and goes directly onto the paper without plates. One of the Key Benefits of Digital printing is leveraging variable data. Such as unique codes, names, images or even letter versions. Offset cannot provide variable data between printing pieces so all of the material is the same, but digital printing allows you to personalize each piece to the recipient. As the technology in digital printing has progressed, its quality has become more acceptable for more uses. Its speedy process is another advantage, as printing projects that use digital printing often have faster turnaround times. This makes smaller printing jobs more cost-effective when using digital printing. You won’t be stuck with extra materials after the job is done.

It is essential to understand the options when selecting a printer so you are selecting the right choice for your specific needs. Most printers aren’t able to do both types of printing so they won’t give you the option, which could jeopardize your potential response rates. Knowing is half the battle and Modern Mail & Print Solutions is here to assist you with all your printing and mailing needs.