Most print buyers don’t know and don’t care about how their materials wind up on paper. That’s fine, we get paid to worry about that. But there is one thing that we get asked about often and that’s the difference between digital and offset printing.
The end result is roughly the same – an image on paper. In the case of offset printing, that image is applied to paper using ink. For digital, the image is formed using toner and intense heat to fuse the image to the paper.
As with everything, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. In terms of quality, offset printing still has a leg up (or two, or three) over digital printing. The difference though is eroding every year as digital presses continue to be refined. At some point, quality will likely be a non-issue. Other advantages to offset include a much greater choice of papers, the ability to print on large sheets (generally up to 28″ x 40″ or 20″ x 28″ on a half-size press) and the ability to print exact spot colors.
Digital printing has it’s benefits too. Although limited in stock choices, output size and ink colors, the digital process allows for short run efficiency, full color imprints on items too small for an offset press and the use of very sophisticated variable data solutions. The greatest advantage is the ability to print small quantities cost effectively. As quantities start to go up though, there is a point that offset printing becomes more cost effective and generally by a wide margin.
This brings up an important point. When searching for a printing company to work with, it will pay to understand if they offer digital printing, offset printing or both. A printing company that can do both will be able to give you the lowest cost option regardless of quantity.
