Digital Printing vs Offset Printing

When evaluating whether offset printing or digital printing is better, the answer is simple: both. Quite simply, both have their strengths that the other cannot compete with. Many printers will be biased to one or the other telling you that the quality is superior on either process. Neither are wrong, but you must understand what differences in quality they are speaking about. Let's look at a few.

1. Color consistency. When a pressman starts the press, it doesn't have the perfect settings yet. Fine tuning is required to get the proper ink and water balance. With digital printing, you can pretty much count not only on the color being just right, but that the first copy will look exactly like the last.

2. Price. This matter really depends on what type of product you are printing. If you want ten thousand copies of a brochure, no doubt you will chose offset printing. This is for two reasons. The first is that digital printing usually s less options when it comes to page count and customization. Second, the cost significantly goes down after the first copy is printed. With digital printing, the cost per page stays nearly the same. So depending on the run length, both offset and digital are contenders.

3. Speed. A digital printer will no doubt be able to give you a copy in a very quick manner. With offset printing, it is not that simple. Machines that can cost into the millions must have a slot of time scheduled. In this case, you are pretty much at the mercy of how well the press runs and what day you can be fit into the schedule.

4. Customization. Here is where digital printing excels. An offset press can usually only print the exact same copy for each impression. Digital printing on the other hand can customize each printed sheet for you. For example, you may want to put a different address on each copy since you are planning to mail it. Or you may customize each copy according to names - the possibilities are endless.

So in comparing both, you cannot say which is better. It really depends on what you are printing and what you are willing to pay. Communicate well with you printer what your needs are. Be careful though, a fully outfitted digital printer may give you slanted advice if he doesn't offer offset printing. Ask what options they offer and weigh the advice accordingly.