Things You Need To Know About Digital Printing

As there are a variety of printing methods to choose from, knowing which one will best meet your needs can be difficult. It often comes down to a choice between offset and digital printing. To help you determine whether digital is the right choice for you, we’ve put together a list of important facts that you should know when designing and printing these sorts of jobs.

• Paper
  Generally, you should use digitally certified papers to ensure that the finished product is of the quality that you desire. Some printers will use non-certified stocks, which is completely up to them.
• Print Quality
  Improvements in digital printing have meant that similar results to the offset method can be produced. In the past, if you wanted premium quality you had to go with offset – this is no longer the case.
• Speed
  You'll find that the digital process is a much simpler process when compared to offset. Without the need for plates and mixing inks, the final print can be delivered significantly faster.
• Cost Effective
  As the setup costs are much lower than traditional printing, with a very low minimum (usually 250) and no plate costs, you’ll find that digital is fairly cost effective. Some machines are also capable of doing inline finishing, so costs are further reduced.
• Personalisation
  Basically, you can tailor your message to your audience. If you’re doing a mail drop, you can have each individual envelope addressed correctly or personalised with the recipient's name.
• Short Runs
  This process is ideal for printing small to medium quantities (generally 250 units and upwards). The cost of offset printing often means that these lower quantities are too expensive.
• Effects
  Some machines even have the ability to print special effects, including: white ink, special Pantone colours, raised ink (like an emboss effect), and UV red invisible ink that becomes visible under ultraviolet light.
• Last Minute
  The good news is that this method can be completed "on demand", which is ideal for last minute jobs. You also have the ability to make last minute changes at the time of printing through the computer.

On top of all this, there are many other reasons why digital printing can be the preferable option, including the ability to tweak colours on the press and to do long runs with ease. No matter what, just ensure that you have selected the right method for your desired outcome. If you’re unsure which printing method will best meet your needs, please get in touch with our helpful team.