Articles: digital printing

Both methods give a good result, they simply get there differently. In digital printing the machine lays the image down straight away, with no plate to prepare. Offset needs a printing plate first, but after that the sheets run very fast. Every other difference follows from that one fact.

When to choose which

In practice the size of the order and the nature of the design decide.

• A small run - digital, because there is no plate to make, so it works even for a few dozen copies.
• A large run - offset, because the setup spreads across every sheet and stops mattering once the quantity is high.
• Every copy different - digital lets the content change from sheet to sheet, printing a different name on each invitation for example.
• A large flat background - offset usually gives a smoother, calmer area of colour across a big surface.
• Matching a previous order - when reprinting, ask for the same method so the colour sits as close as possible to the earlier batch.

What to watch in the design

Large areas of flat colour are the usual source of disappointment, whichever method is used. Dark, saturated backgrounds are demanding, because every unevenness shows on them. With designs like that it is worth asking in advance what will work better, and possibly considering a subtle pattern or a gentle shift of colour instead of a perfectly flat area. Paper matters too - the same colour looks different on a coated sheet and on an absorbent one.

If you are ordering for the first time, read the text comparing the two methods. The options available for a given product and quantity are shown in the calculator.