Articles: offset printing

Offset is the older and very well mastered way of printing. Before the press starts, a separate plate has to be prepared for every colour, and the ink transfers from it onto the paper. That preparation happens once for the whole job, so the more sheets come off the press afterwards, the more sensibly it works out per copy.

Where the difference comes from

Digital printing behaves differently. The press works straight from the finished file, with no plate to prepare, so the first sheet can appear immediately. For smaller quantities that is usually the easier route, while large orders bring the advantage back to offset. A few things tip the balance one way or the other.

• Number of copies - more often than not, this settles the question on its own.
• Consistency - offset holds an even look across a long run of sheets.
• Versions with different data - digital lets every copy carry a different name, number or code.
• Late corrections - with no plate to prepare, changing the file is simpler.
• A possible reprint - if you expect to order more later, it is worth mentioning at the first order.

What you do not have to decide

In practice the technique is rarely chosen by hand. Ordering online, you give the size, the paper and the quantity, and the method is matched to that set. Your attention is better spent on the things that show up on the finished piece. Use good photographs rather than something pulled off the internet. Leave a little spare space at every edge, so trimming does not clip a frame or a line of text. And remember that a colour on screen can look slightly different on paper.

If you want to settle the subject once and for all, read both comparisons - one explains the mechanism, the other shows the situations where the choice actually matters to the person ordering.