Articles: print industry

The articles here answer questions that come up before an order is placed. Which method suits a given job. How to make a coupon tear off neatly and thick card fold without cracking. And where the trade as a whole is heading.

Digital or offset

This is the question that returns most often, and the answer is fairly simple. Smaller orders usually suit digital printing, because the press starts straight away. Larger runs favour offset: the setup takes longer, but across a long run it works out better per copy. The paper matters as well, and so does whether you need the same colour across several batches ordered months apart. Both methods start from the same artwork, so the choice mostly comes down to quantity. Digital work also makes it easy to order a small batch first and decide on a bigger run afterwards.

Small steps, big difference

A separate group of texts covers what happens to the paper once it has been printed. The names sound technical, the ideas behind them are not.

• A line of small cuts - lets a coupon or a slip be torn off cleanly, without scissors.
• A gentle crease - thicker card folds along it smoothly and the ink does not crack on the fold.
• Folding - one sheet becomes a leaflet in two, three or more panels.
• Film on the cover - gloss, matt or soft to the touch; it protects the paper and changes the first impression.
• Rounded corners - a card survives a wallet better and simply looks tidier.

If you are picking a printing method, start with the comparison of the two. If you want a piece that is easier to use, read the article on finishing. The trend texts deserve a slower read - they hint at where to take your next set of company materials. New ideas reach print shops slowly, so there is no rush.