Lithographic V Digital Printing

What is Lithographic printing ?

This is a process using wet ink and printing plates, and is more cost effective and suitable for larger print runs. However, there is a lot of cost and time involved in making the printing plates and preparing the ‘spare’ material that is required for all the plate images to be processed and registered before the job can be run. However, once this is done the cost per copy will be cheaper for bigger printing runs. The turnaround time is longer with litho, usually at least 5 working day average. This is because time has to be allowed for the ink to completely dry before finishing and longer run jobs have to be scheduled to run on the bigger presses.

However the benefits are that it is

??Suitable for a wide range of surfaces including paper, card and plastics

??The larger the order the cheaper it gets as the cost decreases as the quantity increases

??Ability to cope with long runs with out losing quality

??Special inks allow you to keep your brand consistency with your Pantone colours

What is Digital printing ?

This is a process that uses toners on a press and is more suitable and cost effective for shorter runs because there is less initial set up involved. Digital printing is what we call a four colour process reproduction method that uses electronic files (PDF artwork). Dots of colour are used to produce an image using toner or ink. (Unlike litho printing no printing plates are required) so there is less waste of chemicals and paper because there is no need to make-ready. It is great for a quick turnaround as the job is produced in its finished format with no additional drying time required.Its quick to set up so fast turn around of orders

??Colours are bright, ideal for vibrant images on a vast range of materials

??A much cheaper option for small volumes

??Personalisation is much easier as text and graphics can be changed on each item without stopping or slowing down the press

There are benefits for both options depending on the size of your business, your budget and specific requirements. Particular if you use Pantone colours. Using a designer to assist with your colours and to help you decide the best cost effective option for your business is a good solution. It will ensure that all your brand colours are consistent especially if you use business stationery, as they should match specifically, which is when litho printing is probably the best option.

If you would like any advice and guidance please contact us [email protected]