OFFSET VS. DIGITAL PRINTING (Printhead.Digital Printing Machine)

What's the Difference Between Offset & Digital Printing?

When deciding between offset or digital printing for your business you should consider two factors: Quantity and Turnaround Time. Kingtau uses state of the art digital and offset printing equipment to ensure your job will be completed quickly no matter how large or small. However, offset printing has a longer lead time than digital. Digital printing is best for smaller jobs where turnaround time is of the highest importance. Offset printing offers the lowest price per piece ratio and more paper options, but a longer turnaround time.

Offset Printing:

• 1) Is best for large quantity projects
• 2) Has the lowest price per piece ratio
• 3) Provides accurate color and crisp prints
• 4) Is best for thousands of copies
• 5) Has a higher set up cost
• 6) Offers a wide variety of paper options
• 7) Offers a wide variety of size options
• 8) Has a longer set up time
• 9) Has a longer turnaround time

Digital Printing:

• 1) Is best for small quantity projects
• 2) Has the higher price per piece ratio
• 3) Provides less accurate color and clarity
• 4) Is best for hundreds of copies
• 5) Has a lower set up cost
• 6) Offers a limited variety of paper options
• 7) Offers a limited variety of size options
• 8) Has a shorter set up time
• 9) Has a shorter turnaround time
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• Commercial Digital Printing

  Digital printing services have a lower turnaround time than offset printing. For lower volume jobs fewer than 1,000 for instance, digital printing is actually the cheaper, faster option. Digital printing is perfect for mailers, flyers, business cards, menus, or anything else in small quantities. While offset printing requires time to set up a press plate, digital printing requires no set up time.

  Preparing an offset printer is a time consuming process. The only set up time for digital printing is choosing the right paper stock and hitting the print button. Commercial printing jobs using digital printing are ready in 24 hours depending on the size.

  Digital printing is a perfect choice if your job requires a high degree of customization. If your job requires 1,500 direct mailers, but each mailer has a unique name, digital printing is the best choice. Offset printing uses a press plate with an invariable image. Digital printing is 100% variable, so each mailer can be unique.

  While offset printing has a wide variety of stock options, digital printing is perfect for most, if not all, standard printing applications. Invitations, flyers, business cards, menus, brochures, and more can all be printed quickly using digital printing services from Kingtau, China.

  
  

  How Does Digital Printing Work?

  Digital printing uses toner or ink to transfer an image onto paper. With ink, a jet uses a small heating element to dispense a droplet of ink onto a page. A toner printer uses a laser to imprint an image onto a charged roll. The charged roll then picks up toner in the charged areas. This toner is then transferred to the paper which is fed through a heating element, melting the toner to the paper.

  Digital printing is dependent on variable input from computers, meaning the image can be changed at a moment’s notice. There is zero setup time involved in this process, allowing for rapid turnaround times. Digital printing is perfect for mailers, business cards, or any job with variable images.

  
  

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