There are many types of printing available nowadays and as such it can be difficult to know which type of printing is most suitable for you. You may have heard the words ‘lithographic’ and ‘digital’ thrown around when people are talking about printing but which of these printing methods is suitable for your job needs can vary depending on what it is you wish to have printed and the volume of items you are printing. We at Colour Print are here to help you decide which method you should pick by listing the pros of each method and what sort of jobs they are suited for.
Digital Printing:
Digital printing is a method of printing using 4 ink colours, toners and electronic files to produce prints in the form of dots of colour.
- No printing plates are required and less paper and chemicals are wasted in its production.
- Digital printing is best for small print runs that need to be made and completed quickly and accurately (every print will be exactly the same unless specific variation is added – see below).
- They ultimately end up being cheaper than lithographic prints at lower volumes.
- Digital prints can also be set up to allow for variable data, so if you are printing a series of products that have different names or addresses on each one then you can do this with ease using digital over lithographic.
Lithographic Printing:
Lithographic printing is more complex than digital. It involves having an inked image transferred from a printing press to a rubber blanket and then applied onto the printing surface.
- Lithographic printing produces a higher image quality than digital.
- The print can be applied to a great variety of end surfaces and thicknesses of material.
- They are cheaper than digital prints at higher volumes.
- The prints are more resistant to damage and scuffs.
So, in the end, the biggest key factor which is the amount of the print that you require; low volumes go for digital, high volumes go for lithographic. In more detail you also need to consider the speed you want the product, the material you are printing on, the end quality and if the product contains variable information. Lithographic is ideal for national leaflets and cards where you are printing lots of them and the information is not changing, whereas digital is better suited on something printed for every colleague within a large company (a personal business card, for example).
For more information on our printing methods and to discuss which method would be ideal for you, then contact us on 01603 488001 or drop us an email at
websales@col-print.co.uk.
