Digital verses lithographic print: how do they compare?

Digital verses lithographic print: how do they compare?

In a previous post we talked about the difference between in using color online and in print; we mentioned CMYK process, spot color, and Pantone colors in reference to print and in this post, we’ll go over the print process itself, whether to choose traditional lithographic offset print or modern digital print for your commercial print projects.

Traditional Print

Traditional commercial printing involves the use of industrial lithographic (or litho) offset printing presses, varying in size and capability from small single color, single sided letter-sized machines, right up to massive presses capable of printing four color CMYK process, spot colors, varnishes and double sided on large sheets, all at the same time.

Modern presses may or may not have integrated color management, meaning that color mix and density information is sent to the press from the computer system that processed the print job.

The print process itself relies on the fact that water repels by oil. A printing plate is produced that contains blank areas (that absorb water, thus repulsing ink)) and image areas (that attract oil, repulsing water). This plate, among others in the print job, is attached to a cylinder on the press; both water and ink are applied to plate on the cylinder and the ink, being oily, attaches to the image areas of the plate and is repelled from the blank areas of the plate by the water. The ink on the image area is then transferred to a second cylinder that holds a rubber blanket; this blanket in turn presses the ink onto a sheet of paper with the aid of the impression cylinder, creating the printed sheet.

This complex, mechanical process does make for a high quality finished print, but the presses and other equipment required are large, expensive, and complex in themselves. For this fact, offset printing, as well as other lithographic print process, sits squarely with commercial print operators.

Pros

  • Very high quality results can be achieved with the finished printed product
  • Color reproduction is very accurate, which makes it easy to guarantee consistent results, accurate to designer expectations
  • Price per unit is very low for medium-to-long run print jobs with large sheets

Cons

  • Expensive at low run quantities; many print operators will have a minimum quantity for offset print jobs
  • Expect a longer turn-around time for offset print jobs, since setup is complex and time-consuming
  • Proofing and edits can also be time-consuming due tot he long turn-around times
  • Litho printing has a higher environmental footprint since more chemicals are used

Digital Print

Digital print, in contrast to the industrial machines of litho print, uses machinery that is not too dissimilar to the inkjet or laser printer that you have in your office. In fact, some of them are remarkably similar, and the technology is starting to merge.

The main difference is the printing technique itself. Whereas litho offset uses printers’ plates, offset blankets, and impression cylinders to get the ink from the reservoir onto the paper, the digital press uses a print head, just like your office printer, but of much high quality and accuracy.

Like your office printer, digital presses uses CMYK ink cartridges, and in some cases the also have additional colors, such as light cyan or light magenta to increase the gamut of the color mixes that they can produce. But even with these additional colors, the color spectrum of digital machines is still limited and they are not as capable of producing the high quality, accurate results of a litho offset press, especially when it comes to solid Pantone colors or metallics, for instance.

That being said, quality results can be achieved, and for the price you pay, you get job flexibility and speed that you won’t get with offset print.

Pros

  • Easier to make edits and design changes, virtually ‘on-the-fly’.
  • Print jobs on digital machines have a low setup and turn-around time, with no minimum quantity
  • Price per unit is very low for short to medium run print jobs on smaller sheets
  • Newer technologies, such as Variable Data printing can be integrated with digital print machines
  • Low environmental footprint

Cons

  • Print quality and color management is good, but not always as accurate or consistent as traditional lithographic print
  • Quality and consistency is not so good with longer runs or large sheets

In Conclusion

So which method is right for you: digital or litho offset? Well it largely depends on the exact requirements of the job:

  • If your print run is high, your page size is big, or your color matching and quality are of primary importance, opt for litho offset
  • If your print run is low, if you’re not too concerned about have the best quality, of if you are restricted by budget, opt for digital

In some instances, the choice will be made for you:

  • If you’re printing a magazine or book-type publication, then you should opt for litho offset
  • If you need variable data print, then you’ll have to opt for digital

As for commercial operators, you’ll both traditional and digital high-street print operations wherever you are. Many print operators have machinery for both processes, as well as in-house design and print finishing services.

And of course, searching online will reveal a swathe of online print companies that provide virtually every service you can think of in regards to a print job. These online companies will tend to follow the same outlines as above – litho for long runs, digital for short.

If you need any additional help or advice regarding print projects, please don’t hesitate to contact Gleneden Ridge Design. We’d be happy to help!


TechPoint IT Services: professional, affordable support for break/fix, installation, maintenance, hardware and software support, infrastructure, servers, computers, and networks.