Swoot Analysis in Digital printing and offset

In the printing industry in general there are two kinds of ways to print, digital printing is the first and the second is the offset. For those of you who will be active in the printing industry needs to know and understand the strengths and weaknesses of these two types of printing. Here are tips to understand the advantages of each.

1. Color consistency. When a pressman starts the press, it doesn't have the perfect settings yet. Fine tuning is required to get the proper ink and water balance. With digital printing, you can pretty much count not only on the color being just right, but that the first copy will look exactly like the last.
2. Price. This matter really depends on what type of product you are printing. If you want ten thousand copies of a brochure, no doubt you will chose offset printing. This is for two reasons. The first is that digital printing usually s less options when it comes to page count and customization. Second, the cost significantly goes down after the first copy is printed. With digital printing, the cost per page stays nearly the same. So depending on the run length, both offset and digital are contenders.
3. Speed. A digital printer will no doubt be able to give you a copy in a very quick manner. With offset printing, it is not that simple. Machines that can cost into the millions must have a slot of time scheduled. In this case, you are pretty much at the mercy of how well the press runs and what day you can be fit into the schedule.
4. Customization. Here is where digital printing excels. An offset press can usually only print the exact same copy for each impression. Digital printing on the other hand can customize each printed sheet for you. For example, you may want to put a different address on each copy since you are planning to mail it. Or you may customize each copy according to names - the possibilities are endless.

Be careful though, a fully outfitted digital printer may give you slanted advice if he doesn't offer offset printing. Ask what options they offer and weigh the advice accordingly. So in comparing both, you cannot say which is better. It really depends on what you are printing and what you are willing to pay. Communicate well with you printer what your needs are.