Printing and packaging are anything but one-size-fits-all. In these industries, there are a variety of techniques to choose from. Offset printing, which transfers ink from a plate to rubber to the final substrate, is a classic option that has stood the test of time. We’ll take a closer look at the top advantages of using offset printing, why this process has endured for over a century, and why, even with modern digital technology, it remains one of the most widely used techniques today.
When Quality Counts
You always want your product to look its best. With offset printing, you get the professional, high-quality print results you’ve seen all your life. The process uses the CMYK—cyan, magenta, yellow, and “key” black—ink model to create a full-color image. This yields images that are sharp and vibrant, with a level of detail that other printing techniques can’t match.
A Substantial Range of Substrates
Even high-quality laser printers can’t print on every surface. One of the top advantages of using offset printing is that printers can deploy it against a wide range of substrates, including paper, cardboard, and even plastic. This means that businesses can choose the right substrate for their print materials based on their specific needs. Offset printing is also able to print on irregularly shaped substrates, providing even more flexibility when it comes to design options.
Speed That Doesn’t Sacrifice Quality
Even if you’re not paying premiums for rush jobs, you still want your printing partner to get the job done as quickly as possible. Offset printing is remarkable for its high production speed. Once a print shop creates the plates, the rest of the printing process is quick and efficient. This makes offset printing an ideal choice for businesses that need to print large quantities of materials in a short amount of time.
Affordable in the Long Run
Anyone with a warehouse membership and a family to feed knows the value of buying in bulk. Printing in bulk is a value proposition, too, and offset printing makes it possible. Offset printing’s efficiency makes it an affordable option for businesses that need to print large quantities of materials. As the quantity of materials you print increases, your cost per unit decreases. At the right scale, that’s favorable math—and a key difference between offset and digital printing.
Consistency Is Key
Whether it’s packaging or business cards, you want uniformity in your products. The offset process ascertains this by evenly distributing ink across the printing plate, ensuring that each print is identical. This is particularly important for businesses that need to print large quantities of materials.
With the versatility of materials, precise color-matching, cost-effective large orders, and reasonable turnaround times, offset printing could be just what your small business needs for its next print order. It’s time to get rolling.
