What’s the Difference Between Digital Printing and Offset Printing?

All digital printers in Kent encounter the same question from countless customers on a daily basis:
Which type of printing is best?

It’s a relatively straightforward question, but one that is nonetheless impossible to answer. This is because each and every printing technique has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Not to mention, appropriate applications and instances where it may be unsuitable for requirements.

Even when it comes to the difference between digital printing and offset printing, it’s impossible to label one as ‘better’ than the other. Instead, it’s a case of considering the properties of both, in order to determine which is more suitable for the job in question.

Offset Printing

Traditional offset printing is a tried, tested and trusted printing technique, which uses wet ink and printing plates to press images onto various materials. It’s a more complex, time-consuming and labour-intensive process than most modern forms of printing, which produces results that need plenty of time to dry before finishing.

However, it’s also possible for traditional offset printing methods to produce the highest-quality results of almost any printing technique. If you are planning on producing prints in extensive numbers from a handful of originals, offset printing can also be surprisingly cost-effective.

Let’s take a look at a summary of the pros and cons:

Offset Printing Pros

Offset Printing Cons

Digital Printing

The standard go-to for the vast majority of requirements these days, digital printing replaces traditional hard copies with electronic files. Absolutely any type of digital image whatsoever can be used to produce as few or as many copies as necessary, often at highly competitive prices. It’s also quicker and easier to make edits and alterations to the master image, before going ahead and producing any copies.

However, some would argue (and perhaps quite rightly) that digital printing can never quite replicate the quality or colour fidelity of offset printing.
Once again, let’s take a closer look at the primary pros and cons of digital printing:

Digital Printing Pros

Digital Printing Cons:

If you’re still struggling to decide which way to go, speak to a professional printing house in Kent, like highly successful Digilab, to discuss your requirements in more detail. Though before doing so, it’s worth considering the following to help determine your ideal printing method:

1. How many copies are you intending to print?

2. Are you looking at a strict deadline or do you have time to play with?

3. Is the quality of the print or overall cost-effectiveness your priority?

4. What types of materials are you intending to print on and in what quantities?

5. Is it likely you will need to edit the original image along the way?

Answer these questions and you’ll find it much easier to choose between offset printing and digital printing. If in doubt, speak to a professional printing house for more information on both options.