For our customers that have seen our digital printing equipment, or even just the digitally printed materials, one of the most common reactions is awe. The printing capabilities of our HP Indigo presses are awe-inspiring to say the least. It is truly the finest reproduction quality in the industry and that’s why we use it.
Just because you need short-run printed materials with quick turnaround time does not mean you need to settle for a less professional appearance. Even with our experienced eye for printing, we’d have a hard time distinguishing between the digital print and traditional offset, especially since you can add extras like finishing and coating
If you are a business owner, student, or working professional, you have likely come across the term “digital printing”. Although many people may already be familiar with what the term means, almost just as many people do not know what digital printing involves and what it offers.
Digital printing has been a prevalent part of our lives for decades, yet not everyone realizes it. Understanding digital printing is part of our job as a digital printing services provider. However, this understanding can also be beneficial to you as a digital printing consumer.
Gaining a deeper understanding of the digital printing process gives you the power to determine whether you are truly receiving high-quality services.
Digital printing is a printing process that involves printing digital images and files directly onto different media.
Paper may be the most common printing material for students and businesses, but it is far from the only one. Digital printing presses can accommodate printing on various materials, including fabric, acrylic, metal, ceramic, canvas, and more.
Digital printing is a modern printing technology. It does not require manual steps, such as making film or color proofs. As such, digital printing is easier, faster, and more convenient than traditional printing methods.
Moreover, the lack of manual steps means digital printing can be made on demand with quick turnaround times.
Unlike digital printing, offset printing is a traditional printing method. Offset lithography or “litho” printing uses traditional printing plates to transfer images onto paper and other materials.
In offset printing, the ink is not directly transferred onto your chosen material or medium. The ink instead goes from a printing plate then onto an offset rubber cylinder before it is printed on paper.
The use of printing plates gives offset printing a high printing consistency, which made it the ideal choice of many commercial printers and customers in past years. Even today, offset printing is still used by printers and customers alike for large printing jobs.
Additionally, the use of printing plates permitted offset printing greater flexibility with printing on various mediums, like wood and leather.
However, digital printing has evolved by leaps and bounds since its introduction. The technology available today allows digital printing to perform on par with or even better than offset printing in certain cases.
Digital printing services today can offer the same quality and consistency as offset prints. New digital printing equipment now also allows you to print on conventional and unconventional materials, including wood, metal, and ceramic.
Moreover, digital printing technology continues to improve with each year. Each advancement in technology and digital printing standards allows digital printing technology to deliver more consistent printing results and quality akin to offset prints.
PLC is here for all your digital printing needs. Even without using printing plates, our state-of-the-art digital printing equipment allows us to provide superior quality digital prints consistently, on demand, and at economical prices.
Digital printing offers a myriad of benefits, particularly for businesses who need to print a variety of marketing materials.
Here are our top advantages of digital printing:
Quick turnaround times: Digital printing has fewer steps, resulting in shorter production times and faster output delivery.
Premium quality and consistency: Advancements in digital printing technology allows us to offer and ensure top-notch printing results each time you order prints.
Greater affordability: The absence of printing plates and fewer process steps greatly reduces investment and production costs for digital printing allowing PLC Print to pass those savings on to you.
On-demand and short print runs: Simpler processes, affordable equipment, and fast printing processes makes digital printing services ideal for short print runs and on-demand print orders.
Ease of personalization: Digital printing services allow you to customize your marketing material design and product specifications according to your needs without any trouble.
There are several types of digital printing methods. If you have previously bought or looked at different home digital printers, you are most likely familiar with two types of digital printing: “inkjet” and “laser printing,” but there are even more than that.
Here are six common digital printing methods:
Inkjet Printing: This method is commonly used in home digital printers. Inkjet printers are more affordable than laser ones, though their ink is more expensive. An inkjet printer uses liquid ink, which is dropped on the paper via micronozzles.
Laser Printing: This digital printing method is ideal for text and document printing. Like inkjets, laser printers are another common type of home printer. A laser printer uses ink toners or powders, which are transferred to paper via an electrostatic charge from a laser.
Digital Press Printing: The digital press is the modern counterpart of the traditional printing press. A digital press machine is designed to accommodate high-volume print orders without sacrificing the print quality. This printing method is commonly used by commercial digital printing services.
Dye Sublimation: This printing method is ideal for printing on plastic, fabric, and similar synthetic materials. Dye-sub printers use heat to transfer dye and print digital images. This digital printing method offers fast turnaround and production times.
Solid Ink: As its name suggests, this digital printing method uses solid ink sticks. Printer cartridges are filled with solid wax inks which are then melted to transfer the ink onto paper. Solid ink printers are considered laser-class printers.
Thermal Wax: This type of digital printing functions similarly to dye-sub printing. Thermal wax printers use ribbons and paper to transfer melted dots of wax-based ink onto various materials, including film. Although thermal wax is less expensive than dye-sub, thermal wax photorealistic prints are less realistic.
An exceptional digital print job depends on different factors working together. Getting good results does not depend solely on your chosen digital printing method.
Perhaps the most challenging yet essential element for a good print job is color consistency. One way to ensure color consistency is to create your designs using the CMYK color mode on your design program. If not, you will likely see shifts in color from screen to print when we print your orders.
Formatting and layout also play huge roles in getting good digital prints. This responsibility falls on you and your graphic designer. For the formatting, we require print- or press-ready files in PDF format, at least 300 dpi resolution, and trim, crop, and bleed marks.
Though we may give you advice regarding product templates and readability, your design and layout are out of our or any printers’ hands. Make sure to scrutinize each detail for a good printed output.
Another crucial element in digital printing is your chosen medium or material. If you are printing marketing collaterals on paper, make sure to select appropriate paper type, stock, and finish.
If you are unsure which paper best fits your project, our experts at PLC Printing can offer valuable advice. We strive to make sure your print orders are stunning and exceed your expectations.
The most crucial element for an exceptional digital printing job is finding the right printing partner. Even the best designs, layout, and paper stock can fail your business if your printing partner cannot deliver.
That’s why PLC Printing is here for you — we have the tools, the experience, and the dedication to consistently provide the best possible digitally printed content for your company.
At PLC, our team is ready and willing to go the extra mile for our clients. We put in the work to earn your trust — from our superior print quality and hassle-free efficiency to our punctual turnaround time and advanced printing equipment.
Whether you need a magazine, a book, a business card, or an event invitation, PLC is here for all your digital printing needs.
Call us today for a free digital printing quotation for your project. Tell us what you need and when you need it — we’ll make it happen.
Ready to get started? Just let us know how we can help you and we’ll be in touch as quickly as possible.
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