Unlike the digital printers in our homes and offices that many of us are familiar with, offset printers have always been steadfast and yet unfamiliar to most consumers outside of the printing industry.

With its many advantages, understanding offset printing can be an important benefit to any publication.

The History

Offset printing has been around since 1875. While the technology may not be a new one, it still remains one of the most cost-effective methods for producing large volumes of high-quality prints.

Newspapers, magazines, books, fliers, and coupons are all still offset printed.

The Process

Offset printing involves transferring images to a printing “plate”.  The plate then transfers ink to a roller and then onto the paper at incredibly high speeds.

Printing plates are created from your artwork. The number of plates depending on the amount of colours needed to create the final image. The most common offset presses allow for two or four plates to be run at a time. This can produce a wide spectrum of vibrant images. Your final prints are created by layering one colors at a time onto the paper.

The offset printing process sees the ink absorbed directly into the paper. This absorption allows for the different paper finishes to really shine through (ex: Matte looks matte, gloss looks gloss).

Advantages

• On large projects, the price is unbeatable – the speed and output capacity greatly reduces cost
• Each job has its Ink specifically chosen for each job. This allows for superior colour matching and brand consistency
• Offset printing offers a higher-quality finish and holds excellent registration. This quality is especially important for pieces requiring further processing for example, folding, gluing, diecutting)
• Allows for even coverage and superior flooding (heavy coverage) of a sheet
• Offset printing can create large volumes of pre-printed sheets. These sheets can later be over-printed digitally as needed in lower quantities (ex. On demand projects and variable mailings)

Limitations

• With a longer and more extensive setup required, offset printing often can’t compete on price for lower quantities
• Requires longer drying times

With all of this in mind there is no need to sweat. We have a wide array of digital and offset printing presses in house. We are here to help ensure each of your projects finds the best fit and most economical solution to suit your needs. Leave it to us!