Printing · 3 min read
Offset or digital printing? Which one your job needs
How offset and digital printing differ, which suits brochures, catalogues, menus, packaging and visiting cards, and what to ask before you place an order.
Jais Brandworks · Lower Parel, Mumbai ·
If you have asked a printer for a quote, you have probably been asked “offset or digital?” Most people don’t know, and that’s fine. It is the printer’s job to tell you. But it helps to understand the difference, because it affects how your job looks and what it costs.
How offset printing works
Offset printing transfers ink from metal plates, through a rubber blanket, onto paper. A plate is made for each colour. Once the plates are on the press and the colour is set, every sheet after that comes out the same.
That set-up takes time, so offset makes the most sense when you are printing a good quantity of the same thing. Once it is running, it is fast and very consistent.
What offset does well:
- Colour accuracy. It can match a specific brand colour, such as a Pantone shade, using a mixed ink. That matters if your brand orange has to be your brand orange.
- Consistency. The first sheet and the last sheet look the same.
- Paper choice. It handles a wide range of papers and boards, from thin leaflets to heavy card and packaging board.
- Finishes. It works well with foil, embossing, spot UV and lamination. See when special finishes are worth it.
How digital printing works
Digital printing works more like a large, very good office printer. There are no plates. The file goes straight to the machine.
What digital does well:
- Short runs. No plates means less set-up, so smaller quantities are practical.
- Speed to start. It can go from file to print quickly.
- Variable data. Every piece can be different: names on ID cards, numbered tickets, personalised certificates.
- Proofs and samples. Handy for checking a design before a bigger offset run.
The trade-offs are that exact brand colours are harder to hit every time and the range of papers and finishes is narrower.
Which to use for what
| Job | Usually |
|---|---|
| Catalogues, brochures, company profiles | Offset |
| Menus and table tents for an outlet or a chain | Offset for the standard set, digital for small updates |
| Visiting cards | Either. Offset for special papers and finishes |
| Printed packaging, boxes and bags | Offset |
| Letterheads, envelopes, bill books | Offset |
| Event passes, numbered tickets, name badges | Digital |
| A handful of prototypes or samples | Digital |
Catalogues are a typical offset job. Brand shown is a sample.
What about screen printing?
Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh stencil. It is used for things that aren’t flat paper, like T-shirts, tote bags and some promotional items. The colour comes out bold and lasts well on fabric.
What to ask your printer
You don’t have to choose the method yourself. Tell your printer:
- What it is and what it is for. A menu that gets handled every day is different from a brochure that gets mailed once.
- Roughly how many you need, now and over the year.
- How many colours, and whether any must match a brand colour exactly.
- The paper or finish you have in mind, or a sample of something you liked.
A good printer then tells you which method fits, and why.
How we handle it
Jais has done offset printing in Lower Parel, Mumbai since 1989, and we also take on digital and screen jobs. When you send us a job we pick the method that suits it and explain the choice in the quote. You approve a proof before anything is printed.
See everything we print on the offset printing page, or read how to get an accurate printing quote before you send your first request.
