Why is digital printing important? Sometimes you just need a few brochures printed r-e-a-l-l-y fast. That’s where digital printing comes in handy. There are very few limitations to digital printing – 11 X 17″ with bleeds? No problem. Gloss cardstock? No problem. Need 500 brochures by this afternoon at 4 PM? No problem. Then what’s the problem? Sometimes, digital color is off – way off. It depends on the make/model of the printer, what type of file you sent over, what program the original file was created in (is it CMYK or RGB?), the earth’s gravitational pull…ok maybe not.
There is something to be said for beautiful offset color printing with rich vibrant hues and gloss coating. It does require a certain amount of time to produce a beautiful document and it’s worth it when you have planned ahead. But for those times when you need a few in a hurry, digital printing is your friend. Will digital printing ever look as good as offset printing…hmmm…that’s subjective. Some folks are perfectly happy with the outcome especially when an opportunity shows up in a hurrry and you need just a few pieces. Other folks…not so much. Is the piece color critical? Then you might not be perfectly happy with the outcome.
One thing to remember – digital printing is still more expensive than offset. Where the price per piece decreases dramatically with offset printing, it usually doesn’t change with digital – the cost is usually fixed – so expect to pay more (especially if you’re really in a hurry!!)
Talk to your printer – a good printer is always willing to discuss options with you – your timeframe, paper choices and color options. One thing about printing you can count on – when the customer looks good, the printer looks good!
Next time – we’ll talk about why you should use a small mom & pop shop vs. big box stores.
Be safe.
Goodprinter's Blog 