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Printing Types
Digital printing
Digital printing is the reproduction of digital images on physical surface, such as common or photographic paper, film, cloth, plastic, etc.
It can be differentiated from litho printing in many ways, some of which are;
- Every impression made onto the paper can be different, as opposed to making several hundred or thousand impressions of the same thing from one set of plates, as in traditional methods.
- The Ink or Toner does not absorb into the paper, as does conventional Ink, but forms a layer on the surface.
- It generally requires less waste in terms of chemicals used and paper wasted in set up.
- It is excellent for rapid prototyping, or small print runs which means that it is more accessible to a wider range of designers.
Okay, so this one may not be that common. Many professional printers will admit not knowing very much about digital printing because it's pretty new - digital printing does not use film but digital imaging technology instead. That means that your text and graphics can be sent directly from your computer desktop to the press, eliminating the need for typesetting and making plates.
While still working its way into the mainstream, digital printing is particularly good for four-color jobs that are short-run (less than 5000 copies) and that need to be turned around in less than two days. However, it tends to be limited in its choices of color and paper.
