What’s the difference between Offset Printing and Digital Printing? And are these printing methods sustainable?
When it comes to printing methods available in Melbourne, are they all created equal? The answer is – not always. So, how about we take a look at these two common printing methods – offset printing and digital printing. By comparing them, we can start to see where it might be more appropriate to choose one over another for your next printing project.
What is Offset Printing?
Otherwise known as lithographic printing, offset printing in Melbourne is a common commercial printing method for larger bulk projects. It is referred to as offset because it doesn’t actually transfer ink directly onto the printed surface. This printing method uses an aluminium plate that has your design embedded on it. This plate is used to transfer the printed image onto a rubber cylinder, and the cylinder is then rolled onto the final paper surface.
Offset printing can be used across a range of paper types and thickness. Common printing projects that use offset printing include:
- Flyers, letters and posters
- Letterheads and notepads
- Booklets, brochures and catalogues
- Magazines and annual reports
- Cartons, boxes and labels
- Order forms and envelopes
- Calendars, binders, presentation folders, counter stands
Advantages of Offset Printing
Offset printing produces great looking prints for minimal costs, and is best suited for larger printing volumes. Essentially, the more you print, the less you pay. Once the plates have been established, offset printing is very fast, with speeds up to 15,000 pages per hour.
Other advantages of Offset Printing in Melbourne include:
- Being the most cost effective method for larger printing volumes;
- A wide range of paper, thickness and custom materials can be used;
- You’ll receive high and consistent quality printing, with better definition and colour clarity, and;
- A range of inks are available, including metallic, fluorescent, and pantone.
Is Offset Printing Sustainable?
At Inkifingus, we always look at the impact of different printing methods on the environment. When dealing with higher volumes of printing, Offset Printing provides the advantage of a lower per-page cost, along with lower wastage and emissions.
VOC emissions per impression are much higher when using offset printing under 500 impressions. However, when used across higher printing volumes, offset printing can produce up to 80% fewer emissions than digital printing.
Offset printing does take time to set up. However, once the setup is complete, printing is very quick and efficient, especially over high volumes.
Lithographic printing does use aluminium plates. Given this, a new plate needs to be used for each different design. Therefore, offset printing is recommended for jobs that do not require customisation or variable data within the printing project. However, from a sustainability point of view, when a printing project requires one printed image across more than 500 impressions, then offset is preferred.
As offset printing requires the use of aluminium plates which can only be used for that job, a concern most people have is the environmental impact of throwing the plates away once the job is complete. At Inkifingus, all aluminium plates used are recycled after use to minimise the environmental impact.
What is Digital Printing?
Unlike using plates the way offset printing does, digital printing instead uses options such as toner and laser printing solutions. The image is sent directly to the print machine (in a digital file format), where variable data can be easily altered throughout the project. Both laser and inkjet are quick-dry printing methods and give you a much faster completion time. Digital printing is the preferred method when lower quantities are needed.
Digital printing can also be used across a range of paper types and thickness. Common printing projects that use digital printing include:
- Brochures, flyers, leaflets and business cards;
- Personalised letters, envelopes, labels and stickers, and;
- Certificates, newsletters, postcards etc.
Advantages of Digital Printing
Digital printing gives greater versatility, allowing you to change information from one print (or even down to one copy) to the next. This is what’s referred to as ‘variable data printing’, and allows you to include personalised data such as names, addresses and individual codes etc. Digital printing is also a great option if you’re looking to print lower quantities with a fast completion time.
Other advantages of Digital Printing in Melbourne include:
- Digital printing setup costs are much lower;
- You have more flexibility to print the amount you need , when you need it;
- Much easier customisation and personalisation of printing projects (names, addresses, codes etc.), and;
- A large variety of printing papers and surfaces can be used.
Is Digital Printing Sustainable?
While offset printing provides a more sustainable option for higher print volumes, digital printing can offer environmental benefits for lower print volume projects. The most obvious benefit being there is no need to use plates. When it comes to digital printing, there is no setup required like there is when using offset printing. As a result, digital printing offers much higher efficiency when it comes to ink utilisation. Given this, digital printing typically creates less paper waste overall.
Another environmental benefit of digital printing includes the ability to view print results electronically prior to the print. Because digital printing uses electronic files, such as PDF, you can visually see on the a screen how the print should look without printing anything at all. The need to print samples can be minimal, again producing less waste.
However, an important element to consider are the VOC emissions. It is possible for digital printing to release more VOC emissions when printing at higher levels. As well as this, digital printing could also use more ink than offset printing. So it’s important to keep this in mind when planning your printing project.
At Inkifingus, digital printing waste, such as toners, machine parts and plastic parts are recycled wherever possible, and made into new parts. This helps to greatly reduce any environmental impact of this type of printing, ensuring as little goes to waste as possible.
Creating Sustainable Printing Choices Melbourne
As you can see, when it comes to planning your project, there are pros and cons to both printing methods. It really comes down to your individual project requirements as to which method would be the most appropriate, and the most sustainable.
If this is all sounding a bit much – don’t worry! This is exactly what the team at Inkifingus specialise in. We take the specifications of your project and work with you to determine which method is going to provide you with the best finish, at the most cost effective price point. Wherever possible, we will also help you make the most sustainable choice for your particular project.
We are passionate about sustainable printing choices. If you’re interested in learning more about offset printing vs digital printing contact the friendly team at Inkifingus Melbourne.
