Digital Printing vs. Offset Printing when to use what

Which one is better? Understanding the basics of digital and offset printing allows for better decision making when planning your printing projects There are advantages and disadvantages to both technologies Using digital printing and offset printing together can provide a complete solution for all of your printing needs There is usually a definitive cutoff based on your quantities if it’s more efficient to produce digitally or offset.

What You Need to Know

Benefits to Both Technologies

When planning your printing project ask yourself… How many do I need printed? How quick do I need it? Is personalization required? What are my quality expectations? How creative do I want to be?

How many do I need printed? High Quantity- offset printing will most likely be less expensive because the unit cost will go down as volume increases Low Quantity- digital printing will be more cost effective because even though the unit cost stays fairly consistent, there is very little set up for a digital job

How quick do I need it? Because of the lack of set up, digital printing will most likely have the fastest production times Offset does have the capability to produce thousands of sheets per hour, so when running very large quantities, offset printing may be the way to go

Is personalization required? Digital printing gives you the ability to personalize marketing materials through variable data in a cost effective way. You have the ability to produce 1-to-1 personalized pieces for each target client.

What are my quality expectations? Digital printing produces high quality but when matching colors and producing sharp images offset printing produces the best quality

How creative do I want to be? Offset printing allows for more creativity with regards to printing on special papers, using special finishes and printing on various surfaces Digital printing allows you to be creative by personalizing messages through text, images, price points and more

Still not sure which one to use? Contact Cerqa today to learn more about how our offset and digital printing technologies can provide a complete solution for your printing needs sales@cerqa.com (512)439-1281