The modern print landscape has so many different options available these days. If you manage a business or a marketing department, there are myriad factors involved in choosing the best print selection. When exploring all of the various choices, be sure they support your overall organizational goals and align with your budget. Here is a look at some of the most popular print options available:
Offset Printing
Offset printing, invented more than 100 years ago, refers to a relatively simple print method used to print large volumes of documents with little to no variation. It involves the use of CMYK—cyan, magenta, yellow, and black oil-based inks. Each color is applied to a separate plate and the image is “offset” to a soft roller that then transfers that image onto the print surface. This is still on the of the most popular print methods in practice today since, in addition to CMYK, pre-mixed Pantone inks can be used for precise color matching and vibrancy.
Digital Printing
Digital printing was a development of the 1990s, offering people the ability to produce customized, high-quality print documents from their computers. It is an example of print meeting the demands of a technology generation. With digital print, images are applied paper in layers, by way of rollers. Unlike offset print, this method does not employ oil-based ink. Rather it uses a laser system to apply colored CMYK toner, achieving the designed result. In addition to CMYK, there are specialty options available like metallic and Pantone color- matched toners.
Wide Format Print
Wide format printers offer businesses, particularly those in the marketing, advertising, and design space, the ability to print large format designs in their office rather than outsourcing to a vendor. Wide format print involves printing any type of large format document, such as a banner, poster, advertisement, blueprint, or maps. There is a broad range of color and ink options available for this type of high-resolution, high-quality print.
Whether you need highly detailed color print or various wide format poster and banners, there is a print solution available to meet your needs. If you have any questions about offset, digital, wide format, print production, or scanning, contact us for answers.