Offset printing, also known as offset lithography, is a professional printing method used by various business professionals for their professional prints. This printing method is great for printing on textured paper, metallic surface paper, metal goods, and more, which makes it a diverse printing option. Still, you may be wondering, what are the advantages of offset printing? BDS is here to help you find out.
How Does Offset Printing Work?
Offset printing is a variant of lithography, which means the process consists of releasing oily ink on oil-treated printing sections of your surface while avoiding the ink spilling on nonprinting sections that retain water. For reference, water and oils are not compatible, so this printing method creates a way to print without mixing the two.
Typically, the offset plate that you print on when conducting print jobs is a metal surface that can be made from zinc, aluminum, or other metals. The metal surface is topped with a substance that responds to light and hardens when exposed. On the nonprinting areas, the substance washes away, leaving wet metal.
There are a few standard methods that are used when printing offset lithography, including:
- Blanket-to-Blanket: Prints on both sides of the surface automatically simultaneously. It can print up to 8 colors on both sides, reducing the financial burden of manual double-sided printing.
- Blanket-to-Steel: This more accurate and detailed process can only print a specific set of colors. You can create sets of 4,6 and 8 with this method in one color.
- Dry Offset Printing: A more advanced and contemporary option, this printing method involves transferring ink to a photopolymer plate before transferring it to your printing surface of choice. This high-quality and advanced method can bring impressive results to the right company.
Who Benefits Most From Offset Printing?
It is hard to gauge one industry or business that benefits the most from offset printing because it is a versatile and flexible option. However, this printing method tends to lean more industrial, meaning it is rare to find in everyday offices. Instead, you can commonly find this method used by construction, architecture, and engineering professionals. These professionals typically print on various hard surfaces and include design work.
However, you may also find offset printers in magazine publications or other editorial/media spaces. For instance, printing magazines or other hard copy issues can benefit immensely from these devices. It is also worth noting that these devices can help marketing or creative professionals in any industry, depending on the printed materials.
In general, any business, enterprise, or organization printing large-scale print jobs can benefit from including one of these devices in their environment, considering how often they print these types of materials. If you have additional questions about whether this is a suitable printing method for you, contact BDS.
What Are the Benefits of Offset Printing?
There are a few reasons you would use the offset printing method over others, and one of the primary reasons is the high quality. With offset printing, you get perfect quality for your prints because of the advanced and accurate technology. Although printing may be more laborious than printing on a traditional desktop printer, you will not achieve this type of quality anywhere else.
High quality is standard, whether you are printing black and white or in color. Plus, you can easily achieve cost-effective, high-quality images when printing in large volumes. Flexibility and versatility are other advantages of offset printing in your print infrastructure.
With offset printing, you can print on various materials, including fabric, textured papers, leather, and more. Traditional printers and even MFPs (Multifunction Printers) cannot achieve this feat. It takes a workhouse printer with advanced capabilities and an industrial structure to print on these materials at such high quality. For the right professional, you can expect to create a large volume of high-quality prints on various materials at an affordable price.
Partner With BDS For Your Offset Printing Needs
Did you know BDS offers a variety of printers with offset printing capabilities? That is right, we offer printers from the most famous brands in the world, like Canon, HP, Kyocera, Xerox, and Ricoh, to help you with your technology and printing needs. Our devices are put through a rigorous testing process to ensure they perform optimally in your office. We pride ourselves on pairing our excellent product with our stellar reputation for customer service.
We recognize these devices can be expensive, so we have created flexible, fair, and affordable finance options for local New England and Florida businesses interested in partnering with us. Whether you are looking for a lease or certified preowned equipment, BDS is your premier, trusted local print partner ready to deliver high-quality results.
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