Though digital printing is a relatively new technique, it has quickly become one of the most economical ways to produce small runs. This technique of printing has a lot of advantages, from fast delivery to particularly low costs.
Here at Verapax, we’re committed to continually educating ourselves on the latest in printing technologies and providing advanced solutions for our customers.
In this article, we are going to break down the many benefits of digital printing, and how to use it effectively in your marketing campaigns.
Small Quantities
Printing digitally can get expensive when printing large quantities, making it perfect for printing smaller jobs. For Short Run offset printing jobs, for example, most printers require a minimum amount of 250. But with digitally printing small quantities you can print as little as 25.
Print-on-Demand
Use digital printers to customize white-label products such as T-Shirts, books & journals or bags. Sell these products on a pre-order basis for your audience, and receive the exact quantity you need. No more stocks. No more waste.
Printing on a Budget
Digital technologies have a higher cost per page than traditional offset printing, but the price is usually offset by the fact that there is no need to replace the printing plates within the machine itself. One of the pro’s for offset printing is that the cost decreases the more product you buy. When short runs are needed, digital printing is the obvious choice. You can get the printing service without the need for a large and costly minimum order.
Personalization
If you want to print materials such as coupons with unique codes, personally addressed mailers or variable maps, the digital printer is for you. Due to its Variable Data Printing (VDP) capability, a feature not available with offset printing, you can have print personalized materials that suit your clients’ preferences: unique QR Codes or barcodes for tracking, or personalized mailers with names, unique images or other identifiers.
Short Turnaround Time
Since there are no plates involved in digital printing, project setup time is significantly decreased. Thus, a short run of booklets or catalogs can have very short turnaround times. Not long ago, five days was the minimum turnaround, but with digital printing, your print order can be completed in as little as 24 hours.
Advanced Options
Skilled printers can offer a large variety of printing options to enhance your print products: features such as foil stamping, UV finishes, and die cuts, as well as binding options like saddle stitching and Wire-O. Digital printing also allows for printing with white and metallic inks, for a polished and striking look.
High-Quality Printing
Although offset printing remains the industry standard with its high color fidelity, it cannot compare to the high quality of digital printing. In the past, digital printing was associated with low-quality products, but in recent years digital printing techniques have greatly improved to ensure the best possible results.
Environmentally Friendly
Digital printing is excellent for your wallet and even better for the environment. This innovative printing technique contributes to reducing chemical waste, paper waste, and overall emissions. For example, an offset press needs to be run for a few minutes on “scrap” sheets of paper until the plates are properly inked. Think of it like “warmup” sheets that are eventually thrown away. This is a waste of materials, time, and energy that doesn’t happen with digital printing.
Quick Fixing
With digital printing, it is easy to start over in case of an error. Correcting an error in offset printing, however, means disposing an entire print batch and correcting the used plates, and this can be a costly mistake. But digital printers allow for easily automated corrections, making it cheap and consistent.
When to use offset printing:
- For printing sheets larger than 29”, like posters and banners.
- For color consistency that requires precision.
- Offset prices decrease gradually on bulk orders over 2,000 pieces.
To explore your printing options with digital or offset printing contact us today! Order as little as 25 Business Cards.