It can be a real challenge to understand all the different terminology that goes into the world of printing There never seems to be an end to the different types, and different terms, and it’s enough to be extremely confusing if all you want is to get some marketing materials printed up for your business! Meanwhile, if there’s one thing you should know, it’s the offset printing process simply because it has so many uses.
Because of the very high quality associated with offset printing, it’s perfect for any project that requires sharp and good-looking results. If you’re printing up stationery, a magazine, a brochure, a newspaper, or a book, the offset printing process is a great choice.
What Goes Into the Offset Printing Process?
A type of printing that uses custom metal plates to print your content onto your material, offset printing is unique in that no ink is directly printed to the media substrate, such as paper. This is why it’s called “offset”, as the offset printing process involves ink first being applied to a set of metal plates before being transferred to a rubber roller. Then, paper passes through these rollers, which apply the ink to the material in question.
The offset printing process is great because it allows for the use of special inks, such as Pantone or metallic colors. It offers great color integrity as a result. However, it can be time-consuming, as each color ink used in this process requires its own dedicated roller. This makes it less than ideal for short print runs, as it’s simply not cost or time-effective. However, with larger, bulk print jobs where a professional look and feel is needed, the offset printing process delivers.
What Can Offset Printing Do for You?
The offset printing process has traditionally been used for books and magazines, but the versatility of this method can’t be undersold. You can print on a wide variety of substrates, including wood and metal. Professional publications, board games, marketing collateral, greeting cards, and even record jackets have all been offset printed in the past, making it perfect for just about any use out there where you want a clean, crisp look.
Still, offset printing isn’t always the best choice. Alternatives exist, such as digital printing. This isn’t the typical look and feel of your office inkjet printer, though the technology is essentially the same – you have a number of different options in this case. And unlike the offset printing process, digital printing is much quicker – and less expensive – for smaller print runs.
Benefits Tied to Offset Printing
Want even more info on the benefits of using the offset printing process? Here’s a short collection of some of the best and brightest reasons to offset print and what makes it so absolutely great for so many applications.
- Incredibly High Quality: you can expect clean, sharp images without fail from the offset printing process. This method offers careful ink flow, reducing the number of wasted prints, and each print is identical and uniform as the same plates are used with each print over and over.
- Cost Effective at High Volumes: With offset printing, when your print run gets bigger, the cost per print decreases. This makes bulk orders very affordable. When you’re controlling your marketing costs carefully, you can rely on the offset printing process to help you meet budget.
- Fast for Large Print Runs: You know what else is remarkable about this printing process? The speed in which high volumes of printed materials can be completed. There are so few interruptions with the offset printing process once the metal plates for offset printing are created!
- Low Material Cost: Yes, it’s true that you need a print plate for each color in your print job, but it’s now cheaper than ever to create these plates. Plus, you can reuse these plates quite literally millions of times. The pro-rata costs soon become minimal in such a situation. This, combined with the other benefits of the offset printing process, make it a highly attractive choice indeed.
Finding the Right Offset Print Partner For You
The offset printing process does indeed offer a number of great advantages, especially when it comes to creating large print runs quickly and affordably. But getting your perfect print run goes farther than just using the right type of printing process – you also have to ensure that you choose the right print house for your needs. In this case, you need to select a print partner that knows the ins and outs of the offset printing process like the back of their hand.
This is where Las Vegas Color Graphics comes in. As the Las Vegas area’s premier community print shop for more than 40 years, Color Graphics has both the tools and the expertise to ensure your next offset print run goes off without a hitch. Our experienced staff and state-of-the-art printing presses can take your vision for an offset print run and transform it into reality, and our 24-hour shop will have your project done in no time. We even offer direct mail fulfillment services for sending out marketing materials.
Does it sound like the offset printing process is a good option for your next large-scale print project? Rely on Las Vegas Color Graphics to get it done right the first time every time. Contact one of our printing experts about your project’s needs today and learn how we can help your next print run be exactly what you’re looking for!
