Digital versus Offset

What's the difference between digital printing and offset printing?  Well, besides being done on different machines, the processes are quite different.  However, digital quality seems to be catching up.

"Recently I showed a client two samples of printing done using the two processes," Jennifer Beaty said. "He really had a hard time telling the difference between the two."

Jennifer is the managing partner of Executive Press, a full-service printing and direct-mail company based in Richardson, Texas. Executive Press provides both digital and offset services to their customers.

"We really have both processes because they are needed in different situations," Jennifer continued.  "smaller quantities and tighter deadlines are a better fit for digital and larger format and special treatments, such as full-bleed covers, are better when done on an offset press."

While the final products are produced on different machines, the design and file preparation is becoming more alike.  As we talked about in an earlier post, digital computer files are now used to produce plates for offset presses.  In the digital printing version, files go straight to the digital press for production.

A short list of reasons to use offset printing:

• When colors of inks have to match another project.
• Oversized or full-bleed projects like a folder or special cover.
• Large runs of the final product, usually over 1,000 copies.

A similar list for digitally printed projects:

• Shorter runs (as few as 10).
• Short deadlines and quick turnaround.
• When similar projects have also been done digitally so as to match one another.

For more information on when and how to choose digital versus offset printing, please call Jennifer or the team at Executive Press at 214-217-7000 or visit their website.

The Executive Pressman

Offset printing

In this day and age of the digital press, there still is a place for offset printed products.

So, just what is offset printing?

"Offset printing is a printing process that transfers an image from a plate to a blanket to paper," Jennifer Beaty told us recently. "There are several types of offset printing, including photo offset, sheet-fed offset and web offset."

Jennifer is the managing partner of Executive Press, a full-service printing and mailing company based in Richardson, Texas. Offset printing is a big part of what they offer their clients.

"Understanding the offset printing process is critical to understanding printing in general," Jennifer said. "The creative input stays about the same, but the mechanical differences between offset and digital are vast."

For larger jobs, offset is the better choice. Catalogs, magazines and multi-page products with special bindings are better matched to offset, Jennifer told us.

"We are very fortunate to have some of the best pressmen in North Texas on our staff," Jennifer said. "Between them, Luke Stacy and Todd Johnson have almost 60 years of printing experience."

"When you add in Jay Norwood, our bindery manager, we have three great craftsmen working for our clients," She said.

To reach Jennifer, Luke, Todd, Jay or any of the Executive Press team, call 214-217-7000 or visit their website. They know offset.

The Executive Pressman

Five Printing Terms You Need to Know

Remember vocabulary tests in school? While this won't be a test, it is importnat in business to have a broad and varied vocabulary. It helps you communicate.

A good person to be communicating with clearly is your print service provider. So today we are talking about print terminology that is valuable to know.

Let's pick five terms to become familiar with:

1. PDF
2. Digital printing
3. Offset printing
4. Press proof
5. Green printing

A PDF is a software program/product developed by Adobe that allows for a piece that is to be printed to be packaged for ease of production. Most desktop computers have the program and many printers can work directly from these files to finished printed product easily.

Digital printing is imaging done by a printing machine (press) using laser, inkjet or solid-ink technology to make the images. Xerography is a form of digital printing.

Offset printing is traditional printing that is done on a printing press and uses plates and image-transfer processes. Used primarily for large run jobs and specialty projects (catalogs, for example).

A press proof is a review of the printed project as it comes off the press during it's initial run. Ink color and density and image quality can all be judged at this time and corrections made.

Green printing is a broad term that encompasses what a printing service provider does in terms of using environmentally safe products and processes. Soy inks, recycled papers and careful recovery and use of solvents are all a part of being a green printer.

For more information, please visit www.executivepress.com. Or call us at 214-217-7000.

The Executive Pressman

Traditional printing presses

Traditional printing presses are complex devices that are made up of subsystems and smaller parts. Like anything if you break them down to components, they are easier to understand.

The models and features we will talk about today are those of offset presses.

What does this mean to me? Well, the better you understand how the process works, the better you can match the right work to the right process. For example, choosing traditionally printed pages, books brochures over digitally printed versions of the same things.

Now, back to presses: The key parts are:

• Ink tray(s)
• Paper feeders
• Plate surfaces and types

Four-color presses use more than one tray. Some are automatically controlled, some older presses still rely on the pressman to meter the ink(s).

Paper feeders range from copier-like trays to large stages holding large sheets of paper or rolls.

The plate surface and the blanket are where the image is transferred to the printed page. Powder sprayers are employed to make sure pages don't offset ink to the adjacent page or stick together.

The resulting images are of a different quality and presentation than a digital image. Each has its own application and presentation option.

The Executive