To make a decision on what printing process you should use, an understanding of the advantages/disadvantages of digital printing and how those compare to traditional offset printing is critical in making the right choice for your print job. Price based on quantity required and available time are obvious considerations, but other factors such as the ability to specify exact colours and the final printed effect of solid areas of colour can also be an issue to consider.

In a nut shell, commercial offset printing uses process (CMYK) or spot colour (PMS) inks and specialised plates to transfer an image onto paper, and is a high quality, cost effective process for long print runs. For example, a single sided A4 print would require a minimum quantity of 1000 copies to be cost effective via this method.

Whilst digital printing can print both CMYK and RGB content, a digital printer requires no printing plates, plus there is less time and expense involved in setting up a file to print. Although colour shifts may occur with RGB printing, digital proofs are able to be printed on the final stock choice for more accurate colour checking.

The advantages of digital printing include…

• Less time and expense involved in setting up a file to print,
  resulting in shorter turnaround and delivery times
• Digital printing provides a more accurate proof since you
  see a sample of the printed item on the actual stock
• Each print is virtually identical due to no colour shift during
  the print run, with accurate counts and less wastage
• Cheaper low volume printing, as setup costs associated with
  digital provide a lower per unit cost for small print runs
• The ability to customise blocks of text and graphics on the
  fly using variable data from a database or external file
• Minimal environmental impact due to a reduction of waste
  and chemicals during the digital printing process

The advantages of offset printing include…

• Consistently high image quality, reproducing exceptionally
  sharp and clean text, vibrant graphics and images
• Wide range of specialty stocks including carbon coated paper,
  cardboard, plastic and more can be printed on
• Cost effectiveness of high volume commercial print runs,
  the cost per unit decreases as the quantity increases
• Offset printing reproduces more precise spot colours due to
  using the Pantone® Matching System (PMS) inks
• The ability to use varnish coatings and specialised premixed
  inks such as metallics and fluorescent colours
• Precision image positioning and registration to aid finishing
  processes such as foiling, embossing and die cutting

To summarise, I suggest using the above points as a sort of checklist to help decide whether digital or offset printing is best suited for your next print job. But make sure you get professional advice from AdelaideDigital.com if your project has any unique attributes, and on preparing your files correctly for the option you finally choose.