Digital v Litho

Digital v Litho

What is the difference between digital and litho print. Now that you’ve created the perfect design, and your marketing efforts have come to fruition, what’s next? Now you need to figure out the printing process that you’re going to use. Digital printing seems to be the way to go for most businesses. But maybe this is just because Digital seems to be the new trend.

There are plenty of advantages to using litho printing as well. So let’s go through the difference between digital and litho printing, and you can decide which method best suits your brand.

What Are The Differences Between Digital And Litho Printing?

Digital printing is a quicker process. Litho is a more sophisticated process. The image is burned onto a plate, then it’s transferred to a rubber blanket. After this, the image is transferred to the printing surface. Oil and water is a major factor in the litho process.

Digital printing incorporates more modern technology into the process. The file is prepared for a RIP which produces a bitmap. Then the bitmap is sent to the printing device for output. It is a quicker and more sophisticated method, but it is better? There are both advantages and disadvantages to both styles of printing.

What Are The Advantages Of Litho Printing?

For the most part, Litho printing provides the best quality result. It’s just a matter of waiting for a longer period of time. It normally takes five business days to receive your images if you choose litho printing. The ink needs to completely dry before it is returned. But if you have a little time on your hands Litho printing offers a great quality product through a sophisticated method.

What Are The Advantages Of Digital Printing?|

There are many advantages to digital printing. Firstly you get a quicker turnaround time. This helps your business run more smoothly, knowing that you’re receiving your prints quicker. It is also a more cost-effective method of printing, especially when the quantities of paper are lower.

There’s less waste with digital printing, and you’ll get to see samples of the print job beforehand. These proofs ensure that you’re receiving the prints that you paid for.

Other Considerations You Should Make When It Comes To Litho Or Digital

When it comes to the weight of the material that you need printed, the litho method will handle a heavier weight. Litho will handle 60gsm all the way up to 500gsm. This is an aspect where Litho printing is more effective.

Digital presses aren’t as effective with heavier materials. It is a quicker method, but if the type of paper that you need is heavier then you’re better off using the litho method. When it comes to quality, for the most part, litho produces better quality but in a lot of cases, it is hard to tell. Digital printing has come a long way.

Digital printing can also be personalized, which makes the printing job unique to each recipient.

There are pros and cons to both litho and digital printing. It all depends on what you need, and how quickly you need it.