What is Professional Printing?

There’s a lot to know about printing. It’s a whole world of processes, materials and lingo. On this blog we’ve spent time looking at a few of printing’s many aspects. Yet, often one question we are asked is simply; What do you do? What is professional printing? And what makes it different from printing at home?

Of course if we start to talk about professional printing, there is a lot to go through. There are literally college-level courses that only begin to explain everything that happens in printing. So today we will give a brief primer on the process of printing and introduce some of the most common types.

Printing Processes

Desktop Printing

Most everyone is familiar with desktop printing. Your trusty computer companion that uses cartridges of ink or toner to print out hard copies of content from your screen. Desktop printing is great for printing out a few sheets here and there, or even printing out a number of one time items for business. This all depends on the type of printer, but most desktop printers can handle small jobs like this quickly and efficiently.

However, when you need large quantities, custom sizes, finishing, or superb quality, desktop printing falls flat.

Offset Lithography

Offset printing is what many people think of when they think of professional printing. This is the long-standing method of transferring ink to a substrate (usually paper) from a printing plate. Printing inks of various kinds can be used in offset printing allowing for a wide variation, and for more exacting colors then in desktop printing.

This professional print method is excellent for large quantities, and it has outstanding quality. However, it requires a lot of work to set up and prepare a print run, and therefore it can be too costly for small quantities.

Digital Printing

In some ways professional digital printing is similar to desktop printing. Digital presses use toner to transfer images to a page digitally. But honestly comparing the types of machines we have in our shop, to what the average person might have at home or in the office is like comparing a Moped to an M1 Abrams tank. Professional digital machines are designed for high-speed, high-quality, and offer countless options for controlling color, imposition, and finishing.

Most current digital machines aren’t quite at the quality level of offset lithography, but they offer cost savings for small runs, or for large quantities on tight deadlines. Digital printing is also constantly evolving and presenting new options. Newer machines no longer use toner but specialized digital inks that improve quality. Some newer machines also bring special effects like glow in the dark ink, clear coatings, and other specialized printing down to new and more accessible price points.

Letterpress

Letterpress printing is a type of specialized printing that has seen a resurgence of popularity in recent years. In this type of printing a hard plate is firmly pressed into a paper. This leaves not only an ink design, but also an impression from the printing plate.

This type of printing is generally much slower than other types of printing, and requires a lot of care and attention. This can make it very expensive, and also requires ample lead time even for smaller quantities.

We have arrived at the tip of the proverbial iceberg of professional printing . We invite you to cruise around our blog to learn more about the many options and services available. As always if you have any questions, or want to know more, feel free to comment below, or drop us a line.

cutpasteandprint Printing, graphic design, binding, and promotional product specialists in Huntingdon Valley, PA. We proudly serve the Bucks and Montgomery County areas with superior quality, great customer service, and a commitment to getting you and your the best possible printed materials. Our services include: Digital Printing, Offset Printing, Graphic Design, Promotional Items, Bindery, and Copying.