What is digital printing and how does it compare with traditional litho printing?

Is the question we get asked on a regualr basis. Digital printing in the main is on par with the quality of litho printing. However the materials used to produce digital printing are totally different.

Litho printing uses inks and plates to produce the image the press rollers ink up, and transfer to the paper via a printers blanket. Digital printing uses toners and fuser to transfer the image to the paper, this however does not diminish the quality of the printed image. This new technology is not a rival to litho printing but an enhancement. This now allows us to run smaller print runs for the client who wants full colour printing but does not want to produce large quantities of print for a specific job.

We now have the opportunity to have test runs for marketing, produce print material that has a short shelf life such as price lists, printing flyers, menus, promotional posters and so on. The cost now falls in the affordable colour printing bracket of digital printing. The printed job is generally restricted to the size of the job you want to produce. Our machines print on sheets up to a size called SRA3. (450mm by 320mm).

Our digital machines produce work on ranges of stock from 100gsm to 330gsm, this can also be included to offer the glossy, silk and matt material ranges of paper traditionally supplied by litho printing.

Have a look at the video to see a digital printing machine in action. See for yourself how your print would be produced using a state of the art digital printing machine.