Offset printing is one of the most commonly used printing process right now. While the printing industry has struggled since the emergence of electronic devices and media, offset printing has retained its leading position among printing processes. Indeed, it is still very popular with ad agencies when the time comes to print the projects they create for their clients. However, very few people know what it is about and whata re its pros and cons. During this article, we will tell you everything you should know about offset printing.
What are Offset Printing’s Applications?
Like we mentioned in the introduction, offset printing is a widely used printing process. It is used for a wide variety of applications. Here are a few examples :
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Brochures
- Books
If you read books, magazines or newspapers on a regular basis, you came in contact with documents created with this printing process on numerous occasions without even knowing it.
What are the Advantages of Using Offset Printing Over Other Printing Processes?
The many advantages that offset printing has over other printing processes are the reasons why it is currently the leading one. Here are its main advantages :
- The image quality is consistent. Indeed, it creates sharp type and clean images more easily than other processes such as letterpress printing
- Printing plates are quick and easy to produce
- Printing plate life is longer than on direct litho presses
- Offset printing is the cheapest method to create high quality prints while outputting them in commercial quantities
- Screw keys can be adjusted electronically on modern offset printing machines in order to easily adjust color density
Are There Disadvantages to This Process?
Nothing is perfect and unfortunately, offset printing is not. There are a few disadvantages when compared to other printing methods :
- Image quality is slightly compared to photogravure and rotogravure printing
- The propensity for anodized aluminium printing plates to become sensitive because of chemical oxidation which can cause printing in non-image areas if the plates are not correctly cared for.
- Setting up the presses and producing plates is costly initially.
What Equipment is Needed to Perform Offset Projects?
As you may have guessed, a press is needed to perform offset projects. Other essential equipment for offset printing purposes include press rollers, printing blankets and inks, among others.
This concludes our article on everything you should know about offset printing. We hope that reading it has made you realized how efficient and widely used this printing process is.