Digital Printing vs. Offset Printing

Digital printing differs from traditional, analog printing methods–such as offset printing–because digital printing machines do not require printing plates. Instead of using metal plates to transfer an image, digital printing presses print the image directly onto the media substrate.

Digital production print technology is evolving quickly, and digital printing output quality is improving continuously. These advancements are delivering print quality that mimics offset. Digital printing enables additional advantages, including:

  • personalized, variable data printing (VDP)
  • print-on-demand
  • cost-effective short runs
  • fast turnarounds