The Best Print Quality: Digital or Offset?

Will the ever changing printing industry, with its two converging technologies, finally step up to the plate to determine who is the king of quality? In one corner we have the defending champion, The Offset Printing Press, versus the challenger, The Digital Printing Press. This is a contest to see who will come out as The Champion of Quality.

Now wouldn’t that be a terrific contest? Digital printing with its growing market share for the short run business, against the industry giant, the noted king of offset print quality, going toe to toe in a match up? Much has been stated regarding the subject. But the outcome is quite subjective. Ink, water and impression in the one corner and ink jet spray nozzles in the other. The best of the best.

What are the professionals telling us in regards to whether digital printing stands parallel or has surpassed offset print quality? Seemingly, this mystery is best answered by printing operators with first hand experience utilizing both techniques. Seeking the truth and rather than visiting printing companies, the answers may be found via the internet, where conversations between offset and digital printing operators share their thoughts, in articles and blogs with their following rebuttals.

What they are saying

As it turns out, digital printing is tough to compete with economically through four color imaging because, in many cases, sheet or rolled stock produced on offset print quality presses must pass through multiple times to complete the four color process. This can create registration complications and skewing. With digital printing, all colors can be produced with exceptionally sharp images in one pass. That said, we come to the conclusion one might say that digital printing production cost and quality win out.

Also stated, in regards to today’s digital printing environment, capturing high quality is easily achieved implementing both technologies. This is accomplished where digital spray systems are mounted onto offset printing presses, offering the producers and end users with the best of both worlds.

With the latest equipment such as the Xeikon 5000, with its high quality and speed, along with several Xerox models offering solid ink in their latest barrage of high tech four color digital printing presses. With advancements in other related digital prepress equipment, digital printing has improved in the image depth and quality of color to the point where only an experienced printer can note the difference.

Many offset printing press operators are looking to the past when once laser printing was the common production process in a new digital age. Digital printing operators of the past mentioned that spot color checking was difficult and that the digital image appeared to lay on top of the whatever medium it was printed on, rather than having the appearance of being pressed into the fiber of the paper as is the case with offset printing.

But those days are numbered and most printing equipment manufacturers have drawn their focus more toward creating technological advances and computerized techniques in digital printing, rather than the standard offset printing press. In the latest generation of digital printing, quality of print is now surpassing that of the conventional offset printing press.

Tags: Digital