Digital printing has revolutionised the commercial printing industry, providing businesses with a versatile and cost-effective solution for their printing needs. Offset printing still has its place in the commercial printing world, but digital printing has well and truly revolutionised it, and it continues to grow. The printing world has come a long way since Gutenberg’s printing press.
If you are looking to engage a commercial printer in Adelaide for your next print job, understanding the advantages digital printing has over traditional offset printing will help you make informed decisions.
Advantages of Digital Printing
Cost-effective for Small Runs
One of the biggest benefits of digital printing is its cost-effectiveness for short print runs. Unlike offset printing, which requires the creation of plates and a lengthy setup process, digital printing does not. This makes it ideal for businesses that need smaller quantities of materials, such as flyers, brochures, or business cards, without the hefty price tag associated with offset printing.
Quick Turnaround Time
Digital printing offers a much faster turnaround time compared to offset printing. Because there is no need for plate creation and lengthy setup, digital printers can start printing almost immediately. This is particularly beneficial for businesses that need materials on a tight deadline, such as paper-based promotional items for an upcoming event.
High-Quality Prints
Advances in digital printing technology have significantly improved the quality of digital prints. Modern digital printers can produce sharp, vibrant images with excellent colour consistency. This quality is comparable to offset printing, making digital printing suitable for high-quality marketing materials.
Customisation and Personalisation
Digital printing excels at producing customised and personalised prints. Variable data printing (VDP) allows businesses to tailor their marketing materials to individual customers by changing text, images, or graphics from one piece to the next without stopping or slowing down the printing process. This is particularly useful for direct mail campaigns, where personalisation can significantly increase response rates.
Eco-Friendly Printing
Digital printing is now seen as an eco-friendlier option for small and medium print runs compared to offset printing. With digital printing, there’s no need for printing plate exposure or the associated chemical consumption commonly found in offset printing. Additionally, set-up times are minimised with digital printing.
When to use Digital Printing
Digital printing is ideal for a variety of situations:
- Short-Run Printing: When you need a small quantity of printed materials
- Tight Deadlines: When you require a quick turnaround
- Personalisation: When you need customised or personalised prints
- Frequent Updates: When your materials require frequent updates or changes
Digital printing provides exceptional flexibility and rapid turnaround times, making it ideal for smaller print runs and projects that require variable data printing. Whether your needs include personalised marketing materials or on-demand printing, digital printing enables quick iterations and customisation without compromising quality. Unlike offset printing, digital printing eliminates setup fees, such as those for creating printing plates, making it a cost-effective solution for short print runs and tight deadlines. Advances in digital printing technology have expanded its capabilities to include specialised processes and finishes, such as spot gloss varnish, metallic inks, and Pantone spot colour matching. Commercial printing systems, like our cutting-edge six-colour Iridesse Digital Press, now make these features accessible and affordable.
Meet our flagship Digital Printer
Bowden Print Group continues to invest in industry-leading technology to provide our customers with better solutions, so we’re proud to present our Xerox Iridesse Production Press. This production press has an innovative six-colour print engine that can print gold, silver, clear and white along with CMYK in a single pass in ultra-high definition resolution and has many finishing options. This digital press offers several key benefits for commercial printing:
- Six-colour printing capability: The press can simultaneously print CMYK plus two specialty colours, creating unique and eye-catching designs.
- Specialty dry inks: It can use gold, silver, white, clear, and fluorescent pink inks, enabling printers to create stunning metallic effects, spot colours, and embellishments without needing offline processes.
- High-quality output: The press delivers exceptional image quality and precise colour-to-colour registration, ensuring professional results
- Versatility: It can handle a wide range of media, including stocks up to 400 gsm and sheet sizes up to 330mm x 1200mm, allowing for diverse applications such as posters, banners, and oversized products.
- Productivity boost: The Iridesse can handle complex jobs with tight deadlines, non-traditional stock sizes, and embellishments, all in a single pass at rated speed.
- Colour consistency: The press can duplicate and verify colours accurately, crucial for maintaining brand consistency across print runs.
- Expanded business opportunities: The unique capabilities of the Iridesse allow print providers to offer high-value applications that go beyond traditional CMYK printing, potentially increasing their revenue streams.
- Automation: The press features end-to-end automation, which helps streamline production processes and improve efficiency.
To see more of the amazing capabilities of the Xerox Iridesse Production Press, check out this video:
Get the Digital Printing advantage with Bowden Print Group
Digital printing with Bowden Print Group offers numerous benefits for businesses in Adelaide, from cost savings and quick turnaround times to high-quality, customisable prints. Choosing a local digital print company further enhances these advantages, providing personalised service, supporting the local economy, and ensuring quality and environmental responsibility. For businesses considering their printing options, partnering with Bowden Print Group is a smart, efficient, and eco-friendly choice.