12 Advantages of Digital Printing

What is Digital Printing?

Digital printing is a modern printing method to print from electronic files from a computer or any digital storage. It doesn’t require a press plate to carry images and setup sheets. Since it can produce within low cost it has replaced various markets. 

Directly you can use digital files like PDFs and send it directly to the digital printing press. Printing can be done over paper, canvas, fabric, cardstock, synthetics, and so on. Most presses use toner base technology since it is  Quickly evolved. Obviously the printing quality is comparable to offset presses.

How does it work?

As digital printing is different from traditional printing therefore the printing process is different from litho printing. Litho printing uses wet ink and then transfers the image through printing plates. Digital printing works differently while you hit the Print button after selecting files it sends the file to the selected printer connected to your computer. 

Each printer driver must be installed to determine the data sent from the computer. Most of the digital printers are inkjet or toner based printers. Inkjet printers use tiny ink droplets onto the paper to print your item. These types of printers use real ink which results in professional quality color printing.

Advantages of Digital Printing

Faster Turnaround Time

While you are thinking of printing batches of business cards or invitation cards, digital printing is the best option due to the fastest printing time. Because it doesn’t require setting up time like an offset printing press. It doesn’t matter you need black and whiter of multiple color printing you get your job done faster using digital printers along with high quality printing result.

Budget Friendly

Digital printing is more cost effective than traditional printing because it doesn’t need printing plates, chemicals, complicated tools, film plates, and costly setups to do the pre printing job. Apart from setup cost there is also labor cost included with offset printing since it requires an operating technician for the complicated machines. 

Besides, a digital printing machine is easy to use without the additional cost associated with setup and labor. At the same time digital printing machines are more energy saving than offset one. There is no best option rather than using digital printing for low quantity printing due to low cost. 

To survive in the business these things must be considered that if you are not using a budget friendly printing option you will lose revenue and stay behind your competitor.

Space Efficient & Less Noisy

Old days offset printers were large in size, multiple offset press stations, and noisy. Therefore you need extra space or room to place it. But these days digital printers are quite space efficient. Therefore it can be placed in a small space. Also it makes less noise than an offset printer. Which makes it best suited for an office environment.

Multifunctional Abilities

Introducing multifunction in digital printers is a great addition. Now, the question is what does it refer to? Multifuncional printers can perform various tasks using the one machine. Lets say, printing, copying, scanning etc. You can print customized business cards, envelopes and so on from multifunctional printers without any other additional device. It will reduce extra machine operating cost.

Faster Throughput

In traditional printing methods printing pressure is in printing plates and wet ink. Once the printing is done it needs some time to dry the printed item before use. Besides, digital printers can produce dry stock, ready to be inserted inside the envelopes instantly after printing which gives faster throughput.

Low Quantity Production

Digital printing allows printing a minimum quantity of product printing without using printing plates. Whereas it does have minimal set up cost associated with the production. While offset printing requires printing plates, preliminary adjustment before printing. The plate charges and higher set up costs inflate the cost of minimal production.

Multiple Printing Support

High quality printers are operated at high temperatures. Digital printing supports printing on over 3,000 certified substrates. That includes plain, coated papers, uncoated, metallic magnetic, plastic, wood veneers, heat transfers, darks and synthetics. Furthermore it offers advanced printing techniques, like foil stamps, UV, and die cuts.

Also printing on ceramics is also available as a printing backdrop. Since it allows various options which allows designers to expand their design abilities while the valuable can be used in the best way. Also there is no color limitation while various design possibilities with full color and gradation.

Adjustable Data

When you are using offset printing you have only one original copy which is unchangeable. You can make multiple copies from that single copy. Besides, digital printing allows you to edit your document or file unlimited time before each time you print. The reason behind editing capabilities is that digital printing output is directly sent from electric files. 

Automatic Color Matching

You can even print a sample product with the same quality as the original one before printing the final product. Using digital data it is easier to simply match the color according to the original design without wasting any time and start instant printing. While analog printer color matching is necessary before starting a printing job.

Easy to Use

Offset printing machines are not easy to use. So professional people are needed to operate it. Most common tasks to be performed are to fill ink tanks, clean printing plates, maintain rubber rollers and so on. Besides, digital printing is so simple to operate without any professionals. Anyone can operate digital printing just after reading the instruction manual. That reduces the extra cost of an extra employee.

Improvements Continues

Since the rise of the digital printing machine in the 1990s it is improving day by day. So far we are enjoying many more features than the past. Hopefully it will improve further than it’s present time which can update it’s capabilities. Such as in high quantities production cost may be reduced in near future.

Eco-Friendly & Advance

Digital printing offers various benefits due to quick turnaround times, low cost, preset up cost. Also it offers designers more options. No additional components are used in it. Such as screen, emulsion or any extra solvents. Since digital printing spray ink directly to the portion to print so it doesn’t waste ink which results in saving time of cleaning that extra ink. 

Besides offset printing ink needs to be mixed. Also the printing plates are washed using toxic detergents.  It also needs heat & pressure to fuse the tonner to the paper but digital printing doesn’t. Rather the toner is transferred to the medium then heat fuses the toner. Without using any toxic chemicals digital printing is eco-friendly and advanced too.

Drawback of Digital Printing

Despite various advantages, there are a few of the disadvantages of digital printing. The color matching is not exactly as image due to various inks, toners, rasterization techniques, and printing machine. Therefore the color becomes a bit different after finishing printing compared to an offset printer. 

Toner based digital presses can not print over darker colored papers for the light and white color. Besides, the digital ink fades faster than offset inks in direct sunlight. Digital ink is thinner in nature therefore the opacity isn’t the same as offset one. Furthermore digital printing presses use smaller size paper whereas offset one can take up 20X28 for half & 40” for full size presses.

While printing larger quantities digital prints are expensive. Meanwhile offset prints are more cost effective for larger quantities. That means if you wish to print smaller quantities then digital printing is the best option. 

In Conclusion

Digital printing does have various advantages we discussed above. Along with various advantages it  does have disadvantages. To wrap up, digital printing allows you to print within a short time, budget friendly for minimum quantity printing. It’s not possible to buy printing equipment for random customers except regular printing is necessary. Then Day Night Print can assist you to print specific item within the same day.