The lines between offset and digital printing are continuing to blur, thanks to innovations in both technologies. But how does this evolving landscape reshape our understanding of their unique strengths and limitations? As both technologies advance, the distinctions between them grow less clear, challenging us to reconsider what each approach brings to the table.
With roots that trace back to lithography — developed all the way back in 1796 by German actor and playwright Alois Senefelder — offset is one of the most widely used commercial printing techniques today. Is it any wonder it came about through an accidental discovery? Maybe not, considering the story begins with a bank deposit slip. The American printer Ira Washington Rubel noticed that when printing from the rubber impression roller instead of the stone plate of his lithographic press, the result was a cleaner, sharper print —perfect for reproducing important official documents. Voila! This technique also allowed for high-speed production, making it ideal for large-scale commercial use. And just like that, the offset method would play a pivotal role in the distribution of mass media, as well as any product requiring sharp text and rich colors.
Offset still reigns in large-volume jobs while digital printing is more suitable for short-run print jobs and those needing faster turnaround times. Typically, the offset printing process takes longer to set up since the preparation is mostly manual. The offset metal plates—one plate per each color being used—need to be etched and applied to the rollers that transfer the ink directly onto the paper. This setup itself is significantly more time-consuming and expensive than digital printing, where electronic files (like a PDF) are sent directly to the printing press.
While offset involves a more hands-on approach based on years of technical knowledge and expertise, there are other aspects of the process that are becoming increasingly automated. This digitization enables presses to run faster and handle higher volumes, ultimately reducing production costs. “All our presses utilize digitized components to the technology nowadays. This wasn’t the case a decade ago when matching the design or proof accurately was largely dependent on the human factor. This part of the process was done manually, having press operators that would use spectrometers to adjust the ink to the digital file, since ink colors can shift during the print process,” says Nolan Russo, who runs offset printing company Capital Printing Corporation. “Having digital technology with a closed-loop color management system allows for greater color control throughout the run. Because the spectrometer is hitting each sheet, any variance between the colors gets adjusted automatically. So the pressman doesn’t need to identify a sway in color and then adjust it manually. It’s all done digitally now.” This advantage becomes critical in long-run print orders where customers benefit from the reassurance that color consistency will be maintained across thousands of copies.
One area where digital printing is still unable to match offset is the sheet sizes and the flexibility of materials. “Offset printing can handle lots of different surfaces for printing. It also works better with various paper sizes, even big ones up to B0, different thicknesses, and finishes. With offset you have the ability to dry the sheet instantly, which allows you to print on a range of different substrates and apply different types of coatings, whether it’s spot coatings or textured coatings,” says Nolan. While offset printing still leads when it comes to offering high-end finishes such as embossing, foiling, and spot UV, which help elevate premium packaging and marketing materials, digital printing is catching up with advancements that allow for a limited range of tactile enhancements without the need for expensive setups.
Gerry Fagan, EVP and CRO at Sterling Digital Print oversees both digital and offset presses and has seen firsthand how digital printing has evolved dramatically since its introduction in the 1990s. Back then, digital technology was limited to basic “Xerox style” machines using toner-based black ink with some color capability, which were only able to produce short runs and a limited number of booklets, etc. Fast forward to today, and the field has made quite a leap forward. “We’ve recently invested in the latest HP and Canon machines that are able to do in-line finishing in the digital world. There are a lot of different attachments that can be added and a lot of different customizations that can be done with the digital presses now, including attachments for creating labels, packaging, kiss cutting, foil applications, and bindery inline. Digitally cut sheets have caught up in quality with the main differential being the quantity itself – you wouldn’t be doing millions with cut sheet digital, but they are perfect for doing print runs in the hundreds and even thousands of impressions.”
In the past, offset presses have been known to provide color controls that are superior to digital printing. For example, printing Pantone colors (PMS stands for Pantone Matching System) has been known as more precise on offset presses because they have traditionally been able to mix ink to the PMS. “If we’re looking to match a color exactly from different substrates or with different coatings, the offset process allows us to formulate the ink accordingly. So if you’re printing on different types of stock, weights of stock or different stock finishes across different marketing materials and you want that brand color to match — offset printing process allows for a formulation of ink that covers all these specifications,” says Nolan.
Although it is not yet leveled up with offset, digital printing has increased the quality of color considerably. Particularly when it comes to liquid ink. In the earlier days, color was predominantly released from powder based toners. “The new digital printing machines that have increased quality, finishing, and productivity are now running on liquid-based inks, similar in many ways to offset. And more environmentally friendly, vegetable and soy-based inks are available for both digital and offset printing methods,” says Gerry. Not only are soy and vegetable-based inks less toxic, but these inks are also becoming more common and popular. Digital printing is becoming more environmentally friendly also in terms of the broader structural advancements in press design. “We’re going to be purchasing the next generation of both digital webs and what was known as heatset webs. Currently, heatset ovens are used for drying coated papers. These ovens are effectively heating the printed paper and drying the ink on the paper’s surface as the paper runs through the press. Our next generation of heatset style webs will use LED light for drying. The coated roll-fed stock goes through the LED light dryers and comes off dry to the touch. This approach prevents VOC’s chemicals and the environmentally harmful emissions that are associated with the old heatset web process”, says Gerry.
It becomes clear that the divide between digital and offset will continue to narrow, thanks to advances in both technologies. From the quality standpoint, it can only be a good thing. Rather than one technology being superior to the other, the choice between them now depends more on the specifics of each project — volume, customization needs, and desired finishes.