Things you need to know about digital priting

January 26, 2020

Author: Iprint Sg

The printing world is a complex beast with all the proofs, colour correction, press checks, papers to choose from etc. At the same time, it is rewarding too. Watching the printed piece come off the press is a different feeling altogether. However, it can be a tough decision to choose the correct printing method, particularly between offset v digital. So, we have listed down all the important things you should know when designing and printing digital jobs.

Digital printing

Digital printing is the term given to refer to the printing technology that links printing processes to computers. It is a process of transferring a document on a desktop or any digital storage device to a particular printing substrate through a device that accepts graphic and text output. The document’s information is converted to binary form to efficiently store the information and reproduce it.

Digital printing vs Offset printing

Digital printing is different from analog printing methods (such as offset printing) as the digital printing machines do not demand printing plates. Rather, they print the image directly onto the media substrate such as A4 brochure printing. On the other hand, the offset machines use metal plates to transfer an image.

The digital printing technology has evolved drastically and also the output quality is improving continuously. Some of the additional advantages of using digital printing are:

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

We can say that digital printing is a ‘non-contact’ sport. This means that the paper, fabric, or even ceramics being printed don’t actually come into contact with as much of the printing mechanism. As a result, they don’t need to be held rigorously. This allows printing on delicate fabrics and extremely thin paper.

How digital printing works

It is great to know that the lens, lights and mirrors work together to produce a photo. But it is even more interesting to know about how that image can be transferred to photographic paper. Digital printing provides you the image without using darkroom chemicals or off-set printing templates (such as in wood prints or aluminium plates).

Let us see how this is done through digital printing.

Firstly, you have to transfer the image from the camera to the computer. Did you ever try to print an image at home and found the colors to be dull and the image to be blurry? The digital professional printing labs use a professional-grade printer.

Modern inkjet printers offer sharp images by spraying tiny droplets of ink onto the medium of choice. These dots create pinpoint precision, which creates ultra-clear images. Therefore, the DPI and PPI are important in the world of digital printing.

Lastly, the professionals use six colors of ink (instead of only 4) to create a more stunning range of colors. These are helpful when you are printing digital prints that use all the colors of the rainbow. All these things combined together help us create crystal clear images with colors true to the original file!

Bottom line

Digital printing helps produce on demand and short print runs quickly and cost-effectively. With advancements in print quality and speed, they are closing the gap on offset output. Now you can print what you need when you need it.