What is Offset Printing? – Best Large Scale Printing Method

Printing has come a long way, from traditional hand printing to modern digital and offset printing. But if you are asked which technique made printing scalable, then the only answer can be offset printing. It is one of the most reliable ways of printing large quantities without compromising the quality of the designs, and it is also an economical option. But what is offset printing? If that’s what you are trying to find, you are on the right page.

What is Offset Printing?

Offset printing is a type of printing technique in which an inked design is prepared on a metal sheet and then transferred to a rubber surface. The rubber surface with the design is pressed against the surface on which the design has to be printed, like paper, to transfer it. This process of preparing the design on a metal surface and then transferring it to the rubber surface is called offset printing. However, this technique is also known as lithography or offset lithography.

The quality of the image produced through this process is very crisp and clear. That’s why it’s widely used for printing in many industries and is one of the most preferred techniques for mass production. Another reason businesses choose offset printing for mass production is that it’s very cost-effective for large-scale production. But for those who don’t need large quantities of prints, it’s absolutely not the method to go with.

What is the Offset Printing Process?

Now, let’s understand the offset printing process in detail. Here’s how it works step by step:

1. Prepress Preparation: The design preparation is done before the press part takes place. Since we live in a tech-driven world, the design is prepared digitally. Now, the design is transferred to metal plates. Yes, plates, because multiple plates are used in the process, as each colour has its own plate.
2. Ink Transfer to the Plates: Once the design is transferred to the plates, the plates are inked with dedicated colours. Each plate is inked only in the areas where the design exists.
3. Rubber Blanket Transfer: Now, the rubber blanket comes into play. The metal plates are pressed against the rubber blanket to get the design. The purpose of using a rubber blanket is to ensure a spill-proof transfer of the design from the blank to the paper.
4. Final Printing and Drying: Lastly, the design is transferred to the paper from the rubber blanket. Once the final transfer takes place, the sheets are dried, and based on what a print is for, the final processes are performed. For instance, if a hanging sign is being produced, the final process can be to cut it to its final shape and finish it as the customer wants.

What Are the Benefits of Offset Printing?

Before wrapping up the blog, let’s also look at what are the benefits of choosing offset printing, especially for large-scale production:

• Superior Print Quality: For large production, quality always remains an obstruction, but not with offset printing. The quality remains superior and consistent from the first to the last print.
• Cost-Effective: As we already discussed, offset printing is the most economical printing method for large-scale production, as the price per print significantly goes down as the volume increases.
• Long-Lasting Printing: Offset printing produces a design that can withstand very long times. So, for printing needs like fire safety signs, hoardings, etc., it is the best option as it will hold its quality for years.

Conclusion

Offset printing is undoubtedly a dominant printing technique, as it has many benefits over other techniques. However, for lesser quantities, you may have to look for other alternatives like digital printing. Or you can contact the Foamex Printing Company, where you get the best price regardless of your quantity. We offer prints to anyone fulfilling an MOQ of as low as a single piece.