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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRINTING

Agence Puck 29 March 2022

Once the creatives' work has been finalised and you have approved the files, it's time to print your print materials. To do this, you need to choose the printer that can meet your needs by offering the best result at the best price and within the best timescales. This is when many questions come into play: what type of printer and, above all, what kind of printing should I choose for my materials?

Print production is a profession in its own right, and for your large-scale projects you need to turn to production advisers. With our varied experience at Agence Puck and thanks to the printing works that is part of our Ocom&Co group, we combine all the knowledge needed to meet your needs. In this article, we explain the different printing options available to you.

OFFSET, DIGITAL, SCREEN PRINTING… WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES AND WHAT ARE THEY USED FOR?

OFFSET

Offset, a historic printing process that is probably the best known and is often described as traditional printing, involves printing on paper – in sheets or on reels – using rotary machines (printing cylinders) that offer very high print definition and very fast speeds. Suitable for very long runs (from several thousand copies upwards), it's the technique of excellence for printing newspapers, magazines, books and other publications, as well as stationery: business cards, flyers, brochures, etc. Although it is also used for other media, it remains reserved for very long runs, mainly on paper.

DIGITAL PRINTING

Reprographics, also known as small-format digital, meets the same needs as offset but is better suited to small quantities and only to small formats (<60cm approx.). Working much like a desktop laser printer, reprographics prints only on paper (<350g in general) and doesn't allow specific applications (spot varnish, lamination, etc.).

SCREEN PRINTING

Created to meet other needs, screen printing has the particular feature of printing on all types of media, flexible or rigid, and not just paper. It can print large formats on panels and reels, and is perfectly suited to medium quantities.

Screen printing can, however, reach its limits with small quantities, which don't sufficiently absorb the costs of make-ready, screen preparation, ink mixing and so on. On the other hand, it can offer undeniable advantages in terms of quality and price, and above all makes possible results that cannot otherwise be achieved: scented inks, fluorescent, silver, gold or glitter inks, and varnish application.

Screen printing is therefore in great demand for specific needs.

LARGE-FORMAT DIGITAL

Large-format digital, the latest arrival among printing techniques, offers a very wide range of printing possibilities with increasingly powerful machines. Ideal for small quantities or even one-offs, with lower make-ready costs than other techniques and therefore affordable prices, it can print all formats and all types of media. This printing technique also offers high printing speed and a high level of quality. However, contrary to certain received ideas, digital isn’t necessarily the best solution for every printing need in terms of quality, cost or simple feasibility.

The choice may seem obvious, yet it rarely is. Printing technique doesn’t follow an exact set of criteria that will always lead to the best formula, in other words the best value for money according to quantity, printed material, format and so on. Several techniques can potentially lead to the same result, or almost, but depending on the case, with potential compromises on quality, lead time or, of course, price.