A Comparison of Printing Methods

O objective Strategy | Creative | Digital A Comparison of Printing Methods A Printing has been around for thousands of years, with the earliest known methods using woodcut blocks to produce an image on a wooden surface. These days, processes are much more sophisticated, and there are lots of different methods to choose from. We look at some of them here. Lithography This method of printing is sometimes known as offset printing or litho. Printing plates, often made from aluminium, hold an image of the content that is to be printed. The plates are then offset onto rollers before being transferred to the print media, which can be paper or media with a rough surface, such as canvas, wood or cloth. This method is very common in mass-production printing. Flexography Flexographic printing is very good for surfaces that are uneven, such as wallpaper. It is fast, great for long print runs and can also be used with surfaces such as plastic and metal due to the quick-drying, semi-liquid inks the process uses. This method makes use of flexible printing plates wrapped around rotating cylinders. The inked plates contain a slightly raised image of the content on them and are rotated at high speed, transferring the image onto the paper or other media. Digital / LED UV This modern method of printing covers a range of processes including inkjet and laser printing. Files are sent directly from a computer to the printer, eliminating the need for a printing plate. This is more cost effective for small print runs, but becomes more costly as numbers increase. The turnaround time is quick and quality high. LED UV is a type of digital printing that uses ultraviolet light to dry the ink as it is printed. This UV curing means that the process is quick and can also help colours to look sharper and more vivid. Large Format Large format printing uses rolls of paper rather than individual sheets. This makes large format the ideal method for printing things like billboards, banners and floor graphics. Screen Printing This technique involves a fine mesh stretched over a frame. Ink is spread over the mesh, with the receiving media lying beneath it. An image of the content being printed is produced on the mesh so that some areas allow ink to pass through, and others do not. This method of printing is often used for fabrics, such as applying graphics to t-shirts, but it can also be used for posters or other paper materials. It is not very cost effective for small runs, but can be great for larger ones. Brochure Printing If you are creating a brochure, there are various methods of printing you could choose to produce it. If you need a large amount, you might consider lithographic printing. A smaller run would be more cost effective by using digital printing, with LED UV being particularly suited to brochures and catalogues. Brochures that make use of unusual materials could benefit from flexographic printing, and for a unique, one-off design, you might even consider screen printing methods. A reliable full service agency will be able to work with you and advise on the most appropriate method of printing for your particular brochure. As one of the UK's fastest growing B2B and Public Sector marketing agencies, Objective Creative's award winning teams successfully deliver strategic marketing, creative design and digital projects on behalf of B2B and public sector clients. Objective's marketing strategists are creatively minded, and their creatives implement strategies every day. The result is a truly integrated, results focused agency. www.objectivecreative.com O objective www.objectivecreative.com O II