What is digital printing?
Digital printing involves printing a digital image directly onto the chosen medium without the need for a printing plate. This is the big difference compared to traditional offset printing, which makes digital printing a cleaner, more efficient process. So why use digital printing? Read on for some benefits of digital printing.
1. It’s cost-effective
One benefit of digital printing is that it’s more cost-effective for short printing runs. If you only need a small number of business cards, leaflets, or other materials printed, digital print is the way to go. Traditional print methods often require a high-volume order to justify the cost of set-up, but this isn’t an obstacle for digital printers. You can also use digital print for high-volume orders or for large format print options such as banners, environmental graphics, or hoardings – there’s no size limits when it comes to digital printing!
2. It’s speedy
Using digital prints can reduce your production times as it’s a quick and efficient process. The lack of liquid ink involved means there’s no waiting around for ink to dry before sending products back to customers. If you’re printing a small run, it can be done in a matter of hours!
3. It’s easily customisable
Since you’re printing a digital image directly onto your chosen fabric or medium, there’s no redesigning stencils or patterns required when looking to change up your design. Simply edit the design online or use a different digital image, and this can be used in place of your original. You can also customise your prints by changing the medium you’re printing on. From cardboard to fabric, the options are endless.
4. It’s more sustainable
Being able to print short runs of materials and products cuts down on waste, so another benefit of digital printing is that it uses less materials than traditional printing. The lack of plates and excess ink used in the process means you go through less ink each run and don’t have to replace equipment such as plates. Digital printing also makes it easier to recycle waste paper, with the printed ink breaking down more easily than traditional ink – so it can be a more sustainable option.
5. It’s high quality
Over time, digital printers are becoming more and more accurate. The result is crisp, high-quality images and text which is unaffected by size. This means that important information is always legible, which is a key factor in safety signage and wayfinding, for example. The designs are also often more durable, with less fading than traditional print. This has the added benefit of needing to be replaced much less frequently since the print graphics will stay high-quality for longer.
There are many benefits of digital printing that mean it could be the best option for your next project. ARC UK is one of the UK’s leading digital print specialists, and we’re experts at producing media in a huge range of sizes and formats, suitable for any location. If you’re interested in digital printing, get in touch with us for a personalised quote.
