Wow! You did it. You created the most beautiful, perfect design the universe has ever seen. Now you just have to get it off your computer screen and onto paper. But what’s the best way to get it printed? You’ve heard about this thing called “digital printing”, and you want to know more. Could it be right for your product?

To answer this question, let’s consider how traditional printing differs from digital printing. Conventional printing press output requires that film and metal plates be produced in order to print your job. Digital printing allows your job to be imaged directly from the computer files onto the press equipment or substrate. Bypassing those other steps can save some expense from your job, but more importantly, time is saved in the production of your job. In other words, digital printing bypasses at least two steps in the process. It takes time and money to make plates and film; therefore, bypassing these steps accounts for digital printing’s main advantages because you save time and money.

Digital printing allows small quantities of a variety of products to be printed quickly and cost effectively. Digital printing is particularly useful when one or more of these conditions apply:

Once you have identified that digital printing is right for you, the next step is understanding what type of digital printing meets your needs. Defining digital printing is difficult, as everyone seems to have a different idea about what processes are included. For simplicity, this article discusses three methods of reproduction that use digital output from electronic media: Wide Format Desktop Printers, High Speed Color Copying, and Digital Printing Presses.

 

Wide Format Printers

Color printers with output capabilities of over 17 x 22” are usually classified as wide format printers. Substrate sizes can be up to 42”, 45”, and even 60” wide, with the possibility of unlimited length. These printers have resolutions up to 1440 x 720 dpi and can print on a variety of media including transparencies, photographic papers, fabric, plastics, and dozens of others. The actual output of an image is accomplished by sets of nozzles that spray droplets of ink directly onto the substrate. Very small quantities can be produced economically using this method, however high ink and paper costs do not make it practical for larger quantities. Posters, banners, signs, and other short-run jobs are commonly printed this way.

If you are looking to have a job output by wide format, ePUB recommends supplying a color visual with your electronic media. Because of the nature of wide format printing, it is very important that either an accurate color visual or specific CMYK color values be provided for quality purposes. Also, specify if archival quality pigments are to be used to provide a long shelf life for your product after printing. Wide format inks may use pigments that have a shorter lifespan than traditional print inks.

GPO strives to meet the needs of all its customers. Our Printing Specialists will determine the best course of action to take with your file by evaluating your specifications. Generally, an outside vendor will produce your job. However, if your product meets the requirements for wide format printing, consider having it produced by GPO’s PostScript Section. For more information on our wide format capabilities, contact Lynn Smith, Chief of the PostScript Section, at (202) 512-1379.

 

High-Speed Color Copying

Unlike office copiers that use printed materials to produce reproductions, high-end color copying machines use digital data to produce a printed product. Using static electricity, toner particles are attracted and fused to the substrate. The overall quality isn’t comparable to offset printing, but for certain items you may find it acceptable. A good example would be files from dreaded Office Graphic applications (see our series on OG Apps for more information on Office Graphics). Color copying can usually provide you with quick turnaround for small jobs, as there is little prep work involved with producing products through this technology. Normally a fixed price is assigned per color copy, making it ideal for small amounts but impractical for larger quantities that benefit from the economies of scale.

 

Digital Printing Presses

Digital presses are the “meat and potatoes” of the digital printing space. Like their conventional printing cousins, they allow larger quantities of printed materials to be produced as economically as possible. A digital press should be capable of sustained, high-volume output at a minimum resolution of 600 dpi. Some presses are ink based while others use a type of toner to compose an image.

One of the main problems with digital printing is paper stock. Thinner papers tend to curl from the heat on toner presses, causing problems for the variety of finishing equipment that can be added in-line at the delivery end of the press. The majority of presses can handle 20-40 lb bond basic weight, as well as some cover and card stocks while the most sophisticated are able to handle a wide variety of substrates. The good news is that available paper stocks for digital press printing are growing in number. The bad news is that there are fewer stocks available for digital printing than traditional presses.

Another advantage of digital printing is the ability to customize products. Called variable data printing, this feature is the most touted advantage of digital presses. Variable data allows you to customize any job based on the requirements of the end user. An example of this is data changes from page to page within a single press run, or even item-to-item on a single page. This can give you control from a basic name and address change on a letter, to complex customized catalogs based on each individual’s interests, to personalized postcards that are multiple-up on a single sheet. Variable data printing could be the “killer application” that drives digital presses to the forefront of print as companies seek to make their products more individualized.

GPO has recently purchased an Oce DemandStream 8000 digital press. This toner based, black only press is primarily used to print legislative bills for Congress. The majority of these bills have 200 pages or less, and quantities of 500-1500. It is capable of imaging 880 pages per minute, or 440 double-sided pages per minute. Resolutions available are 240, 300 and 600 dpi. Folding, cutting, and stitching are done inline on Ibis machinery. For information, contact your customer service representative.

 

 

Whether or not your products can benefit immediately, digital printing is here to stay as it continues to evolve and grow, gaining larger market shares each year. The faster production cycles of the digital processes may provide great benefit to your products. At the same time, digital print quality is improving, more substrates are being included, and turnaround times are getting even shorter.

What process might fit your product? Wide format desktop printers are great for very short runs of products that are large such as posters or banners. High speed color copying could be your processes of choice if you have an Office Graphic-type file or a shorter run where quality is not the utmost concern. Finally, digital press printing is there for quick-turnaround products and especially items that utilize variable data.

So, is digital printing right for your product? Does it meet your needs? It all depends on the end use of the product, your quality expectations, and your timeframe. GPO Printing Specialists will use those criteria to make the determination if your product would benefit from digital printing. Rest assured that GPO does everything in its power to deliver the best product at the best price using the best process.

 

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