High-speed digital color printing presses have made color printing more affordable than ever particularly for common print items like flyers, postcards, posters, brochures, program booklets, manuals, etc. Digital presses have been around for nearly 25 years, but only in the past few years has the technology advanced to the point where the print speed, quality and ability to handle the full panoply of paper stocks/weights rivals what can be achieved on traditional offset presses. Hence, many commercial printers and smaller, quick-print shops are replacing their 2-color and 4-color offset presses with digital presses.
Is Black Ink Still the Least Expensive Option?
Yes, for longer press runs/quantities, printing with black ink on a lightweight paper stock will be the least expensive option. However, for shorter runs printed on a digital press, printing in full color doesn’t add a significant amount of cost. Unlike traditional offset printing which requires a significant amount of time invested in creating printing plates and setting up the press, a digital press prints directly from a digital file bypassing the cost of printing plates and set-up time.
Color Printing is Eye-Catching
Color adds greater interest and appeal to any printed piece and today’s digital presses are capable of delivering full-color in droves. Like offset presses, newer digital presses are being manufactured with additional color stations capable of printing specialized ink colors in addition to standard CMYK colors all in the same press pass.
Start with Color
Because color printing is so affordable, it makes sense to design and plan to print your projects in full color save for those items (e.g., and instruction sheet or booklet) where full-color isn’t necessary.
If you have any questions about Color Printing, give us a call at 330-597-8560. We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
