Offset printing, also called offset lithography, is a method of mass-production printing in which the images on metal plates are transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers, and then to the print media. The printed media, which is usually paper, does not come into direct contact with the metal plates; this helps to prolong the life of the plates themselves. In addition, the flexible rubber conforms readily to the print media surface, allowing the offset lithography process to be used effectively on rough-surfaced media, such as canvas, wood or cloth. Offset lithography has many advantages, too. The main one being its high and consistent image quality. The process can be used for small, medium or high-volume jobs. There are two types of offset printing machines in common use for publication today. In sheet-fed offset litho printing, individual pages of paper are fed into the machine. The pages can also be pre-cut to the final publication size or trimmed after printing.
In web offset lithography, larger, high speed machines are used; they are fed with large rolls of paper and the individual pages are separated and trimmed afterwards. Sheet-fed offset printing is popular for small and medium sized fixed jobs, such as limited edition books. Web offset printing is a lot more cost effective for high volume publications, whose content changes often (such as newspapers).
Litho Printing: A Couple of The Benefits
There are a wide array of different benefits to choosing litho printing over other, different methods of printing (including digital). This is one of the main reasons why we’ve decided to outline a couple of the main benefits below. Some of the benefits include:
Quick Process
Some lithographic printing machines are able to print as many as 50,000 sheets per hour. In this day and age, the theory of accelerated culture is seen in almost every aspect of lie. With quicker internet on ever smaller devices, the convenience and speed of things is what really counts. Well, litho printing fits into this perfectly. Getting things done swiftly and, most importantly correctly is very useful in everyday life. The quicker the work is done, the quicker you can distribute information to your target market and move one step ahead of rival companies.
Fantastic Value
Lithography was invented in 1796 in order to provide people with a much cheaper alternative to copperplate engraving. Traditionally, this technique used limestone tablets, (zinc or aluminium plates were other options). For other, larger products, this is a very cost effective method for companies requiring commercial quantities with breathtaking quality.
Flexibility
One of the biggest advantages of this method of printing is the fact that it can be used on a wide variety of surfaces which offers a good alternative from just paper. The surface needs to be smooth and practical so images can be printed by lithography without hampering the quality of finish. Other surfaces include leather, plastic, wood, cloth and metal. This widens the possibilities for companies looking for something unique and eye-catching which will promote their brand effectively.