Understanding digital printing: A comprehensive guide

Gone are the days of complex setups and long turnaround times - digital printing has revolutionised the print industry.

The printing world has come a long way since the days of Gutenberg’s printing press.

The new normal is streamlined processes and cost-effective solutions for printing onto almost anything you can think of.

In this guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of digital printing, its evolution, technologies, applications, and how to choose the right digital printer for your needs.

Tuck in!

Main takeaways

• Digital printing is a cost-effective, efficient method of producing images onto various media substrates.
• Digital printing technologies have evolved significantly with improved quality, faster turnaround times, and reduced costs.
• Different types of digital printers offer unique advantages for different applications to meet individual needs.

Understanding digital printing

Digital printing is a modern method of printing digital images directly onto various substrates using digital printers, offering cost-effective and efficient solutions for small print runs and personalised projects.

Digital production print technology provides numerous advantages over traditional printing methods, such as faster turnaround times, reduced costs, and improved print quality.

Some typical digital printing applications include marketing materials, custom products, and print-on-demand.

Selecting a suitable digital printer requires carefully evaluating your needs and thoroughly researching leading digital printer brands.

Maintaining a competitive edge in today’s graphic design and marketing landscape depends significantly on partnering with a local professional printing service.

The evolution of digital printing

In the late 1970s, the introduction of the first digital printing press marked the beginning of the digital printing revolution. This groundbreaking technology enabled the production of high-quality prints from digital files, thus transforming the printing industry.

Today, digital printing technologies have evolved significantly, offering various options, including inkjet printers, digital offset printers (HP Indigo), and dry-toner digital printing (laser printers). These advancements have led to numerous benefits, such as faster turnaround times, reduced costs, and improved print quality.

Key terms of digital printing

• Print heads: A print head is a small, complex electro-mechanical component that applies ink to the substrate in digital printing machines
• Inkjet (printer): An inkjet printer uses liquid ink that gets sprayed onto the surface of the media and is then cured in various ways, including UV light and heat.
• Dry-toner: A toner is a pigment inside a polymer bead. The digital print process uses an electrophotographic process to melt the polymer beads to the surface of the substrate.
• Wide format: This is what it says on the tin. Wide substrates are typically 760mm, 1220mm, and 1530mm wide. Much wider machines are also available. A wide-format machine uses a digital head that moves horizontally over the media to cover such a large area.
• Digital offset: Benny Landa, an Israeli entrepreneur, invented digital offset printing, which uses lasers & to write an image to a foil that gets transferred to a rubber blanket before being applied to the substrate.

Digital printing technologies

Digital printing technologies are diverse and cater to various printing needs. Available technologies include:

• Inkjet
• Laser
• Large (wide) format printing

These technologies offer unique benefits and capabilities, making them suitable for various applications and projects.

We will now delve into digital sources with a detailed exploration of three popular digital printing technologies: inkjet printers, digital offset printers (HP Indigo), and dry-toner digital printing (laser printers).

Inkjet printers

Inkjet printers are widely used for home and office applications, producing physical copies of text documents or photos by spraying ink droplets onto paper. An inkjet printer deposits tiny ink droplets onto the paper to generate high-quality colour images.

Inkjet printers offer several advantages, such as:

• Simplified accessibility
• Cost-efficiency
• Accelerated speed
• Enhanced quality

One drawback is they have slower printing speeds than laser printers.

Dry-toner digital printing (laser printers)

Dry-toner digital printing, or laser printers, use toner for fast, long-lasting prints but may not produce the same quality colour images as inkjet printers. This widely-used digital printing technology employs the xerographic method to transfer pictures and colour to the paper and involves toner application in a thicker form.

Dry-toner digital printing is renowned for its rapid printing speeds, durable prints, and the ability to print on various materials. Still, it may yield different quality colour images than inkjet printers and is unsuitable for printing on glossy or coated papers.

Digital offset printers (HP Indigo)

Digital offset printers, like HP Indigo, combine the best of both worlds by integrating digital and offset printing methods. This highly automated printing process utilises the offset printing method, wherein ink is transferred from a printing plate onto a rubber sheet and then rolled onto the paper, allowing for high-quality and precise printing.

Digital offset printing offers a range of advantages over other digital sources, including:

• High-quality prints
• Accurate color fidelity
• Cost-efficiency
• Ability to produce a large quantity of prints quickly and efficiently

However, digital offset printers may be costly to acquire and sustain, necessitating specialised instruction.

We use an HP Indigo, which is a digital-offset printer to print all our custom stickers.

Wide-format printing

Wide-format digital printing has revolutionised the world of large-scale graphics in print media and visual communications.

Unlike traditional printing methods, such as screen printing or offset printing, wide-format digital printing allows for the creation of high-resolution, full-colour graphics on an extensive range of substrates, including banners, posters, vehicle wraps, and signage.

This is what a typical wide-format machine looks like:

It offers unparalleled versatility and precision, making it a preferred choice for businesses, advertisers, and marketers seeking to make a bold and impactful statement.

With its ability to produce stunning, attention-grabbing visuals quickly and cost-effectively, wide-format digital printing has become an indispensable tool in advertising, branding, and visual storytelling, enabling businesses to convey their messages in larger-than-life formats.

Narrow web vs wide web

Narrow web printing is associated with webs typically 16 inches or less in width, whereas wide web printing involves media of a greater width. Generally, narrow web printing is known for its emphasis on image quality, while wide web printing is renowned for its speed and efficiency.

We will examine the unique applications and benefits of each printing method.

Wide-format printing

Wide-format printing is a process of printing on large sheets of paper or other materials, typically up to 100 inches or more in width, making it ideal for large-scale projects like banners, posters, and billboards. This type of printing offers higher cost-effectiveness, high-quality output, and the capability to construct large-scale projects.

Wide-format printing typically includes inkjet, digital offset, and dry-toner digital printing options, each with merits and drawbacks. Hence, assessing the project’s needs before selecting a printing method is essential.

Narrow web printing

On the other hand, narrow web printing is a rotary printing process suitable for webs with a width of 16” or less, making it ideal for printing labels, stickers, and other small-format items. It is renowned for its superior image reproduction and exact registration.

Narrow web printing is typically utilised for printing labels, stickers, shorter print runs, and printing on substrates such as paper, plastic, and metal.

Comparing digital printing with other methods

While digital printing has revolutionised the industry, it is essential to understand how it compares with other traditional printing methods, such as offset and screen printing. Each printing method offers unique advantages and disadvantages, and the best choice depends on the specific requirements of your project.

This section will compare digital printing with offset and screen printing to help you make an informed decision.

Offset printing

Offset printing is a widely utilised analogue technique wherein the inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket to the printing surface. Traditional offset printing methods are an efficient option for large-scale printing projects, as they are more cost-effective than digital printing and can produce consistent, high-quality results.

However, offset printing necessitates a longer setup time than digital printing and is less cost-efficient for smaller projects.

Screen printing

Screen printing is another traditional printing technique whereby ink is transferred onto a substrate via a mesh screen. It is widely used for creating printed designs on various surfaces, including:

• Fabric
• Paper
• T-shirts
• Fabrics

This method is prevalent for printing T-shirts, banners, fabrics, and billboards.

Screen printing involves creating a stencil of the design, which is then placed on a media substrate with a mesh screen, and ink is forced through the mesh screen onto the substrate, resulting in the desired design.

Digital printing applications

Digital printing offers a vast array of applications, catering to the needs of businesses and individuals alike. Some common uses of digital printing include:

• Desktop publishing
• Commercial business stationery
• Advertising
• Packaging printing
• Personalized products
• Printing smaller quantities of labels and packaging

Digital printing provides versatile and cost-effective solutions for various applications, including digital prints.

Next, we’ll focus on two primary applications of digital printing: marketing materials and custom products.

Marketing materials

Digital printing is ideal for creating personalised marketing materials like business cards, flyers, brochures, and more.

By utilising digital printing technology, businesses can create tailored marketing materials that enhance online and offline marketing initiatives, thus increasing brand visibility and recognition.

From brochures and business cards to posters, catalogues, direct mail postcards, signs, letterhead, banners and signs, stickers, vehicle graphics and wraps, promotional products, social media graphics, and slide presentations, digital printing offers a cost-effective and efficient solution for advancing businesses and augmenting brand recognition.

Custom products

Custom products are items specifically designed and produced to meet the individual needs of a customer, such as apparel, promotional items, and other items requiring customisation. Digital printing technology offers the advantage of customising the design and production process, allowing for the production of items with unique designs and colours and the ability to produce things in small quantities.

From custom T-shirts and promotional items to personalised stationery and packaging, digital printing creates custom products that truly stand out.

Digital printing's disadvantages

Digital printing had some drawbacks in the past, but these are rapidly diminishing, and digital printing machines are becoming increasingly competitive with offset output.

Advancements in digital printing technology have led to significant improvements in print quality and cost-effectiveness, making it a more viable option for various projects.

Most of the focus has been on the print heads, ink formulations and how to control ink dispersion onto the media. Clever techniques such as random dot patterns have improved issues such as banding.

Next, we’ll discuss how digital printing has overcome its past disadvantages.

Print quality improvements

The typical digital printing machine has experienced noteworthy progress in print quality, boasting higher resolution, crisper images, and more precise colours.

As previously mentioned, this progress is primarily due to developments in the print head, ink and controlling how these interact with the substrate.

As a result, digital printing offers constant improvement, accurately replicating offset printing, high-speed and high-quality inkjet printing, and a minimised amount of waste.

Cost-effectiveness

Faster printing speeds, improved print quality, and reduced costs for materials (especially ink), have made digital printing more cost-effective.

In some cases, digital printing is more cost-effective than other printing methods, such as offset printing, due to its lower setup costs and quicker turnaround times.

The cost-effectiveness and high volume of digital printing are determined by various factors, such as:

• The printer model
• The paper type
• The number of prints
• The intricacy of the design

These factors can be optimised by selecting the appropriate printer, paper, and design.

Choosing the right digital printer

Selecting the right digital printer for your needs is crucial to ensure the success of your projects. With so many options available, it can take time to determine which printer is the best fit for your requirements.

We will now offer guidance on choosing the right digital printer to meet your specific needs and introduce the leading brands in digital printing.

Assessing your needs

Before committing to a digital printer, carefully evaluate your specific printing needs and requirements. Factors to consider include:

• The type of printing required
• The scale of the project
• The cost of the printer
• The quality of the output

Additionally, when choosing a digital printer, it is helpful to consider the following:

• Evaluate the maintenance and support provided by the printer manufacturer
• Take the time to understand your printing needs
• Make an informed decision and select the best digital printer for your projects

Top digital printer brands

When it comes to selecting a digital printer, some of the most popular brands include:

• HP
• Canon
• Epson
• Brother
• Roland DG
• Xerox
• Mimaki

These brands offer an extensive selection of inkjet and laser printers that cater to various printing needs and requirements.

Exploring the products of these renowned digital printer brands and learning about your specific needs will lead you to the best fit for your projects, ensuring high-quality print outcomes.

FAQ

What's the difference between screen printing and digital printing?

Screen printing is better for lower detailed, bulk orders and is done by hand. In contrast, digital printing is preferable for orders with higher amounts of concentrated detail and is handled by a computer.

What can be made with digital printing?

Digital printing can be used for various materials, including paper, thick cardstock, fabrics, plastics, folding cartons, photo paperback, T-shirts, linen, and polyester.

What is the meaning of digital printing?

Digital printing is a direct printing method which uses digital-based images and skips the plate creation process, making it faster than offset printing. It is used to print onto various media substrates.