We have discussed about offset printing price a while back. Now its time to analyze and study the pricing of digital printing. Digital & offset printing are 2 different technique which are most widely used choice today. Digital is fast filling the wide gap there used to be earlier between the two. Now thanks to the advancement we can have highly detailed graphics printed via digital as well.
Price advantage points of digital machine
There are various advantage points associated with digital machine which is not there in offset. First and mostly quoted is no restriction of number of minimum prints i.e we can even print 1 quantity as well. That is true with offset as well, we can print just 1 there as well. So, what is the main difference. Difference lies in the cost, set us price associated with offset is very high which involves CTP computer to plate, machine set up time which can be within 15-30 minutes. On average, offset machine prints more than 2000 impression of same artwork.
In today's age of daily changes, committing yourself to such a large self quantity may not prove to be that good an idea. As price, office address, team composition, client list keep on changing. Within 1 month we have something new to add to flyer or brochure design. Consider this offset machine will require a set up cost of minimum Rs 3000/- even if you print just 1 sample. Is it a good idea to spend Rs 3000/- for just 1 print. Filling this wide gap in cost for lesser than 1000 impression we have digital technology.
Other important thing is variable data, we can print all different pages with variable date field like code, name, branch address which is not possible in offset in single process.
Digital machine take far lesser space, compact and easy to install than an offset machine. In cities like Mumbai where every inch of retail space is worth in Gold its a fairly big price to pay. That's why you will see these machines in old industrial area or outskirts of cities. Getting environment clearances is a big issue as well. Offset machine is far more expensive than digital. Available in range of size and price point, almost any office can afford one.
Where offset machine still holds an edge
Longevity definitely, an offset machine last for much longer duration of time than digital. Maintenance cost on long run is higher for digital machine. Print speed of offset is very impressive with some Heidelberg machine clocking impression speed of up to 4000 impression an hour. In offset there is no restriction on thickness of paper. 400 gsm, 450 gsm even duplex board can be safely printed.
Unit cost for mass production is very less than digital. It make more sense to go with digital for lesser than 500 or 1000 prints, but more than that quantity is not. In digital there is no saving for bulk quantity, though some printers may offer some discount as machine utilization and run time is better for bulk quantity.
Product best suited for digital printing & price
- Business card printing - single side start from Rs 1/- to Rs 2/- per card
- Flyer printing A5 size single side can be Rs 6/- per print
- Flyer A4 size single side can be Rs 12/- per print
- Poster A3 size can be Rs 25/- per print
- Stickers like transparent, CD stickers
- Brochure retail quantity with creasing, folding and lamination
- Poster up to size of A0 for CAD, industrial drawings, layouts, presentation etc
- ID cards are mostly printed via digital printing
We can use recycle, texture, other fancy paper as well. Though wastage may be more on these paper than normal art paper. Printing rates for black and white is different for color. In offset you will hardly find printers utilizing multi color machine for single color output.
To know the best technique for printing your creative, get in touch with us. We can offer you best quote with high quality finish output.