Digital printing, sheetfed lithography and web offset can all produce excellent commercial print.
The important question is not which printing process is best.
It is which process is most appropriate for the particular job.
Quantity is important, but it is only one part of the decision. Finished size, pagination, paper, binding, finishing, colour requirements, personalisation, schedule and available manufacturing capacity can all affect which production route is most efficient.
As an independent print-management company, Cliffe Enterprise is not tied to one type of printing press.
We can assess the requirement first and then select manufacturing capability appropriate to the job.
This guide explains the principal differences between digital, sheetfed lithographic and web-offset printing and why the most economical production method can change from one project to another.
The Three Main Commercial Printing Routes
For publications and general commercial print, three production routes are particularly important:
- digital printing;
- sheetfed offset lithography; and
- web offset printing.
There are many variations within each category.
Digital production can use toner, liquid electrophotographic technology or inkjet.
Offset presses vary considerably in format, configuration, number of printing units, automation and finishing capability.
Web presses also differ in web width, cut-off, pagination capability and inline finishing configuration.
This means that selecting a production route involves more than simply deciding between “digital” and “litho”.
The characteristics of the individual press can matter too.
What Is Digital Printing?
Digital printing produces the printed image directly from digital data without requiring conventional printing plates.
Commercial digital presses may use toner, liquid electrophotographic technology or inkjet, depending on the equipment.
Removing conventional plate production and much of the associated make-ready makes digital printing particularly useful where quantities are relatively short or where the printed content needs to change between copies.
When Is Digital Printing Most Appropriate?
Digital production can be particularly effective for:
- shorter print runs;
- multiple versions;
- personalised print;
- frequently changing content;
- test quantities;
- rapid replenishment;
- targeted direct mail; and
- projects where producing excessive stock would create a risk of obsolescence.
The absence of conventional printing plates means the fixed setup cost can be lower than offset lithography.
That can make digital production economical even when the unit manufacturing cost is higher.
Variable Data and Personalisation
One of digital printing’s major advantages is the ability to vary content during production.
Individual copies can potentially contain different:
- names;
- addresses;
- text;
- images;
- offers;
- codes; or
- other data-driven content.
This makes digital production particularly useful for personalised direct mail and other targeted communications.
It can also be useful where a publication has numerous versions with relatively small quantities of each.
Is Digital Printing Only for Very Short Runs?
No.
Modern digital printing technology has expanded substantially in speed, format and capability.
There is therefore no universal quantity at which digital printing automatically becomes uneconomical.
The crossover between digital and offset production depends on the particular equipment and the complete specification.
A job with many versions, for example, may remain attractive digitally at a quantity where a single-version project would be more efficiently produced lithographically.
Finishing, paper, format and schedule can also alter the calculation.
What Is Sheetfed Lithographic Printing?
Sheetfed offset lithography prints individual sheets of paper rather than printing from a continuous reel.
The printing image is carried on plates.
During conventional offset lithography, ink is transferred from the plate to a rubber blanket cylinder and then from the blanket onto the paper.
This indirect transfer is why the process is described as “offset” printing.
Modern sheetfed presses can operate at high speeds with sophisticated automation, colour control and a wide range of paper and board.
When Is Sheetfed Litho Most Appropriate?
Sheetfed lithography can be particularly effective for medium and longer runs where the specification suits the press format.
Typical products can include:
- brochures;
- catalogues;
- prospectuses;
- folders;
- leaflets;
- covers;
- books;
- corporate publications; and
- other commercial print.
It offers considerable flexibility in paper choice, format, colour and finishing.
Sheetfed lithography can also accommodate spot colours and other specialist production requirements where the particular press configuration allows them.
Sheetfed Litho and Paper Choice
One of the strengths of sheetfed production is the range of substrates that can potentially be accommodated.
Coated and uncoated papers, heavier cover stocks and specialist materials may all be possible depending on the press.
However, there is no sensible universal statement such as “sheetfed is for paper above a particular gsm”.
The practical paper range depends on the individual machine, format, feeding system, finishing requirement and characteristics of the stock.
Paper should therefore be considered as part of the complete production specification.
What Is Web Offset Printing?
Web offset printing uses a continuous reel — or web — of paper rather than individual sheets.
The paper travels continuously through the press and can then pass through folding and other inline processes before leaving the machine.
The ability to print at high speed and integrate several production stages makes web offset particularly effective for suitable high-volume or high-pagination work.
Typical products can include:
- magazines;
- catalogues;
- brochures;
- supplements;
- direct-mail publications;
- inserts; and
- other high-volume printed products.
Heatset Web Offset
Heatset web offset is commonly used for higher-quality colour publications printed on coated or suitable uncoated papers.
After printing, the web passes through a dryer so that the ink can be dried rapidly before chilling and subsequent folding or finishing.
This enables the press to operate continuously at high speed.
Heatset web offset has historically been particularly important for magazines, catalogues and other substantial publication runs.
Coldset Web Offset
Coldset web offset does not use the same heat-drying process.
The ink dries principally through absorption into the paper.
It is commonly associated with newspapers and other products printed on absorbent uncoated stocks, although exact applications depend on the equipment and requirement.
Coldset and heatset should therefore not be treated as interchangeable processes simply because both use paper reels.
Why Is Web Offset Efficient for High Volumes?
Web presses are designed around continuous high-speed production.
For an appropriate job, they can combine:
- high printing speed;
- efficient paper handling;
- multiple pages printed together;
- inline folding;
- automated production; and
- high throughput.
Once the setup cost is spread across a substantial quantity, the resulting unit manufacturing cost can be extremely competitive.
But that does not mean web offset is automatically the correct choice for every large print run.
The specification still has to fit the press efficiently.
Digital vs Sheetfed Litho vs Web Offset
A simplified comparison looks like this:
Digital printing
Often strongest where quantities are shorter, versions are numerous, personalisation is required or content changes frequently.
Sheetfed lithography
Often strongest for medium and longer runs requiring flexibility in format, paper, colour, finishing or heavier materials.
Web offset
Often strongest for suitable high-volume or high-pagination publications where the format, paper and pagination fit the press efficiently.
These are guidelines, not fixed production rules.
The actual decision should be made from the complete specification.
Is There a Fixed Quantity for Choosing Digital or Litho?
No.
Statements such as “digital below 500 copies” or “litho above 1,000 copies” can be useful as very rough illustrations, but they should not be treated as universal production rules.
Two jobs with exactly the same quantity may require completely different production methods.
Consider two 2,000-copy projects.
One might be a short, personalised publication containing numerous versions.
The other might be a substantial single-version brochure on a specialist paper with particular finishing requirements.
The quantity is identical.
The appropriate production solution may not be.
When Does Web Offset Become Economical?
Again, there is no universal quantity.
A web-offset press has significant productive capacity, so the economics generally become more attractive as volume or pagination increases.
But quantity alone does not determine the answer.
A job needs to work efficiently with the press’s:
- web width;
- cut-off;
- section size;
- pagination;
- paper;
- folding configuration; and
- finishing requirements.
A very large quantity with an awkward specification can sometimes be less efficient than a smaller quantity designed around the press configuration.
Why Finished Size Matters
Finished size can have a surprisingly large effect on printing cost.
Pages need to fit efficiently onto the sheet or web used during production.
An apparently small change in width or height can alter:
- how many pages fit the press format;
- paper utilisation;
- waste;
- imposition;
- production speed; and
- sometimes the appropriate press itself.
This is why specifying a bespoke finished size without considering manufacture can occasionally create unnecessary cost.
It does not mean every project should use a standard size.
It means the production consequences of the chosen size should be understood.
Why Pagination Matters
Pagination is another major production variable.
Pages are imposed together into sheets or sections for printing and binding.
A page count that fits one press configuration efficiently may fit another less well.
This is particularly important for magazines, catalogues, brochures and prospectuses.
Adding or removing a relatively small number of pages can sometimes alter the manufacturing economics significantly.
For high-volume work, pagination and press configuration should therefore be considered together before the publication design is completely fixed.
Why Paper Matters
Paper affects much more than appearance.
It can influence:
- press suitability;
- print reproduction;
- drying;
- opacity;
- bulk;
- folding;
- binding;
- finished weight;
- postage; and
- distribution.
A paper that performs extremely well on one production route may not be the most efficient choice for another.
Paper selection should therefore consider the manufacturing process as well as the visual and tactile result.
Why Binding and Finishing Matter
The printing press is only one part of the manufacturing process.
A job may subsequently require:
- folding;
- saddle stitching;
- perfect or PUR binding;
- thread sewing;
- lamination;
- varnishing;
- foiling;
- die-cutting;
- drilling;
- packing; or
- other finishing operations.
These processes can influence which printer or press is most appropriate.
A slightly cheaper printing price may not represent the lowest overall manufacturing cost if the job then requires inefficient transport or specialist finishing elsewhere.
The complete production route matters.
Does Digital Printing Produce Lower Quality?
Not inherently.
Modern commercial digital presses can produce extremely high-quality work.
The relevant question is whether the technology is appropriate for the particular product and quality requirement.
Digital, sheetfed litho and web offset have different characteristics, and individual machines within each category also differ.
For many commercial applications, several production routes may be capable of delivering the required quality.
The commercial decision can then be driven by quantity, format, versioning, schedule and total production cost.
Which Printing Process Gives the Best Colour?
There is no single answer.
Colour performance depends on the printing technology, press condition and calibration, paper, inks or imaging system, artwork, colour management and production controls.
Sheetfed lithography may provide advantages where particular spot colours or specialist inks are required.
Digital production can provide excellent consistency and may be particularly useful for short repeatable runs.
Web offset can deliver very high-quality colour reproduction across substantial publication quantities when the job and paper are suited to the process.
For colour-critical work, proofing and agreed production standards matter more than simply choosing a process by name.
Which Process Is Fastest?
Digital production often has an advantage where a short run needs to enter production quickly because conventional plate production and some offset make-ready stages are removed.
That does not mean digital printing always provides the fastest completed job.
Availability, quantity, finishing, binding, drying, packing and delivery all contribute to the final schedule.
For substantial volumes, the very high production speed of an appropriate offset press may outweigh its longer setup.
The correct comparison is therefore the complete manufacturing lead time, not simply how quickly the first sheet can be printed.
Which Printing Process Is Cheapest?
None of them universally.
The lowest-cost process depends on the job.
Digital production may avoid substantial setup cost.
Sheetfed lithography can become highly economical as quantity increases.
Web offset can provide exceptional unit economics for suitable high-volume production.
But the cheapest printing price is not necessarily the cheapest finished product.
Paper utilisation, finishing, binding, packing, delivery, postage and obsolete stock can all alter the total cost.
How Cliffe Selects the Appropriate Printing Process
Cliffe Enterprise is an independent print-management company.
We do not begin with a particular printing press that needs to be filled.
We begin with the requirement.
That means considering:
- quantity;
- finished size;
- pagination;
- paper;
- colour;
- versioning;
- personalisation;
- binding;
- finishing;
- schedule;
- fulfilment;
- distribution; and
- budget.
We can then determine which type of production route is appropriate and select manufacturing capability suited to the job.
For one requirement that may be digital.
For another it may be sheetfed lithography.
For a high-volume publication it may be web offset.
Sometimes different components of the same project are most efficiently produced using different processes.
The objective is not to prove that one printing technology is better.
It is to identify the most appropriate manufacturing solution for the individual project.
Printing Process FAQs
What are the main types of commercial printing press?
For mainstream publication and commercial print, digital, sheetfed offset lithography and web offset are three of the principal production routes.
Other processes exist for specialist applications.
What is the difference between sheetfed and web printing?
Sheetfed presses print individual sheets of paper.
Web presses print from continuous reels of paper which pass through the press at high speed and can incorporate inline folding or other processes.
Is litho printing the same as offset printing?
In mainstream commercial printing, “litho” generally refers to offset lithography.
The image is transferred from a printing plate to a blanket and then from the blanket to the paper.
Is digital printing cheaper than litho?
It can be for shorter runs because it avoids conventional plate production and reduces setup.
As quantities increase, offset lithography may become more economical.
There is no universal crossover quantity.
Is web offset cheaper than sheetfed litho?
For suitable high-volume or high-pagination work it can be.
The specification needs to fit the web press efficiently, so quantity alone does not determine the answer.
Which printing process is best for brochures?
Digital, sheetfed lithography and sometimes web offset can all be appropriate.
The answer depends on quantity, pagination, format, paper, finishing and schedule.
Which printing process is best for catalogues?
Again, there is no single answer.
Shorter catalogue runs may suit digital production, medium or longer requirements may suit sheetfed lithography, while substantial catalogue quantities can favour web offset.
Which process is best for personalised printing?
Digital printing is generally the principal production route for variable-data and personalised print because content can change from copy to copy without changing conventional printing plates.
Can you tell me which printing process my project should use?
Yes.
If you provide the quantity, finished size, pagination, paper, colour, binding, finishing and delivery requirement, Cliffe can assess the specification and determine an appropriate production route.
If those elements have not yet been finalised, involving us earlier can provide more opportunity to improve manufacturing efficiency.
Need Help Choosing a Printing Process?
If you already have a complete print specification, send it to us and we can assess the appropriate manufacturing route and provide a quotation.
If you’re still deciding on size, pagination, paper, quantity, binding or finishing, talk to us before everything is fixed.
That is often when the greatest production efficiencies can be identified.
