Printing random things on something has been around before 220AD. The oldest known printing technique is known as woodcut and involves carving an image onto a wooden surface. Printing has evolved a lot since then. Now there are also many different kinds of printing methods available and they’re will keep evolving. Each type is required for a different kind of scenario, meaning that businesses need to choose a certain printing technique that best suits products or services highlighting i giving it a more premium look. So what are the different types of printing and how do they vary from each other? Well, let’s find out.

Offset Lithography

Generally known as offset printing it’s a kind of Lithography its very popular method for mass-production printing. It requires strong heavy printing plates usually made from aluminum which each hold an image of the content that needs to be printed.

These plates are then transferred (offset) onto rollers or rubber blankets which extends the life of the plates. before going on the printable material, the print page, which can be any type of paper you want. The print media doesn’t come into contact with the metal plates, As offset lithography can be used on any media with rough surfaces. 

Offset lithography is great at producing consistently high-quality images and can be used for small or high-volume print jobs. It can print on any surface as long as its flat from smooth paper o rough canvas.

 Key takeouts

  • Uses metal plates covered with rubber sheet
  • Can be printed on any rough or smooth surface

Flexography

Flexographic printing is the modern version of letterpress printing and is commonly used for printing on uneven surfaces. This style of printing uses quick-drying, semi-liquid inks and can be used for high-volume jobs.

Flexible photopolymer printing plates wrapped around rotating cylinders on a web press are used. These inked plates have a slightly raised image of the content on them and are rotated at high speeds to transfer the image onto the print media.

Key Takeouts

  • Used for rough surfaces
  • Packaging and labels
  • High speen in large numbers

Digital Printing

Digital printing is the most commonly known modern method that covers a variety of different techniques including inkjet printing and laser. In digital printing, images are sent directly to the printer using digital files such as PDFs. This eliminates the need for a printing plate, which is used in other types of printing such as lithography and can save time and money Though it takes more time and expense if you are planning to print in mass numbers.

Digital printing allows for quick turnaround and allows businesses to print on demand. It’s also great for small-run jobs – requests can be made for as little as one print. If you choose digital printing for the right job, it can make for a cost-effective method that still produces high-quality prints similar to that of the other, bigger-scale options. 

Key takeaway

  • High-Quality printings good for posters and newsletter
  • Cheap if not done in mass numbers

Large Format

As the name might suggest, large format printing exists to produce maximum print roll width. Perfect for traditional advertising mediums and businesses who are looking to make a huge impact on their customers, this printing method gifts you with a much bigger area to work on, as opposed to the other methods such as digital printing.

Rather than printing onto individual sheets, large format printing uses rolls of prints that are fed incrementally to produce one large sheet. 

For large print media such as building wraps, billboards, banners and murals, large format printing is the best option. The other printing methods will not be able to produce as large a material. Most businesses choose large format media to produce flat items which can be hung on a wall, but they can also be folded or made to stand freely. 

Key Takeaways

  • Large signage e.g. billboards, posters, vinyl banners
  • Wallpaper and murals
  • Floor graphics
  • Laminating

3D Printing

3D printing started way back in 1980. 3D printing has allowed us to print three-dimensional objects, which is a proven greater way to to differently approach your customers. The desired objects of various shapes and sizes are created using digital model data from 3D models or electronic sources such as an Additive Manufacturing file (AMF). Additive compound mixtures are then fused together to produce this 3D object.  

3D printers have continued to get more and more sophisticated. Today, even items with interior moving parts can be printed Which means the models can have an inner skeleton for getting structural strength. After the details have been worked out on a computer program such as CAD, minuscule layers are printed on top of each other using a special plastic substance.