Whether you need an academic portfolio, business cards, company handouts, or wedding invitations, getting quality printing services is essential for your final product. But there are different printing techniques that you can choose from. Among the best options are offset printing and digital printing. Below, General Printing Service in Columbia, MO, shares some helpful information about each technique and their advantages.

Digital Printing

When you get something printed digitally, it’s usually done directly from an electronic file on a computer using a toner- or ink-based printer. This method is fast, convenient, and affordable and it consistently produces identical prints.

Unfortunately, digital printing usually results in a lower-quality print job. Paper and color options are also limited. If you need fewer than 500 copies for your project, you need a quick turnaround, and high-quality isn’t essential, this is usually the best and most affordable option.

Offset Printing

Most home and office printers use the digital printing technique, but when you go through a professional printing company, you might have the option to get offset printing. This is a very involved process where each color layer of the image is transferred from a plate onto individual rubber cylinders. The paper is run through these cylinders with each one adding another color to the image.

While the initial setup is quite time-consuming, the result is a higher print quality with a wider range of color options. Offset printing can also be used with a wider variety of paper types. Once the setup is complete, the work that goes into this process is nearly done, so if you need to put in an order of over 500 copies, it might be more cost-effective than the digital printing option.

Both digital printing and offset printing have their advantages and disadvantages, but at General Printing Service, you can go with either for your products. For work, personal, or school projects, they can make sure you get only the highest-quality print job. They can even add the final touches with folding, die cutting, binding, stamping, and other services. For more information, call them today at (573) 443-8890 or visit their website.