What is Digital Offset Printing?
Lithographic printing has long been the gold standard for superior print quality. However, new innovation in the digital printing industry is redefining these expectations. Nanographic Printing®, a technology developed by Landa, blends digital and offset printing methods, delivering the flexibility of digital printing with the exceptional print quality and high-speed performance of traditional offset printing.
How It Works
The Nanographic Printing® process begins with the ejection of billions of microscopic droplets of water-based Landa NanoInk® onto a heated image conveyor blanket. When all the water has been evaporated, the ink becomes an ultra-thin dry polymeric film. Upon transfer to the substrate, the film instantaneously bonds, forming a tough abrasion resistant layer, leaving no residual ink on the blanket. Because wet ink never comes in contact with the substrate and therefore cannot be absorbed, there is virtually zero dot gain
When it comes to printing high-quality packaging, both lithography and digital offset printing have their place. Understanding the strengths of each method can help you choose the most efficient and cost-effective option for your specific needs.
What Both Methods Offer
High Print Quality
Landa’s Nanographic Printing® delivers ultra-high-resolution images and dense, vibrant colors, creating prints that are virtually indistinguishable from those produced from lithographic printing, making both lithography and digital offset printing great options for optimal print quality.
Paperboard Compatibility
While traditional digital presses have some substrate limitations, the Landa S11 digital offset press, like lithographic presses, can print on virtually any coated or uncoated paper or cartonboard.
Digital Offset Printing
Although the print quality and paperboard compatibility are very comparable for the two methods, there are a few areas where digital offset printing offers conveniences over lithographic printing.
Print Variations
While lithographic printing requires the use of printing plates and time consuming set-up and calibration processes for each job, digital offset printing requires no set-up or calibration and does not use printing plates. This allows for rapid print changes, making it ideal for:
- Limited-edition packaging with no commitment to large print quantities.
- Personalized packaging with unique designs, QR codes, or text on each piece.
- Projects with multiple SKUs or frequent design variations.
It is especially great if all of the variations use the same dieline, so they can go through post-press processing together, saving time and keeping costs down.
Cost Effective Short to Medium Runs
By eliminating the need for printing plates, set-up, and calibration, digital offset printing provides a cost effective and efficient option for short to medium print runs. The Landa S11 prints up to 6,500 sheets per hour, making it comparable to lithographic press speeds, but without the setup time.
Sustainability
Digital offset printing also offers a couple of eco-friendly advantages over lithographic printing:
- Reduces waste by eliminating printing plates and calibration materials.
- Cost-effective short runs prevent overproduction.
Pantone Colors Without Ink Mixing
Unlike traditional digital presses that use the CMYK color scale and offer a more limited color range, the Landa S11 utilizes an advanced 7-color printing process based on the RGB color spectrum. This technology achieves an impressive 96% of Pantone colors without the need for ink mixing or spot colors—saving time and eliminating the complexities required for precise color matching in lithographic printing.
Lithographic Printing
Lithography also has advantages over digital offset printing in certain areas:
Cost Effective Long Runs
With a higher output of sheets per hour, lithography can be more cost effective for long runs where the time and costs associated with plate-making, set-up, and calibration are justified.
Complete Color Capabilities
While lithographic printing does require ink mixing for spot colors, it has no limit to the colors it can achieve. By creating custom inks, lithography can match any Pantone color or custom spot color.
Use Cases
In conclusion, both lithography and digital offset printing have unique efficiencies and manufacturing capabilities, and the right choice depends on the specific requirements of a project.
When to Use Digital Offset Printing
- Short to medium runs
- High-volume projects with design variations
- Personalized and variable printing
When to Use Lithography
- High-volume projects with minimal design variations
- Specific color requirements not achievable digitally
Still not sure which method is right for your project? Speak with a packaging expert today to find the best solution for your brand!
