What is Offset Printing?

To offer the best combination of print quality and quantity, we use offset printing because it gives you the best value for your money. Offset printing works by taking a reusable plate that transfers an image through a rubber "blanket," which in turn transfers the image to paper, resulting in a quality print that is fast and easy to produce in large quantities. The inks used can be a four color process (CMYK) or a combination of Pantone (SPOT) colors. PrintPlace.com uses four color process exclusively, because it enables us to provide our customers with full color printing.

The setup and creation of the initial plates is a major factor in the cost of offset printing, and that is factored into the cost of every print job. You will notice that with offset printing, the cost per copy goes down as the quantity increases. This can be an important factor when determining the size of your print job. In general, digital printing is typically the best value when you’re printing fewer than 250 pieces; and offset printing is typically the best choice when you’re printing more than 250 pieces, but this is not a hard and fast rule as other factors can affect the cost of the print job as well.

Offset printing is the method of choice when printing letterhead, envelopes, or anything that will need to run through a laser printer for letters or addressing later, because the intense heat of a laser printer may melt the ink from a digital printer.

Finishing requirements may make the choice of an offset printer an easy one since special effects such as UV coating, die-cuts, and complex sizes and folds are not done as easily with a digital printing process. Offset printing is the clear winner for specialty projects like this.

PrintPlace.com has a team of dedicated printing professionals that will walk your project through the process from concept to finished piece. We will guide you through the decision process to make sure your project is done with the utmost quality and best options for you, as well as in a time efficient manner and with your budget in mind. Whether it's your first major printing project, or you are a seasoned veteran, we’ll be happy to help make your printing project a success!

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