People always ask us what the difference between offset printing and digital printing is and when is should be used, so this week we made an easy-to-read infographic to help out. The printing industry can be confusing with words like CMYK and direct-to-substrate it can be relatively easy to get lost and honestly can alter the end result of your project. Here are some basic guidelines to help you decide whether your project should be done on an offset printer or a digital printer:

It is often cheaper to select your printer type based on the size of the job. Offset printing is good for those larger jobs because it is capable of printing multiple projects at a higher speed than digital. Although both digital and offset are great printers for producing high quality prints, offset printing can match Pantone Matching System (PMS) colors more accurately for busines cards, stationary, etc. However, offset printing does have a longer turn around time because of the amount of time the ink needs to dry, where digital printing is ready to be cut and binded right off the printer. If you are looking for a special product such as a transparent page a wood business card or a fabric manual front offset should be your choice. Although digital can print on most stocks, offset has a wider range for specialty print jobs.Personalization should almost always be printed on digital because it has the capability of variable data, where offset it would be more expensive and time consuming to say send out a newsletter or those company Christmas cards.

AJ Printing & Graphics and Wine Country Signs is a commercial printer in Santa Rosa, California specializing in the print and sign industry and graphic design. We offer offset printing and digital printing and specialize in all custom print jobs. We put our relationships with our clients over everything in order to ensure their success. With over 30 years’ experience in the industry, leave the printing to us and focus on other things. We are a green business, recycling all of our paper and buying from trusted businesses that commit to the sustainability of our planet. We are your partner in print, design and marketing located at 1315 North Dutton Ave, Santa Rosa, CA (707) 525-8600!