A Guide to Litho vs Digital Print

Advancements in the printing industry in recent years have revolutionised how we can print, with the options for commercial printing now incredibly vast and diverse. The range of printing services that we offer at AB Print’s Batley plant allows for a wide choice and an almost completely custom-made end product to suit your business.

The two main types of commercial printing are Litho and Digital. Here’s our guide to help you understand the difference:

Litho Printing

Litho Printing is the most common type of printing for high-volume commercial services. The image is burned onto a metal plate with a laser, this is then loaded onto the printing press. The image is then transferred onto a rubber blanket and finally offset onto the surface. This process is ink free and can be offset onto a number of different surfaces.

Pros…

• High-quality, consistent image
• Can print on a wide range of surfaces such as card, plastic and paper
• The cost of each unit decreases with the size of the order
• Able to cope with long runs without losing quality

Digital Printing

Digital printing removes many of the mechanical steps used in conventional printing, including making the plates. Don’t get confused though, this is far from what it is like printing at home; the digital print presses used by professional printers are much more sophisticated.

Pros…

• Quick setup which means a fast turnaround for orders
• Bright and vibrant images on a wide range of materials and surfaces
• Cheaper option for low-volume printing
• Personalisation using a database where text and graphics can be changed on each item without stopping or slowing down the press

Commercial Printing can be a complicated decision. It all very much depends on what you require. Whether it is a small amount of large and colourful products such as signs or banners or a large quantity of more basic products such as leaflets and filers.

AB Print offer a wide range of products and services to suit any and all of your commercial needs. Our printing services are all one under one roof so you can completely tailor your final product.

If you’d like to make an enquiry or need more information on how our commercial printing services can help you, contact the team today.