Commercial Printing Tutorials
When you need to go beyond desktop printing you'll need the services of a service bureau and/or commercial printer and commercial printing processes including offset printing. Get tips for working with commercial service providers as well as timesaving advice for commerical printing processes.
Perhaps the most familiar example of digital printing is using a desktop inkjet printer. For larger quantities and even better quality, there's commercial digital printing which could be inkjet, laser, or other methods. Digital printing also offers cost-effective print-on-demand and variable data printing.
When do you first talk to your printer (or service bureau) about a desktop publishing project? When your project is ready for printing? Halfway through the project? Ideally, you should talk with your printer as soon as you take on a new project -- perhaps even before you accept it from your client.
Your competitors' custom printing projects have it - their marketing materials are vibrant, photo quality works of art. Even your smaller competitors with smaller marketing budgets have it. Their presentation folders and brochures, even their business cards are photo-sharp. How can they afford the photo quality results they get? Do they have a better marketing team?
The two primary differences in offset printing processes and desktop (inkjet) printing are the colors of ink and the way the ink is placed on the paper. The method of printing dictates how the desktop publishing document must be prepared.
Discover the range of printing processes and when to use which type of printing method in this quick overview of the various types of desktop and commercial printing processes including inkjet, offset lithography, flexography, and laser.
How will you get it printed? Even if you know that flexography, offset litho, and dye-sublimation are all different printing methods, you may not know which one is best for your particular project. While there may not be hard and fast rules for when to use a specific printing method, these general guidelines may help you narrow your choices.
Use these tips when planning your printing.
Don't let a service provider dictate your hardware and software choices. Find one who can accommodate your files and learn how to accommodate their short-comings.
