Running a business or heading an organization requires a great deal of time, energy and initiative. In order to be successful, it is imperative to know which aspects of the business can be effectively handled in-house, and which need to be outsourced to other professionals.
When it comes to producing high-quality printed items, such as brochures, newsletters, letterheads, business forms, calendars and business cards, professional printing services are the only way to go.
Offset printing techniques require a significant investment in equipment and training, but will produce the high image quality that your business or organization demands.
AlphaGraphics offers a peek behind the curtain and a chance to learn the steps required to turn out those high-quality printed materials.
What is Offset Printing?
Offset printing is a commercial printing technique that begins with the final version of the graphics for a page's layout. That image is used to create large plates.
The surface of those plates has some areas that attract oil and others that attract water, thereby displacing ink, which is oil based. This is the process by which certain areas of the finished product will be colored while the rest of the surface will be blank. This dispersal of colored ink is the fundamental principle of lithography.
In
offset printing, the image on the plates is transferred to a large rubber blanket, and then onto the final printing surface. The process is repeated for each different ink color.
What Kinds of Products Are Made Using Offset Printing?
Because the rubber blanket is pliable and able to conform to a wide range of different surface types, offset printing can be used to print on many different surfaces. The technology can be used for printing on rough paper, leather, metal, cloth, plastic and even wood.
Offset printing is used to produce magazines, glossy brochures, catalogs, and newspapers, among many other projects. By adding the process of thermography, offset printing can even be used to create finished pieces that feature raised text or imaging.
What are the Benefits of Offset Printing?
This printing method is a great choice for high-volume orders, as many pieces can be produced in a short period of time. For high volume orders, offset printing can provide a high quality finished product with low cost. In fact, the more pieces ordered the lower the cost.
Modern offset printing presses use computers to generate the printing plates, which is a much faster process than older systems that sent the image to film, then to a plate. This increased efficiency further lowers cost, while also increasing print quality.
If offset printing is a service that could improve the printed materials that your business or organization creates,
contact us at AlphaGraphics for a quote. We have a new location at 444 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1200 in Chicago, IL 60611. This location is open by appointment only, so call (312) 428-4850 or
email our account executives to get started.