Large Format Label Sheets

Digital vs. Offset Printing

Many customers ask if our large/wide-format label sheets are suitable for printing on commercial digital / offset presses as well as most consumer inkjet and laser printers. The answer is a resounding "yes!" We even carry 12" x 18" sheets in a coated white matte material that's perfect for HP's Indigo line of digital printing presses.

If you own or work in a print shop odds are you will have to choose between digital and offset printing. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the correct choice is dependent on the types of jobs you will be running.

OFFSET PRINTING: Commonly trusted for commercial high-volume projects, offset lithography requires a design image to be burned onto a printing plate (modern processes use UV light), which is then transferred (offset) to another plate, producing a negative. This negative printing plate is then affixed to a cylinder on a printing press and dampened with an oil-based ink. Since water molecules repel oil-based substances, a thin film of water is applied to areas of the plate that don't require ink, leaving the non-printing area ink-free.

DIGITAL PRINTING: The main difference between digital and offset printing is that no printing plates are used in digital printing. Instead, ink (using a UV curing process) or toner (using a fuser fluid with heat process) is used to form a thin layer on the surface of the surface of the sheet. The inkjet and laser printers we use in our homes are considered digital printers.

• Lower cost per unit as the quantity goes up (front-end cost load)
• Higher quality and cost-effectiveness in high volume jobs
• Generally higher image quality, higher resolution, and no spots / streaks

• Lower cost per unit for small print runs
• Ability to customize each print with variable data in the form of mail merges, database files, personalized letters / addresses, etc.
• Shorter turnaround times
• More accurate counts, less waste, and fewer variations

Make an educated decision by reading about the advantages of both types of printing methods, or feel free to give us a call at 1-888-575-2235 if you have any further questions.