Printing is one of the oldest industries and there are scored of printing choices. The printed materials are a valuable part of the promotional strategy. For high-quality and vivid images, marketing, and packaging materials, one needs the support of a professional printing service team. However, it can be difficult to know what you need to look for if you have never worked with printing pros before. Having proper knowledge about the differences in printing methods and services is a must.

In today’s ever-evolving world, to make sure that you protect the reputation of your brand is very important that can help you to appeal to the changing generation of customers. For many companies, it means to make sure that they invest in effective printing services that are at the same time good for the planet. There are many key factors involved in custom printing services that will help the people determine what kind of printing service is right for them and in their budget.

Printing industry overview

The printing industry’s primary goal is to convey the customers’ message to its target audience in the form of published material, such as magazine, newspaper, brochure, book, product packaging, or directory. This business takes the message of the customers and design the end product, lay it out and then print it, depending upon the available services. There are even many printers that offer a complete range of design and layout services, while there are many other printers that only offer to print. Although there are several types of printing being done in a different part of the world, the basic operations of printing have not changed. To meet the clients and acquire printing contracts, printing company still requires skilled salespeople. The layout and design artists help to prepare the product for printing while the operators use the equipment to print the product. There are many companies which provide distribution services as well.

Golden future of the printing industry

For the last 15 years, the printing industry has constantly evolved. It has flourished at the rate of 12 percent per year which consists of 2,50,000 moderate, broad, and compact printers. In the primitive years, leaves were considered the natural and original form of packaging which later got evolved by the usage of cotton, paper, and jute bags. Then later, it came to wooden boxes and carts for the transportation of heavy materials supported by paper and leave packaging within of delicate goods. As the metro cities were formed, the accessibility and commute for transporting goods advanced. The e-commerce then opened the avenues for all kinds of work, like business to business, consumers to consumers, and business to consumers. The sudden rise in e-commerce showed the print industry as a career path to growth, success, and evolution. Also, the printing industry has seen the sweep of digital impact on how to carry out the business. For print runs of over 500 copies, the litho printing is still the preferred method. Now, two additional possibilities offer a cost-effective way of producing books.

Print of Demand or POD is designed to print single copies that reached the industry some 15 years ago. The initial machinery was, however, expensive and required the centralization of a large amount of printing. The most recent short-run digital printing option suits monographs publishing very well, which is preferred for runs from around 30 to 400 copies.

Types of printing services and methods

Desktop printing

A desktop printer is the best if you need to run only a couple of few manuals, copies of a flier, or one at a time invoice. Whether inkjet or laser, the printer produces instant copies with nice quality when using good paper. However, if your quality requirements are high, your paper and ink cost can get expensive. In this case, special printing effects on substrates other than paper, one needs to find the printing service for the project.

Digital printing

For low run printing, such as 100 postcards or flyers and few posters, digital printing service is the most cost-effective. Short turnaround times is another reason to use this service when speed is critical. The quality it provides that offer that professional look that one gets from commercial offset lithography printing. But, it is improving as the equipment improves.

Lithography

This printing service is the most widely used services, where ink is transferred from metal plates to the rubber cylinder, then onto the paper. It helps in printing projects like postcards, glossy brochures stationery, or business cards with accurate colors and details. Due to the time needed for creating plates and ink to dry, it can take a little longer than digital printing.

When you are in search of the best printing service, look for what matters the most to you on your print project. The image and quality, your marketing campaign size or looming deadlines are some of the vital considerations.