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Digital vs litho: just let the best process win
The King is dead. Long live the King. That’s the message some digital vendors seem set on proclaiming at Drupa (with offset litho clearly being the deceased monarch in question) – see our show preview on p32.
The digital versus litho debate is one that has been, if not exactly raging, then at least stewing for the past few years.
Personally, I don’t think it’s a question of one being better than the other. Surely it’s more a question of which is fit for purpose.
Digital is the logical option for certain jobs, where there’s variable data or an ultra short run, for example, and litho is the process of choice for longer runs.
But even that assumption is up for debate. The exact crossover point of the two technologies’ cost effective run lengths depends on who you listen to – press manufacturers say it’s in the low hundreds, while digital vendors say it’s still well into the thousands.
The question is further clouded as almost every month a vendor comes out with a faster digital machine and, at the same rate of knots, litho press manufacturers unveil a makeready advance that brings litho presses up to saleable print in just a handful of sheets.
Then there’s the tricky question of print quality, but it seems that you’re either of the opinion that digital is comparable to offset, or it’s not and never the twain shall meet.
But judging by the number of firms that run both digital and litho kit, the question of which is best is largely redundant. These firms have recognised that it makes sense for the technologies to work in tandem and, rather than get bogged down in the subjective question of which is best, they turn it into a simple question of economics. Namely, which process will produce a specific job in the most cost-effective manner.
Darryl Danielli is editor of PrintWeek.
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Comments
Colin Thompson - 16 May 2008
CHALLENGES FOR THE PRINTING INDUSTRY
Proactive maintenance of an existing customer base to improve your `bottom-line`. This is the future strategy for all to be successful in a global trading environment.
Marketing to existing customers and prospects, with the goal of retaining their business while stimulating the marketers` sales. Also, the important of the retention of employees in this task.
Building and Communicating Value will be the single most valuable investment your organisation makes on the road to delivering sustainable shareholder value.
In 2008, digital printing; personalised, customised, variable-data, and other targeted printing applications; "Web-to-print" applications and use; wide-format printing; and interest in and implementation of production workflow solutions are progressing rapidly. But, do not forget business models, which will increase the `bottom-line`! Plus, experienced and skilled people of any age are a major asset.
We live in a world of `High Technology`, a world that places great emphasis on `effective management`; a world where communication is one of the most talked about business subjects.
Globalisation of Digital printing is hard to ignore, and will certainly take a larger proportion of the world printing work currently led by offset litho, flexography and screen printing. Digital printing is fast becoming a popular choice for convenience, speed and cost. Also, linked to convenience, speed and cost is the change to short-run, on-demand digital colour printing, which is going at a fierce pace. The market valuation is always hard to prove. The speed of change depends on cost, speed and convenience.
The Business Outlook-Take Advantage of Technology
Today's technology opens new doors to increased productivity and effectiveness in producing digital print. The latest software and document production technologies can dramatically increase the functionality and value of digitally printed documents.
High-level platform integration lets organisations merge data from multiple sources and create communications with increased value.
Digital colour document readability and eye appeal. As new colour and digital technologies become easier and more economical to integrate into the high-volume communication manufacturing and distribution environment, they will be key to the communication process.
The future is variable-data imaging, which is the unique capability of digital printers. The growth of database-driven marketing and in particular database-driven web sites is leading to precise targeting of the marketing message to individuals.
As time goes by the e-commerce and email explosion will effect printing, but by how much and in what time frame, depends on technology, cost and human acceptance. But the investment priorities are in both categories as company's gamble with their future. `Think before you leap`.
Colin Thompson
Cavendish
www.cavendish-mr.org.uk
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