Printing is kind of like the English language -- very confusing with rules that change under different circumstances. I'm constantly being asked what the difference is and why the costs are so vastly different so I thought I'd write a post to clear it all up.

OFFSET

You can never go wrong printing with offset... unless you have a tight budget. Offset is the most pricey because it's such an extensive process. The press is enormous -- imagine a machine (much like the illustration) that is so big it only fits in a large warehouse. Each different station prints a different color. The colors meticulously line up on the paper to produce crisp and high-quality pieces. Offset printing also allows you to print with PMS colors (pantone matching system) to ensure consistent colors throughout your printed pieces.

Tips to remember:

• The more pantone/spot colors you use, the higher the cost.
• The biggest expense is in the setup. To reduce the per piece price, print large quantities. (If you know you'll use them.)
• Use offset to make a high-quality impression.

DIGITAL

Digital is about one-third the cost of offset. Imagine a really large desktop printer and that's what you've got with a digital printer. The quality is pretty decent but nowhere near as sharp as the offset. If you look closely, you can see dots and fuzzy images. When you're printing pieces that have short lives, like flyers, direct mailers, etc... we usually recommend going this route. It's silly to spend a bunch of money on pieces that are just for quick information and will most likely end up in the trash.

Tips to remember:

• If you use this method to cut costs on important collateral, upgrade your paper to give the piece a nicer look.
• Use digital when the printed piece will have a short shelf-life.

ONLINE

If you're looking to really cut costs and need a very quick turnaround... look to an online printer. This process is digital just as described above, but with restrictions. Each printer has their own "template" for business cards, postcards, posters, flyers, etc... and you can't deviate from them. The quality is usually just a smidge less than printing digital with a local printer -- probably because they run jobs so quickly that they don't have much time for quality control. I think of online printers as the super retailers of printers. You want to go there to save money, but also don't want to hurt your mom 'n pop stores.

Tips to remember:

• Most online printers don't have customer support staff, so if you're a person who likes to chat with your sales person, this isn't for you!
• Use online printers when you need fast, simple printed materials.