What is Offset Printing?
Offset printing is a method of printing developed a little over 100 years ago that uses rollers to transfer images onto surfaces like paper or cloth, but can be used for metal, leather, or wood as well.
Offset printing takes a bit of setup, but once prepared, it’s great for printing large-volume products.
For more detail about offset printing, its uses, how it compares to other modern printing methods, and even some quick history, keep scrolling through the different sections below.
Or, click the links below to be taken to each section:
Some print shops specialize in a specific method, while some offer a variety to accommodate different order types.
JH French not only offers all of the different printing methods listed below but also offers a variety of services to make your order easier, like graphic design advice or shipping services.
For more information, contact JH French directly, or browse our blog for more fascinating printing content.
What is Offset Printing?
Offset printing is a widely popular printing method where lithographic physics is used to apply colour to a roller, which then transfers the colour to another roller which presses against the printing surface, which is usually paper.
It’s a bit of a confusing process to summarize in text. Watch this video below for a helpful explanation with a visual aid:
The Offset Printing process has been refined over time to be smaller and more accurate.
Offset printing has some limitations. For one thing, the rollers it uses are required to be decently large, as they have to contain a page’s worth of images as they turn.
Even though modern technology has slimmed their size considerably, standard current office printers that use the offset method are still quite heavy (office printers can weigh around 300lbs, or even more based on model and accessories!)
Part of the reason why offset printers are so large is because each set of rollers can only apply one of the four standard CMYK colours at a time. This means a given printer will need to have four sets of rollers in order to print in full colour (CMYK refers to the four main colours used in offset printing: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and “Key,” which means Black).
The following video demonstrates how those colours are combined to form a full picture. Keep in mind this is not illustrating any real-world printer and is simply showing how the colours interact as they pass through the rollers.
It’s helpful to see how the colours are layered to create a full-colour image.
Application
Preparing the colours and rollers takes a lot of setup, which means that offset printing has a higher initial cost. However, once everything is in place, publications can be printed quickly and efficiently without much need for adjustment.
Projects with volumes in the hundreds, or even high thousands, benefit greatly from offset printing, as your cost-per-copy drops significantly when you’re printing at high numbers.
Offset Printing Compared to Other Methods
Ask your local print shop about the best printing method to choose for your project.
Each printing method shines in its own way. If you don’t know which one to choose, the first thing to do is finalize how many copies you want to print, then contact a print shop near you to ask about how much that volume would cost for each different printing method.
Different Printing Methods:
Offset - As described above, this is a method that’s costly to setup, but great for high-volume projects.
Letterpress - A time-intensive method where letter stamps are covered in ink and then pressed against paper.
Digital - After a computer deconstructs a digital image into CMYK dots, a machine places those dots onto the printing surface to build the image.
Variable Data Printing (VDP) - Technically a feature of digital printing, VDP allows users to make the information on each printed copy different.
Read more about the differences between each method here.
Project Examples
Here are some examples that highlight situations where a certain printing method is the best.
You’re promoting a free holiday event and need a thousand posters to hand out and post around time -
Recommendation: Offset printing
A few embossed hardcover copies of your new novel you want to gift to friends -
Recommendation: Letterpress printing
A small stack of artistic posters you’re bringing to promote your business at a trade show -
Recommendation: Digital printing
Personalize wedding invitations, each with different names on them -
Recommendation: Use VDP along with digital printing.
Every project is slightly different, but there is a printing method that will be best for you.
The History of Offset Printing
Offset printing machines have always been large.
The Gutenberg Printing Press innovated the Chinese system of block printing by using improved materials and movable type.
Invented in the mid-15th century, the Gutenburg Press essentially used the letterpress printing method, whereby ink is applied to letter stamps and then pressing then against a printing surface.
It wasn’t until 1875 that Robert Barclay realized that by using grease and water on rollers, he could make an incredibly precise printed image on a surface. Thirty years later, American Ira W. Rubel found that rubber rollers made the process even better, and realized the potential of such a device for printing on paper.
As in the picture above, offset printing machines were originally enormous. Fortunately, the fidelity of our manufacturing has skyrocketed in the last decade.
This means we’ve been able to make the offset printer smaller and more precise, to the point where it can fit comfortably in an office. In fact, many of the blocky-looking printers you’ll find marketed for the office setting are offset printers.
These office offset printers contain all four sets of rollers needed to print pages in full colour and rely on ink cartridges to keep their supply of ink in usable volume.
JH FRENCH OFFERS OFFSET PRINTING & MUCH MORE
JH French has years of experience providing many services beyond just printing.
JH French is a customer-focused print shop in central Hamilton with decades of experience.
We provide print methods ranging from hand-crafted letterpress printing to high-volume offset printing, as well as numerous supplementary services.
JH French offers:
Visit us in person or contact us online to start planning your next large-scale printing project!
“I was recently connected with Glen and everyone at JH French and I couldn’t be happier with the reference. Personal, friendly and professional. When I received my prints I couldn’t have been happier with the results. Real pros who know how to get it done.”