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For printers and buyers the issue of whether something is printed digitally or offset is taking on greater importance. Developments over the past year have meant that digital is narrowing the gap on the dominant offset market and that is set to continue. But that doesn’t mean offset has had its day.

Right now, digital printing is grabbing plenty of headlines on the technology front. The cost of owning a digital press is coming down while the engines are getting ever faster. Add to that improvements in personalisation software and it’s easy to see why digital is fast becoming a more viable option. There are also signs that it’s no longer being considered for just short-run work.

The rise of digital
“Digital run lengths have risen significantly over the course of 2007,” says Wesley Dowding, client services director at Inc Direct. “We have been able to print 250,000 A5 booklets on one of our Xerox iGen3s.”

Dowding’s company specialises in highly personalised direct mail and is fully digital. He adds that while run lengths are on the rise, the cost of the technology is coming down and the quality of digital print is improving. Manufacturers like Xerox, HP, Kodak and Océ are making advances on that front every year.
So is that it for offset? The response is an emphatic ‘no’ from the manufacturers of offset presses, as you would expect. However, they certainly don’t dismiss that digital is mounting a serious challenge.

Offset’s competitive edge
“Digital quality has improved,” explains MAN Roland GB director for sheetfed and finishing Gary Doman, “and the digital market is one that we do not ignore. But offset is very much alive and has a phenomenal future.”

“Digital is not going to kill offset,” explains Heidelberg UK marketing manager for B2 and B3, Richard Bradley. “Offset and litho complement each other and digital will continue to grow. But it won’t grow in the high-volume market.”

And that’s where the offset market believes it has the edge over digital. Digital users and manufacturers will say that their technology can handle massive runs, but those in offset have other ideas of where the cutoff point is. “You can pitch digital at runs of one to 1,000,” says Bradley. “Offset can go to 1,000 upwards. So, if you want a run of five, then go digital. If it’s 1,500, then print offset.”

“Digital can’t be industrial – it’s just not butch enough,” agrees Doman. “One of the main differences between the two technologies is run lengths. After 1,000 sheets, you would have to say that litho becomes more economically viable.”

An offset press can easily belt out large print runs, as that’s exactly what it’s designed to do. And it will often be the cheaper option for a massive project. But what digital offers is personalisation and this is fast becoming a must for marketers looking to get improved response rates in a direct mail campaign.
“The DM market is waking up to the potential of digital print,” explains Inc Direct’s Dowding. “We are proving that one-to-one marketing campaigns have a good return on investment. It’s about making a campaign relevant to an individual consumer.”

One-to-one marketing
That’s something that offset can’t do on its own. A pre-laser printed document with personalised information can still run through a litho press, but time is being saved if a white sheet of paper can be put through just one digital press incorporating all the variable data.

But offset manufacturers recognise the challenge that digital is making to the short-run market and they are all trying to do something about it. Recent developments by MAN Roland and Heidelberg are attempts to get the commercial printer to go down the offset route for short- to medium-run work. The developments are driven by the need to save the printer time and to move on to the next job quicker. It’s a real necessity with deadlines becoming ever tighter.

“The days of accepting two- or three-week delivery times are gone,” adds Doman. “It’s about just-in-time print. In fact, even that is an old-fashioned way of thinking. Buyers now want jobs done immediately.”

MAN Roland has developed the 700 DirectDrive press. The key to this machine is that it can change
the plates automatically, while at the same time wash the blankets and impression cylinders. It reduces makeready times by 60% and, according to Doman, effectively brings plate-changing times down to zero.

Heidelberg has also been busy and has developed Anicolor for its Speedmaster 52 press. Like DirectDrive, the technology is pitched mainly at the short-run market and reduces makeready times so the press can run at 15,000 sheets per hour. An additional inking unit on the machine allows ink to be used more consistently on a sheet and reduces material costs.

The developments have been made with half an eye on the digital market. While both manufacturers maintain there is a place for both technologies, there’s no doubt that they are keen to counter any attempts digital makes in muscling into the short-run market. “Anicolor can bring the break-even point down to runs of 350 to 500,” adds Bradley.

But as Bradley points out, it really is “horses for courses”. Going offset or digital really depends on the individual job. The received wisdom is that for short-run work digital is best; for long-run jobs it’s offset. And that’s likely to remain the case for some time.

“There is a place for digital but will it spell the end for offset? Not a chance,” adds Doman. “I think if it does it won’t be for a very, very long time.”

Digital has definitely made an impact on the market with its ability to produce highly personalised, short-run pieces, but the workhorse at any medium to large print firm will be a litho press. For high-volume work, offset is still king.

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TOP TIPS
• Buy digital when the runs are short. The technology is well suited to work where you might require as few as 10 documents. It’s here where cost per copy is at its most competitive

• Digital is the best option for highly personalised documents. The technology really comes into its own when variable data is incorporated. Quality is constantly improving and speeds are increasing

• Offset is a highly mature market and prices are at a 20-year low, making it cheaper than digital. But it pays to be wary of those companies offering rock-bottom prices as very few will offer any value-added service. You might also find that quality suffers as a result

• Offset has a well-developed array of inks and varnishes to achieve wider ranges of colours and effects