When it comes to colour printing, business printing, and large-run, showcase print projects which rely on exceptional quality, offset printing is still the first choice for many businesses.

 

Try to be patient while we get technical for a moment.

 

Offset printing is based on a technology called lithography which originally involved engraving an image on a stone plate, inking it, and then putting it in contact with the sheet of paper. To keep ink away from the areas of the plate that weren't engraved, the plate was flushed with water - and since water and ink don't mix, the ink adhered only to the engraved area of the plate.

In today's offset printing process, the image is transferred from the inked plate to a rubber blanket which makes contact with the sheet. The image offsets from the plate to the blanket, then offsets again from the blanket to the paper.

 

At Worldwide Printing, we take offset printing one step further by using Computer-To-Plate (CTP) methodology. CTP is the process of transferring digital data from computers directly onto printing plates used on a press. It eliminates the need for producing film (or negatives), stripping and shooting plates.

 

By removing these steps, CTP offset printing increases productivity, reduces waste, is particularly economical for large quantities, and has been found to offer better consistency and higher quality because it eliminates the risk of human error.

 

For more information, explore our Product Guide, or contact your nearest Worldwide Centre to find out if offset printing will suit your job - or whether a small adjustment to the quantities you have in mind could bring about savings for you.