If you are familiar with the Spectra Print story, you know our company continues to evolve from its founding in 1930 when Oscar Hofmeister established Valley Sales Corp and began selling and distributing trading stamps. In 1959 Oscar and son Richard installed their first offset press and Spectra Print was born. Today we continue to explore advancements in technology to ensure that Spectra Print is on the leading edge of productivity.
Offset and digital printing are two of the most commonly used methods for commercial print projects. Although they produce similar results, these two methods are quite different and work best for different project requirements.
What is Offset Printing?
Offset printing gets its name from the printing process. The 4-colors of ink that are used; cyan, magenta, yellow and black, are not directly transferred to the paper but is offset onto another cylinder before being applied to paper. Before printing can begin, an initial calibration press run is performed on the specified paper to ensure that the metal plates are inked properly. Offset is the method best suited for large runs (over 500 pieces); if you need to use the Pantone Matching System, we suggest using offset printing.
What is Digital Printing?
Digital printing, on the other hand, skips the plate entirely and involves toner sitting on top of the paper instead of being absorbed by it. The process uses toner in a combination of cyan, magenta, yellow and black dots to create the image. This is typically used on short-run jobs (under 500 pieces) using a large format or high volume laser or inkjet printer. Digital can offer a quick turn around and is able to personalize each individual piece. It is a very affordable way to customize marketing materials, direct mail pieces, letters and postcards. If your project is a "short run" we suggest quoting your project using Digital Printing.
Our Growth Contributes to Your Success
Spectra Print is excited to introduce new equipment in our Digital Printing Department. This service offers exceptional quality, quick-turn times, flexibility and a lower cost solution for those short run jobs. Projects run through the Digital Printing Department can print projects in black, 4-color and also offer a 5th color option, such as clear or white. Our machines can print on paper sizes from 8-1/2" x 11" and up to 13” x 40” and on all envelope sizes.
If you saw our April 25, 2019, Facebook Page posts featuring Decorator Industries you had a "teaser" of what our Digital Press Department is capable of. The Decorator Industries project utilized the latest in digital technology, a fifth color station, which expands our capability to apply a clear coat to the logo and photos to enhance the design. The Monteverdi Chorale (Facebook Page April 26, 2019) images were also produced on our Digital Press using the booklet function.
Our Digital Printing Department allows you flexibility: keeping your print materials up-to-date while being cost effective in the fastest time possible.
Like anything else, working with the professionals from our sales and design team will give you insight to insure you are making smart decisions which printing method - offset or digital - that will best serve your project and your budget. We call this the right recipe for helping achieve #CustomerSuccess.
