All things offset: A place for offset in print

An excerpt from AP September 2020 – by IVE print NSW general manager Simon Bailey

The average run lengths for sheet-fed offset has reduced in recent years. At IVE, our business is increasing in digital volume and reducing in offset. The introduction of B2 digital was a big step and one we have recently invested in. That said, offset is a case of ‘and’ not ‘or’ for us.  In other words, we see offset as a key part of the mix, where a longer run is required and is complimented with the option of faster production via digital for smaller runs.

With one of the largest sheet-fed press fleets in Australia, IVE has solutions that deliver a range of options for customers. At one end of the scale, we have a range for the more traditional commercial print market. We have also expanded our offering to produce colour books such as cooking and lifestyle books that previously were produced offshore. At the other end of the scale, we utilise offset for Point of Sale and specific packaging printing. These solutions enable IVE with speed to market matched with fit for purpose colour options.

There are many positives to offset printing. The first is efficiencies with longer runs. Of course, quality is another. In recent years, offset technology has been relatively stable and advancements in colour management and pre-press automation have greatly assisted its overall production times and quality.

There are many purists who will argue that digital quality by definition will never equal offset. Whilst we would have agreed a few years ago, the gap has narrowed significantly in recent times and one has to only look at the output quality of the Indigo 12,000 to see how far that technology has come in colour quality. The conversation of offset versus digital will always spark furious debate, however we’d suggest certain digital quality is at, at least, 95 per cent compared to offset.

We believe there will be a place for offset in our industry. With the profile of digital we have within our group and taking our Silverwater site as an example, with two SRA3 and a B2 device, we are still running long perfecting presses 24 hours, five days a week. The cost of digital is prohibitive and the speed is too slow for many jobs we produce. The finishing of SRA3/B2 sheets compared to IPS/A1 sheets also significantly adds to the overall price and sometimes this is what goes into the consideration of an offset versus digital job.

There are two factors to consider when choosing between offset and digital print, which are:

  • Paper stocks plays a huge part of the selection process. We produce short run work on offset, that from a volume perspective may suit a B2 Indigo but the stock specified may not be suitable for Indigo – it will be the same for toner based digital. The SRA3 space is very mature in its range for digital, but the B2 space is young and will develop in broadness over the next few years.
  • Varnish or aqueous inline can be a factor as well. We still produce work with spot matt and gloss varnish effects on them, and this can be done inline or on an offset press. Aqueous coating is also something still required by clients, as is inline offset.

For us, the biggest value for offset over digital, even in the short run, is the fact that the offset process can match any colour through PMS, metallics and fluro. A colour sample can be provided and without too much cost or intervention, we can match it.

Ink manufacturers can provide a custom ink mix for a reasonable price. This ink can be used across a range of different offset presses and on solids has the ability to be matched job by job very easily. However, printing four colour process solids repeatedly is difficult, even with good colour profiling in a digital environment.

When considering for a client if offset is the right way to go, businesses need to consider the argument regarding colour quality and two other main factors: the required run length and an open discussion regarding price points and the real cut-over to digital. Some customers have been operating under the belief that a longer run, whereby they may need to store much of it, can provide a cheaper unit price. Whilst this can be true, a key and open discussion regarding the real usage and requirements can often produce better customer outcomes.

If it is for a real and genuine long run requirement, then offset is the better option. However, if it can be more effective for both the printer and customer to print to demand and print often, then that solution is digital.

Until the digital press speeds are close offset, there will be a place for offset printing; 15,000 IPS sheets per hour compared to 1500 SRA3 or B2 sheets per hour remains stark. The cost of digital climbs substantially once over a few thousand sheets and rules itself out at the ‘cut-over’ point.

It will be, for many years, a case of offset and digital as opposed to offset or digital, noting that the balance is moving more to digital as run sizes reduce.

The digital version of the magazine is available here.

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