Offset Printing

Offset printing is an automatic printing process. The four colours CMYK are printed one by one on the paper. Offset printing becomes necessary in the following circumstances :

(a) Large quantity of print order: If you need large quantities of some material printed, offset printing is the right choice. Offset printing will not only be cost effective but will also be quicker.

(b) Type of design : With offset printing you can print any kind of a job. If it’s a four colour (CMYK) design which has different gradation of colours or if there are photographs, offset printing is the only option even if you have to print a small quantity. Of course, today's technology allows you to print even a single piece of four-colour posters, cost effectively with digital printing.

There are also what are commonly known as Mini Offset printing presses. Mini offset printing presses are mostly used for small print jobs, usually in 1 or 2 colours, like circular letters, questionnaires for research and business forms. Mini offset printing is not suitable for four colour jobs. We are involved in the complete process of offset printing including the following:

• Developing positives
• Developing Proofing/Bluelines
• Pasting
• Making of plates
• The Press-Check
• Printing
• Drying
• Lamination
• Folding
• Binding
• Cutting
• Packing

Some clients are willing to spend a few extra bucks in order to use special printing effects. These are either companies who sell big-ticket items such as condominiums and financial services, or firms that are looking to impress clients and stockholders with fancy corporate capabilities brochures and annual reports. Some of these special effects are discussed below.

These two processes give the printed matter on the paper a raised (embossed) or a depressed (debossed) impression. Designers use three-dimensional impressions through embossing and debossing to create a “positive disturbance” in the mind of the reader. This also creates an element of surprise as the reader is accustomed to seeing flat, two-dimensional design elements in a printed matter.

You can cut your printed advertising and promotional material in different interesting shapes by using dies. A die is made of the shape that you are interested in cutting the printed material. If the brochure is in a rectangle or square shape, dies are not required for cutting. Such shapes can be cut with the help of the cutting machine without preparing a die. However, any other shape would need a custom die to be made which would involve additional cost.

Foil stamping is used in college diplomas and professional certificates to create the effect of an official seal. This same interesting effect can be created on advertising and promotional material like brochures.

In thermography, raised letters are created by heat. The raised letters that this process creates are often used on the cover of a brochure to give the reader a pleasing experience. The items commonly printed by the thermography process are visiting cards, letterheads and greeting cards. Thermographed printed materials look like embossed ones.

Colours can be enhanced during printing by overprinting a gloss or matte varnish – or a combination of both. For example, a gloss varnish could be added to the photographs in a brochure to bring out the brilliance of the colours. Then the rest of the page could be treated with a matte or dull varnish for an attractive contrast. A varnish will also protect dark-coloured pages from becoming nicked, scratched or marred by fingerprints.