The printing industry isn’t a very lucrative one when compared with other sectors. There is a boom right now in the market and dealing with a print job is not what everyone desires for. The printing industry has its own importance in our country. Along with the packaging one, it is growing at a pace that is helpful for not only the people associated with it but also the Indian economy. If you look at the figures, you will notice how staggering the numbers are. In 2017, the industry grew at 3 percent to touch the figures of 303 billion rupees which isn’t a figure that can be undermined. There are more than 2.5 lakh small, medium and big companies. Now, if we specifically talk about the work that is done in the industry, there are some errors which are made while performing a print job. Some of the common ones are mentioned below –

• Low-cost job

Saving on the cost is everyone’s priority and is not just limited to a print job. It’s very obvious that whenever it comes to completing a job, brands want to save money. And this is why they opt for the ones that give them decent prices. But it can backfire. It isn’t recommended to select a printing company just because they are cheap on the pocket. You should look at their sample work and what they have done in the past. Look at what their clients have to say about them and then only finalize them.

• Commitment phobic company

There are hundreds of printing companies in a particular city. Go out and ask about them and all of them will boast of being the best. They promise you to give the finest services when it comes to a print job but its easier said than done. Commitment is much more than just saying that you will do your best. It involves different aspects such as replacement of faulty products, robust after-sales and a helpline in case of any queries. Don’t make the mistake of partnering up with any company that does not promise of all these features.

• Not every machine is same

Selecting a good company is a headache in itself as the process of choosing the best can be a bit tiring. But the headache is not over yet. Now comes the process of selecting the best machines to do the print job. Printing is much more than just running the paper through the printing press. The machine that you use should be ideal for the job you have to finish. Some machines are made specifically to perform printing of posters and leaflets whereas others are made keeping fast turnaround in mind. The onus is on you to find out the machine that is perfect to your fitting.

• Not having a specialist

State-of-the-art equipment is something that will help you in the longer run. Every paper industry has that and it is the right way to go ahead. However, the equipment is as good as the person who is operating it. The operator should have the necessary skills to get the best out of the machine. Otherwise, the machine will be rendered useless. A skilled individual is what you should aim at once you have the perfect machine. The success of any print job depends on the shoulder of the person who is operating the equipment.

• Grammatical errors

All the points mentioned above do not touch any technical points. They are just what you need to do to get the best output. This particular point touches that aspect. A print job needs to look aesthetically beautiful and also needs to be correct in grammatical language. The content of the print is also an important factor. A lot of time and effort are put in writing that content and therefore any grammatical errors can be disappointing. You may not realize the mistakes you make and therefore, need to be double sure for that.

• Other mistakes

Always be in touch with your printing partners. Being in touch and communicating with them will help you be on the same page. Discussing an ongoing project is always a good idea. There is no chance of miscommunication if you do this. Sometimes, they are able to give you some ideas that you wouldn’t have thought of. Having a different perspective always helps. Some of the other common mistakes include bleeding blunders, Wrong resolution, Wrong time estimation etc.

The whole process of color printing goes back to 1977. But we cannot forget the technological advancements made in earlier times. The concept of printing is dated back to 1900 when Kolbus started producing bindery machines. This machine became very popular and remained in production for 55 years. Then came the era of advertising agencies. One of the earliest names is McCann Erickson in New York. It was a very important milestone as it shaped the future of color printing. If there were no basic printing press, then there would have been no color printers. With the help of computer technology and modern electronic printing, it became a reality.

Cut to 1977, color printing became a reality. It was available to the general consumers in the 1980s but still, it lacked the initial push needed for any technology. The main reason was the price involved in colored printing. Colored copies were costly to buy and everyone shied away from them. During the start of 90s, color printing came to its full force. It’s because of the cost came down and technology also developed. If you want to know about this printing in detail, you have to know all about the color theory.

But before that, let us have a basic introduction about color printing. There are many different techniques to reproduce the images in color. We will start with the RGB pattern first.

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RGB Model

Red, Blue and Green (RGB) are mainly used in printers and projectors. We, humans, see colors in light waves. Mixing light is only possible by mixing red, blue and green colors. If you want the color to become lighter, then you need more light. RGB’s are used as primary colors and the further colors are created by mixing them. How do you use RGB in color printing? Whenever you hear any printing agency or company say they are using the RGB model, what they mean is they accept normal RGB format files. This type of file is preferred by every computer and mobile device as it effectively and efficiently represent different colors on your screen.

These Red, Blue and Green are coded in a language that is understood by the computer. RBG is also known as additive system as the color tone is created by adding these colors in proper proportion. Not only the computer screen emits light in a perfect way but also can change the intensity of every color emitted which will help you in your color printing. Let us take an example for better understanding. If you want the logo of your brand to be printed in color, and the color process is not correct, the logo will appear muddy. This is why it is advised to use RGB when working with files for any screen.

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CMYK Model

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key represents the CMYK model. It refers to the four different types of inks used in color printing. Any type of color you see on a physical surface uses this type of model. It is also known as subtractive color mixing model. The process works by masking the colors on a lighter background. The reason why it’s known as the subtractive model is that it subtracts the Red, Blue and Green color from white light. It will be fair to call it just like opposite of RGB model.

Almost every computer uses CMYK model. Even the ones you use at your home and office. That is why it is very important to understand the CMYK model. The color displayed by the surface depends on the parts which are not absorbed and thereby remain visible. The printer cartridge has four different colors – Cyan(C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y) and Black(K). Now, why should you care? Let us consider that you have received a full-color brochure order. In color printing of this massive scale, you can also go for RGB too but that will inflate your bill. The accuracy will be there but there also will be massive costs. Accurate color reproduction along with controlled costs can only be achieved with the help of subtractive color mixing method aka CMYK model.

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What are the advantages of color printing?

The impact of color printing is stronger than the normal black-and-white ones. We haven’t incorporated this type of printing in our daily lives as it is more expensive and the costs can be controlled by going with the conventional printing methods. There are many more advantages of using this printer. Some of them are explained below –

• Builds your reputation

Reputation is a big thing in any business. The name you built for yourself will take you a long way. Color printing gives you a sense of accomplishment and stability. According to a survey, 56 percent of people prefer this type of printing as it reinforces their professional image. Bigger and more established brands are inclined towards color printing as they have the budget and resources to go with it.

• Easy to distinguish

Color can be a great tool in distinguishing different things. Using color as a prime weapon in your print job yields great results. You can use color in your marketing campaigns in a neat manner. For ex – printing call-to-action in a distinguishable color makes it stand out and viewers are going to notice that.

• They are more compelling

Its all about being better from the competition. Color printing is the way out for you. If there are two different pages, people will prefer to read the one which is printed in color. Willingness to read the information increases by 80 percent. Color prints suit better to the eyes and therefore people become more interested in them.

• Higher retention value

When you are a brand with a sizeable audience then you have to keep in mind the interest of your existing customers. And color printing helps in retaining those customers. Be it a product launch or brand promotion, nothing works better than an array of colors.

The world of 3D Printing is quite huge. The credit for all this goes to the advancement of technology that is going on for years. We have come a long way from using a simple printing press to the age of 3D printers now. But what really is 3D Printing? What happens in its process? It is important to know the basic information before knowing its different types. In simple words, 3D printing is a manufacturing process of producing 3D objects from a digital file. The manufacturing of a three-dimensional solid object is done with the help of an additive process. The reason why this type of printing is preferred is that you are able to produce complex shapes using lesser materials as compared to the other traditional methods. Now, it can be used in many different fields. Some of the important ones are mentioned below –

• Fused Deposition Modeling

Just like any other 3D Printing method, this one is also an additive manufacturing process. There are different names given to it like Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) or Material Extrusion device. They are the most commonly available devices as the prices involved are quite controlled. Cross-sections can also be printed with the help of this type of modeling. Different layers are created until the final output is made. In some cases, additional support structures are added especially when the model has steep overhanging parts.

• Stereolithography (SLA)

Just like Fusion Deposition Modeling, this method is also known by different names such as Optical Fabrication or photo-solidification or resin printing. The basic method in this type of 3D Printing includes a high-powered laser to which hardens the liquid resin. It is put in a reservoir to create the required 3D shape. It is mainly done to create models, prototypes, patterns and production parts. It is a layer-by-layer process that came into being in 1986. They are not as famous as other methods but are the oldest than their contemporaries.

• Digital Light Processing

This is another printing process which uses video technology. Yeah! Video technology. This shows how much ahead we have moved into the technology sector. The whole process works with the help of photopolymers. It is very much similar to Stereolithography, the major difference being the light source. The most common use of this type of 3D Printing can be seen in rear projection in TVs. It was discovered by Larry Hornbeck in 1987 of Texas Instruments. As compared to SLA, they can achieve faster print times.

• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Just like other similar methods, this one is also a brainchild of the 1980’s. It was invented in 1986 by Carl Deckard. This type of 3D Printing is used when there is a laser as the main power source. During the process of SLS, small-sized particles of objects like plastic, ceramic or glass are joint together. This is done with the help of heat from a high-power based laser. The end result is a solid and three-dimensional object. After the product is fully formed, it is given some cooling off time before it is removed. One advantage of using this printing method is that there are no additional supports required.

• Material Jetting

The word jetting gives you a fair idea about what it means. The working of material jetting closely resembles that of a simple inkjet printer. In the former, the ink dropped onto the build tray whereas, in the latter, ink is dropped onto paper. A solid part is created by building multiple layers upon each other. Material Jetting 3D Printing is preferred as these type of printers are able to fabricate different objects without having an impact on the build speed. The parts are produced at a good pace.

• Sand Binder Jetting

Sand Binder Jetting is a low-cost 3D Printing method that is used to produce parts from sand, as the name implies. A polymer binding agent is used in this process. It is mainly used in the process of modeling and the creation of sand cast. In case of full-color models, PMMA powder is used along with a liquid binding agent. The main advantage of using this printing method is that at a very low cost, complex geometries are achieved.

The growth of Digital has been insane but there is LED UV Printing for the Printing industry to consider. Digital has a lot going for it in the business sector. Everyone is going gaga over the success it has achieved over the years. But that doesn’t mean the Printing Industry is dead. There are still many takers for this industry. You just need to find the right niche for your business idea and the success will be yours. If you look out in the market, you will notice many new developments taking place in this industry too. One of the best examples is the rise of LED UV Printing.

LED UV Printing is not your ideal and basic printing technique. When it comes to producing premium papers, this type of printing gives the best results. But what exactly happens in this type of printing? In this machine, the UV curing method increases the quality of the drying method which in turn increases the overall quality of the luxury brochures. It differs from other methods. It does not use heat and the drying is done with the help of light. The whole process is based on the photochemical reactions in which liquid monomers and oligomers are mixed with photoinitiators. In simple language, inks are placed on an underlying layer and the LED lights are exposed to the chemicals under the UV light range. There are many unique features of using LED UV Printing and that is why it comes with its own set of benefits. Some of them are explained below –

• Quick Turnaround

When we welcome a newer machine to our work, we expect it to set some new benchmarks and produce results that were not seen before. It is a natural ask when some investment is involved. This is also true for LED UV Printing. The most distinguishable feature of this machine is the unique drying method which is known as UV curing. Ultraviolet Curing, or commonly known as UV curing is a method in which high-intensity ultraviolet light is used used to dry inks. This is in a short period of time.

As it takes just a couple of seconds to dry off the ink, it is a preferred technology as compared to older technologies. Those technologies weren’t environmental friendly as they used to shrink the coatings in half. The total turnaround of printing jobs has now been reduced by around 40 percent. And the best part is that the quality is not at all compromised in doing all this. You get to achieve two different results with one machine.

• Environmental friendly

It is the time when everyone is doing their bit for the environment. Right from a single individual to a whole company, necessary initiatives are being taken to make our planet a better place to live. All the talks of global warming and the greenhouse effect have made us aware of the existing problems. As in this machine, LED UV technology is used, there is no evaporation of any solvent. Any kind of environmental pollutants is not formed. LED UV Printing machines have instant on/off functionality. This results in less use of power. The standby consumption between the jobs is reduced to a great number. If your company have sustainability goals, then this printer is a perfect fit for you. Your increased carbon footprint will reduce overall CO2 emissions.

• Material versatility

There are two categories of printing companies – one category is of the companies that do the ordinary work day in and day out and the other category is of the companies that believe in luxury work. This aim is achieved only when you use luxury products. Don’t stick with ordinary paper. Make sure that you take full advantage of the LED UV Printing paper. There are different types of paper such as silk, Constellation Snow, Lux, or even uncoated paper. Different varieties of paper provide unique advantages. That help your brochure stand out among the others. For ex – there is an embossed linen effect on the Constellation Snow which feels really smooth in the reader’s hands. Similarly, Lux has a unique texture which provides an understated and unique appearance. But if you want sharpest images, go with uncoated paper.

• Color enhancement

Colors play an important role in the mind of the user. The impression made by the colors is quite strong. Be it a piece of paper or any other product. You don’t have to worry about the effect of the colors in LED UV Printing Press as the colors are enhanced to their full potential. They give the perfect first impression required to please the customers. This becomes possible as the ink doesn’t sink into materials using a UV LED Machine. After printing, the colors come out to much brighter and vivid. You have a luxury paper with you and its job to show it in the best way possible. Nothing can be better than LED UV Printing.

• High-quality finishes

Quality is one aspect which cannot be compromised at all. There may be different categories and kind of clients which you are going to cater to. LED UV Printing uses a distinguished drying method. It ensures the final output is of the finest quality. The Ink set off is completely eliminated in this type of printing. An Ink set-off means when ink transfers from one sheet to the other. The cutting-edge technology ensures you are getting unparalleled results. Rest assured, you won’t have to worry about the quality of the output.

• Your service assurance

The final point explains how the work you do defines your position in the market. It proves to be of great importance. The quality of work you provide to the client shows the quality your company invests in. If the client feels that you have done great work, they will be impressed by it and will suggest you further. The quality associated with your name depends on the output that you provide to them. Keep this in mind and you are going to earn many happy clients!

The most amazing thing about being in the printing industry is to be a part of a large workspace. It includes working with different a set of individuals who have particular skills required for the job. And most importantly, learn all the intricate aspects of the job. This industry goes back a long time and there have been major developments made over the years. People need to understand the importance of the printing industry. They need to realize the work done by the individuals in this particular industry makes an impact on their daily life. Without this industry, it will be hard to imagine our lives, let alone live it.

Printing Industry makes up for many daily essentials which we may not think about but will definitely miss when not around. Any industry grows over time to be in sync with the modern time. Change is essential to grow for this industry. The same is also true for the printing industry. They have to accept the changes and move according to them quickly to stay relevant in this fast-paced world. 2018 was the year which presented them to the possibilities of digital in their department. There may be a different approach but the end goal is the same. The success of any organization will depend on the ability to embrace the trends. Faster the adoption rate, better will be the growth rate. The trends for the year of 2019 are explained below –

• Internet of Things (IOT)

The list will be started by the Internet of Things. Nothing can be better than IOT to start pointing out the latest trends. IOT is everywhere and this year, the printing industry will also be accustomed to it. In simple terms, the Internet of Things is a system of interrelated computing devices which have the ability to interact with each other without being physically connected. Everything happens with the help of an active Internet connection. MPS providers should analyze their opportunities to integrate their technology with enterprise IOT platforms.

MPS providers have a fair idea of what IOT really is and how it works. They have experience in managing devices like printers on the network. All of this is not new for them. The device monitoring helps in driving the performance, reliability, security, and continuity; all of which are quite important in the printing industry. IOT platforms also offer asset management, smart analytics, remote monitoring, and fault detection which gives an opportunity for it to be presented in the printing space.

• Portable printers

It is important to understand the importance of portable printers. With the advancement of technology, newer methods are being introduced to enhance user experience. Portable printers are a perfect example of that. More and more people are asking for these printers. As they are compatible with smart devices and other applications, their use has been preferred by many. If we consider the case of the printing industry, then portable printers enable the employees to work in remote spaces à la laptops and smartphones. According to a study, the demand for these is not going to slow down in the near future. The only thing to do for the organization is to beef up the security measures and keep up with the time.

• 3D Printing

Almost 10 years ago, 3D printer was released and it was termed as ‘affordable’ even though it cost more than 1.5 lac Rupees. Given the fact that 3D printing was deemed as just a dream, this price was not considered too much. But right now, 3D printing is available at an affordable rate. The technology has made it possible to reduce the prices for an average consumer. This has led to an increase in demand and the printing industry has also accepted it. In 2019, different verticals of this particular industry will leverage 3D technology. The added advantage of this technology includes creativity. People will get more creative and innovative while taking its full use. Right now, this industry is quite rigid and all the work is done traditionally. But as there are cost-effective methods to use 3D printing, alternate ways of making the same products are now there.

• Printed marketing materials

The paradigm is now shifting and every industry is now shifting towards digital marketing. The growth of digital is just astonishing and it has become an important aspect in any marketing plan. It does not mean printed materials have been on the back foot. Direct mail marketing is far more penetrative than e-mail marketing. Less than 30 percent of e-mails get opened whereas more than 90 percent of the direct mail is opened which gives it three times the edge. This form of marketing method has made a strong comeback in recent years and the progress of Digital Marketing is not hurting its chance. No matter the height reached by Digital Marketing, Printing Industry will still be relevant.

• Artificial Intelligence

Don’t be surprised if you are going to see AI in the printing industry soon. AI is present in various fields and has excelled all over. Printing is another industry where Artificial Intelligence is going to take over very soon. 2018 was the year when voice recognition capabilities emerged for printers. Better enhancements are expected in 2019. But a whole lot of it will also depend on the kind of partnership an organization has with bigshots like Amazon and Google. The capabilities are there. It just depends on the company to leverage the most out of it.

• Other factors

Expertise in the IT sector will surely help in 2019. It will help the sales and marketing department. In bigger organizations, hiring IT experts can be an effective way of gaining better clients in the age of digital. In the next 5 years, business owners will favor IT experts rather than traditional print suppliers. Then comes Managed Printing Services (MPS) in the cloud. This year, there will be cloud-delivered MPS prominence. All of these factors will contribute in shaping up the trends of the printing industry in 2019.

Offset Printing is not something new in the age of printing. It is an integral part of the whole printing industry. There are two ways to look at this industry. If you are a printing agency, then you have regular use of this type of printing. It is extensively used in your place and a good chunk of your revenue comes from it. The second point is to look at the user point of view. You may not know what exactly Offset Printing is as there are many technical terms involved in that but you know that your requirement will be fulfilled by this printing. This is why you go ahead with the services of an agency which can take care of the requirements as desired.

This is the era of digital technology and everyone is trying to upgrade themselves. The same also goes for the printing industry. There have been many new developments happening all around the Offset Printing and you need to consider the facts about all the different types before going ahead with the one whose use fits your requirement. Although, all the developments have brought out newer dimensions in this industry and the total clarity can only come when we know in detail about digital as well as Offset Printing. There are various points to consider. Some of the common differentiating points are mentioned below –

What is Offset Printing?

To make everything simple, let us begin with the common meaning of Offset Printing. In this technique, the inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket. It then moves on to the printing surface. The plates used in this technology are made up of aluminium. These plates help in the whole transfer process. The reason why it is known as Offset is because ink is indirectly transferred onto the paper. When larger quantities are required, it is the most preferred choice as they perform very smoothly once they are set up. They provide accurate color reproduction and crisp professional looking printing.

What happens in offset printing?

The process of Offset Printing is known as a lithographic process. The repulsion of oil and water is the main basis for the process of lithography. The offset printed image is separated into its fundamental colors. (It all depends on the color jobs which may be one, two, or even eight but here, we are moving ahead with four color job.) The four primary printing colors are – cyan, magenta, yellow and black. As the image is broken down into the aforementioned colors, four separate plates are made. There are two different areas on the plate. One area is receptive to the grass that holds onto the ink whereas the other area is receptive to water and repels the ink.

The plates are then put on to a press. The ink is pulled from the press and put onto the plate. External pressure is applied to the plate and the ink then imprints the image onto a rubber blanket. Finally, the four colors are printed onto each other and the image comes back. It then looks like the way it did in the PDF. The whole process happens very fast. One set of the plate is enough to make many different impressions. The process of Offset Printing is very efficient and the result is long lasting.

What is Digital Printing?

First things first. Digital Printing differs from traditional printing methods as there is no requirement of printing plates. In this type of printing method, the process is carried out from a digital-based image directly to a variety of media. The document can be shared from a desktop or your personal laptop to a printing substrate. It is done by a device that accepts text and graphics output. The information is digitized or reduced to binary code in simple terms. It is done to smooth down the process of its storage and reproduction. Digital printing presses print the image directly onto the media substrate without using any metal plates.

What happens in Digital printing?

As opposed to Offset Printing, Digital printing does not require replacing of printing plates like in lithography, flexography etc. There is a quicker turnaround as compared to other traditional types of printing. There are different types of digital printing but the most used methods include inkjet or laser printers. They function by depositing pigment or toner onto a different variety of substrates like paper, metal, glass, canvas and other similar substances. In this process, most of the times, the ink does not spread throughout the substrate. A thin layer is formed on the surface that is adhered to the substrate. It is done by using a fuser fluid with a heat process or UV curing process.

What are the advantages of Offset Printing?

• The quality of the image is unbeatable. Always expect clean and distinct images without any defects.
• Offset Printing gives you better color fidelity.
• You can work with it on a wide range of printing surfaces such as paper, wood, cloth, metal, leather etc.
• If you are producing a high quantity, the unit cost goes down.
• The quality can be increased as many modern offset presses use computer-to-plate systems.

What are the advantages of Digital Printing?

• Shorter turnaround
• It is quite accurate. Every print is similar as it comes with accurate counts, lesser waste and fewer variations.
• When compared with Offset Printing, the cost of each piece may be higher but there is cheaper low volume printing.
• Each print unit can be easily customized without any hassle which does not happen in other types of traditional printing.
• If you are looking to print smaller numbers, there is no initial cost or setup.

How to select the best?

There are different parameters to select the best form of printing. Some of them are mentioned below –

• Quantity – Go for digital printing if you have less quantity and choose Offset Printing for larger quantities.
• Printing Medium – Offset printing offers more flexibility.
• Proofing – Accurate color proofing is done better with Digital Printing.