CONTACT INFO
  • Our office Al Qusais, Dubai
    United Arab Emirates
  • Phone +971 523 736220
  • Email info@colourwaves.ae

Offset services

  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Service
  4. »
  5. Offset services

What is Offset Printing and How It Benefits Your Business?

Offset printing is a commonly used printing technique that can help businesses like yours create high-quality print materials in an efficient and cost-effective manner. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore what exactly offset printing is, its key benefits, the offset printing process from start to finish, how it compares to other printing methods, and some of the top frequently asked questions about offset printing.

What Is Offset Printing?

Offset printing is a widely-used printing process in which inked images on printing plates are indirectly transferred (or offset) onto rubber blankets and then onto the printing surface. It works on the principle of water and oil repulsion – the non-image areas attract water and repel oil-based inks, while the image areas repel water and accept ink.

This allows for excellent image reproduction onto all kinds of printing surfaces like paper, cardstock, plastic, and more. The offset printing process delivers consistency, sharpness, vibrant colors, and fine detail that is hard to achieve with other printing methods.

Benefits of Offset Printing

There are many good reasons why offset printing has endured as the most popular printing technique for over a century across commercial print jobs big and small. Here are some of the standout benefits of using offset printing services:

Cost-Effective for Large Print Runs

Offset printing has very high setup costs but extremely low per-unit costs, making it the most affordable option for bulk printing jobs exceeding 1,000-2,000 copies. The more copies you print, the lower the per-unit price becomes.

Outstanding Print Quality

Offset printing produces incredibly sharp images with fine detail and layers, vibrant colors, and excellent consistency across massive print runs. The high print quality makes offset printing suitable for premium branding and packaging applications.

Wide Material Compatibility

Ink dries instantly on the non-porous printing blankets allowing offset printing onto all kinds of materials like glossy paper, metal, plastic, glass and more. This allows endless applications like catalogs, brochures, product packaging, labels, greeting cards, and many types of promotional prints.

Special Effects Capabilities

Offset printing supports special finishes and effects like spot UV, embossing and debossing which can take your brand packaging and collateral to the next level. Metallic and fluorescent inks also help grab attention on store shelves.

Environmentally Friendly

Offset printing uses water-based inks which release far less Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere compared to other methods. Recyclable and biodegradable inks are also increasingly being used to reduce environmental impact.

The Offset Printing Process Step-By-Step

To gain a better understanding of the offset printing process, let’s break it down step-by-step from art creation to the final printed output:

Step 1 - Digital Artwork Creation

The process begins with creating the artwork design files (vector or raster files) for the print job. Our in-house graphic design team excels at branding and creative design for print and can help in case you need assistance with graphics and layouts.

Step 2 – Film Processing

Next, the finished design files are processed to create film negatives which are used to make the pre-sensitized metal printing plates. Each color in the design requires a separate film negative and printing plate. Specialized image-setting machines precisely expose the films.

Step 3 – Platemaking

The film negatives are used to expose and sensitize the metal printing plates corresponding to each color. The plates are coated with a light-sensitive chemical layer. Ultraviolet light exposure burns the image onto the plates which are then developed. The non-image areas become water-receptive.

Step 4 – Plate Mounting

Next, each printing plate is mounted onto the plate cylinder of the corresponding offset printing press unit allocated to reproduce that color. Alignment marks help mount the plates precisely.

Step 5 – Set Up Printing Press

Before printing begins, the offset printing press needs to be calibrated, test sheets printed, ink levels set, and substrate loaded to ensure excellent print quality. Printing speeds and pressure also need appropriate adjustments.

Step 6 – The Printing Process

fountain solution wets the plate, inking rollers transfer ink, and the image is offset onto the rubber blanket cylinder. The cylinder then transfers the image to the substrate (paper, cardboard, etc.), repeating the process for high-speed printing with precise ink transfer.

Step 7 – Print Finishing

Post printing, the printed materials may be finished via die-cutting, folding, binding or other special finishes before delivery. We have top-class in-house finishing capabilities for packaging prototypes, brochure binding and more.

How Offset Printing Compares to Other Printing Methods

Now that you understand the offset printing process, let’s discuss how it stacks up against some other popular printing technologies:

  • Offset Printing vs. Digital Printing Digital printing uses variable data printing instead of fixed plates to transfer images directly onto the substrate. It’s ideal for shorter print runs below 500 copies like personalised prints as it eliminates plate costs. However quality is lower compared to offset printing.
  • Offset Printing vs. Screen Printing Screen printing uses stencils and ink directly applied in open areas using a roller or squeegee. It gives bolder color effects on top of products and is popular for t-shirt printing but doesn’t match offset for fine detail and gradations.
  • Offset Printing vs. Flexographic Printing Flexographic printing uses flexible relief plates, making it good for flexible packaging and labels. But offset printing offers superior print quality for marketing collateral and publishing applications demanding high detail.
  • Offset Printing vs. Gravure Printing Gravure printing engraves images below the cylinder surface to carry ink. The high cost of engraved cylinders makes it unsuitable for shorter runs. Offset printing is more versatile and cost-effective for most applications except very high volume publishing/packaging print jobs.

Why Choose Colour Waves for Your Offset Printing in Dubai?

As an established Offset Printing and Packaging Company in Dubai with years of experience and a highly skilled workforce, Colour Waves is uniquely positioned to deliver exceptional offset printing services tailored for businesses in the UAE.

Here are some key reasons to choose us as your trusted offset printing partner:

  • All Under One Roof Convenience of top-quality offset printing, design, and finishing services from concept to completion without any need for you to coordinate with multiple vendors.
  • Highest Quality Standards Our Heidelberg offset presses combined with color management excellence and strict QA allow us to deliver the sharpest, most vibrant and color accurate prints in Dubai consistently.
  • Cost and Time Savings Our buying power, production efficiency and large manufacturing scale translate into very reasonable costs for our clients. Quick turnarounds too.
  • Trusted By Leaders Our unmatched offset printing capabilities have made us the choice of leading banks, retailers, hospitality groups, educational institutions and corporates in the UAE.
  • Eco-Friendly We utilize recycling initiatives, sustainable materials, energy-efficient machines and responsibly dispose waste to minimize environmental impact from our printing operations.
  • Highly Personalized Service Each client works with a dedicated account manager providing tailored solutions, prompt support and regular project updates from start to finish.

FAQ's

Offset printing can print full color images incorporating 4 colors (CMYK) or more special colors. We use extended gamut 6/7 color printing to achieve even wider color ranges accurately matching brand colors and packaging requirements.

Yes, offset printing requires creating aluminum plates coated with light-sensitive chemicals for transferring ink onto the substrates. Each color in the artwork needs a separate plate. Digital printing does not require plates.

Offset printing can print an incredibly diverse range of print marketing materials like brochures, posters, folders, catalogs, magazines, books, product packaging, labels, business cards, invitations etc.

Offset printing is most cost-effective for print quantities over 1,000-2,000 copies. For lower volumes, digital printing can be cheaper as it avoids plate costs. Large volume offset print runs bring down the per unit price.

Simple black and white offset printing jobs can be turned around the same day or within 1-2 days. For color printing with finishing, standard turnaround is 3-5 days but we have capability for quicker express delivery if needed urgently.

Yes, offset printing works beautifully for glossy, matte and even textured finishes. The smooth offset blanket transfers the ink onto any type of material surface evenly. Special finishes like spot UV and foil stamping can further enhance aesthetics.

The versatility of offset printing allows it to print onto all kinds of materials including metal, wood, glass, fabrics, plastic and many more – not just paper. The applications are endless.

Offset printing is considered among the more environmentally friendly printing methods because it utilizes water-based inks instead of solvents, releases fewer VOC emissions, and minimizes waste. Recycled and biodegradable inks further reduce environmental impact.

Offset printing cost depends on size, number of colors, paper quality, post-print finishing needs, and order quantity. Higher quantities bring down the per unit costs. Our pricing is very competitive without compromising on quality.

For best offset printing results, we require high resolution 300 dpi print-ready CMYK files in formats like press quality PDF, JPEG, TIFF or packaged InDesign files. Our prepress team can optimize your artwork for flawless printing.

For any additional questions about our digital printing services or process, please contact us today and one of our representatives will be happy to provide answers tailored to your specific needs. Discover how our adaptable digital printing capabilities can empower your organization’s success.

Get Your Next Printing Project Done Right!

We hope this detailed guide has helped you better understand what goes into quality offset printing and how our specialized offset printing services at Colour Waves can meet your business printing needs in Dubai. To get started with your next offset printing project or to learn more about our end-to-end design and printing capabilities, contact us today! Our experts are happy to provide guidance and craft creative solutions optimized for your brand and objectives.

Sijoy: 05 55 71 2088
Ajith: 05 23 73 6220