Offset printing is a printing technique where the inked image is "offset" from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface. When combined with the lithographic process, (based on the repulsion of oil and water) the offset technique employs a flat image carrier on which the image to be printed obtains ink from ink rollers, while the non-printing area attracts a water-based film (fountain solution), keeping the non-printed areas ink-free.

Offset printing is the most common form of high-volume commercial printing, due to advantages in quality and efficiency in high-volume jobs. The more you print, the less you pay per page. Most of the price is in the preparation (imaging and plate-making) before the first sheet of paper is even printed. Additional paper printing only costs the client paper and ink prices, which is very minimal. While modern digital presses are getting closer to the cost/benefit of offset for high-quality work, they still cannot compete with the sheer volume of product that an offset press can produce. Furthermore, many companies using offset presses (Whitman included) use computer to plate systems as opposed to older computer to film workflows, further increasing quality.

Advantages of offset printing compared to other printing methods include:

• Consistent high image quality. Offset printing produces sharp and clean images and type because the rubber blanket conforms to the texture of the printing surface.
• Quick and easy production of printing plates.
• Longer printing plate life because there is no direct contact between the plate and the printing surface. Properly developed plates running in conjunction with optimized inks and fountain solution may exceed printing runs of a million impressions.
• $$$$ Cost. Offset printing is the cheapest method to produce high quality printing in commercial printing quantities.

Disadvantages of offset printing compared to other printing methods include:

• Slightly inferior image quality compared to rotogravure or photogravure printing.
• Propensity for printing plates to become sensitive and print in non-image/background areas when developed plates are not cared for properly.
• Time and cost associated with producing plates and printing press setup. As a result, small quantity printing jobs are now moving to digital printing machines.

Offset Printing is Best Suited for :

• Sales and Marketing Materials
• Business Cards
• Letterheads and Newsletters
• Brochures
• Books
• Presentation Folders