A lot of times these days, people think that the newest technology is the best way to go. Anything that is newer is better, right? While there are benefits to having the latest and greatest, sometimes it is better to go the old school route. This is especially true with things like printing and platesetters. If you think that there is not room for a platesetter in the world of printing today, you are mistaken. The traditional way of printing is through the offset printing process and depending upon the situation, it may still be the best option for you. However, a lot of people today are too quick to decide that using laser printers is a better option just because they are newer and higher on the “cool” scale. This is not to say that there have not been technological advances in offset printers, because they have been. But a lot of people assume (incorrectly) that laser printers are better just because they are newer.
Much of the decision process depends upon the quality of printing that you need. It is much easier for offset printers to produce very high quality prints that a laser printer can’t duplicate. Another huge benefit is that the prints can be enlarged through the offset printing process much better than through laser printing. Offset printers have the ability to produce more than four thousand dots for each square inch on the paper. Another big benefit is that the colors from the offset printing end up being a lot darker than if a laser printer were used.
This type of equipment is typically very expensive so most people don’t buy it unless they have a business that is dependent upon having the ability to print very high quality work. If this is the case, usually it is best to look for used machines instead of buying one that is brand new. These machines typically last a very long time so if you can find a used machine from a reliable source, it is a good idea to go ahead and make the purchase.
If you need high quality printing, but do not own a printing business, you will need to find someone to outsource the work to. Before you do this, you should ask around to other people who may have needed to hire a printer to see who they would recommend. If you give your print to a good printer and a bad printer, you will get very different results so it makes sense to spend a little extra time to make sure you are using a good printer.
After you get several references from people who have outsourced some of their printing jobs, it is a good idea to get some examples of their work. This is because what someone else considers to be good work might not be the same thing based upon your own standards. Seeing the previous work that a printer did so you can judge the quality on your own is an essential step if you are going to hire a printer.
