Digital Printing: 6 Things You Didn’t Know About

Digital printing offers an exciting way to convert digital media into print forms, but there are many things users don’t know about this technology. In this article, we share the secrets to getting a great digital print. Here are six things you didn’t know about digital printing.

The Technology Used & How it Works

In digital printing, the image is transferred digitally from a computer to a digital printing machine. Digital printing is a process that uses electrostatic rollers, commonly called drums. These devices apply toner to sheets of paper, and this is done in much the same way an inkjet printer does it. The digital printing process involves printing on different media, such as paper, fabric, acrylic, and plastic.

Typically, the ink or toner forms a thin layer on the surface and does not penetrate the substrate. Toner is adhered to the substrate using a fuser fluid with a heat process, and ink is rendered to the substrate using a UV curing process.

The Cost Might Surprise You – To an Extent

Digital printing is more expensive per page than traditional methods. However, digital printing eliminated the need for aluminum plates, reducing overall costs. It is also possible to print on demand, and images are edited quickly for each impression. Because of its labour savings and fast-growing capabilities, digital printing is slowly catching up with offset printing in terms of quality and speed of delivery. You can easily print thousands of sheets in a minimal amount of time and at a low cost with digital printing.

It’s Best to Use High-Resolution Images

You can be sure that your project will turn out great when you use a high-resolution image for the job. Low-resolution images may cause problems like blurry prints and pixelation. That’s why using higher resolution images is important because you won’t have to worry as much about re-sizing issues.

Print and digital images use different metrics for printing. When an image is printed, it is created by dots called pixels. If you’re printing with digital photos, it’s important that you provide the correct dimensions and resolution before printing in order to avoid any costly mistakes or issues down the line with quality control. 

Make sure it has at least 300 PPI (pixels per inch)–the higher number is better cause it results in a sharper print with more details. Multiply 300 by the dimensions of your print marketing material because 300 PPI is the standard for printing. For example, a 7×5 print will need to be 1200×1800 pixels.

You Must Extend Your Artwork to the Bleed

Bleed refers to the printing process that includes colour graphics or text that extends to the edge of a sheet, where the document will be trimmed. That means it runs out of allocated space, and it needs to be cut off. 

The bleed is also the part that gives the printer extra space to account for paper movement and design inconsistencies. A professional printer will trim your document’s edges. So you don’t get any white spaces or blemishes. 

If you are working with a professional printer, be sure to know what their ‘safe area’ is. Designing your product with a bleed area will guarantee the best possible outcome.

You Have to Embed All Unique Fonts

Many companies have created fonts that are unique to their brands. Some people also bought pre-made fonts for their businesses. Embedding fonts means saving the font in its entirety. 

When you open your document on another computer or send it to a printer, the software will recognize it as an image rather than a font. This prevents the computer from converting it to a more standardized font like Calibri or Arial.

You should always get the right font before you try to embed it into your design. A professional printing service will know which fonts are most appropriate for particular projects, so make sure to ask them beforehand. The easiest way to embed your font is by converting the entire document into a PDF. 

You Should Always Work with a Trusted Professional

If you’re looking for a way to make your marketing materials pop, then digital printing might be the answer. With Mixto, you can produce everything from Custom plastic card design and printing to on-demand printing for promotional and membership materials. Mixto is a company that has been in the industry for 20 years and provides other services such as fulfillment services and secure mail, warehouse and inventory control solutions, RFID technology, and smart cards.

Mixto can help you get started with digital printing. Contact us today.