Toolbox

Printing Methods

Method	Preferred for	Advantages	Disadvantages
Silkscreen Printing	Posters POP Advertising Decoration Cube marking	Impression on large areas Impression on any surface Reduced cost (inks) Flexibility	Sharpness reduced compared to the offset Drying oven required The surface might need to be treated
Digital Printing	Short series	Cost reduced (for short series) Low initial investment	Possible materials limited Size limited
Typography (cylinder plate)	20 to 30 000 copies Small formats (tags, overprints,…)	Printing quality : steady (even on rough materials) Short Series Easy conservation for additional uses	Production weaknesses: Long deadlines One process per color Files are difficult to revise
Lithography	Posters Boards Transfers	Sharpness of the details Soft shades for color illustrations	Important cost Long deadlines Imprecise Outline
Offset	Qualitative Editions Polychromy	Fast Soft images (up to 10 colors + polish)	Difficult realization on several materials Expensive , especially for short series
Photocopy	Every documents	From the original No file required	Quality reduced compared to the original Size limited