Digital vs Flexographic Printing
What is Flexographic Printing?
- A method of printing that uses flexible printing plates made of rubber or plastic.
- Each plate is rotated on a cylinder and coated with fast-drying ink.
- The material is passed between the print plate and impression roller.
- Commonly used for product labels and direct thermal labels.
What is Digital Printing?
- Files are sent directly from your computer to the press operating system.
- Digital technology prints images directly onto the material instead of requiring plates.
- Digital printing presses deposit toner onto the material (substrate).
Benefits of Flexographic Printing
- Enhanced durability: the best solution for labels that require a longer shelf-life or those that will be used outdoors.
- Speed of production: uses fast-drying inks that allow presses to add one color after the next quickly; laminating, die-cutting, cold foiling, other options can be integrated to the press line, making production continuous, even for large quantities.
- Color precision: inks can be mixed by hand to control color output.
- Lower cost for large scale print jobs.
Benefits of Digital Printing
- Minimal setup: plates do not need to be created, allowing for quick turnaround times for large and small jobs.
- Higher image quality: digital images are printed as one image, rather than on layers, which results in higher resolution images.
- Lower cost for short runs: minimal setup time eliminates a high starting price, resulting in a lower cost for short runs.
- Flexibility: labels can be changed or updated easily at little or no additional cost, and there are no color limitations.
Drawbacks of Flexographic Printing
- Plate cost: plates have to be made or purchased for each color in the image, requiring a high start-up cost.
- Registration: movement and shifting occurs as printed labels move from one plate to the next, making it nearly impossible to layer colors precisely, resulting in lower quality.
Drawbacks of Digital Printing
- High cost of large runs: digitally printed labels are more expensive individually, and digital presses have a limit to their efficiency, making them less affordable for large print jobs.
- Less durable: laminate can be added to increase durability, but these labels generally aren't able to last as long as flexographic labels.
- Lower color accuracy: color range is limited and more difficult to control.
- Limited materials: cannot print on heat-sensitive materials, since digital presses use a heat-sensitive process.