Offset or digital printing? A plain guide for cards, flyers and bill books

Your sign brings people in; print goes home with them. Cards, flyers, menus and bill books are small, but customers hold them in their hands, so they need to look like the same business as your shopfront. The first decision is which press to print on.

How offset printing works

Offset printing transfers ink from metal plates, through a rubber blanket, onto paper. Each colour has its own plate. Making the plates takes time and money, but once the press is running, every extra sheet costs very little.

• Best for: larger quantities, exact brand colours and long runs of the same design.
• Good at: solid colours, fine text and a consistent result from the first sheet to the last.

How digital printing works

Digital printing sends the file straight to the machine, like a large office printer. There are no plates, so a short run is ready fast.

• Best for: small quantities, quick jobs and prints where each copy is different (names, numbers, QR codes).
• Good at: speed and flexibility.

Which one for your job?

• Business cards: offset for a standard order for the whole team; digital for a few boxes in a hurry.
• Flyers and brochures: offset from about 1,000 copies; digital for a short run or a test.
• Letterheads and envelopes: offset, so the brand colour stays the same on every sheet.
• NCR bill books: offset, numbered, in 2 or 3 parts, with your trade licence and VAT details.

If you are not sure, tell us the quantity and the date you need it, and we will recommend the cheaper route.

Matching your brand colour

Screens show colour in RGB light; presses print in CMYK ink. A blue that glows on your phone can print dull if nobody checks it. We match print to the colours of your sign and logo, and send a proof before anything goes on press.

Paper and finish

• Matt for a calm, readable look; silk for photos.
• Soft-touch lamination for cards that feel premium in the hand.
• Spot UV to make a logo shine against a matt card.
• Heavier card for business cards; lighter paper for flyers that go out in quantity.

Files that print well

1. Send a PDF with 3 mm bleed on every side.
2. Keep text at least 3 mm inside the cut line.
3. Use outlined fonts or embed them, and 300 dpi images.

No print file? We can lay out the card, flyer and bill book from your logo and send proofs before printing. See our offset printing page or ask for a quote.