Are you currently looking to promote your business with a flyer distribution campaign, but unsure what sort of print to go for? If you choose the wrong option, you could literally waste hundreds of pounds on print. Get it right, and you can save a fortune... so let's look at the pros and cons.
What is litho print?
Litho print is where the flyers (or whatever else you're printing) is printed on a lithographic printer. The artwork is burned onto a metal plate with a laser and then placed on a printing press. The result is that when transferred to the paper, the flyer is very smooth.
What is digital print?
Digital printing is a much newer approach to print and has no need plates through a press or any other time-consuming setup processes. However, don't mistake it for a home printer; it certainly isn't! When you feel a digitally printed item the ink is recognisably raised, this is because the ink lays on top of the surface.
What are the advantages of litho print?
Litho print is by far more economical on large print runs, usually anything 1,000 upwards. Also, the more you print, the more economies of scale work in your favour. Furthermore, the quality is often noticeably higher with greater consistency of colour. So if you are looking for a flyer distribution campaign you always should use litho print.
What are the advantages of digital print?
Digital print is ideal for fast and short print runs. If you are looking for a few hundred flyers and need them the next day, digital print is your best option. Also, if you need something slightly different on each flyer such as a code for a raffle ticket, digital print can fulfil this. If you are printing off a few hundred flyers, digital may be cheaper.
What at the disadvantages of litho print?
Litho print takes ages to set up, and the typical turnaround is one week. Also, at small print runs, it can be expensive. For instance, we only have about £30 difference between a 5,000 print run and a 10,000 print run!
What are the disadvantages of digital print?
Firstly, the quality tends to be lower than litho. If you're a little OCD like me, then the raised feeling of the ink on the paper may irritate you. At anything over 2,000 flyers, the price becomes very expensive, much more so than litho.
Which should you choose?
This is dependent on the purpose of what you're printing. Usually, people print flyers to have them distributed door to door, if this is the case, then you need to be using a litho print. A door to door distribution is only effective when done in the thousands as apples to the hundreds. Digital is ideal if you are printing a few hundred only, maybe if you need some business cards in a rush.
What about printing stationery items?
The same rules apply here. We, as a strict rule, guarantee to print any order of 500 or more as a litho print, despite the higher costs to us involved. This is because we are passionate about the quality, and I personally don't like the quality (or lack of) that digital gives. This is why we now provide stationery printing – so that you, our clients, don't have the hassle of finding quality stationery printing at sensible prices online. For more on stationery printing click here.
How to order?
If you're looking to order some flyers, or some business stationery all you need to do is email your artwork over, and we can process the order straight away for you. If you don't have artwork, don't worry; we can do that for you no problem. Email [email protected] or call 01484 598555 and we can talk you through things and recommend accordingly.
*UPDATE* We have now launched a full business print management service, which you can read more on by clicking here
