Printing industry veteran with over 39 years of experience exposes the secrets that printing companies desperately hope you will never discover.
Can All Printing Companies Do The Same Job?
Based primarily on the equipment they have, printing companies operate within specific market segments.
Commercial printing is printing undertaken on a large scale. For large scale printing you need commercial printing machines. Commercial printing is one of the largest branches of the printing industry. Commercial printing machines find its application mainly in the publication of books, magazines, newspapers and outdoor advertising. Commercial printing machines are very useful in situations where bulk printing is to be finished in a specified time. Most commercial printing machines give better quality print than the residential printing machines. Commercial printing is also important when the user wants the copies to be folded, stapled, embossed or stamped. Commercial printing usually costs more than ordinary printing, but they produce better copies than the others.
Commercial printing machines require certain additional facilities for functions such as lithography, photo printing and full color printing. Commercial lithographic printing is the process of printing artwork on a smooth surface. The lithography process usually requires an entire print block to come in contact with the sheet of paper. This paper gets the desired image with the help of a chemical process. Since the print used in the lithographic process is flat, it is also known as the planographic print process. There are many industries having lithographic printing of letterheads, labels and other high demand stationary items. Commercial lithographic printing process is the ideal method for printing text and illustrations. It can be used in general commercial printing, quick printing and printing of business forms and legal documents.
Going to a printing company with a highly complicated printing job specification is like going to the neurologist for a sprain. They may be doctors, but a specialist is what you need. This drives us to the point that not all print jobs are the same. They require different kinds of technology, different levels of involvement, and even different time tables.
All printing companies that provide their service for profit is a commercial printer. Most commercial printers provide a variety of printing services. Knowing just what or who you need is important if you have a complex printing project or if you are just starting out to explore the printing industry.