Get On the Digital Train, Or Get Off the Track



Photo Courtesy of Mollie Kwiek Photography
https://www.facebook.com/molliekwiekphotography



47% of all print volume will be projects under 2,000 finished pieces.--Taken from a recent NewPage Digital Presentation by Michelle Garrett

I've been on a mission lately, to learn more about digital printing.

I figured I better get on the digital knowledge train, or get off the track altogether. So this blogpost is the first in a series of posts to share with you what I have learned. Even though some of it may be things you already know. I figure there might be some of you out there who have also resisted change and who were clinging to the hope that someday offset printing would rebound and be restored to its former glory. Like I was.

But change is good. Knowledge is good. And, you can teach an old dog, new tricks.

With that in mind, I have traveled and toured two places so far. Both were gracious and welcoming and answered all my (dumb) questions. Yes, I admit some of mine were a little out there.

While there are many players in the digital arena, I learned there are basically three big ones: HP Indigo, Kodak Nexpress and the Xerox I-Gen. I also learned that of the three, two use a dry toner/heat based process...the Nexpress and the I-Gen, and the Indigo uses a liquid ink/cold process.

Why is that important? Well, because it affects the paper selection. And because heat melts and paper curls. So proper paper selection is important. So proper grain direction is important. So sheet sizes are important. (Certain equipment has maximum sheet sizes and for digital sizes we aren't talking 25 x 38 or 23 x 35, we are talking, the largest sheets are 13 x 19, 14 x 20, or smaller. )

When Indigo presses first came out, they needed a special sapphire treated paper. Now mills are introducing digital options that are HP Indigo certified (without the need for the sapphire treatment and without the short shelf life it had) and most of those will also work in the other equipment. Yay!

That means....you now have choices for the paper used for your digital print job.

When digital presses first came to the forefront I was of little help in suggesting paper for digital jobs. Mostly because the machines were so new that printers were only using papers recommended by the manufacturer of the press. But I am happy to say that things are different now.  The paper industry has caught up (somewhat) and you now have choices, sized appropriately, and with the proper grain direction. 

And now that you do, I have already heard rumors to the effect that the cost of the job goes up, if you choose your own paper. Please don't let anyone tell you that, as a general rule, choosing your own paper is the reason the cost of a job goes up. If you are switching from an uncoated cover to a pearlescent cover, then Yes, the cost will most likely go up. But apples to apples, No, it most likely will not.

Keep in mind that paper for a digital printing job is only a small portion of the overall cost of that job. It might be worth it to pay a little more for a unique paper that gets your piece noticed.

The list of paper options for digital printing is growing (almost weekly)...let's discover together what works for your next job.

I will, as usual, ask you a lot of questions.
I will, as usual, dash some of your paper hopes.
I will, as usual, help you to make the best selection I can.

Stay tuned....more digital knowledge to come.