There are a variety of ways to get a job printed: dye-sublimation, flexography, litho offset, silk screening, letterpress, engraving, and digital imaging. Even within those topics there could be several more choices – it all depends on several factors:
- how will the piece be used
- who is the audience
- does it need to stand time and continued use
- what quantities do you need
- budget consideration
- deadline needs
- how is the artwork prepared
Short-Run or Deadline Driven Projects may require running your job on digital imaging systems or DI (Direct Image) Presses. Both can usually meet deadline requirements, but also vary in cost. Under 500 copies: the digital imaging systems would work best – above that to 1000 a DI press would be suitable.
Book or Manual Work can be created on Docutech systems or similar high-production copiers that can use B&W and Color together – binding may be an issue. Perfect binding looks nice, but coil binding will stand time and use.
Plastics and Packaging works best with flexography. Items like plastic bags, disposable cups, and candy bar wrappers.
Silk Screening is the choice for t-shirts and imprints on most promotional items. There are service franchises like EmbroiderMe that can silk screen digitally onto t-shirts and produce several in less than a day.
I’ll revisit this topic again.
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Printing in Atlanta
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