An Exploration of Printing Techniques

Man has been engaged in printing for over 500 years. The original letterpress was invented by Gutenberg centuries ago. Since then the methodologies have improved consistently. The relatively recent advent of digital printing brought the art quickly into the information age. Color printing today is a truly advanced science.

There are many variations of printing which date back long before today's digital age. Engraving gave the final product a textured feel and is used for high end orders like a government official's private stationery. Thermography also resulted in a raised image, however it did not produce the same quality as the engraving process. Both engraving and thermography are obviously still in use to this day.

Screen printing was developed and entailed forcing the ink through a screen onto the object being printed. This method proved valuable for printing done on items not conducive to running through a press. A salient example is tee shirts. Similarly, flexography was developed to print words onto objects not able to be done with a screen. An example would be a round bottle. Screen printing obviously still has its place in today's printing world. This is seen at tee shirt shops in almost every mall in the country.

Today, printing can be done much faster. Electrostatic printing is akin to the process that occurs when normal office copiers are used. The printing power of one of these commonplace machines is eons ahead of what existed a century ago even at the highest level. However, the electrostatic process is far from today's cutting edge. Technology has made much greater leaps.

The current state of the art is digital color printing. Turning the image into binary code allows for its manipulation and enhancement. Digital color printing brings a power into today's small business owner that only existed for the largest of advertising houses only a few decades ago. So, how does digital printing benefit today's small business owner?

Digital color printing allows for very rapid production on a tight deadline. Today's business moves at the speed of light. The ability to quickly exploit a marketing opportunity is necessary for success. Getting a large order of color printing for a postcard or brochure campaign is a powerful tool.

Many of today's business owners are exclusively focused on the online portion of their marketing strategy. Make sure you also avail yourself of the power presented by today's digital color printing. A comprehensive marketing strategy will reach those potential customers who are both online and out in the real world. Color printing is a key component of any effective overall strategy. It is always best to pursue all avenues, rather than overemphasizing one over another.

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