215-942-7500

Capabilities

 

Offset Printing Service

Your printed materials set the tone for your company’s image. A strong, clear message paired with brilliantly produced colors and graphics demonstrate your commitment to a higher standard. If you value quality – and want to prove it to your prospects, customers, and employees – consider our offset printing service for your communications needs.

What is offset printing?

Offset printing service is a multi-step technique using metal plates that are typically made of aluminum. This method gets its name from the process of “offsetting” an image onto cylinders during the printing stage. If you imagine the churning of a newspaper press, these plates act similarly. They transfer your text and imagery onto a rubber blanket, and then onto paper sheets. Our modern, state-of-the-art pressroom generates these sheets at a rapid rate of up to 18,000 per hour.

Directed by highly experienced operators, our offset printing service uses top-of-the-line equipment and technology to ensure quality, consistency, and efficiency.

Offset printing applications

Offset printing service is a versatile process suitable for many types of projects. From a sales brochure to direct mail marketing tactics for prospective clients, we can help you create stunning materials for virtually any print-driven communications need.

Consider offset printing service to create a variety of printed materials, such as:

  • Sales brochures
  • Posters
  • Magazines
  • Books
  • Stationery
  • Leaflets
  • Postcards
  • Flyers

Do you have an offset printing project in mind?

Benefits of offset printing service

Offset printing comes with a host of commercial printing advantages, including:

Clean and crisp runs  Thanks to experienced press operators who regulate the ink to maximize contrast, we can generate vibrant, high-quality images with precise accuracy. With more visual contrast on every page, images appear crisp and vibrant. But the imagery isn’t the only element to pop off the page. Typefaces and fine details in your design also become sharp and clear with offset printing.

Cost-efficiency Another key benefit of offset printing is that you’ll get more for the money on high-volume jobs. While the upfront setup costs are higher than digital, offset printing service generates a lower price per unit as the quantity increases. Once you’ve initially invested in the plates, you’ll spend less per piece with the more you order.

Speed Although the offset printing setup process involves more time and effort than a digital project, these steps ensure fast, consistent printing once the presses begin running. In fact, our modern, state-of-the-art equipment can generate up to 18,000 sheets per hour after they’re all set up.

Versatility Offset printing service offers the broadest spectrum of colored inks and the highest quality of color matching and repeatability. Just like paint chips from the paint store, choose from a seemingly unlimited array of spot colors. You can mix custom colors, and work with Pantone hues and specialty metallic and fluorescent inks to create your ideal look. This printing method allows the widest range of paper stock options and, in some cases, even plastic and other specialty materials.

Consistency Our experienced press operators meticulously operate high-tech equipment to produce consistently high-quality prints – every time.

Offset printing service vs. digital printing

We offer both digital printing and offset printing services. Each method has unique advantages, and the best one for you depends on your project specifications. For instance, digital printing uses a high-quality four-color printing process that may be better suited and economical for low-quantity runs. It often has a faster set up and turnaround time than offset and performs well for print-on-demand or data-driven pieces.

On the other hand, offset printing service is better and more economical for larger runs. It offers exceptional printing quality and consistency, in addition to the vast array of color and printing surfaces. Whether you need digital or offset printing service, we have an experienced team and advanced equipment to tackle both types of print jobs.

Refer to the table below or head to our blog to learn more about the difference between digital and offset printing service.

How offset printing works

There are five primary steps we follow on every offset printing project:

  • pre-press
  • setup
  • print
  • dry
  • bind & finish

Learn more about how we execute each one below:

Pre-press – After receiving your digital file, we separate it by color in a process called color separation. Once the file is separated, we laser etch the design onto coated aluminum plates in preparation for the setup phase.

Setup – During setup, we place each plate onto a roller known as the plate cylinder. As the cylinder revolves, water from the dampening system dampens the non-image area of the plate. Then, the ink passes through a series of rollers before landing on the plate’s image area. The image is offset onto another cylinder with a rubber blanket to generate a clear and sharp final image. This part of the process is where offset printing gets its name.

Print – We load your chosen paper stock or other material into the press. Jets of air separate the pages to ensure that only a single piece feeds into the press at a time. The paper passes between the blanket cylinder and the impression cylinder to receive the printed image. Then, the paper passes onto the next unit to receive the next color.

Dry – After your materials have traveled through all offset printing units, they pile at the end of the press to dry. A thin layer of powder separates each page to ensure it dries without marking the other pages.

Bind & Finish – We can bind and finish your project in seemingly endless ways, including cutting, folding, collating, stapling, perfect or coil binding, foil stamping, and more. To protect your prints, we also offer inline and offline varnish and coatings.

Offset printing service FAQs

If you’re considering offset printing for your next print communications project, check out some of the frequently asked questions below to ensure your project is a success.

How many colors can I print?

Our offset presses can execute single-pass multi color prints. 

What sheet sizes can I print?

We can print on sheet sizes ranging from 8.5 x 11 inches to 28 x 40 inches.

How do I upload a file?

Our convenient web-to-print services make it easy to send us the digital files you want to print. Follow this link and click the green “Choose a File” button to upload files from your computer.

What are the finishing options?

There is an unlimited array of finishing options. Choose one or a combination of the following to take your next print piece to the next level:

  • Cutting
  • Folding
  • Collating
  • Stapling
  • Perfect binding
  • Coil binding
  • Die-cutting
  • Foil stamping
  • UV coating (inline and offline)
  • Aqueous coating (inline and offline)
  • Drilling

Are you looking for another finish that you don’t see here?

How much does offset printing service cost?

We’ll need to know some information before providing a quote. You can fill out some initial specifications to request a custom printing quote online: 

You can also  contact our printing experts for an estimate or call 215-942-7500

How long has offset printing been around?

Unlike the relatively new process of digital printing, offset printing has a long and storied history dating as far back as 1875. While the equipment and techniques have dramatically evolved since then, it’s a printing technique that has stood the test of time.

Does digital printing replace offset printing?

No. Digital and offset printing are two different production processes that come with their own unique set of benefits. Learn more about the differences between them on our blog.

Can I see examples of your work?

Check out our online portfolio to view a small sampling of the types of printing jobs we’ve successfully completed for our clients in the Philadelphia and tri-state area.

Do I have to create an online account?

You do not need an online member account to place an order. However, registering as a new customer provides access to helpful information, including order history, job tracking, and a faster checkout process.

How many employees do you have?

We’re a team of 48 highly motivated award-winning employees that are passionate about achieving excellence in commercial printing.

Where are you located?

We are in Southampton, just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Take the PA-132 W/Street Rd exit and follow E Street Rd. Turn left on Knowles and continue onto James Way. Enter your address on our contact page to get specific driving directions from your location.

Your offset printing service partner

No matter the commercial print-driven need, we’ll put our advanced printing knowledge to work to produce the superior quality that reflects your company image and values.

Partner with us because of our:

  • Award-winning, nationally recognized printing experts
  • State-of-the-art production facility and integrated technologies
  • In-house printing and finishing
  • Broad range of capabilities, from simple to highly complex jobs
  • Convenient online ordering and job status tracking
  • Rich company culture centered on excellence, innovation, and improvement
  • Commitment to donate a portion of our proceeds to cancer research

Get started with our offset printing service

You never get a second chance to make a first impression! Let our award-winning, nationally recognized professional printing experts tell your story with brilliant production values.?

We provide offset printing services to customers across Philadelphia, Montgomery County, and Bucks County, PA.