In vs. off (line) — A "Fight" to the Finish

Thus, in-line has the advantage of running at full press speed, while off-line finishing is a slower, more labor-intensive process.

But that same analysis can also be looked at another way: Off-line offers the advantage of performing the "tricks," the value-added (imaging, labeling, kiss-cutting, onserting), while in-line has the distinct disadvantage of being a costly capital investment that must run at full speed to be cost-effective and, therefore, does not provide the flexibility of an off-line system.