More Offset Operations Crossing Digital Chasm — Michelson

Sure, digital printing is replacing some jobs formerly printed offset. Digital print-on-demand helps eliminate excess inventories of static printed matter that can become outdated, drastically shortens turnaround times and permits customization. But it’s not an all or nothing proposition. Hybrid printing—pre-printed offset shells that are imprinted digitally—has already become a commonly used process. Short-run digital output can function as test runs that precede a traditional, full-blown marketing rollout. Book manufacturers can produce their back list titles and one-offs digitally. The list of applications that successfully marry traditional offset with digital output goes on and on.