Quick Printing Guide: Sheet Fed Litho
Why should I know about sheet fed litho?
The bottom line is that it’s an incredibly useful and popular process for medium runs of print. Which means if you’re a print buyer or print marketer who wants to ensure quality, and if you want to know how to save money when buying print (or rather, how not to waste it!) then it’s key to understand when to use sheet fed litho or when to choose a different process altogether.
How might I be wasting my money?
Print sounds simple, but by putting your job with the wrong printing services company or using the wrong print process, you’re probably wasting some of your valuable budget. How much is difficult to say as it’s different from job to job. But one thing’s for sure; that understanding the different printing processes is key to placing the right job with the right printer, and that’s key to producing an efficient job which in turn optimises budget and ROI.
So, what is sheet fed litho printing?
Litho refers to lithographic – that’s a process whereby hydrophobic ink (meaning the ink won’t mix with water) is attracted to a printing plate that carries the image of your artwork. This ink is then transferred to a printing blanket and it’s that blanket, carrying the ink, that transfers the artwork image onto the paper.
With Sheet Fed Litho, the paper is in cut sheets before it enters the press (rather like how your home printer is fed with cut sheets) as opposed to web-fed where the paper is fed as a single, continuous sheet from an enormous roll.
What are the benefits?
Why you might choose sheet fed litho printing over other printing processes could include:
- The turnaround time of a project is usually quicker for medium sized jobs.
- Sheet fed litho can generally print on heavier papers and can print on non-paper stocks such as card and plastics.
- It can therefore handle a wider variety of jobs.
- It produces less waste.
- Changes can be made more easily on sheet fed than web fed presses.
What is sheet fed litho printing best used for?
- Smaller and medium sized print runs
- Magazines
- Booklets
- Brochures
- Fliers
- Business Cards
So there you have it. Whenever you have the full specification of your printing project, it’s imperative you shop around to ensure it’s going to the right type of printing services provider and printing press.
Found this mini guide useful? Check out our other quick printing guides over on our blog page.
