What is the difference between digital printing and traditional printing?

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Digital Printing vs. Traditional Printing: Key Differences
Digital printing and traditional printing are two completely different printing methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Here are the key differences between them:

Features Digital printing Conventional printing
Platemaking No platemaking required, use digital files directly Requires platemaking (e.g., offset plate, flexographic plate)
Suitable for printing volume Small batch, personalized printing Large batch printing
Cost Small batch printing is more cost-effective Large batch printing is more cost-effective
Delivery time Fast delivery Longer delivery time
Variable data Supports variable data printing (e.g., personalized name, address) Does not support variable data printing
Color consistency Good color consistency Color consistency may be affected by many factors
Substrate Can print a variety of materials (e.g., paper, plastic, metal) Relatively limited printable materials
Environmentally friendly More environmentally friendly, less waste Platemaking process may cause pollution
In short:

Choose digital printing if you need:

Small batch printing

Fast delivery

Personalized printing

Variable data printing

Environmentally friendly printing

Choose traditional printing if you need:

Large batch printing

Low-cost printing

Special printing effects (e.g., hot stamping, embossing)

The final choice of printing method depends on your specific needs and budget.

Here are some additional considerations:

Print quality: Digital printing quality is very close to traditional printing, and even surpasses it in some aspects.

Print speed: Digital printing speed is constantly improving, but for large-scale printing, traditional printing is still faster.

Substrate type: Digital printing can print a wider variety of materials, but traditional printing still has an advantage on some materials.

Hopefully the above information can help you better understand the difference between digital and traditional printing and make an informed choice.