Litho vs digital: which is right for your print job?
The age-old question every print buyer asks. We break down where each process wins — on quality, quantity and cost — so you can brief us with confidence.
Both litho and digital printing produce excellent results — but they get there in very different ways, and the right choice can save you a surprising amount of money.
When litho wins
Litho (lithographic) printing uses plates and ink, so there's a setup cost for every job. Once you're running, though, the cost per copy is very low — which makes litho the clear winner for longer runs. It also gives you the widest choice of papers, special inks and finishes, and the most consistent colour across thousands of copies.
If you're printing a magazine, a big catalogue run or hundreds of thousands of timetables, litho is almost always the most economical route.
When digital wins
Digital printing has no plates and almost no setup, so short runs are fast and affordable. It's ideal for low quantities, quick turnarounds, and anything you want to personalise — variable names, addresses or content from copy to copy.
Need 250 brochures by Friday, or a versioned mailing where every piece is slightly different? Digital is built for exactly that.
The honest answer: it's often both
Many jobs are best produced as a mix — a long litho run for the bulk, topped up digitally for last-minute versions or reprints. Because we're a print management company rather than a single press, we're not tied to one technology: we recommend whatever genuinely suits your run length, deadline and budget.
“The best advice isn't 'litho' or 'digital' — it's the right mix for your run length, deadline and budget.”