What is Offset Postcard Printing?

Offset postcard printing is the process of printing a design to a flexible material such as paper, cardstock or even aluminum and then transferring it to a stiffer base material such as board or part of another card via an offset printing press.

Offset postcard printing is cost-effective, speedy and environmentally friendly. Economically speaking, offset postcard printing can be up to 50% cheaper than digital processing in smaller quantities but becomes more expensive in high volume runs due to the usage of greater amounts of ink and paper. 

offset postcard printers are also more sustainable since they use less water, create less waste and generate fewer CO2 emissions than digital presses. 

Offset postcard printing has the added benefit of being very versatile. Printing on multiple stocks, papers and coatings is a possibility with offset postcard printing. 

The method can be used to print on almost any kind of paper, including paper as heavy as 350gsm, as well as cardstocks and even metals such as aluminum foil can be used for offset postcard printing.

Postcards can also be printed using a technique called "duplexing", which allows for the production of double-sided postcards by stitching two sheets together. This is one way that a small company like ours can offer more options than the competition to customers at a lower cost.

Offset postcard printing is also often used at the very beginning of a brand's marketing campaign to generate excitement and interest in the brand, rather than just in its final stages. For instance, here at Aldrich Printing & Design, we use it in all of our designs before they go to print – think of it as a way to "build buzz" around your product or company. 

The most common type of offset postcard printing is called letterpress (or simply letterpress), which uses small wooden or metal plates that press against a piece of paper (or sometimes cardboard). Letterpress printers usually have an 800–1200 sq. ft. space and thus, the printing process can be achieved relatively quickly. 

After the printing plates are formed, they are then placed over a heavy-duty press where they press against an inked print plate (included with offset postcard printing). The paper is pulled off of the plate and onto another piece of paper. After this process occurs, a second set of plates are used to print the same image on another roll of paper. Finally, the roll of pressed paper is cut into individual cards or pamphlets by a person who may also perform other activities such as binding.

The process of offset printing is also known as "offset plate printing" or "offset lithography". The offset plate printer builds two sets of plates (one set to create the artwork, and another set to create the print). The plates are assembled on-site and sandwiched together with rubber bands. The plates are then positioned over a press that applies pressure to the rubber bands which in turn presses the two sets of plates together. Once the pressure has been released, a separate piece of paper is pulled off the plate, while simultaneously placing another sheet of parallel paper underneath it. Then, another plate from a second press is moved over top of this sheet and pressure is applied again. After this process occurs, the paper is cut into a printed piece by an offset printer. The two pieces of paper are then separated, and the offset printer moves on to the next sheet. Each sheet is printed at one time, with each print being larger than the previous one (to allow for easier removal) and also to ensure sharpness and cleanliness of print.

In offset printing, there are several options for choosing a style of paper. Offset press printing uses heat-sensitive plates that are created in a special printing machine; these plates contain ink that slowly changes color when laid on top of the receiving piece of paper. The end result is the image being transferred onto the receiving piece of paper.

The color of the printing plate is one way to determine what type of offset press can be used. For example, if a printer has a red plate, he or she would not be able to print on a piece of yellow paper because the colors don’t match. The plate also determines how many colors are being used in the design. For example, a two-color design would require two-color plates that separate the colors and transfer them on to each piece of paper. The one exception for this rule is for digital presses; these machines create all colors at once including black ink on each sheet. This can be a less expensive option if the design is not intricate.

There are several types of offset printing presses:

Offset printing is an ideal solution for small to medium runs of postcards and other printed products. The nature of the set up associated with this type of printing does not lend itself well to high volume, quick turnaround requirements. Offset printing is a traditionally labor-intensive process that uses environmentally friendly materials, making it an excellent choice for marketing or branding campaigns. Its versatility also makes it useful for a variety of projects such as signage, brochures and posters as well as greeting cards and wedding invitations; all done using 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) paper.

Although offset printing is a two-dimensional process, the artwork does not begin in this dimension. Rather, original drawings are first scanned and brought into the computer (digital offset printing), where they are modified and printed as a vector file.

Today's high-quality scanners can create very detailed images. With some of these scanners, an artist can enlarge four times or more the size of the original image. In order to make scale adjustments before printing, several steps must be taken to ensure that all elements on the page are in proportion according to their intended size. The job of mapping out these relationships is called "pdf texturing".

Conclusion:

The finished product of offset printing is a piece of paper that contains the image and text. The image is usually printed on the front of the paper while the text is located on the reverse side. Offset press printers use special printers that create holes in their plates to allow them to print multiple colors of ink onto their single sheets of paper at one time, allowing for multi-color designs and large production runs. Offset press printers typically have an 800 - 1200 sq. ft. space; this allows them to have as many as 10 presses running at once during peak printing weeks, but it also limits their ability to do high volume runs during slower weeks (less than 8 presses).