Wednesday, August 12, 2009

How Printing Services Have Advanced And Progressed Over The Years

By Vanessa Smith

When it comes to spreading information to a huge number of people, no other medium is more sought after than print. The modern form of the printing services industry is a result of years of transformation and development in printing modes and techniques. Today it is able to not only fulfil customers' printing requirements but also other associated needs as well.

With the invention of the first printing press by Gutenberg in the 1400's, bulk printing services in the form of relief printing evolved into a standard industrial service. In this style of printing the printed matter appears raised from the base of the material, like in a rubber stamp. Nowadays relief printing is not as widely practised and has very restricted uses.

The industry has seen radical transformation in the printing techniques used, and these innovations were mostly driven by advancements in technology. Modern printing techniques have developed to a great extent, and each method has its own uses. In fact, most clients now feel overwhelmed with the printing alternatives available in the market.

Of all printing methods in the market today, offset printing tops the list in popularity. In this method, the image is transmitted onto paper from a metal plate on which the matter is first printed by the use of small amount of ink. This cheap and quick method of printing is highly preferred and used when bulk printing is required.

Other well known forms of printing that have evolved over time are electrostatic printing, which is similar to photocopying, and thermal printing, which creates the print impression by heating layered thermal paper selectively.

However, the latest revolution in printing industry is digital printing. As the name indicates, in this technique, images are created on a computer, which are then checked for accuracy and are finally printed. But this fast and reliable technique works best in situations where only a small number of prints is required. The possibility of customized printing with this technique has led to computer form printing, where a standard format is used to print items like receipts and invoices whose contents differ according to the different needs of each print.

Another important development in printing has dawned with the arrival of the internet. Printing companies have their own websites that clients can visit from the comfort of their homes or offices and register orders after having a look at online printing samples.

Technological innovations have always brought about major positive changes in printing techniques and the quality of the output. The good news is that this trend is not going to slow down any time soon and you will keep seeing advancements slash the costs and improve the process.

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