Offset printing is a form of print to be able to offer quality - and at a lower unit price. You can get more for your money and at a great overall level of quality. This is for sure a type of printing used by businesses and organizations of all types. What's involved in setting up an offset printing run? To start a press run, the imaged plates are clamped onto the plate cylinders and the ink settings are adjusted for the density of ink needed for the particular run. The press operator then runs a batch of initial sheets through the press at low speed and carefully checks registration (alignment) of the colors and the ink/water balance to ensure full and steady ink flow for accurate color reproduction. The operator can adjust the plate positions and ink density while the press is running at low speed. This set up process is called a "make ready," where highly-skilled operators prepare the press for perfect offset printing. Are there different types of offset printing presses? Yes. "Sheet-fed" offset printing presses run individual sheets, ranging from "full size" sheet-fed presses running sheets that are about 28 x 40 inches, to "half size" and "quarter size" which use proportionately smaller sheets. "Web-offset" presses are fed from a large roll of paper, which goes through the press in a continuous length of paper, called a "web." Sheet-fed presses are generally used for business marketing printing, while web presses are more cost-effective for high volume printing of catalogs, newspaper inserts and magazines (around 50,000 quantity or more depending on the size and type of piece).
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