Most people who walk into a print shop don’t ask how their job will be printed. They ask what it costs and when it’ll be ready. The catch is that both answers depend on whether your order runs on an offset press or a digital one. Choose the wrong method and you can pay far more than necessary, or wait a week longer than planned.

Doculand has been a print shop in Montreal since 1985, and we run offset and digital jobs every day. Here’s the same explanation we give customers at the counter.

How Offset Printing Works

Offset is the traditional workhorse of commercial printing. Your file is transferred onto aluminum plates, usually one for each process colour: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The press inks each plate, transfers the image to a rubber blanket, and the blanket presses it onto paper.

All of that costs time and money before a single usable sheet comes off the press. Plates have to be made, and the operator runs make-ready sheets while dialing in the colour. Once it’s running, though, offset is fast and cheap per piece. The 5,000th flyer costs a fraction of what the first one did.

How Digital Printing Works

A digital press works more like a very large, very precise office printer. There are no plates. The file goes straight to the press, which puts toner or ink directly on the sheet. Since there’s almost no setup, 50 copies cost roughly the same per piece as 500.

Digital can also change the content on every sheet. Numbered tickets, personalized invitations and business cards for twelve employees with twelve different names all run in one pass. On most everyday jobs, the quality difference between the two methods is hard to spot.

The Quantity Where Offset Starts Winning

Cost is usually where the decision gets made. Digital has a fairly flat price per sheet, while offset loads most of its cost into setup. Below a certain quantity digital is cheaper, and above it offset pulls ahead.

For a standard flyer or postcard, that crossover often falls somewhere between 500 and 2,000 pieces. Size, paper and colour count all move it, so there’s no universal number. The practical move is to ask for quotes at two quantities, say 500 and 2,500. If the total barely changes, you’re looking at an offset job, and ordering more now could save you a reorder in three months.

Turnaround Times and Tight Deadlines

Need it tomorrow? Digital is nearly always the answer. Files can go to press within hours of approval, and sheets come off dry, so cutting and folding can start right away. That’s why most rush orders at a Montreal print shop end up on a digital press.

Offset needs more runway. Plates take time to produce, and ink has to dry before sheets can be trimmed or folded. Plan on several business days for most offset work, and longer in the weeks before the holidays.

Colour, Paper and Finishing

Brand colour is the big one. Offset can print exact Pantone (PMS) spot colours using premixed ink, which is how larger companies keep their logo identical on every brochure. Digital presses simulate Pantone shades with CMYK. Most come very close, but some bright oranges, vivid blues and metallics don’t. If your logo uses one of those, ask for a printed proof before approving the run.

Offset also handles a wider range of paper, including heavy, textured and uncoated stocks. Finishes like spot UV, foil and soft-touch lamination can usually be added either way, so they shouldn’t decide the method on their own.

Which Method Fits Common Montreal Print Jobs

Business cards

For one person or a small team, digital is quick and affordable. Companies ordering for hundreds of staff sometimes go hybrid, with offset-printed shells carrying the logo and names added digitally as people are hired.

Flyers and brochures

Under about 1,000 pieces, digital usually wins. For a mass mailing or a big trade show handout, get an offset quote too and compare.

French and English versions

This comes up constantly in Montreal. On a digital press, splitting 600 brochures into 300 French and 300 English costs almost nothing extra. On offset, each language version needs at least one new plate, so ask how your printer handles bilingual runs before settling on quantities.

Stickers and labels

Short runs, multiple product lines and seasonal designs suit digital well. Our guide to sticker printing in Montreal covers materials and file prep, and you can compare our custom label products, from BOPP and polyester to paper labels, to find the right stock for jars, bottles or boxes.

Banners and roll-ups

Large format is digital by default, since it’s produced on wide-format inkjet presses. Our 33 x 81 inch retractable roll-up banners are printed on 13 oz matte vinyl that cuts glare under trade show lighting. Keep important text out of the bottom three inches, since the stand hides it.

Questions to Ask Before You Order

1. Will this job run digital or offset, and why?
2. What’s the price at my quantity, and at the next price break?
3. Can I see a printed proof on the actual paper?
4. How will you match my logo colour?
5. Does the quoted turnaround include drying and finishing?

A good printer will answer all five without hesitating.

Not Sure Which One You Need?

Send us your file, quantity and deadline, and we’ll tell you which method makes sense. When it’s close, we’ll show you both prices. For digital printing in Montreal or a larger offset run, call 514-342-2442 or visit us at 5778 Royalmount Avenue in Mont-Royal.