As a business owner, how you market your brand can significantly impact customer outreach. While social media and other digital marketing tools might seem like the go-to strategy nowadays, a recent study tells a different story. 

It turns out that 82% of consumers trust printed marketing materials more than online ads when they want to make a purchase. Businesses are leveraging commercial printing to create tangible brochures, ads, magazines, and more that their consumers will trust enough to open their wallets.

But what is commercial printing, and how will it benefit your company? Our guide will lay out what it is and the options available. We’ll also cover how using the right professional printing service will help you create customized printed materials that stand out from the competition.

Commercial Printing Definition: What Is Commercial Printing? 

Commercial printing is the process of printing materials for business purposes on a greater scale. Unlike at-home printing, where you can only print a small number of pages with limited ink and design options, businesses need commercial printing to:

• Produce high-quality marketing and other brand-related materials.
• Print professional booklets.
• Create customized brochures for their customers.
• Design professional catalogs for new and loyal customers.
• Plan and print business magazines and more.

Commercial printing is done on superior-quality printers that can accommodate high-volume print jobs that meet even the highest professional standards. There are several types of commercial printing out there, depending on your needs.

Types of Commercial Printing

Digital Printing

If you’re in the market for a fast and affordable option for your small to medium print run, then digital printing could be the right match. The process involves uploading a digital file of your customized design, where a digital printer transfers it directly onto your material of choice, including stock, photo paper, fabric, and more.

Because it’s quick and easy to print high-quality print runs, digital printing is a popular option for businesses that want to print:

• Business cards
• Brochures
• Direct mailers and labels
• T-shirts and other branded apparel
• Letterhead
• Posters and flyers
• Stickers

Due to its cost-effectiveness, digital printing is also ideal for any on-demand projects that you’ll need quickly and on an ongoing basis, such as business cards, letterhead, and more. 

Offset Printing

Sometimes referred to as offset lithography or litho-offset, offset printing is often the go-to option for businesses needing to print huge volumes of high-quality print jobs. Litho-offset involves transferring a print design from a rubber roller or blanket and then rolled onto the stock or material of your choice. 

Offset printing is best for the following projects:

• Catalogs
• Business magazines
• Marketing materials
• Manuals
• Annual reports
• White papers
• Books

So, what’s the difference between offset printing and digital printing, then? While you’ll receive superior quality from offset printing compared to digital printing, turnaround time is longer with offset printing due to its complex set-up. Also, offset printing tends to be pricier for a small print run yet extremely cost-effective if you plan to print large volumes.

Screen Printing

Otherwise known as silk-screen printing, screen printing is a top choice for businesses hoping to create branded apparel and other unique business and marketing materials. What sets screen printing apart from other commercial printing options is its ability to print on various materials like fabric, plastic, glass, and metal.

It can also accommodate small and large custom orders, such as:

• Custom T-shirts and fleeces
• Signage
• Tradeshow displays
• Branded balloons

Flexographic Printing

Need a large volume of custom mailers and other packaging materials? Flexographic printing (aka, flexo printing) is best for printing on labels, shipping boxes, and other materials, including paper, laminates, and plastic films. 

It’s also lightning-fast and notorious for its durability and smudge-proof results, making it a must-have for packing materials in large quantities.

Large Format Printing

Ever wonder how some businesses have printed their logo on giant banners or trade show displays? They opted for large format printing, otherwise called wide format printing.

Large format printing is great for oversized materials like posters, trade show banners, and signage that need to stand out in the crowd. Companies choose large format printing for impactful displays at trade shows and events.

How Does the Commercial Printing Process Work?

Each of the five commercial printing options above has a unique printing process. But a few basic steps are common among all of them.

Step 1: Pre-Press Design & Preparation

If a single step is the most important to the commercial printing process, it’s the first. A printing expert will (first) focus on file preparation during the pre-press design phase, particularly design accuracy and resolution quality. They’ll also proof the design file to ensure it meets all requirements and is ready for printing. 

Step 2: Printing

The steps to the press (aka, printing stage) will vary depending on which type of commercial printing process you’ve chosen. For instance, this could include creating plates if you’ve chosen the offset printing method. Once the printing tech has set up the press, printing will begin. 

An experienced commercial printing expert will monitor the process, ensuring the color saturation, clarity, and other elements are as they should be.

Step 3: Post-Press Finishing

The final phase is where all printed components come together to form the final product and can include any number of the following:

• Page cutting or trimming
• Coating for the cover pages
• Die cutting
• Binding the pages together
• Drilling
• Foiling or embossing
• Lamination and more

Types of Printers Used in Commercial Printing

Digital Printers

Digital printers have simplified commercial printing, making it more efficient and better equipped to meet specific consumer demands. They’re notorious for their quick turnaround times, too! 

So, if you have a smaller print run or ongoing on-demand printing needs for business cards, flyers, or other business or marketing materials, using a digital printer will keep the cost low time after time.

Offset Printers

Offset printers are the go-to choice for businesses needing large, high-quality print runs. They’re known for their consistency and ability to produce superior-quality images and customized colors. As for why a business like yours might choose to use an offset printer? They’re perfect for producing top-shelf-level magazines, books, and other marketing materials.

Benefits of Using Commercial Printing Services

High Volume Printing

Are you an enterprise-level business or organization like a retail chain, university, or healthcare facility? You most likely need bulk or high-volume commercial printing options. Commercial printing services are designed to accommodate high-volume print runs.  Such experience with bulk printing has a direct impact on the uniformity and overall quality of each print you’ll receive.

Quality & Durability

Quality is everything when it comes to commercial printing. After all, the printed results will reflect your brand. So, teaming up with a premier commercial printing service like Printing Center USA will give you access to the latest printing technologies and, the most advanced techniques and customization options.

Professional Design Assistance

Document or product design isn’t everyone’s forte. Choosing a commercial printing company with professional designers ready to take the lead or step in at any time will make for a smooth printing process from start to finish. 

Why Choose PrintingCenterUSA for Your Commercial Printing Needs?

Taking on a large-scale commercial printing run from design to the finished product may feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. Choosing the right commercial printing service will save you time and money. Plus, the printed result will exhibit superior quality — mirroring your brand. 

Our team at PrintingCenterUSA stands by the quality of each of our commercial printing runs. Whether you design your project with our easy-to-use design tool or reach out to our design team, just know your project will be in expert hands.    

You can explore our wide range of commercial printing products to see which one fits the bill for your next project. Or, for high-volume printing projects or unique customization options, contact PrintingCenterUSA today for a custom quote!

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