Reader reaction: Is digital quality still an issue, or does it now rival litho?

We asked you whether there was still any meaningful difference in the quality of output

DIGITAL PRINTER
Paul Dawe, director, CMP (UK)
"We regularly win clients who grew up on litho in the book markets but are embracing digital production. Traditional litho printers would have the client believe that digital is inferior to litho but the reality is that it’s different and quite often better. Digital print brings less commitment, less stock holding and better cash flow, without compromising quality. Surely these are good points in these difficult times? The quality of digital print has not been an issue for some time; it’s how it is sold or sold against that is the problem. We must be careful to differentiate between the many different digital processes, some of which still fall short of the standards we have come to expect."
 
DIGITAL PRINTER
Dave Barnett, director, Thames Print Room
"Is digital quality an issue any more? There is no doubt that digital print is comparable with and in many cases superior to that of litho in terms of quality and speed. Because digital jobs dry instantly, you can work on finishing immediately and that means that you don’t have the wait. Speed of turnaround is now absolutely paramount to customers. Although many clients are now going for shorter runs – which in itself is perfect for digital presses. The only frustration is the cost effectiveness of digital jobs on longer runs."

COMMERCIAL PRINTER
Duarte Goncalves, managing director, DXG Media
"On a straight four-colour process, picture for picture, there is very little difference between the two. That said, it depends on the paper; the digital press we use has to have digital paper. It doesn’t seem to like litho paper. When it comes to tints and solids though, litho is still head and shoulders above digital. We are always doing comparisons between the two and I feel that, overall, litho quality has the edge. But the gap is getting smaller and of course it will continue to do so. Four years ago I wouldn’t even have entertained the idea of buying a digital press."

COMMERCIAL PRINTER
Dale Burgess, sales manager, Advanced Business Equipment
"I don’t think the quality of digital print is anywhere near the issue that it used to be. The technology and the engines powering digital printers have changed and as a result it has become more accepted than it used to be. People are cutting expenditure and, as a result, print runs are being cut, so the technology is proving more popular because of that. As the quality improves, I find that customers are less likely to ask how a job is printed, whether that is litho or digital and I think that is testament to the quality of digital."

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