Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Evolution And Growth Of Printing Services

By Vanessa Smith

Print medium even in this age is a very sought after mode of disseminating information to a vast range of people. The printing services industry has seen massive growth over the decades and continues to grow at a steady rate even in the present. Today it can address almost any need of the clients associated with printing and its ancillary requirements.

Large volume printing services through relief printing technology started during the 1400's when the world's very first printing press was invented by Gutenberg. In this style of printing the printed image appears elevated from the background of the material, as it is in a rubber stamp. Relief printing is scarcely in use these days, though there are still some situations where it is used.

Printing techniques have transformed greatly down the years, and these transformations have been brought about by upcoming of latest technologies. Modern printing methods have developed to a great extent, and each method has its own uses. Most clients are in fact bewildered by the plethora of printing options before them.

Of all printing techniques 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 method is best for mass printing, as it is both quicker and cheaper than other techniques in the market.

Other printing methods that have come up with advancements in technology are electrostatic printing, which resembles photocopying, and thermal printing, which follows a procedure of selective heating of coated thermal paper.

However, digital printing is the latest technological advancement in this field. As the name tells you, in this method, images are created on a computer, which are then checked for correctness and are then printed. This method is flawless and quick, but it is appropriate only for a limited number of prints. The possibility of customized printing with this method has given rise to computer form printing, where a fixed format is used to print items like bills and invoices whose contents differ in tune with the different requirements of each print.

The use of the internet in printing has been another huge leap for the industry. There are a lot of companies in the market now, who allow you to place orders and modify prints directly through their websites, which is providing excellent convenience to the clients.

Technological advancements have always brought about major positive changes in printing techniques and the quality of the prints. The good news is that this trend of progress is going to continue in the future as well, bringing favourable advancements to improve performance and lower costs.

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