Printing 101: Bestype’s Guide to Different Printing Methods

Depending on your artistic vision, marketing rollout, or event campaign, there are a variety of ways to best deliver your needs in print. Art printing services have different considerations than large volume printing or banner printing. Partnering with a professional printer can make all the difference in elevating and expediting your process while saving you time and eliminating guesswork. 

Bestype understands the benefits of the many printing choices and mediums available for your projects — it’s what we do. Our professional team expertly navigates printing nuances for you alongside your budget to execute your vision with excellence. In this first article of our five-part series on printing services, we’ll take a look at four of the most common printing options — digital printing, large format printing, offset printing, and letterpress printing — and when to use them.

When Should I Use Digital Printing?

Are you in a rush? Digital printing may be your solution. It is best for short-run, on-demand projects with Bestype’s signature high quality. The standard size for digital print projects is 13 x 19, but with expansion capabilities up to 13 x 26, digital printing is ideal for a wide range of products, from magazines and cards to small posters. With our digital technology and no printing plates to replace, Bestype can make your project come to life in a variety of mediums, including paper, metal, or even glass. 

There are many creative and affordable digital printing opportunities to deliver visual impact. Our in-house team of printing and graphics specialists is ready to partner with you to meet your professional digital printing needs, on your budget and schedule. 

When Should I Use Large Format Printing?

When you have a grand and unique vision, you need a trusted expert to deliver it with maximum impact. As the premier printing service in NYC, it’s our business to think big and help you do the same by getting your message out and noticed, whether on a gallery wall or in an event display.

The first step is contacting Bestype’s in-house technician to walk you through our customer-centered intake. From there, we share industry-best options to see your vision come to life. Not a designer? Don’t worry! One of the things that sets Bestype apart from many online printers is our team of specialists who are ready to guide you every step of the way.

What does large format printing include?

• Fine art printing services, watercolor paper, and canvas
• Photo printing with gloss, satin, or matte photo paper
• Banner printing services, signage, retractable banners, or that favorite of red carpet events — step and repeat backdrops with your logo  
• Window and wall vinyl graphics — perfect for department stores, restaurants, retail events, or even professionally branded lobbies and entranceways
• Temporary signage, seasonal or event-specific sidewalk signs, or exposition graphics tailored to special events
• Printing out any type of 3D Rendering for real estate on Billboards, Banners or Magazines. For a complete guide on printing needs specifically for 3D rendering, please check out this guide.

Located in Soho, Bestype is in the center of big dreams and creative visions. You can pick up your finished print order, or we can organize the delivery for you. Whether you have the design and need our specialists to offer checkpoints for accuracy and success, or you need the resources from draw-up to print out, Bestype is your vetted partner for large format printing needs.

When Should I Use Offset Printing?

Offset Printing is especially beneficial when you need to print in volume. Generally used for projects where more than 1000 copies are needed, Bestype has the expertise to make this method effective and available for a wide array of printing projects. 

What is offset printing? The method combines modern technology with updated concepts in traditional lithography and mechanical printing. Unlike digital printing, which goes from computer to paper (or your medium of choice), offset printing utilizes metal plates and rubber rollers to transfer the imagery onto a variety of available materials to meet your needs. 

Developing and preparing the metal plates means there is an initial investment of time up front. Still, there are dynamic advantages for those who print over 1,000 documents or 500 sets of matching letterhead and envelopes, for example. 

Offset printing can go up to 26 x 40 in size, making it suitable for high volume poster printing. It also offers a broader range of paper choices, providing an alternative for those whose paper preference is not supported by digital printing. Additionally, the method allows for the ability to use true Pantone colors rather than CYMK, which means our experts can be even more precise in color matching for better tone, depth, and dynamic visual appeal. This makes offset printing ideal for a variety of projects, including art printing services.

The benefit of partnering with a premiere printing service in NYC is that Bestype offers a wide range of experience and a knowledgeable in-house staff who know how to ask the right questions to execute your vision creatively and efficiently every time.

When Should I Use Letterpress Printing?

This type of printing makes an impression (literally) on your marketing needs. In short, letterpress printing creates a dimensional aspect to invitations, business cards, corporate stationery, or embellishment on a book cover. Letterpress printing involves inking a reversed and raised surface to obtain a positive right-reading image.

The textural effect of letterpress printing creates a tactile difference that denotes elegance and attention to detail. It is a more involved process, which requires a higher investment of time and resources. Adding this element to your printing project elevates the richness of your marketing, whether used as a client keepsake, messaging for a retreat or event opening, or a branding message; this is an option that will get clients talking about your business.

With so many printing options at your fingertips, the only question left is, what do you want to create? Contact Bestype today for a quote on your next printing project, and stay tuned for the next article in our series which will explore how full-service printing can be a game changer for your NYC business.