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Definition of Digital Printing
Modern printing methods such as laser and ink-jet printing are known as digital printing. In digital printing, an image is sent directly to the printer using digital files such as PDFs and those from graphics software such as Illustrator and InDesign. This eliminates the need for a printing plate, which is used in offset printing, which can save money and time.
Without the need to create a plate, digital printing has brought about fast turnaround times and printing on demand.
Instead of having to print large, pre-determined runs, requests can be made for as little as one print. While offset printing still often results in slightly better quality prints, digital methods are being worked on at a fast rate to improve quality and lower costs.
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Sheet-fed presses offer several advantages. Because individual sheets are fed through, a large number of sheet sizes and format sizes can be run through the same press. In addition, waste sheets can be used for make-ready (which is the testing process to ensure a quality print run). This allows for lower cost preparation so that good paper is not wasted while setting up the press, for plates and inks. Waste sheets do bring some disadvantages as often there are dust and offset powder particles that transfer on to the blankets and plate cylinders, creating imperfections on the printed sheet. This method produces the highest quality images.
Web-fed presses, on the other hand, are much faster than sheet-fed presses, with speeds up to 80,000 cut-offs per hour (a cut-off is the paper that has been cut off a reel or web on the press; the length of each sheet is equal to the cylinder's circumference). The speed of web-fed presses makes them ideal for large runs such as newspapers, magazines, and comic books. However, web-fed presses have a fixed cut-off, unlike rotogravure or flexographic presses, which are variable.

Flexography
Flexography is a modern version of letterpress printing. It is a traditional method of printing that can be used on almost any type of substrate, including corrugated cardboard, cellophane, plastic, label stock, fabric and metallic film. Flexography uses quick-drying, semi-liquid inks. In this new age of digital printing, flexography is holding its own in the areas of large orders, particularly of packaging products and labeling.
Flexographic printing uses flexible photopolymer printing plates wrapped around rotating cylinders on a web press. The inked plates with a slightly raised image rotate at high speeds to transfer the image to the substrate. Flexography inks can print on many types of absorbent and non-absorbent materials. Flexography is well-suited to print continuous patterns, such as for gift wrap and wallpaper.
Unlike the individual sheets of paper used in offset printing, the rolls of material used in flexography allow large orders to run with few interruptions to reload substrate.

Sheet-fed Press vs Web-fed Press

Flexography

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