Litho print is perfect for premium materials, offering sharp detail and vibrant colour every time.
See why Hartgraph is trusted by clients across the UK!
Trusted by clients across the UK!
Lithographic is also known as offset printing, or litho printing for short. This method of printing is where the image of the content you aim to produce is placed on a plate (aluminium), which is then covered in ink and used for printing. Litho print is generally used for longer runs and offers a more consistent and precise colour match than digital print. We have explained this in more detail below.
Our litho presses offer state-of-the-art technology, ensuring a consistently high quality and colour. We work with a variety of papers and boards suitable for litho print and provide precise finishing once printed.
Our highly skilled and experienced print minders understand their machines and how to best adjust and run them for each individual print run. We would be very happy to welcome you to our factory to see for yourself how the process works.
If you would like to discuss your print requirements, please call us on 01628 810523 or alternatively request a quote online.
Offset printing, also called offset lithography, is a method of mass-production printing in which the images are transferred onto metal plates; plates are created for each image and each colour. The plate-making machine etches images and text into aluminium plates as microscopic dots. Once complete, these plates are put into the litho press as a part of the set-up process. These are then transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers and then to the print media. The print media, usually paper, does not come into direct contact with the metal plates.
Litho printing can use either the four colour process known as CMYK, Pantone colours or a combination of the two. For more information about colour, please see our colour guide.
The main advantage of offset printing is its high and consistent image quality. The process can be used for most jobs; however, the higher the number, the more cost-effective it is as a process. We use in-sheet-fed offset printing, where individual pages of paper are fed into the machine. The pages can be pre-cut to the final publication size or trimmed after printing.
We operate the newest Heidelberg Presses, which have the highest print quality and speed. We use sustainably sourced paper and we work to high standards.
Tell us what you need – we’ll advise, quote, and get things moving.
Upload artwork to our studio who will flight-check ready for your approval.
We will print, embellish, cut and finish! Let our factory do the hard work.
Your order is then checked, boxed and shipped to your chosen address.
Efficiency – Our new technology enables quick make-ready times, allowing us to start printing in the shortest time possible.
Tight Deadlines – We have streamlined our set-up process, and this, coupled with the fact that our presses run up to 15,000 sheets per hour respectively, means you can rely on fast turnarounds.
Cost Saving – Despite initial costs creating plates for the job, for print quantities from just a couple of hundred, litho printing is still more cost-effective per printed item.
Economies of Scale – The higher the quantity, the lower the unit cost per printed item.
Use of Pantone® Colours – Litho printing benefits from the use of Pantone® colours in addition to the standard CMYK colour palette. When the perfect shade cannot be made from CMYK, a Pantone® colour is used instead to give a smooth and consistent finish, which is ideal for brand consistency.
Exceptional Print Quality – Although the print quality of digital has improved significantly over recent years, making the difference between litho and digital nearly indistinguishable for most jobs, some jobs still yield better results when printed litho.
Colour Consistency – With Inpress Control, which is hardware/software that reads the colour on every sheet as it runs and dynamically adjusts the colour levels automatically, this is a vast improvement over the manual process still required by older presses. This ensures that everything it prints is to an exacting standard and guarantees consistency in colour throughout the job and against later re-prints.
Hard Wearing – With biodegradable coating, our work is completely rub-resistant, has a high-quality smooth surface and can be fully dry within 10 minutes of printing.
Through our ongoing research and efforts, we are always striving to reduce our impact on the environment and ensure that our green message is a positive one. When you work with Hartgraph, you can be confident in knowing that you are using one of the most sustainable and planet-positive print and packaging companies in the industry.
Call us today on +44 (0)1628 810523
