The ability to replicate premium materials and finishes, such as distressed wood panels, porcelain tiles, or even antique wall stones is just one of many brilliant applications of digital printing. A common problem faced by the likes of designers and project managers is balancing their clients’ desires for beautiful premium materials and finishes with budget and time constraints.
The adoption of in-house digital printing at Black Lab Design has allowed us to fulfil an even greater variety of customer requests. Whether it’s for highly-detailed brand assets on complex fabricated units or customisable decorative panels on digital displays. Digital printing opens up a world of possibilities for our customers, at very manageable costs and short-lead times.
Digital printing is the process of making prints from an electronic file. The artwork is created on a computer and directly printed onto the material. The flexibility and versatility of digital printing has made the production method very popular. If you are looking to replicate premium materials and finishes on any type of project, be it a restaurant fit-out or shop display, digital printing is the answer.
The Benefits of Digital Printing
- Material Versatility
What can you print on? The printer featured above is the Swiss Q Print Nyala. It can print onto acrylic, aluminium composite panels, wood, tarpaulin, polyester, polycarbonate, polystyrene, (high-density) PVC, flexible foam panels, glass and metal. Due to technological advances, even heat-sensitive materials such as textiles, films and paperboards can be printed onto.
- Time Efficiency
Full colour prints are completed once the computer and material alignment has been sorted. Meaning end products can be produced and delivered much quicker than traditional printing methods of using printing plates.
- Small Volume Production
You can print one-off productions and create custom prints, rather than MOQ (minimum order quantity)and potentially losing business.
- 3D Ink Layering
With quick drying innovation, ink layering creates prints you can see AND feel. Ink layering is even able to produce Braille text.
- Environmentally Friendly
Digital printing reduces ink waste because it ejects ink only to the parts to be printed. It also removes the process of cleaning plates after printing.
- Unskilled Labour
The technology in digital printing is constantly refreshing and advancing. The process to print does not require a skilled labourer with knowledge of blending ink and pressing.
- Design Flexibility
The need for flexibility will only increase demand for digital printers and presses. Clients will increasingly seek out equipment from their manufacturers that can deliver faster turnaround times with lower inventory.
These benefits of digital printing mean that today’s customers can enjoy cost-effective, high-quality, accurate, and short-run colour printed products within the shortest possible time frame. The ability to accurately replicate premium materials and finishes in an economical way can be of significant value to anyone looking to materialise their idea.
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