A production inkjet press may or may not be an inevitable investment for print service providers who have built their businesses on a foundation of offset lithography. While they’re debating that question, providers may also want to consider another option for adding inkjet to their print manufacturing repertoire: integrating it with existing offset presses.

Hybrid inkjet/offset printing isn’t new. Publications, for example, have been addressed for mailing in this way for decades. But advances in technology have made inkjet modules more reliable to print with, easier to operate and maintain, and more flexible for melding with other kinds of production equipment.

Manufacturers and integrators of inkjet solutions agree that offset shops have opportunities that don’t require installing an entire inkjet press when a simpler implementation of the process can give them the results they want.