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Graphic Designers Profess Their Continued Love of Offset

Offset lithography is no longer the sole option for graphic designers who want their printing to be top-quality. But, the process still commands a remarkable amount of loyalty from designers who value the range of creative possibilities it offers them.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Graphic Designers Who ♥ Offset Open Their ♥♥♥ to Say Why

Until roughly 30 years ago, graphic designers working in print had to take it for granted that most of their creations would turn into hard copy on offset lithographic presses—then the only type of equipment able to print with the color fidelity and fine detail that the designers and their clients insisted upon.

Today, offset is no longer the only game in town for output, as made plain by the growing number of pages migrating from the conventional process to digital alternatives. Nor is it still possible to call offset nonpareil in terms of print quality—the color coming from some of the newest digital systems can be just as dazzlingly rich.


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About Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry is a journalist and an educator who has covered the graphic communications industry since 1984. The author of many hundreds of articles on business trends and technological developments in graphic communications, he has been published in most of the leading trade media in the field. He also has taught graphic communications as an adjunct lecturer for New York University and New York City College of Technology. The holder of numerous awards for industry service and education, Henry is currently the managing director of Liberty or Death Communications, a content consultancy.

Recent Articles from Patrick Henry

Resilience After Disaster: How An Owner Brought Her Business Back from Its Ashes (Part 1)

Resilience After Disaster: How An Owner Brought Her Business Back from Its Ashes (Part 1)

The aftermath of a fire that destroyed the plant of a family-owned engraving business in upstate New York became a remarkable tale of the company’s recovery and rebirth with the help of its customers, vendors, and above all, its industry peers. Read More

Not Like a Boss, the Radix Co-Op Writes Its Own Rules for Running a Print Shop

Not Like a Boss, the Radix Co-Op Writes Its Own Rules for Running a Print Shop

By dispensing with job titles and focusing strictly on the jobs, a non-hierarchical shop in Brooklyn is charting its own course to success in the New York City metro area print and publishing market. Read More

Groups File Suit vs. California Law That Would Chase

Groups File Suit vs. California Law That Would Chase "Chasing Arrows" Away from Packaging

Only in California: a law that claims to support recycling by removing recyclability symbols from recyclable materials. A coalition that includes print and packaging businesses is pushing back Read More

No Relief in Sight for Printers as Consumables Prices Keep Spiraling

No Relief in Sight for Printers as Consumables Prices Keep Spiraling

Wars, tariffs, supply chain breakdowns, you name it—they’re all kicking up what printers have to spend for raw materials, and the upward trend shows no sign of abating. Patrick Henry rounds up some examples. Read More

How Printers Should Confront the Creeping Threat of Cybercrime

How Printers Should Confront the Creeping Threat of Cybercrime

No printing business is exempt from hacking attacks and the online con games known collectively as “social engineering.” Technology safeguards, cyber insurance, and relentless vigilance are mandatory for firms that don’t want to risk having to close their doors in the aftermath of a cybercrime incident. Read More

Recent Printing Industry News

Friday, June 19, 2026