The offset to digital acceleration

Offset printing presses have been the titans of the print industry for decades. Whether you're a commercial printer, a packaging company, a direct mail provider, or a manufacturer producing product labels, you’ve likely relied on these behemoths for high-quality, high-volume jobs.

Over the years, the offset landscape has been shifting. It's becoming harder to ignore the creeping challenges that come with maintaining an offset operation in today's fast-paced, cost-conscious, and increasingly personalized world. If your business is still relying on offset presses for the bulk of its work, you’re not alone, but you’re probably noticing a few recurring headaches. The demand for faster turnarounds, smaller print runs, and bespoke materials has turned up the pressure. While offset presses will always have their place, it may be time to start looking at how digital printing can help solve these challenges, especially if you want to stay competitive.

Let’s talk about what you’re probably struggling with and why integrating digital printing into your workflow is a smart move — one that doesn’t require abandoning your offset presses but can give your business the flexibility it needs to thrive.

The current challenges with offset printing

The old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don’t fix it." But in the world of printing, things don’t just "break" overnight. Instead, they evolve — sometimes to the point where sticking with the status quo feels like swimming upstream. Here are some of the key pain points that businesses using offset printing equipment face today.

A shrinking labor pool

It’s becoming a universal challenge: finding skilled offset press operators is getting harder by the day. Many experienced operators are aging out of the workforce, and younger professionals are showing less interest in entering the field. Training new employees is a lengthy process, and until they’re proficient, costly mistakes are inevitable. Also, offset presses aren’t exactly "plug and play" machines. As the talent pool shrinks, operational bottlenecks increase, adding stress to your bottom line.

Rising material costs

Offset printing is notorious for its high upfront material costs. Aluminum plates, specific inks, and other consumables aren’t getting cheaper, and with the unpredictability of supply chains, you’re likely seeing fluctuations in prices that make it difficult to forecast expenses. On top of that, every make-ready process, misprint, and plate change adds to the material waste and, in turn, your operating costs.

Faster turnaround expectations

The world has gone on-demand, and print is no exception. Whether you're printing brochures, marketing collateral, product packaging, or direct mail campaigns, your customers are expecting faster turnarounds. Offset printing, with its lengthy setup processes, plate production, and alignment requirements, simply can’t match the agility of digital printing for short runs or quick changes.

Personalization and variable data? Not so fast.

In today’s marketing-driven world, personalization is key. Customers want to tailor their communications down to the individual, and they want that reflected in their printed materials. Whether it’s personalized direct mail, customized product packaging, or on-demand marketing materials, offset presses don’t handle this well. The requirement to burn plates means that personalization or variable data printing (VDP) is virtually impossible unless you want to print 10,000 unique plates — a cost and logistics nightmare.

Sustainability pressures

Let’s talk green. As sustainability becomes a core concern for businesses and consumers alike, more customers are looking for eco-friendly solutions. Offset printing, with its energy-intensive processes and reliance on chemicals and water, can be a tough sell to environmentally conscious clients. You may find it harder to win new business without showcasing a sustainable print offering. Reducing waste and energy consumption is no longer just a "nice to have" — it’s quickly becoming a business imperative.

Why digital printing is the answer: 5 reasons to consider migration

Digital printing has come a long way. It’s now a mature, reliable, and cost-effective solution that handles very large print volumes and can easily complement your offset operations. If you're not ready to go all-in on digital, integrating digital presses alongside your offset equipment could solve many of the challenges you're facing.

Here’s why more companies across many industries are making the move:

1. Faster turnaround with increased automation

Unlike offset, digital printing is built for agility. Digital presses require little to no setup compared to their offset counterparts, allowing you to print on-demand without the long make-ready times. This means faster turnarounds for your customers and the ability to handle more jobs in less time. Automation features streamline the entire process, from file submission to print, so you spend less time tinkering with the press and more time printing.

2. Variable Data Printing: unlock new opportunities

Today’s businesses are all about personalization — whether it’s for direct mail campaigns, targeted brochures, or custom product packaging. Digital presses allow for variable data printing (VDP), enabling you to personalize each piece with different images, text, or customer information — all within the same print run. This capability is a huge selling point for clients looking to deliver one-to-one marketing, and it enables new revenue streams that offset simply can’t handle.

3. Cost-effective for short runs

Offset is king for long runs. But for small batches, digital is unbeatable. The lack of plate creation and make-ready times means you can easily accommodate short-run jobs without eating into your profits. For businesses who print large amounts of short-run, customized materials, digital presses offer a flexible and cost-effective alternative to running an offset press for hours just to produce a handful of prints.

4. Eco-friendly and sustainable

There’s no denying that digital printing is the greener option. With less waste, fewer or no chemicals, and lower energy consumption, digital presses help you meet the growing demand for sustainable print solutions. Going digital means you can offer your customers a greener choice, reducing your environmental impact while positioning your business as a responsible, eco-friendly partner.

5. Adaptable to changing market demands

The printing industry isn’t standing still, and neither are your customers. Digital presses are highly adaptable, allowing you to pivot quickly in response to new trends or changing market demands. Whether it’s a last-minute order, a new type of material, or a shift in client expectations, digital gives you the flexibility to handle almost anything your customers throw at you.

It’s not an “all or nothing” decision

The good news?

You don’t have to shut down your offset presses and dive headfirst into the world of digital printing overnight. Think of this as a journey – one where you can transition gradually, testing the waters and integrating digital solutions into your workflow at a pace that works for you. Offset has its place, especially for long-run jobs where volume is high, and personalization isn’t needed. But for many jobs, digital is the smarter, faster, and more cost-effective choice.

The key is striking a balance between the two. Perhaps your offset presses handle large runs while your digital presses take care of short runs, customized marketing pieces, and rush orders. Digital can also directly augment offset printing, for instance, when customers request just a few more pieces of a job that was printed on offset. Simply send it to digital and get it done quickly and cost efficiently. This hybrid approach can help you make the most of both technologies without sacrificing productivity or profitability.

Enter Ricoh’s O2D+ Journey: your guide to digital transformation

If you’re ready to start growing digital printing in your operation, Ricoh O2D+ Services are designed to help you at every step of the journey. We understand the struggles that come with moving from offset to digital. Our O2D+ Consultants live to tell the tale.

We guide you through the process, ensuring a smooth and successful transition that allows you to identify and navigate potential roadblocks before they turn into real problems.

Ricoh O2D+ Assessment: The first step in any migration is understanding where you stand today. With our O2D+ Assessment, we’ll work with you to evaluate your current print operations, whether you're using offset, digital, or a combination of both. This comprehensive assessment will identify opportunities for improvement, areas where digital might reduce costs, and how a hybrid approach could boost your overall efficiency. It’s all about making sure you have a clear, personalized roadmap to optimize your print production.

Ricoh O2D+ Enablement: Once you’ve decided to integrate digital printing into your workflow, the next challenge is ensuring that everything runs smoothly. That’s where O2D+ Enablement comes in. Ricoh’s team of O2D+ Consultants will be on hand to help you implement digital printing into your existing operations. From workflow optimization to hands-on assistance with job setup and execution, our experts will ensure that your migration is seamless, allowing you to hit the ground running.