Digital print: no plates, MOQ 1+. Cost-effective for runs <500 units. Photo-quality, full-CMYK, variable data (per-recipient names). Setup zero.
Offset print: requires aluminum plates ($200-500 per design). MOQ 1000+ for cost efficiency. Industry-standard quality. Lower per-unit cost at high volumes.
Break-even: ~500-700 units. Below → digital flexibility wins. Above → offset cost wins.
Digital advantages: short runs, custom-per-piece (variable data), fast turnaround (1-3 days), no plate cost.
Digital disadvantages: per-unit cost flat (doesn't scale at high volume), color may shift slightly between runs.
Offset advantages: higher color consistency at scale, lower per-unit cost at 1000+, best for catalogs/books/magazines/calendars.
Offset disadvantages: high MOQ, plate cost, longer setup (1-2 days).
Use cases: Business cards (250 units) → digital. Annual report (5000 copies) → offset. Personalized invitations → digital (variable data). Standardized brochures (10K copies) → offset.