Digital Printing
If you've ever seen a promotional item with a full-colour logo, a photo-quality image or a design packed with detail and gradients, there's a good chance digital printing was behind it. When your artwork is colourful or complex, it's often the method that brings it to life best.
What is digital printing?
Digital printing applies your design straight onto a product from a digital file, with no screens or plates to make first. Because it prints in full colour all at once, it handles detailed, multi-colour and photographic artwork with ease.
It's the natural choice when your design has lots of colours, fine detail or gradients, the sort of thing other methods can find tricky.
What is digital printing 360?
Digital printing 360, also called round or cylindrical digital printing, is the same technology adapted for round items. The product rotates under the print head as it prints, so your full-colour design wraps the whole way around, a full 360 degrees, with no seam or gap.
It's how you get a detailed, colourful image running continuously around a bottle, mug or tumbler. All the colour and detail of digital printing, built for curves.
How does digital printing work?
The process is refreshingly direct:
- 1Prepare the file. Your artwork is prepared as a digital file in full colour, with no need to separate it into individual colours.
- 2Send to the printer. The file is sent straight to a digital printer, often a UV inkjet.
- 3Print in one pass. The printer lays the ink directly onto the product, building the full design in one pass.
- 4Cure the ink. The ink is cured, usually with UV light, so it bonds and dries instantly.
- 5Base layer where needed. On some surfaces, especially dark or clear items, a thin base layer is printed first so the colours stay bright and true.
Where digital printing 360 comes in
A standard digital print works best on flat or gently curved surfaces, so for round products the 360 method takes over. As the item turns under the print head, the design carries on seamlessly around the full circumference. It's the reason a printed water bottle can carry a detailed, full-colour wrap around the whole body rather than a single panel on one side.
The advantages of digital printing
There's a lot to like about digital printing for branded merchandise:
Full colour and fine detail
Photographs, gradients, unlimited colours and complex artwork all reproduce cleanly.
No screens to set up
Because there are no per-colour screens, it's one of the most economical options for small runs and one-offs.
Quick to produce
It goes straight from file to product, with no plates or screens to prepare first, so turnaround can be fast.
Easy variable printing
Since each print comes from a file, changing the design between items is simple.
Wide range of items
It prints well across many materials and product types.
Seamless wraparound with 360
For round items, the 360 method gives you a continuous, detailed print around the whole product.
The drawbacks to consider
No method suits every job, and it helps to know the trade-offs:
- Less economy of scale at high volume. With no screens to spread across a big run, the price per item stays steadier rather than dropping sharply the way it can with screen printing at large quantities.
- Exact brand colours can be approximate. Digital uses full-colour process printing, so most colours look excellent, but very specific Pantone shades or metallics can come out slightly off.
- Some surfaces need a base layer. Dark or transparent items often need a white underbase first so the colours read correctly.
- Best on flat or gently curved surfaces. Standard digital printing prefers even surfaces, which is partly why the 360 method exists for round items.
What can be digitally printed?
Digital printing handles a broad spread of materials, including:
- Plastics
- Metal
- Glass
- Ceramic
- Wood
- Paper and card
The 360 version focuses on round and cylindrical items, drinkware especially.
Popular products
Some of the items digital printing works especially well on:
And with digital printing 360:
Digital printing FAQs
What's the difference between digital printing and screen printing?
Digital prints full colour straight from a file with no screens, so it suits detailed, multi-colour or photographic designs and small runs. Screen printing uses a separate screen for each colour, which suits bold, solid colours and larger quantities.
What is digital printing 360?
It's digital printing adapted for round items. The product rotates under the print head so your full-colour design wraps the whole way around, with no seam.
Can digital printing handle photographs and gradients?
Yes, that's one of its biggest strengths. Full colour, fine detail, gradients and unlimited colours are all no problem.
Is digital printing cost-effective for small orders?
Very. With no screens to set up, it's one of the most economical choices for small runs and one-offs.
Will my exact brand colours match?
Most colours reproduce beautifully, though very specific Pantone shades or metallics can come out slightly approximate, since it uses full-colour process printing. We'll always let you know if that's likely to be a factor.
Not sure if digital printing is right for you?
If you'd like to know more about digital printing or digital printing 360, or you're just not sure which method suits your project, get in touch with our Bristol team. You'll speak to a dedicated business manager, not AI or a robot.
And we won't hassle you. If you'd rather sort everything over the phone, we'll call. If you prefer email, no problem at all, we'll keep it to email. Either way, we're here to help you get the right print for your branded merchandise.