We use several different techniques and machines in printing logos for our loyal clients. While there is definitely more than one way to create a high-quality logo print design, operations generally fall to manual (screen printing) or automatic (rotogravure, offset, and flexo). To give you an in-depth overview of our logo printing process, let’s take a look at the differences between each type of manual vs automatic logo printing for a better understanding of this operation.
The biggest and most obvious difference in manual vs automatic logo printing is the level of work of the people who make the product. Manual machines require one to manually perform tasks related to screen printing such as setting up color ink on the screen, loading and unloading objects from the print holder, rotating the carousel, and lifting the printhead by hand. While technological developments have made screen printing operations easier with just the press of a button, automatic logo printing will remove all the extra work and let the machine do it’s work. When looking at manual vs automatic screen printing, there are a few pros and cons to both to be aware of.
Pros Manual Printing (Screen Printing)
- Very Flexible
If sometimes you need to replace the mold immediately for one reason or another, then this option may be the best option. With the manual printing method, molds can be changed more quickly because it does not involve large-sized molds.
- Low Cost with Low Minimum Order
Because it does not require making a large mold, this method is less expensive for small prints. So this method allows you to do cheap logo printing with a small minimum order.
- Ideal for Small Runs
When looking to only create a few or even just one item, manual is the better choice. This option allows for small batches to be made without the use of a larger, more complicated process.
Cons Manual Printing (Screen Printing)
- More Physical Involvement
The simple fact of the matter is that the manual option will involve a lot of physical activity from the person performing the task. Because it involves the physical activity of the person doing the task, it can reduce the level of product hygiene.
- More Likely to Make Mistakes
While doing it all manually does give more customization, there is also greater potential for mistakes. When a mistake occurs, it may even require the process to start from the beginning which sets schedules back and makes it take longer to produce a batch.
- Takes Longer
A manual screen printing operation also takes longer in general. Since it is all done by hand and based on the speed and precision of the worker, it can take a long time to complete the project.
Pros Automatic Printing (Rotogravure, Offset, and Flexo)
- Faster
The biggest benefit of automatic screen printing is the faster rate of production. An automatic printing machine can print anywhere from 3,000-5,000 on a single day whereas a manual printing can only produce a couple hundred a day.
- Larger Runs
Another major benefit of an automatic printer is that they complete larger runs because they are faster than manual options. In fact, many print on demand businesses without an automatic printer will turn down orders if the quantity is too large for them to handle manually.
- Consistent Quality
An automated screen printer offers more consistent quality because all processes are done automatically. This means all the products in a batch will look the same in appearance with no variation between them.
Cons Automatic Printing (Rotogravure, Offset, and Flexo)
- More Minimum Order Required
One of the few downsides of an automatic screen printing system is that it is usually required more minimum order. This is due to the large size of the mold, which makes it necessary to produce many products in one production cycle.
- Inflexible
The only other major downside to an automatic printing machine is that the process is very stiff and cannot accept any further changes after production has started. Therefore, planning must be carefully thought out before production is carried out.
- More Expensive
