Digital printing creates each image from electronic data rather than from a permanent image carrier. A raster image processor translates the page into the dots, screening and colour separations that a press can reproduce. The engine then places toner or ink only where the current page requires it.
Toner and inkjet routes
Electrophotographic presses use charge to form a latent image, attract toner and transfer it to the substrate before fusing. Production inkjet systems eject controlled droplets from arrays of nozzles. Some inks absorb into paper; others require drying, curing or a surface treatment that controls spread.
Because the image can change on every impression, digital presses support short runs, versioning and variable data. They also remove plate imaging and much of the make-ready waste associated with changing analogue jobs.
Workflow still matters
Digital does not remove prepress. Files still need correct colour spaces, fonts, image resolution, bleed and finishing allowances. Substrate profiles and press calibration determine how consistently the intended colour becomes a printed result. A successful workflow treats press, paper, ink and finishing as one production system rather than assuming that a printable PDF guarantees an accurate job.
