Digital printing

It also allows for on-demand printing, short turnaround time, and even a modification of the image (variable data) used for each impression.

The most popular methods include inkjet and laser printers, which deposit pigment and toner, respectively, onto substrates, such as paper, canvas, glass, metal, and marble.

The IRIS printer was the standard for fine art digital printmaking for many years, and is still in use today, but has been superseded by large-format printers from other manufacturers such as Epson and HP that use fade-resistant, archival inks (pigment-based, as well as newer solvent-based inks), and archival substrates specifically designed for fine-art printing.

In large format prints, the greatest advantage is that, since no lens is used, there is no vignetting or detail distortion in the corners of the image.

Digital cylinder printing is when a machine directly lays ink onto a curved surface that usually is the wall of an object that has a circular cross section, and a constant, tapered, or variable diameter.

The digital process is by definition faster than conventional screen printing, because it requires fewer production steps and less set-up time for multiple colors and more complex jobs.

The digital cylindrical printing process involves inserting a cylinder-shaped item, or part, into a fixture, which securely holds it in place.

The part then travels under a print head mechanism in which tiny droplets of CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) inks are released in a specific pattern to form an image.

Typically, one part is printed at a time and can require from 8 to 45 seconds to complete, depending on artwork complexity and quality.