HOME : INFO CENTER : Screen print or Litho print?

Screen printing is the standard method of onbody printing for large CD or DVD runs - usually 500 or more. Colour separated films are produced from your artwork. For each film, a different screen is produced. Each colour is printed onto the CD surface using a robotic squeegee which pushes the ink through the mesh of the screen. The CDs are then cured using UV light. A silk screen print is usually 85 - 100 lpi (lines per inch). The resulting prints are high quality but may be grainy especially around text and tinted or shaded areas due to the mesh of the screens. For this reason, silk screen prints are best reserved for grayscale images, very bright or metallic images or spot colour jobs.

A litho or offset print is the best onbody print available and produces prints at 150-175 lpi. From your supplied artwork, the image is printed onto plates, one for each colour separation: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Ink is then transferred to plates and onto the CDs one colour at a time by rollers. An offset print is superior to a screen print because smaller text and detailed images are rendered superbly. The print surface is also smoother than a screen print. Photographic images, skin tones, full colour graphics and text are all improved with an offset print.

We assess every print job individually and recommend the print process which will provide you with the best results. Remember that screen and offset prints are only available for jobs with quantities over 500 units.

Ready to place an order? Call us on 0113 244 3550 or complete our quotation form.

Still confused about your printing options? Read more about inkjet and thermal printing.

Have a look at our range of CD packaging including digipaks and printed card wallets.