Every single week I get same question from new customers. They have their design ready, they want to order boxes and then they ask. What is difference between digital printing vs screen printing? Which one should I pick? I remember being so confused about this same question when I first started working in packaging industry. Both methods put ink on box. Both can look very nice. But they work in completely different ways and one will always fit your needs better than other. Today I explain everything in simple words so you never have to guess again.

How Both Printing Methods Actually Work

Let me start with very simple explanation. Screen printing is very old method. You make a stencil of your design, then you push thick ink through fine mesh screen onto the box. One stencil for each color in your design. Digital printing is new method. It works exactly like the printer you have at home, just very very big. It prints your design directly onto the box, no stencils nothing. It just reads the file from computer and prints. That is all difference at the most basic level.

Main Differences Between Digital vs Screen Printing

There are few main differences that matter for you as customer. Let me break them one by one.

Quality Difference

First thing people care about is digital printing vs screen printing quality. Both can look great but they have different strengths. Digital printing is perfect for photos, gradients, shadows and designs with many many colors. It can print every tiny detail perfectly. Screen printing cannot do gradients well at all. But screen printing makes solid colors look so much better. If you have bright red or blue logo, screen printed color will pop and look rich and deep. Same color printed digital will look little flat and dull in comparison. Also screen ink is thick so you can feel it under your fingers. Many luxury brands love this touch feeling.

Cost Difference

Digital printing vs screen printing cost is the biggest difference for 90% of customers. Digital printing has almost no setup cost. The first box costs almost same as the five hundredth box. This makes digital perfect for small orders. Screen printing has very high setup cost. You pay for each stencil for each color. So if you order 50 boxes with screen printing it will be extremely expensive. But once stencils are made, the 1000th box costs almost nothing. So for big orders screen printing becomes way cheaper than digital.

Turnaround Time

Digital printing is very fast. We can print and ship your order in two or three days usually. Screen printing takes much longer. Making stencils and setting up machine takes time. Most screen orders take one week or more to complete.

 Which Printing Method Should You Choose

Now you know basics so which one is right for you? This screen printing vs digital printing comparison has very simple rule most of time. If you need less than 500 boxes, always pick digital. No question. It will be cheaper and faster and look great. If you need more than 1000 boxes, always ask for screen printing price. It will almost always save you lot of money.

If your design has photos or many colors or any kind of gradient, digital is your only choice. If your design has just one two or three solid colors, screen will look much nicer.

Custom cardboard boxes for new small brands almost always go with digital printing these days. Custom kraft boxes look absolutely amazing with screen printed logos, the ink pops so beautifully on brown paper. Custom rigid boxes for luxury products use screen printing 90% of time because of that premium thick ink feel. Custom corrugated boxes for shipping work perfect with either method depending on how many you need.

Common Myths About Both Printing Methods

I hear many wrong things about screen vs digital printing all the time. Let me break some myths. Many people think screen printing is always better quality. That is not true at all. For any design with complex art or photos digital will look 10 times better than screen ever could.

People think digital print vs screen print durability is different. No. Both inks last same long time. Both do not scratch off or fade. We test this all the time.

Many people also think screen printed vs digital printed you can always tell difference. For many simple designs even I can not tell which one is which if I do not know beforehand.

At We Custom Boxes we never try to push one method over another. We always tell customers which one will work better for their specific order and their budget.

Conclusion

So now you understand all digital printing vs screen printing differences. There is no one method that is better than other overall. It all depends on your order size, your design and what you want from your packaging. Small orders go digital. Big orders go screen. Complex designs go digital. Simple logos go screen.

Remember these simple rules and you will always make right choice. Next time you order boxes you will know exactly what to ask for and you will not get confused by all these terms anymore.