A common and relatively inexpensive printing process if the offset company printing process that is commonly used for magazines, newspapers, books, legal documents and many other commercial print jobs. The process includes high quality and unique types of papers that adds to the benefits that the process could contribute in providing a professional printing service. The process is used both on sheet-fed and web offset presses.

Offset company printing process is also known as lithographic printing which is well suited for printing of both text and illustrations in short to medium runs of up to hundreds of thousands impressions. Its basic principle is that oil does not mix with water and the process uses metal plates made form films using a photochemical process. Plates are exposed to light through the films and then chemically treated, making the non-image areas water absorbent and repel ink. Four different plates are used for each color known as the CYMK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) or the four color process. Ink is not applied directly from the plate or cylinder to the substrate. Application of ink to the printing plate forms the image and then transferred or offset to a rubber blanket. The image on the blanket is then transferred to the substrate, typically of paper or paperboard producing the printed product.

During printing, a fountain solution consisting of primarily water with small isopropyl alcohol quantity and other additives to lower surface tension and control the pH. This is applied first in a thin layer o the printing plate and migrates to the hydrophilic non-image areas of the printing plate. Ink is then applied to the plate and transfer to the oleophilic image areas. Ink is prevented by the fountain solution from transferring to the non-image areas of the plate because essentially, the water and ink does not mix. The plate comes in contact with the dampening rollers first as the plate cylinder rotates. Dampening rollers wet the plate, making the non-printing areas repel ink. Inking rollers then transfer ink to the dampened plate, where the image areas is adhered with the ink. Inked image is transferred to the rubber blanket, and the substrate is printed as it passes between the blanket and impression cylinder.

Offset company printing process is the workhorse of printing and almost every printing company does the process. The quality of the finished product is due to the guidance, equipment used and expertise of the print specialists.