Digital is perfect for short runs because there is no make ready time, and also there are no plates to make. You literally just pay per ‘Click’ for a full colour print sheet. So, if you where to pay say 10 pence per sheet and you want 100 sheets, that’s £10.

On litho presses you need to make ready, so the customer is paying for the machine time while this is happening. You are also paying for the plates, normally this costs £220 for one set of plates and the make ready. So even before you start your bill is far higher. However, the actual running cost on a litho press is, in fact, cheaper. So say you are running 20,000 sheets through the press It works out cheaper.

That it basically the reason. Also, on long runs it takes longer. The machine runs slower than a full speed litho press, but for short runs the digital works out quicker as there is no make ready time.

http://www.solopress.com/plant-list.html

But our new Xerox iGen4 Press is currently taking pride of place in the office… until the iPhone 5 or Wii U arrives!

http://www.solopress.com/blog/solopress/welcoming-our-new-xerox-igen4%E2%84%A2/