Print on Demand Board Games vs Offset

Print on demand board games are printed a few copies at a time on digital printers, while mass-produced games are printed by the thousand on offset presses. Print on demand (POD) needs no minimum order but costs much more per copy and offers fewer sizes and finishes. Offset printing needs about 1,000 copies but makes each copy far cheaper and allows any size and finish. This guide compares the two, so you know which one fits your game today.

What Is Print on Demand?

A print on demand manufacturer makes games one order at a time, often from as few as five copies. It prints on digital printers, cuts with a computer-guided cutter (CNC) and glues and coats by hand, so it needs no plates, moulds or stock. Board game print on demand is a good way to make a short run before a crowdfunding campaign, or to sell a small game without holding stock. The limits are real, though: the sizes are fixed because a custom mould is not worth making for a few copies, you usually set up the artwork files yourself, and you pay in full up front.

What Is Offset Printing?

Offset printing is how mass-produced games are made. The art is put onto metal plates, one for each of the four printing colours, and the press transfers the ink onto large sheets at high speed: our Heidelberg presses run about 10,000 sheets an hour. Each part is then cut with a mould made for its shape, so any size or shape is possible, and the whole game is finished, assembled and checked on production lines. Setting up a press takes time, which is why offset printing needs a minimum order. Ours is 1,000 sets, and we can help with 500 if really needed. Every step is shown in our guide to how board games are made.

Offset Printing vs Digital Printing: Side by Side

Offset printing vs digital printing comes down to quantity, price per copy and quality:

• Quantity: print on demand from about 5 copies; offset from 1,000 sets.
• Price per copy: high on demand; low with offset.
• Print sharpness: about 270 DPI on demand; about 800 DPI with offset.
• Colour control: limited on demand; exact with offset.
• Sizes and shapes: fixed on demand; any size or shape with offset, using a mould.
• Special finishes: few on demand; all with offset.
• Best for: print on demand for tests, reviews and short runs; offset for selling your game.

Digital printing has no exact colour control, so its colours drift from what you see on screen, and at about 270 DPI dots can show in solid areas. Offset printing holds the same colour across thousands of sheets and allows every finish, from linen texture to holofoil.

When to Switch from Print on Demand to Offset

The switch comes sooner than most people expect. Each prototype or POD copy is printed and finished by hand, so the price per copy barely drops as you order more. Around 30 hand-made copies cost about the same as a 500-copy run on production machines. So print on demand is the right choice for a handful of copies, and offset printing is the right choice once you need dozens. If your game will sell in the hundreds, plan for offset from the start: see board game print run for choosing the quantity.

Prototypes and Production with One Manufacturer

You do not have to choose one or the other. Our board game prototype service prints 3 to 10 copies digitally for testing and reviews, on the same specifications as your production run. Then the same team makes the mass production on offset presses, so your files, sizes and approvals carry over, and half the prototype cost comes back if you order production within 90 days. Our guide to board game prototype printing explains the details, and the payment steps of a production order are on our quote to order page.

The Bottom Line on Print on Demand Board Games

Print on demand board games are the right start: a few copies, no minimum, fast. Offset printing is the right finish: far cheaper per copy, sharper colour, and any size or finish. Use digital copies to test and promote, then move to offset as soon as you need more than a few dozen copies. Watch both methods at work on the Hero Time YouTube channel, and when you are ready to compare prices, contact us.