Page 150 - SREENARAYANAGURU OPEN UNIVERSITY

Fig 4.1.3 Digital vs. Offset Printing

Digital printing is used for a wide range of that readers can access their e-books virtually
applications, including commercial printing, anywhere, anytime, as long as they have an
photo printing, packaging and labels. It is also internet connection.
used for on-demand printing, such as print-on-
demand books, allowing for small print runs For example, a reader who wants to read a
and rapid delivery times. Thus, digital print- novel on their commute to work can download
ing is a versatile and cost-effective method the e-book onto their smartphone and read it
that has recently gained popularity. Its ability during their journey. Alternatively, a student
to produce high-quality prints quickly and who needs to read a textbook for a class can
cost-effectively makes it an important part of download the e-book onto their tablet and
the printing industry. study on the go.

Electronic Books E-books also offer a range of interactive fea-
tures not available in print books. For example,
E-books, or electronic books, are digital ver- some e-books include hyperlinks to additional
sions of books that can be read on various elec- resources, multimedia content such as videos
tronic devices. They can be downloaded and and audio, and social media integration, allow-
purchased online from various e-bookstores, ing readers to share content with friends and
such as Amazon’s Kindle store, Apple’s iBooks followers. In addition, e-books can be custom-
store, and Barnes & Noble’s Nook store. They ised to suit the reader’s needs. For example,
are designed to be read on electronic devices readers can adjust the font size and font type
like smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. They to make the text easier to read. Some e-readers
can be downloaded and accessed from vari- even offer built-in dictionaries, highlighting,
ous platforms and operating systems, includ- and note-taking features, allowing readers to
ing iOS, Android and Windows. This means easily look up unfamiliar words or take notes

144 SGOU - FYUGP - SLM - English for Communication