Don’t lose money reprinting your next printing job. There are many factors to a printing job that are often overlooked. There are many variables that can go wrong that end up costing a lot of money after re-printing a job.
Whether you are planning on printing, flyers, banners, booklets, catalogs, brochures, postcards, calandars, letterhead or CD & DVD covers, make sure you have done all of the following:
1. Carefully Check The Spelling on Your Artwork - This is one of the most frequent causes of having to re-run a printing job. Take time to carefully go over the text in your brochure, business card, cd or dvd cover art, insert or sleeve and any other printed material with text on it.
2. Consider the Turnaround Time - Companies vary widely on turnaround time. Sometimes printing companies can take weeks to accomplish a project that other can companies can do in just a few days. Some printing companies specialize in overnight turnarounds. Consider what your timing needs are and shop around for a company that meets those needs.
3. Pricing - Consider pricing on the larger orders even when you are starting with a small run. People will often continue to order with a more expensive company since it’s the company that already has their artwork on file, they’ve already worked with them, etc. - Its just easier. So, take those factors into account ahead of time and consider the pricing on the larger orders before you even start to work with a printing company.
4. Spend The Extra Time (or money) on Design - A professional, sharp looking design is crucial for every business. It is difficult to overcome the negative impression made on a customer by poorly & cheaply designed brochures, letterhead, postcards, banners, posters, DVD & CD cover art, inserts and more. Shop around for the most talented graphic designer you can find. The high quality presentation to your customers will pay you back and more.
5. Order a Physical Sample Proof of Your Print Before You Start The Job - It may seem that you only need to view your samples online, but many times the product looks different when you are looking at a physical copy of it. If you are printing business cards or a basic postcard, it may not be necessary, but if you are doing something more complex like a calandar, brochures, posters, catalogs, CD or DVD labels, covers or inserts, then you should order a physical copy.
6. See if You Can Save Money By Using a Template - Although getting a custom design from a talented coder is best, if your business uses a common theme, then you might be able to get away with using a template. If the template looks professional, you can save yourself potentially hundreds of dollars in designer fees.
7. Use Standard Sizes - When printing, make sure you use standard sizes in order to get the lowest pricing.
8. For Small Runs, Use Digital Printing - Digital printing is the way to go for most small businesses and small printing runs. With digital printing there is very little setup expense.
9. Use Lighter Paper - If you can, use lighter weight paper to save money. For brochures 130 gsm should be enough and 300 gsm for business cards.
10. Look for Promotions - Many printers are offering major discounts for first time customers. Printing companies will often offer a package discount on a certain amount of business cards or brochures. Do a search online for promotions on the printing products you need. Some companies even offer a certain amount of printed products for free with the purchase of another printed product. Just make sure the quality of the prints are good. Don’t forget to ask for that sample proof in the mail!
Top Recommended Printing Companies Online
No Comments »