Commercial printer estimates are not all alike. Comparing print quotes is a lot like signing up for new cell phone service: multiple languages, terms and variables that muck up any chance of a straight comparison. It can be daunting and estimates can vary greatly.
3 Tips To Get The Best Print Price:
#1: KNOW your printer
Printers intimately know their equipment and can suggest paper, sizes, even mailing weights so that you'll save money. Allow them to guide you towards the solution that best fits your budget or you may be SHOCKED at the estimated prices you begin receiving.
Any printer is looking to build a long-term relationship, as it benefits both of you. Ask for references. Inquire about efficiency, deadlines met and quality of the product. Ask the references about the quality of the customer service. Look at print samples - do they meet your standards?
Choose someone you can build a strong business partnership.
Tip #2: LIKE your printer
Can you actually talk to your printer? This is where the ink really hits the press.
Before you produce your final artwork for printing, discuss exactly what you're attempting to achieve. Take a "comp" if you can. Will it be mailed? Stuffed into an envelope? Shipped directly to a trade show? Does it require variable data? Can they meet your deadline? Are you sure?
Work with a printer you like, someone who makes time to discuss your job in detail. There are many variables in the cost of printing - make sure you get all of the options.
Tip #3: LISTEN to your printer (for the optimal solution).
Printers enjoy educating their clients about what their presses can and can't do and the best way to achieve their print goals. A good printer spends time at conferences educating their employees to stay on the cutting edge of print technology. Learn about the latest techniques, papers, varnishes and inks.
What I Heard Saved Me A Small Fortune
By sitting down with my printer ahead of time I ended up with a higher quality job, at lower cost, and a new understanding of a simple varnishing technique. I had tried varnish before but it had added cost to the job. Design wise, the varnish made sense: drawing attention to the product photos using a gloss varnish and contrasting the background with a dull varnish.
But, costs were a concern.
Traditionally, I learned, this would have be done by dry trapping these varnishes on a second pass through the press, therefore adding costs. My commercial printer suggested a strike-through varnish, which looks virtually the same, but avoids all the extra plates and extra press runs, therefore saving me money.
Don't Be Afraid To Compare (And Discuss) Quotes
It never hurts to get several estimates.
Estimates keep "price creep" from happening when working with a single printer. Share your other quotes with your printer. They can explain the differences because as mentioned earlier there's more than one way to skin a cat. I mean, print a catalog.
Compare the criteria in the various quotes and then work with the printer that actually spends time with you, builds trust and continues to educate you.
Know, like and trust. That's industry standard language for any business!
For more tips on how to save money and work with a commercial printer visit our blog. We love a good challenge! Get advice or a price on your next print job at http://scgcommercialprinter.com/blog/
Southern California Graphics (SCG), Inc. is a family-owned and operated printing company providing you the highest quality Lithography, Premedia, Digital Printing, Large Format Digital Printing, Finishing, Fulfillment Solutions and Technology Services for over 30 years.
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