Your business printing partner helps to create what could be your initial impression. You need a printer with a progressive, cutting-edge process cultivated by industry-leading employees. How do you vet a print company? Let’s take a look.
- Ask for Green Credentials
Environmentally-conscious printing is actually less expensive for clients in the modern world of printers, aside from being better for the environment in Australia. How does your preferred printing company handle its carbon footprint? The way that a company manages its own resources will tell you how it will handle yours.
Pay special attention to any ink smudges around text and the way the company handles more complex imagery.
- Ask for a Sample
The best way to determine the quality of a printing company is by viewing a hard copy sample. You can read online reviews all day and reference images of the work, but holding a mailer or a business card from that company will tell you everything that you need to know. Ask for press checks before committing.
Pay special attention to any ink smudges around text and the way the company handles more complex imagery. Do not assume that just because your design is simple that any printer can do it — you need the leaders in the field for great results. - Turnaround Time
Everyone likes a bit of lead time, but there is no way of telling when you will have a printing emergency. Ask about turnaround times for proofs that are already on file and for designs that are not in the system. Cross-reference your timeline for emergency situations that you have faced to see if this company will be able to keep up with your worst-case scenario. - Branding Help
Can your printer recommend a reliable and professional marketing or graphic design service, or do they have one in-house? Although a printing company is no substitute for a dedicated marketing partner or department, they should be able to explain to you how colours affect markets, how text will come across on different mediums, and where you can cut extra data from an overly busy design.Newstyle Print is very lucky to have a specialist marketing company, Newstyle Media. - Options
Does your company have options for cheaper leaflet printing if you need more outreach for a seasonal campaign? Will you be able to keep your design consistent across all materials to keep a recognisable brand? Will they assist you with meeting your budget by finding more affordable stock paper, purchasing indent stock or offering alternative ideas for design to keep costs down?Your printing company should be able to handle the technical details in creating a convenient pool of options for your business needs.Just because a paper merchant may market their particular product, your printer may be able to find you a similar look and feel for a significant saving. - Customer Service
Make sure that your printing company always makes time to answer your questions. No company will treat you better during the partnership than they will during the sales process. If the customer service agent does not know the answer to a question immediately, do they find the answer or try to play it off? No matter the response, you can bet that you will get the same response when you run into unexpected trouble during a print run. Also, you need to ensure that your printer has timely delivery service options to ensure the proper fulfilment of your orders. If you need to hold a substantial amount of backup inventory, invest in a company with storage options and print, pack and post options.The company you select to handle your business should be one that employs a full-time Customer Service Manager. - Plain Prints
Finally, you want a company that does not try to cover its mistakes with post-production tricks such as glossing over a blurry bleed or placing your proof off-centre. Make sure that you use a company that can get the basic stuff right before they start adding UV screens and glossy covers. The best kind of printing is the most straightforward printing, with production tricks used judiciously to accentuate the best features of a marketing campaign. Look for the printer that can keep your design simple and make it look great!
Have you ever had a printing disaster? Tell us about it in the comments below.