During my long career in both the paper and print industries I have had the pleasure and the responsibility of purchasing and producing millions of pounds worth of printed products and in so doing have had first hand experience of the best (and the worst) practices of those two manufacturing sectors.
The purpose of this brief talk is to pass on to you some of that knowledge for whenever you’re in the market to purchase printed products, whatever your budget, so that you can avoid some of the common pitfalls that are out there for the unwary.
Questions to ask your printer
Are they really printers or just farmers?
Most printers cannot afford the high capital cost of all the equipment needed and so they farm out some element of the printing or finishing. With the result that the service they offer is only as good as the weakest link. That is the reason why so many printers can only offer a verbal assurance of their service. You can sort the farmers from the printers by asking whether they will guarantee the turnaround time for your job in writing and what they will compensate you if they’re ever late.
Some printers are only a shop front and they farm everything out to any printer around who has spare capacity. These farmers are called print brokers. Be doubly aware because there are few guarantees with this arrangement least of all consistent quality.
Will you be able to read the small print?
Leaflets from that bloke your brother knows or that little shop on the high street are as good as those from a professional company? Wrong! – They may sound the same but its like comparing apples with whales. Only the biggest printers can afford high definition repro equipment. This means your photos and text will be printed so clearly that you’ll even be able to read the small print! Ask to see samples of their work.
Is their pricing transparent?
Some companies take the trouble to work out the prices of all of their products to make them transparent and make it easy for customers to obtain an instant quote. Beware companies that ask you to email them or fill in a form or take more than a few minutes to get back to you. Check whether the product you want is VAT exempt. It has been known that some printers accidentally charge VAT on brochures, leaflets, booklets…
Are they environmentally responsible?
Does your printer use paper from well managed forests? Do their products carry the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo? Do they use recycled materials? Recycled paper is better for the environment than virgin paper since it diverts waste from landfill and is less damaging to the environment than the manufacture of virgin paper. See www.wrap.org.uk Are they accredited with the international environmental standard ISO 14001 which means an independent auditor keeps an eye on their environmental objectives and the progress they make. Do they commit to other green initiatives like The Tree Appeal? Or are they long on words but short on action?
Are they a one stop shop or one product shop?
Can they give you ideas on how best to promote your business? Can you make a truly informed choice or are you forced to buy from a limited range? How many products do they offer or are they limited by the size of their presses or the absence of key equipment? For example can they create eye-catching effects like shaping, laminating, varnishing? Can they offer unusual products like scratch cards, calendars, pens, keyrings, printed and embroidered clothing and other promotional goods? Can you see samples?
Will you be left carrying the baby if your artwork is less than perfect?
Does your printer understand design? Will they give you advice on how best to present your artwork so that it prints as you expect it to? Will they check your artwork if you don’t know how to? Do they know how to spell stationery? Will they take responsibility for how your artwork prints? What happens if it all goes wrong? Will you be left with 10,000 illegible leaflets?
How easy is it to order/reorder?
Can you get a quote on line, order on line, upload your files on line, pay on line and check the status of your order on line? Can you get access to all your old files on line?
Does your printer even archive your files and if so for how long? A month? A year?
Does your printer offer easy to use templates for printed materials you use on a regular basis like business stationery, leaflets, booklets, posters so that your marketing collateral is always consistent? Or is your printer old school and only offers an over the counter service during office opening hours?
Caveat emptor!