Looking for the right printer? Follow these easy tips
BY PAUL BROWNING
You have many options when it comes to printing,
and it really pays to find the right printer. There are a
lot of factors that you need to consider: quality,
quantity, expertise, and price. There are a number
of online options available now, but chances are you
are going to want a local printer.
Here are some things you should consider:
- Make sure your job is printed on-site.
If you go to a copy
shop, your job will likely be sent to an off-site printer. They
mark up the
price and you
pay the extra cost. Plus, if they are sending the
printing to someone
else, that means they don't have the expertise needed
to get the job
done right or the equipment there on site to make
needed changes if
something went wrong
- Need digital printing? If you need a small
amount of printed
materials, you need
digital printing. For example, if you wanted to print only
100 tri-fold
brochures, digital printing would be ideal. In this case
you'll want to
ask the printer if they have digital printing capability.
- Make sure to check color swatches and see
a proof. No good printer
will ever run your job without showing you a proof. If
this is the
first time you are printing something and have had
design work done
online, it is a good idea to see the actual color
swatches that will be
used. Adjustments can be made easily at this point.
-
Ask for a press-check on large jobs. If you
are running a large
quantity job, you might want to take the time to go to
the printer when
they start printing the job and see the first pieces as
they come off
the press. That way, you can make sure it looks the
way you expect
before the entire job has been run.
-
Ask questions. There are many important elements to printing: inks, paper, the press itself, etc - so don't be afraid to ask questions. This is even more important during a press
check. In most cases, the
person
running the press will gladly tell you how the printing
process works.
You're paying
for a printing job and getting an education while you're
at it.
-
Find the right sized printer. If a printing
company is too big, your
job will
cost too much. If it's too small, they won't have the
capabilities to do
the job
the right way. There's a big difference between printing
a business
cards and four color catalogs.
-
Don't rely on the printer to select your paper.
Ask to see their
samples and ask their
advice, but remember the right paper can make or
break a job.
-
Specify how you want the printing packaged.
If you're printing a
brochure, for
example, you might want the finished brochures shrink
wrapped in groups
of 100 copies.
When you find the right printer and form a solid relationship with them, you'll save time and money in the long run. Understand that, like you, they want the project to run as smoothly as possible. By knowing what you want and asking the right questions, you'll both be happy with the end result.
Before joining
LogoWorks, Paul worked at
Alphagraphics
as a designer and pre-press specialist. He can be
reached at paul@logoworks.com
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