Businesses depend a lot on printing. From brochures to flyers, from t-shirts to uniforms: the list is endless. However, this doesn’t have to cost you a fortune especially today as every business is still grappling with the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. So, you will appreciate knowing the following secrets to cheap printing that actually works forever.
1. Printing Companies are Not the Same
Every printing company operates in a particular market segment according to the equipment available. While some offer a one-stop printing service, others offer particular printing services such as t-shirts, embroidery, and large format printing. Additionally, some printing companies offer graphic design services while others require you to come with artwork for printing.
Keep in mind that the intense competition in the market might make some companies stretch their capacity by offering services they just outsource. This encourages overpricing, not beating deadlines, and low-quality prints. A printing company that actually does the work, without outsourcing, will ask for an affordable price.
2. Go Online
Online is where to go right now when you want to get cheap printing services . There are various printing companies to choose from offering a range of services. The best thing about finding a printing company online is having a chance to compare pricing, quality, and services with a few mouse clicks. And, you can do your search anywhere regardless of where you are. You can easily locate an affordable printing company with the right experience after reading through testimonials and reviews online.
3. Where the Company is Located doesn’t Matter
You have noticed that online is the best place to locate cheap printing companies. So, there’s a chance of finding a company worth working with but not in your immediate area. This should not be a deterrent as long as the company is prepared to deliver at an affordable price.
The location of the company is not very important since you can forward your artwork and the company will show you a mock-up before printing the final work. Additionally, any company willing to work outside of your locality will have a delivery system in place that doesn’t hike the price of its services.
4. Service is More Important than Price
Any printing company can produce acceptable prints to stay in business. On your search for a printing company, mind about the service offerings. The printing industry is highly competitive making smart business owners stretch the value added to their services. Including unique perks is the trick to keeping ahead of the competition.
So, make effort to find a company willing to offer extra services like mockups, free graphic design, discounts on bulk orders, and free delivery to stretch your budget. Keep in mind that a printing company can offer low prices for their prints but you have to incur costs for extras like graphic design and mock-ups. In the end, you will realize that such a company is actually more expensive than you thought.
5. No Need for Minimum Order Quantities
New technology today has led to the use of digital printers and presses that print on demand regardless of the copies you want. So, there’s no more worry about having to meet a particular quantity before placing an order. No more printing more than you need just because the offset printer can’t do smaller orders.
You have a chance to estimate the number of prints you and when you want them. This allows printing that matches your budget at a particular moment with a chance to print more when you get more money.
6. Prepare all Your Details
Before placing an order for a printing job, make sure to have all details handy. Depending on what you’re to print prepare all information for printing with specifics including color, font, size, and material for printing on. Equally important is to avail any images you wish to include in a good format.
Being prepared limits the time the printer is to spend on your job. Since time is money, the money time spent on your printing job, the more you’re likely to pay. This is because the printer will have to put in extra time and effort to do things that you could have done in the first place. Make sure to give the printer special requirements for your job such as;
- Ink colors
- Finishing
- Binding
- Paper stock
7. Prepare Your Digital File
As discussed above, letting the printer do all the work hikes prices. A trick to lower your printing costs is to prepare your digital file. Fortunately, some online printing companies offer free templates for you to create your designs. Alternatively, you can have a freelance or in-house graphic design to prepare the digital file in easily recognizable formats such as PDF and SVG. The printer will just set your order to print and the price is likely to be lower than if he had to prepare your order from scratch.
Printing is essential for any business. Outsourcing your printing to a professional company allows cutting operational costs. Luckily, you can find a reliable and affordable printer online that will handle all your printing requirements without compromising quality.