Boston Print Buyers - Ten Surefire Ways to Cut Your Printing Costs

Ten Surefire Ways to Cut Your Printing Costs

Of all the arrangements you have to make while planning a professional conference, printing may be one of the most frustrating. For many consumers, printing costs seem to disappear down a big black hole. Too often, print jobs fail to meet their expectations.

So how can you gain control of your printing costs? Here are 10 surefire ways to save money and avoid "printing nightmares.”

1. Find the Right Printer. Not every printer is created equal. Some specialize in commercial printing, some in stationery products, some in financial printing. Some do copying as opposed to offset printing. A printer’s niche depends on the equipment he or she has. If you select an inappropriate printer, you’ll pay more than you need to, and your quality might suffer, too.

Interview three to five print vendors about the kinds of jobs you need printed. Get samples of similar work they’ve printed for other customers. Be clear about the level of service you expect from them. Once you’ve found vendors who do the types of printing you need, ask them for estimates. If you’ve chosen well, the estimates should be in the same ballpark.

Choosing the right printer is harder than you think. Get professional assistance from a print buyer consultant to ensure you’re swimming in the right vendor pool.

2. Print Only What You’ll Need. Studies show that roughly 30% of every print job goes to waste. (Remember that $7500 you spent on your last conference kit? You likely wasted $2250!) Take the time to determine accurate quantities – no matter where your printer’s “price break” kicks in. Although unit costs drop as quantities increase, you’ll waste thousands of dollars if you don’t use the materials. Aim for zero waste.

3. Choose Your Paper Carefully. When choosing paper for your print materials, there’s a lot more to it than coated vs. uncoated or color vs. white. Paper typically constitutes 30% or more of your final print bill, so choose very carefully.

Paper comes in a wide range of grades, weights, colors, and finishes. When requesting estimates, be sure that the paper cost is itemized. Start cutting costs by asking your vendor to suggest cheaper alternatives that don’t reduce the quality.

4. Standard Sizes Cost Less. The printing industry revolves around the 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper, so the most cost-effective jobs are multiples of this size (such as 11” x 17” and 5 ½” x 8 ½”). Envelopes are pre-made for these standard sizes as well. The odder the finished size, the larger the price tag.

5. Try on a Printer’s “House” Sheets. Ask your printer about “house” sheets. This refers to paper that a printer typically stocks in his plant, as opposed to special ordering it for a customer’s job. House sheets cost less and come in different weights and colors.

6. Go Light, White, and Uncoated. Some basic paper rules of thumb are these: Lighter-weight paper is cheaper than heavier paper. White paper is cheaper than colored paper. Uncoated is cheaper than coated paper. A booklet that uses only one type of paper is cheaper than one that uses two or more. And remember that paper can impact your mailing costs, so weigh your paper “dummies” at a mail house or post office. It’s not uncommon for mailing costs to exceed printing costs.

To be safe, consult with your graphic designer and/or printer when choosing paper. There are hundreds of different sheets from which to choose, and they change every year.

7. Prepare Your Digital Files Well. Over 90% of the work submitted to printers these days arrives digitally, either on Mac disks or PC disks. This saves you typesetting costs, but it shifts the responsibility of copy preparation from an external source to you, the consumer.

Make sure that whoever prepares your digital files has experience working with printers. Have that person contact your printer early in the production process to discuss file formatting. The goal is to ensure that your printer can accept the files as prepared and can print from them.

Not every printer has in-house Mac or PC expertise. The more rework your printer has to do with your files, the more you’ll be charged.

8. Take Proofreading Seriously. You are ultimately responsible for proofreading your own work – not the designer and certainly not the printer. If you’ve prepared the digital files, you need to have a proofreading procedure in place. Don’t assume that others, such as your designer or desktop publisher, will be proofing carefully.

Last-minute corrections to printers’ proofs are often required before a job goes on press. If the mistakes were yours (not the printer’s), you will be charged.

Hire a freelance proofreader if you must, but don’t skimp on this important step! What if your conference catalog gets delivered with embarrassing typos? Can you afford to reprint it and pay the price twice? Do you even have the time in your schedule?

9. Plan Ahead and Avoid Rush Charges. Sure, lots of jobs can be printed in a few days. But larger quantities and complicated projects often require more time. Printers have to schedule press time, buy paper, show you several proofs for your approval, and deliver your materials where you need them. Rush jobs cost a lot more.

Keep in mind that printing is customized manufacturing. Every job is new and different. Your involvement and input definitely influence the finished product, much like building your own house. By working closely with your printer all through the production process, you’ll have a better chance at getting the high-quality print job you envisioned.

10. Ask Your Printer for Ideas. How novel! This common-sense approach might save you more money than anything else. As you’re preparing your material, meet with your printer and ask for his or her advice about controlling costs.

Chances are that your printer will have alternatives that will not only save you money but will also improve the quality of your materials.

If this doesn’t sound like the kind of conversation you can comfortably have with your current printer, find another printer.

Printing is very technical, and the more you know, the more you can save. Finding the right print vendor is critical, but with hundreds of vendors in most metropolitan areas, many consumers are overwhelmed.

Get professional guidance to help in your selection, and then build a good relationship with your printer. Dealing with printers can be – should be – fun!