Margie Dana

If I Needed a Printer

Advice for the First-Time, Occasional Print Customer

Every month or so, I get a phone call from someone looking for help finding a printer. The most interesting calls are from the first-timers: people who have never worked with a commercial printer before. (In fact, the term "commercial printer" is foreign to most of them.)

Some of these people - like the local woman who called two weeks ago - want a recommendation from me on the spot. "Who would you call to print a directory?" she asked. "I want someone in this town."

Well, it exasperated her to no end to learn that there are no commercial printers in her town, and I ticked her off even more when I refused to name names. "Who would YOU use?" she asked repeatedly.

I took the opportunity to jump up on my soap box.

"It depends. Different printers do different things. If your job doesn't fit their presses, you could be calling the wrong place. If your quantity is particularly small and you call a web printer, you could be calling the wrong place. Trust me, it's really inefficient to randomly call up printers."

She was like a dog on a bone. She refused to let me go.

I took another approach. "You must be using a designer to create the file - surely he or she will have worked with several printers."

"Of course," she said. Just when it seemed like we were making headway, she added, "when I find an art student."

My heart sunk. This would-be lesson of mine was going nowhere slowly. She was not interested in "Print Buying 101." She sat there on the other end of the phone, pen poised over a pad, waiting for me to name a printer. (I felt like a contestant on that really old TV show, "Name That Tune," and she was giving me 2 notes when I needed about 3 dozen.)

I had an epiphany! I gave her the names of a few print managers to call (you might call them brokers). "Call them! This is their specialty. Let them help you place the job. That's who you need."

Later that same week, another woman called. She explained that she was considering traveling to Graph Expo to find out printers' capabilities, because her company needed some really high-end printing done. Like the first caller, this person had no experience with printers.

We started talking about who was preparing the files for this critical piece. Since she didn't have a plan in place, I gave her the most practical advice I could think of - hire a graphic designer.

Most graphic designers design for print. They work with printers all the time. Finding the right printer, getting print estimates, placing the job, managing the printer, going on press - all of these responsibilities fall under their umbrella.

If you are brand new to working with the printing industry and you need to get one job printed commercially - or you plan to print something occasionally - consider working with a print management (brokerage) firm and/or finding a graphic designer. Print managers know and work with designers, so you can kill two birds with one stone. Alternatively, you can start with a graphic designer who has experience working with printers. (Hey, all you designers out there, make sure your prospects know that you take care of their printing needs.)

You can go ahead and make those calls to printers randomly, but if you haven't the expertise, it will be a huge waste of time for a lot of people.

I see no reason why the occasional print customer needs to master Print Buying 101, when there are plenty of professionals who already have this knowledge and skill set.

©2007 Margie Dana. All rights reserved. You're free to forward this email to friends and colleagues: please do! However, no part of this column may be reprinted without permission from the author.

Comments? Talk to me at

I have to say that I think the influence on me, personally, is pretty subtle. I don't participate in the promotions at all. This occurs, in part, because I have spent much of my career buying print for corporations, most of which discourage incentives and gifts. I also believe pretty strongly that part of the integrity buyers bring to the process of selecting resources is our commitment to making decisions based on practical considerations, not on the prospect of receiving goodies.

What do YOU think? Go to www.bostonprintbuyers.com and look for "Print Buyers Speak" in the middle of the home page. Add your own two cents.

New Poll for September

Print customers, answer this question:

The last time you chose to work with a new printing company, was it because…

• My current printer made a big error.

• The new printer offered something no one else did.

• Good timing: they called when I needed them.

• A person I respect recommended this printer.

• I met the printer at an event and was impressed.

• My boss made me do it.

• Their prices were better.

• My print rep moved there.

• Other

Cast your vote on our home page at www.bostonprintbuyers.com. It's on the right side.

Print Tips Archives!

Our Print Tips archives are public. Access them from the home page of our site
under Print Tips at www.bostonprintbuyers.com.

BPB Sponsor Directory

Take a look! The BPB Directory offers firms a unique online presence for their prospective customers. Interested? Visit our sponsor information page for details.