Tips for New Print Buyers

The Lay of the Land

As a new print buyer with no previous experience, you will get totally overwhelmed. Count on it. The good news is, you're not alone. Every new buying professional has the same near-panic attack when that phrase, "Get this printed!" is first aimed at your general direction.

Take a deep breath. Plan on becoming educated in print manufacturing and the business of print buying gradually, and it will start making sense. No need to panic.

Today, I thought I'd give new buyers a brief perspective on the larger landscape awaiting you. You can't start searching for a print provider until you know what's out there, can you?

A Snapshot of the US Printing Industry
According to Dr. Joe Webb, Director of Whattheythink.com's Economics and Research Center, there are approximately 32,000 US printing establishments, including such trade services as binderies, etc. Of these, 29,500 firms are printing companies. Annual printing shipments are about $97 billion. The industry employs about 600,000 people (down from a high of 830,000 back in 1998).

The American printing industry is shrinking - for lots of reasons. Here are just four:

1. A significant amount of content has moved to the Web.

2. Newer digital printing technologies mean we can print exactly what we need, so print runs are shrinking.

3. Everyone seems to be a designer and printer nowadays, thanks to the personal computer. We are "doing it for ourselves."

4. Competition is fierce. Read on.

How Do I Print Thee?
Let me count the ways -

• Work directly with print manufacturers, which most of us do.

• Work with print brokers (AKA print managers, print consultants, print distributors). Brokers represent print manufacturers. They don't have equipment of their own. According to the Printing Brokerage/Buyers Association International (www.pbba.org), there are more than 11,000 brokerage firms that employ 38,000 people.

• Work with print management firms. Mostly a UK phenomenon as far as I can tell. Much more muscular than a print broker, as it includes total project management. Print Managers work up and down the supply chain - handling design, production, distribution, etc.

• Buy your print online from any one of numerous ecommerce printers. Ultra convenient. Most often used for simpler jobs, like stationery, brochures, postcards, etc. Getting more sophisticated every year

• Buy your print at office supply stores. These superstores all have print & copy centers. Not the place for complex print jobs.

• Buy offshore. If you want to, you can buy printing from anywhere in the world, but it requires a lot more homework. You should confer with other buyers who've been there and done that. There are not a lot of resources for US buyers who want to look elsewhere for print.

That's enough for starters. New print buyers, as well as new print sales and service reps, can benefit from an appreciation of the current landscape. It does change regularly, which is one of the reasons we lifers love it so much.

Comments? Talk to me at mdana@bostonprintbuyers.com.

©2008 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.

Print Buyer Conference News

September 11th - 12th, 2008

Sheraton Boston Hotel, Boston, MA

As our way of saying "THANKS!" to our exhibitors this year, we are offering every one of them a chance to shine in a Print Tip.

Each Exhibitor may submit to me an article that will be educational to Tips subscribers. I will polish it (if necessary!) and include it in a Tips column so that all of you will benefit.

We have put this offer in writing to our main contact at every exhibiting firm. Your article should be no more than 500 words in length, original, and submitted to me in Word.

Margie Dana
mdana@printbuyersinternational.com

Sponsor Announcements

From Adobe, our Corporate Sponsor, comes this invitation:

Be one of the first to see Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 in a special web broadcast on September 23, 2008. See firsthand how new features in Creative Suite 4 can help you get to brilliant faster. Join in at www.adobe.com/go/somethingbrilliant

NEW Print Buyer Poll for September

Buyers, newer media are giving print a run for its money. With that in mind, which statement rings true for you?

• My role as a buyer is not likely to change much in the next few years.

• My role as a buyer will change a lot in the next few years.

• I haven't given any thought whatsoever to this subject.

• I don't plan to stay in this field to find out.

Cast your vote on our home page at www.bostonprintbuyers.com.

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