Printing Tips
There are a number of variables influencing the cost of any given print job. You may not realise it but short run jobs have a higher cost per unit than high run jobs, and good writing and design can make or break the success of the printed message. Then there are questions like, "should I spend the extra for high impact colour?" and, "should I go with the cheapest printer I've found to do my job?" When the time is taken to consider these factors it is possible to enhance the cost-effectiveness of your printing requirements to ensure your business stretches its printing dollar as far as possible.
The cost per unit of your printing job is the next thing to consider when in the planning stage. We are often asked, "I only want 500 instead of 1000 so why isn't the price half as much?" The answer lies in the process required to set up a job on the printing press. The set up or 'make ready' is the preparation time taken on the press to get the machine to the stage where it is making good copies. If you are printing a digital job, bear in mind these principals do not apply as the first copy will be as good as the last. However the cost structure allows this to be effective in relatively small quantities.
Lets take an example of a two colour corporate letterhead. If non-standard colours are required, the printer must mix the inks from basic component colours to a precise formula (think colour mixing paint at your local hardware). The mixed ink is then applied to the press rollers and the machine is run till a uniform layer is acheived.
Next, plates are produced and fitted to the press. The cost to produce plates varies depending on the type of plate (metal or plastic). After the plates are in place the first 'pull' is made to get the initial prints from the press. The first prints are almost never perfectly aligned or have correct ink densities, so the printer will spend some time adjusting the press. Once the fine tuning is done then the production run can begin. This process is used for quantities of 1,000+.
The whole make-ready process can take up to half an hour or in some cases longer and no matter what the quantity is the entire process has to be performed for each job. In the case of a short run print job the make-ready charge is always a larger percentage of the total job cost than for a large run and so the basic unit cost is higher. So if your print job repeats without changes, for example a tax invoice book, it will be more cost effective to buy a year's supply rather than order two to three times a year at smaller quantities.
The third point to consider when planning is to consider the beneits and costs of adding colour to your project. The use of colour can dramatically increase the effectiveness of your intended message. Studies indicate that colour enhances learning and recall by as much as 70%, and can help sell ideas 50 to 85% more effectively than black and white. New printing technology allows modern commercial printers to offer colour, from a single colour to full colour, at more affordable prices than in the past.
Another option to try when employing colour is using tinted papers in combination with black or dark coloured ink. This can be an inexepensive and effective way to get away from the tired black and white look. Sometimes however, you know what you really need is full colour, but to print 500 copies (the standard minimum quanity) would be a waste as you're only likely to use 100. Enter the digital colour copying machine. We can print upwards of 1 copy at variable rates (see the digital copying section) in vibrant full colour which enables you to tailor the quantity to suit your needs and budget.
The final way in which money can be saved or squandered lies in which printer you chose to print your job. When it comes to quoting for printing several different methods are used. One way is to determine the cost of the paper for the job and then to multiply this by a 'magic' number to arrive at the total amount to be charged. More scientific methods divide the costs between all the components of the printing process (plates, wash-up, make-ready, press run time etc.) and make an estimate based on the flat rate cost or time it will take to complete each component.
The result of so much calculation is that there is invariably a great variability in prices quoted from print shop to print shop. So if you were to phone five print shops and request a quote on a project, you are likely to get five widely disparate prices. So at this point the client has two options. One is to go with the lowest quote, however, you may want to consider a few risks. Are they pricing their work below the actual costs without realising it? Will a cheap price mean I will end up with a 'cheap' looking end product? Will I have to wait, and wait, and then wait some more before I can pick the job up?
The other option is to go with the printer who is quoting what you believe to be a fair price and with whom you can be confident that when you need help on a project, that the printer will be able to give it. The same buyer beware principles apply in the printing industry as with elsewhere, and at the end of the day ink on paper isn't just ink on paper.
Other clues that will tell you what kind of value and service you might expect from your chosen printer are:
• What type of projects do they specialise in and typically produce? Not much good ringing a printer who specialises in newspaper printing if you’re after a business card.
• What is the quality of samples displayed?
• What is the maximum pages size and do they have multi-colour presses on the premises?
• Who do they have as clients?
• Is the premises clean? Are the staff polite? Do they seem to possess a good knowledge of the industry?
As with other aspects of business life, with a bit of care you can budget to make things work better for you and improve your bottom line. With a bit of knowledge up your sleeve, and after a bit of homework, it is possible to put the company's printing dollar to its best possible use. If you would like any further information on this topic, please do not hesitate to contact our staff for assistance.
A general rule of thumb - when you walk into a print shop reception you will get a good or negative ‘vibe’. If the counter person is attentive and receptive to your enquiry, it’s probably a safe bet you’ll be in good hands.
