If you’re a business — large or small — then the quality of your printed marketing materials is of the utmost importance. That means working with the right printing company is important, too; if you work with a mediocre print company, you’ll get mediocre results, which will make your company look mediocre in turn. Here are four warning signs to look out for in your search for a print company:
- They Don’t Explain Pricing Differences to You
Generally, there will be two pricing components of any job you send to a print company. The first will be a setup fee, a flat fee that is charged whether you need just one print of your project or you need thousands. The second is a price per unit, or the cost for each additional print. Because of this two-part pricing (which will vary based on the printing processes you choose), you’ll want to make sure the company you’re working with is open and will guide you toward the best value.
- They Don’t Offer Digital and Offset Printing
There are two major kinds of printing: digital and offset. They each have their advantages (a topic too extensive for this article), but it’s very likely that you’ll have business needs at some point where you’ll want the choice between the two. It’s not worth going with an online digital-only print company now only to find out in a few months that you’d be better off with offset printing on your next project and need to start over on a new B2B relationship with a new print company.
- They Can’t Handle Wide Format Printing
Large outdoor advertising (billboards, building wraps, vehicle wraps, banners, etc.) are an extremely cost-effective way to promote your business. But the companies that offer this kind of specialty printing are limited — and the ones that can do it well are even rarer. Since these larger projects tend to be more expensive, it’s best to plan ahead and find a print company that can handle them, as well as any projects of more modest proportions.
- They Won’t Coordinate Design and Install
Especially if you’re looking at high-end custom printing work, it may be more cost-effective to work with a print company that offers design and installation services in house. That’s not to say it’s impossible to find qualified outside companies, but why go to the extra work if you don’t have to? The fewer middlemen there are, the less likely you are to end up with a snafu.
Have you ever worked with a print company you loved — or a print company you hated? Share your tips on recognizing either one in the comments.
