Achieving top quality business printing at a low cost

Companies can spend thousands to millions of pounds sterling on printed materials. The target of this paper is to demonstrate that by analyzing and separating the different purposes of a company’s printed materials, companies can significantly save time and money on their printing materials by exploiting new online and printing technologies.

Offset, Digital and Office Printing

When selecting a printing strategy it is very important to know what sort of printer to use:Offset printing can be an older process which prints using metal plates to transfer the image onto the paper. Printing with this process implies that the patient elements in the print material cannot be changed unless a fresh metal plate is generated. This technique is affordable when used for printing large quantities. 咭片設計 Digital printing is a newer printing method which reproduces images onto the page. This print method supports variable printing by which any element in the print material might be changed without influencing the fixed costs. This technique is affordable when used for smaller quantities (approximately 10-500 pcs).Office Printing is a relatively new way of printing. With the advent of colour printers as a choice in virtually every office, printing materials on the job is a convenient advantage. The disadvantage however, is that paper and ink for printing in larger quantities may become quite expensive. As well as the cost, not absolutely all office printers offer the professional quality desired for materials such as for example brochures and data sheets. knowing which printer is suitable for the number and quality of the materials needed, will aid companies to make the right choice and save on printing costs.

Cheap Business Printing Strategies

The first faltering step to cheap business printing is wearing down the function of your printed materials.
Most printed materials serve a triple function: Presenting an excellent professional impression to relevant parties such as for example, investors, clients and suppliers Increasing brand awareness by leaving relevant parties with a visual reminder of a business and product/service. Communicating information about a company’s services or products to the relevant parties. Data sheets and company profile brochures are necessary for a company’s image. These print materials also communicate information to clients about the company’s products and services. This white paper provides strategies for saving money and time on planning, designing, and printing of office and promotional materials, by analyzing and separating their functions.

Datasheet and brochure printing – Strategy to save lots of on printing costs. Data sheets serve as a communication tool to greatly help customers and suppliers understand a company’s product. Many companies print no less than 1000 copies of every data sheet on an offset printer in order to gain a low cost per sheet. With the advent of digital printers, it’s possible to print smaller quantities but as the number increases the cost per data sheet is static while printing on an offset printer generates a decreasing cost per data sheet as print volume increase. After the specifications of something changes, the data sheet is outdated and must be updated. The outdated data sheets are frequently discarded.

A graphic designer will have to prepare the layout and graphics for the first data sheet template. This cost may range from approximately £300-£700. After the template is constructed, each additional alteration cost may range from £70-£200 and then another £70-£150 for several design changes. Since the main purpose of a data sheet is to convey information and reinforce the company’s image, printing the data sheets and brochures on a company printer will fulfill the function of communicating information but it does not fulfill the goal of reinforcing the company’s image. This dilemma might be resolved by printing top quality presentation folders on an offset or digital printer. This can present the clients with a primary impression that reinforces the company’s image in an organized and professional fashion.

Presentation strategy – Save with folders. Presentation folders provide an ideal solution for ensuring that data sheets and brochures are presented in an expert and attractive fashion. Folders are an invaluable and versatile presentation tool. Inserting a data sheet and other informative materials, into a properly designed and branded folder will leave an expert impression on those receiving the information.

Although folders tend to be expensive, ordering folders in large quantities will not be a waste. They could continually be used to provide a wide variety of communication materials. Purchasing folders from an online printing company that provides free design templates, or even a do-it-yourself design and image upload application, wil dramatically reduce the cost to about £0.46 per piece.

With a folder, the data sheet’s only purpose is likely to be conveying information and the folder can provide the professional impression needed seriously to impress clients and colleagues. In this instance, a data sheet with a straightforward letterhead or logo is likely to be effective. By keeping the design simple, the template could be continued file and the data sheet might be updated as needed. This can prevent expensive reprints at a printer. On the net it’s easy to find existing brochure and data sheet templates that may be downloaded for Microsoft Word.

This strategy is applicable to printing a business profile brochure as well. Today many companies print brochures in large quantities at an offset printer. However, many companies are changing their management, business focus, and other company related details due to promote changes and such. It would save time and money to print these brochures on the job as well. However, this strategy is only effective for companies printing small quantities at a time.

The conventional or offline printing process. This process of printing requires that the business pay two separate subcontractors, a graphic designer and a printing company. In addition the employee will also need to spend work time with the graphic artist.

Working with a graphic designer requires: Explaining the style and graphic requirements, Discussing layout, design and colours, Revising and adjusting drafts.

Once the design is ready it’s time to contact the printer. The internet printing process. Working with an online printing company for small or large quantities can save a substantial period of time and money. This process provides companies with professional printed materials that fulfill all three functions as outlined above – presentation, brand awareness and information communication. There is no requirement for folders since the printing is high quality.

Why are online printers a cheaper solution? Since they are online, they could be positioned in low rent areas. Many are greater than traditional printers and can reduce their costs as a result of economies of scale. Free design templates ensure it is possible to work with out a graphic designer. They eliminate the full time that the employee spends dealing with a graphic designer. Reduce steadily the time-to-market, since there is no wait time regarding design approval and revisions.

It is very important to decide on your online printer carefully some offer benefits such as for example: Free image uploads. This permits employees to easily upload existing company logos. Free design templates. Free “design upload” option. In this way a business with an in-house graphic designer or even a previous design may upload for printing. Graphic designers who are always available for adjustments, or for creating custom designs. Free online storage of designs for convenient reprinting.

Comparison chart – Printing prices

This price comparison chart compares the printing and production costs for the conventional printing approach to the cost saving printing strategies described above. The chart compares: Typical/offline printing strategy.

Eight data sheets and one company profile brochure, Set is printed four times on the span of couple of years, 250 units of every item are printed everytime for a total of 1000 units each, This is the most expensive method for printing business materials.

Online printing strategy- Eight data sheets and one company profile brochure, Set is printed four times on the span of couple of years, 250 units of every item are printed everytime for a total of 1000 units each.

This strategy offers the lowest priced printing solution for some companies. Office printing strategy – Small quantities everytime, Eight data sheets, one company profile sheet and one folder, 1000 folders are printed only one time, Eight data sheets and company profile sheet are printed 25 times – 10 units everytime for a total of 250 units each. Although less brochures and data sheets are printed (250 rather than 1000), this process still costs more compared to the online printing strategy. However, the advantage of this strategy is that the data sheets are more up-to-date since they are printed more often in smaller quantities. Office printing strategy – Large quantities everytime, Eight data sheets, one company profile sheet and one folder, Set is printed four times on the span of couple of years, 250 units of every item are printed everytime for a total of 1000 units each, This strategy proves to be more expensive than even the typical/offline method.

Conclusion

Printing small quantities on the job provides a technique allowing materials to be more up-to-date since they are printed in smaller quantities and more frequently. When comparing to the typical/offline strategy this process provides a saving of 47%, though the printing quality is low and in the end, printing 250 sets on the job costs a lot more than printing 1000 sets at an online printer.

Online printing solutions offer businesses a successful and efficient strategy for producing small or large quantities of printing materials. In comparison to the typical/offline printing costs (as per the example in this white paper) the internet printer offers businesses a total saving of 68%. Thus the internet printer offers the lowest priced business printing solution.