Hi all thanks for having a read of our latest newsletter.
As you will know by now we offer free advice for all printing elements, regardless of size and experience of the purchaser. These helpful hints and advice snippets should not only save you money, but time in ordering.
So where to start…
What are you printing? Business cards, letterheads, brochures, newsletters whatever you need printing if you have a basic idea of the following you cannot go wrong with getting a competitive price:
1. What is the finished size of your printed item?
Always tell the printer you’re asking for a price for the cost on the finished size of the document, not the piece of paper you think it should be printed on. Most printers print your documents in multiples of copies on one sheet of paper, this printed piece of paper is then trimmed down to the finished size.
2. How many printed pages or sides are there?
All printers work on numbers of sides they have to put ink onto the finished item i.e. an A4 piece of paper printed on both sides and then folded in half landscape becomes an A5 4 page item. Don’t forget that most printers work in increments of 4 pages as this is a sheet of A3 folded to A4 4 printed pages or A4 folded to A5 4 printed pages.
3. What paper material do you want it printed on?
This subject is a minefield and this is where you can save money depending on how thick you want your paper and what finish you want the end product to have. So where to start, there are three main paper types; Gloss, silk and bond (uncoated) papers each have their place but the general rule is stationery (letterheads and compliment slips) are on a Bond paper around 100 – 120 gsm in weight. Leaflets and promotional materials you want to enhance the photos on should be printed on a gloss or paper stock these start at a 115gsm and goes up in various increments e.g. 130gsm, 160gsm, 200gsm, 250gsm, 300gsm, 350gsm & 400gsm there are other paper weights but is dependent on the manufacturer and suppliers availability; ask your printer for advice. Finally there is the silk stock again available in the same weight variances as the gloss, this paper stock is smooth to finish and gives a high quality, classy feel to the end product. Be aware that the silk generally has to have a machine seal on top of the finish product, this is normally part of the printing process but as it is an extra material in the creation it can add extra cost and drying time depending on the machinery it was produced on.
All printers have favourite paper stocks and will be able to recommend if you give them an idea of what you’re after.
4. Getting the right quantity.
How many do you need? If you tell the printer about the numbers you’re looking for and ask for a suggestion of an economical price break around that quantity, you may be surprised to hear that it will cost a few more pounds to get a lot if not double the amount you thought would fit your budget. This is because a good proportion of printing costs are in the setup of the machinery ready to print so all your really paying for is the paper and a bit more ink. Although this isn’t always the case its worthwhile asking when getting a price. Also with the rise of digital printing machinery, low volumes are cost effective and can give you the flexibility to print a convenient quantity down to single numbers.
5. Getting artwork right for pricing
If you’re lucky enough to have your artwork ready, send it along with your requirements to the printer for quoting. This gives the printer an idea of what you are trying achieve and they can guide you as to how to get the best results. If you are looking to get your artwork created, talk to a graphic designer as most printers will be able to help you achieve a basic creative idea. If your design ideas are more complicated ask your printer if they can create your masterpiece, if not then see if they can recommend a designer or agency to help you.
Remember CBF can help with all of the above, as we have in-house designers to help with all your artwork and we can deliver anywhere in the country.
Finally, You may want to have a look at our online design tools to eliminate any artwork charges, drop us a line to find out more.
Till next time….
Lawson Willett
