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You're on the lookout for a company to facilitate your printing requirements, and truth be told, this is a hard task, as there are plenty of companies out there that provide the printing services at large scale for both industrial and corporate purposes. As there are plenty of companies to choose from, it can be a little difficult and time-consuming to select a printing company that suits your needs. Above all, it's crucial to pick a company that's professional and whose products are of high quality.
Investing in large-format printing, vehicle fleet graphics, architectural graphics, trade show displays, and even SEG & Dye sublimation means taking out money from your marketing budget and paying a business to produce these items. All of this is costly, and to make sure that your money is well-spent, working with the right supplier is crucial.
You may have received contacts of companies from business partners, word-of-mouth from other suppliers, and you may have come across advertisements of companies, both online and offline. Wherever you got your lead from, here are some essential tips to help you decide who you should ultimately pick.
Why is it essential to choose the right supplier?
Your marketing collateral will leave a long and lasting impression on the people who look at it, especially your target audience. If you invest in quality products, you get a professional finish and better value for your money. You want your money to bring you value, and most importantly, you want to choose a printer you can consider as a retainer supplier for the long run. Switching printer partners here and there isn't the only headache to find, but the quality of printing will also vary as and when you need to get work done.
Tips for Choosing the Right Printing Supplier:
1) Have a face-to-face meeting with the supplier
Yes, it may seem like a hassle to visit a company and speak to the supplier when they have a lot of their information online on their website. Most of us judge a company’s quality based on how well their website is, how responsive they are through their online customer service, their social media outlook, as well as reviews we read online about them. Why the need to have a face-to-face meeting? It all boils down to the costs involved. Whatever amount of money you pay for the printing, you want to make sure the quality of the print is what you're looking for. If you're planning to invest a considerable amount of money into your brand presence and marketing material that requires printing, meet with the people you want to engage with. Ask them questions, and speak to the staff to get a general idea of their customer service and quality. How you feel with them, and the way they operate, will give you a good idea of their professionalism as well.
2) Check on the quality of the work they do
When you speak to your potential print supplier, ask to see the samples of their work, so you can make a like-for-like comparison. You want to check to see if the finished product meets the standard and quality you're looking for, and is value for the price they quote you. Check the blurriness, the resolution of the images, and the quality of the colors. Do these factors meet your expectations? Low prices don't always mean low quality, but you still need to be wary of extremely low prices compared to the market rate. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. The materials printed for you reflect on your business, so to make a good impression, choose a printing company that offers value for money.
3) Check the level of customer service given
Customer service is essential. Say, for example, you have an issue with your finished product, or there's an issue with the raw file design, and you need to make last-minute changes. You need to make sure you can have easy access to your account manager, and that you trust your printer to handle the quantities of orders you've given, and that they are reliable to ensure you get what you want on the day that you want. You also want to ensure that the length of time between ideation, production, and delivery isn't too long, depending on the quantities of print you've requested. For instance, Craftsmen ind provides plenty of options for customers to contact them from their social media, toll-free number, as well as a website contact form. This way, as a client, you can contact them to get updates on your project, speak to the account manager in charge of your project, or if you want to get quotes.
4) Find out the reputation of the company
One good way to find out the reputation of the company is to look at Google reviews, Yelp reviews, online Yellow Pages, as well as social media comments. Also, you can reach out to existing customers for their references and personal recommendations of working with a specific company.
5) Choosing the right format for your job
As much as it's crucial to choose a reliable printer, it's also equally important to choose the right type of printer for the work you want. There are many different digital printers offering good-quality work, but not all of them can provide the same volume of printing or the type of printing jobs. For example, some printer suppliers can only print low-volume projects, between 200 to 500 copies, while some suppliers can do more than 10,000 copies. Also, it depends if you're looking for large-format printers or medium to small format printing. In choosing a printer supplier, you want a printer that can offer a large variety of printing services, as this will cut down the need to have multiple suppliers for different printing needs.
Also, some printers focus on specific materials such as vinyl and not paper, outdoor printing only and not indoor, and so on. Check a company's capability on its capacity of printing, volume, and turnaround period.
6) Amount of time that they have been in business
This is another indicator to choose a company, although it isn't really a fair element. There are some companies that have only a few years of experience but excellent service. Usually, the amount of time a company has been in business is a sign of reliability and reputability. You can get this information by looking at their website. Check the 'About Us' or their client list. A company that has been in business for a long time is a good sign that they have quality products, good service, and excellent quality.
7) The projects that the companies have worked on
Part of your research on the type of company that you ultimately choose to work with depends on the kinds of projects they have worked on. Certain companies have specific projects they have worked on simply because they have the expertise and experience in this field. For instance, some companies have a client base in the sporting industry, and they know the ins and out, the dimensions of boards, requirements of sporting areas, do's and don'ts, and would be able to convey this information to a client requesting a quote. Some companies choose to focus on concert and music events as they have the materials and supplies for them. Whomever you choose to engage with needs to meet your requirements, as well for the industry you're in.
8) Check their pricing
Of course, pricing is a crucial factor in the choice you make with your printer. This factor is included in the end simply because pricing shouldn't be the sole denominator in making your decision. The value and quality of your end product have a lot to do with how the company operates, and not just the price they quote you. When you start looking for companies, you'll find plenty of them with competitive pricing and a long list of services. You can make your decision based on the basic quotes they have listed on their website to get an idea of whether the price quotes are within your budget range or not. Just remember that price shouldn't be the only thing you make your decision on, as there are plenty of other things to take into consideration, such as paper quality, customer service quality, response and turnaround time, list of services, and expertise.
Now that you have some factors to consider, it will make choosing a company for printing a little easier. You want to make an educated decision for the pricing partners you choose. A little homework on your part will save you a lot of time, money, and not to mention peace of mind in the long run.
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