Finding a good value can make your business’s struggle to survive in a turbulent economy just a little bit easier – not to mention save you a considerable amount of money in the long run. These days your budget must go farther than ever; however many people don’t consider pruning printing costs as a way to significantly lower the operating budget. Here are a few money-saving tips to remember when budgeting for and preparing your print project.
Plan ahead. Obtain quotes for your project well in advance. Your budget will thank you, and you will more likely end up with the results you expect.
Thoughtfully design your budget to include what you must have with a little extra built in to cover anything extra you decide you want along the way. If you chose a good printer, you probably won’t have to worry much about budget over-runs, but things do happen despite great planning, so it’s always better to be prepared.
Keep in mind that standard sizes or pieces that fit well on a particular printing press might shave a bit off the final price of the project.
Delegate well. If you will not be available for checking the final proof or press check for typos, color accuracy or overall quality, be clear about who will be responsible.
As we’ve already established, your company likely won’t save money printing marketing material on your copy machine. It’s an inefficient, time-consuming method that can cost you 8 cents, or more, per page and waste loads of your time in the process.
Talk with your printer about using less expensive paper or formats, depending upon the quality you need and the purpose the documents will serve.
Beware of alterations to your order. Proofread your submission well, preferably using two, or more, people to make sure everything you want is included in the order to avoid additional costs.
Submit your order to the printer well before the deadline. Even a delay of just a day or two, can bring on additional expenses to cover overtime and a rush order. Provide at least 5-7 days for production.
Do as much work yourself as possible. For example, you can convert Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher files to PDF before submitting them to be printed.
Consider what kind of folds you want with your order. Standards folds will be less expensive than unusual ones, which will require additional set-up time and might cause your order to be delayed.
Be careful when deciding what quantity to order. To avoid reprinting fees, make sure the quantity you order is sufficient. If you later find you need 200 more pages printed, you could incur additional set up and other charges.
Ask your printer if he has specific color days when he prints all spot colors, then plan around these times. You should also let your printer know well in advance if your job will require special inks.
Be frank with your printer about your budget and ask if he has any suggestions for making your project more economical. No matter how well you’ve thought out your project, chances are, they will think of something that you haven’t. After all, they’re is the experts!
Be creative and consider every alternative, such as: altering the size of the product slightly so more images can be printed on each sheet.
Print digitally instead of offset. If your printing company uses digital printing equipment, they can print full-color projects in smaller quantities for less money – a great alternative if your business submits a lot of printing orders and wants to reduce the printing budget.
Do your homework and be prepared to make changes. If your project was designed for you, keep in mind that while many of those ideas would be great to implement, they might be too costly to print. Don’t use artwork you simply can’t afford.
When you are ready to place your next order, check to see if there are any additional items you may need in the near future that you can order at the same time. If so, you may be able to save money in a couple of ways. If your items are a specific color, you will only pay for the ink mix and wash up one time.
At East Ridge Printing, we are a well-rounded team of printing artisans backed by our ERP Promise. Learn more about our guarantee by clicking the following link or call us at 585.266.4911. ERP Promise Link: http://eastridgeprint.com/guarantee/
