The Guide That Makes Choosing a Commercial Printing Company Simple

The world of marketing is rapidly changing — many more people are making use of digital marketing than ever before. But during this digital surge, it’s easy to forget just how important print marketing is. The best marketing strategy makes use of both print advertisement and digital advertisement to bring in the most people.

However, you can’t just print materials yourself. If you want to get going on print marketing, you’re going to have to find yourself a great commercial printing company.

This article will walk you through everything you need to know about commercial printers. It will also show you which red flags you should look out for when diving into the printing industry.

Assess the Quality

While the world of advertising can be a bit subjective — sometimes you’re eating with art, after all — commercial printing is a lot more practical. You need to make sure that your print materials are of high quality so that you don’t need to replace them quickly.

Ask to sample a company’s materials before you do business with the company. If they’re hesitant to show you what the quality of their work looks like, you shouldn’t trust this company.  A good commercial printing company should be proud of its materials.

Check out examples from past customers. If you see any typos, color inconsistencies, or overly-complex material, you might want to give this printing company a pass.

Make sure that the company doesn’t print things in too low of a resolution. While it’s important to make sure that your print materials don’t use too high of a resolution (there’s no point in wasting ink and toner), it’s a mark that a print company is cutting corners if they don’t print in high enough of a resolution.

Check for inconsistencies between their digital demonstrations and print materials. A great print company will know the differences between print materials and digital materials.

Lastly, talk to some of the printing company’s former clients. Ask them why they were or weren’t satisfied with the work done by this printing company.

Check the Price

In a world where digital advertisement is king, many people are ignorant about print materials and how they work. Because of this, many people wind up getting scammed out of significant amounts of money.

No matter which printing company you look at, check out their competitors and spot any vast differences in pricing. Why are these differences so vast? — is it truly a difference in quality, or is this print company trying to put something over on you?

As you can see, this item links up with the previous item on this list. Don’t take an expensive print company’s word for it. Check out their print materials, and make sure that the quality lives up to the price that they’re asking for it.

Examine the Technology

Printing isn’t quite as 21st century as digital advertisement. However, there have still been many technological advancements made in the field. If you want the best results, you’re going to have to make sure that the print company you hire has the best and most up-to-date technology.

Once again, this item links up with the above items on this list. A company with better printing technology might be able to produce higher quality work at a lower price.

You might think that better technology would cost more — but better technology often makes products easier to produce, therefore allowing lower prices.  You see how high prices can often trick people into thinking high-quality.

A print company that’s putting the time and money into investing in newer equipment is a company that cares about the world of printing. You want to work with printers who are passionate about the work they do. These are the ones that will produce the highest quality work.

Consider Their Services

Unfortunately, not every printing company offers you support every step of the way. This can overcomplicate the process, forcing you to deal with many different companies on a product that you can knock out quickly.

You’d do well to invest your time and money in a printing company that can help you through the entire process. These companies likely know the business well. A company that only specializes in certain parts of the printing process is more likely to just be in it for a quick buck.

It should go without saying that any company you work with should be upfront about the services they do and do not offer. A service that surprises you with the fact that they only do part of the job is not operating honestly and might be in the business for the wrong reasons.

Look for a printing company that offers design services, great turn-around quality, and fulfillment.

Speaking of which…

Don’t Forget Kitting and Fulfillment

A great print company won’t just work hard to make sure that your product comes together well but will work to package it in an aesthetically pleasing way and make sure that the product arrives in the mail safely.

This part of the business — known as kitting and fulfillment — is an important part that many companies do not handle well. It requires complete knowledge of the materials involved, and therefore a mastery of the business and industry.

Make sure that when looking for a commercial printing company, you look for one (like the company we just linked) that outlines exactly what their kitting and fulfillment services are. These will help you know exactly what you’re getting into with a commercial printing company.

Hire the Best Commercial Printing Company

As you can see, it’s a bit harder than it seems to hire a great commercial printing company. There are many pitfalls you can fall into which will wind you up with a bad, overpriced product.

However, if you assess the quality of the materials, check the price of the services, examine the technology the company uses, consider the services they offer, and pay special attention to kitting and fulfillment, you’re more likely to wind up with a product you love.

For more articles like this, check out our “business” section.