Printing

 Cheap Business Printing Alternatives

Achieving high quality business printing at an inexpensive

Companies can spend thousands to countless pounds sterling on printed materials. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate that by analyzing and separating the various 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 publishing strategy it is essential to know what type of printer to utilize:Offset printing is an older process which prints using metal plates to transfer the image to the paper. Printing with this method means that the average person elements in the print material can't be changed unless a brand new metal plate is generated. This process is affordable when useful for printing large quantities. Digital printing is a newer printing method which reproduces images onto the page. This print method supports variable printing where any element in the print material may be changed without influencing the fixed costs. This process is affordable when useful for smaller quantities (approximately 10-500 pcs).Office Printing is a relatively new method of printing. With the advent of colour printers as a selection in just about any office, printing materials in the office is a convenient advantage. The disadvantage however, is that paper and ink for printing in larger quantities can become quite expensive. In addition to the cost, not all office printers provide professional quality desired for materials such as for instance brochures and data sheets. knowing which printer is appropriate for the number and quality of the materials needed, will aid companies to produce the best choice and save on printing costs.

Cheap Business Printing Strategies

The first step to cheap business printing is deteriorating the function of one's printed materials.
Most printed materials serve a triple function: Presenting a great professional impression to relevant parties such as for instance, investors, clients and suppliers Increasing brand awareness by leaving relevant parties with a visual reminder of a business and product/service. Communicating details about a company's services or products to the relevant parties. Data sheets and company profile brochures are required for a company's image. These print materials also communicate information to clients about the company's products and services. This white paper provides techniques 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 on printing costs. Data sheets serve as a communication tool to 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 an inexpensive 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 an item changes, the data sheet is outdated and must certanly be updated. The outdated data sheets are frequently discarded.

A graphic designer will need to prepare the layout and graphics for the initial 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 many design changes. Since the main intent behind a data sheet is always to convey information and reinforce the company's image, printing the data sheets and brochures on an office printer will fulfill the function of communicating information but it does not fulfill the goal of reinforcing the company's image. This dilemma may be resolved by printing high quality presentation folders on an offset or digital printer. This will present the clients with an initial 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 smartly designed and branded folder will leave an expert impression on those receiving the information.

Although folders are generally expensive, ordering folders in large quantities will not be considered a waste. They might always be used to present a wide selection of communication materials. Purchasing folders from an online printing company that offers free design templates, or perhaps a do-it-yourself design and image upload application, will reduce the cost to about £0.46 per piece.

With a folder, the data sheet's only purpose is going to be conveying information and the folder will give you the professional impression had a need to impress clients and colleagues. In this case, a data sheet with a straightforward letterhead or logo is going to be effective. By keeping the style simple, the template could be continued file and the data sheet may be updated as needed. This will prevent expensive reprints at a printer. On the net it's no problem finding 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, or other company related details due to promote changes and such. It'd save time and money to print these brochures in the office as well. However, this strategy is just effective for companies printing small quantities at a time.

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

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

Once the style 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 an important timeframe and money. This approach provides companies with professional printed materials that fulfill all three functions as outlined above - presentation, brand awareness and information communication. There is no dependence on folders as the printing is high quality.

Why are online printers a cheaper solution? Being that they are online, they may be situated in low rent areas. The majority are greater than traditional printers and can reduce their costs due to economies of scale. Free design templates ensure it is possible to work with no graphic designer. They eliminate enough time an employee spends working together with a graphic designer. Reduce steadily the time-to-market, while there is no wait time with respect to design approval and revisions.

It is essential to select your online printer carefully some offer benefits such as for instance: Free image uploads. This enables employees to easily upload existing company logos. Free design templates. Free "design upload" option. This way a business having an in-house graphic designer or perhaps a previous design may upload for printing. Graphic designers that are always designed 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 typical 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 course of 2 yrs, 250 units of every item are printed every time for a complete of 1000 units each, Here is the most high-priced method for printing business materials.

Online printing strategy- Eight data sheets and one company profile brochure, Set is printed four times on the course of 2 yrs, 250 units of every item are printed every time for a complete of 1000 units each.

This strategy offers the cheapest Printing solution for most companies. Office printing strategy - Small quantities every time, 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 every time for a complete of 250 units each. Even though less brochures and data sheets are printed (250 instead of 1000), this method still costs more than the online printing strategy. However, the main advantage of this strategy is that the data sheets tend to be more up-to-date since they are printed more frequently in smaller quantities. Office printing strategy - Large quantities every time, Eight data sheets, one company profile sheet and one folder, Set is printed four times on the course of 2 yrs, 250 units of every item are printed every time for a complete of 1000 units each, This strategy proves to be higher priced than even the typical/offline method.

Conclusion

Printing small quantities in the office provides a strategy allowing materials to be much more up-to-date since they are printed in smaller quantities and more frequently. When compared to the typical/offline strategy this method provides a saving of 47%, nevertheless the printing quality is low and in the long run, printing 250 sets in the office costs more than printing 1000 sets at an online printer.

Online printing solutions offer businesses a highly effective and efficient technique for producing small or large quantities of printing materials. When compared with the typical/offline printing costs (as per the example in this white paper) the online printer offers businesses a complete saving of 68%. Thus the online printer offers the cheapest business printing solution.