What You Need to Know Before Asking Suppliers for a Print Quote

January 11th, 2012 |

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As print brokers, we receive requests for printed products for a variety of needs – everything from business cards to outdoor signage. In order for organizations to compare prices with other suppliers, they need to compare apples with apples. Prices will vary greatly unless all the specs are the same.

With that in mind, here are some things you need to know before asking suppliers for a print quote:

Does the artwork include a bleed? (to the edges of the page)
How many colors are in the artwork?
Is the final artwork prepared in a high-resolution PDF?
How do you plan to distribute the piece?
What is the quantity you require?
What is the finished size of your piece?
What type of paper or card stock do you prefer?
Is there any collating, folding, or binding required?
Do you want a protective coating on it? Does anyone need to write in pen on the piece?
When do you require the products delivered or do you require mailing services?

We also ask clients what their marketing objective is. That helps us determine whether the selected option is the most cost-effective and marketing effective. Why waste good money if it may not work?

Ensuring you provide the "right" information before you ask suppliers for a quote will help you save time and money.

Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Print |

Tags: binding, bleed, business cards, cardstock, collating, custom printing, folding, mailing services, paper stock, print, printing, save money, signage

6 Responses to “What You Need to Know Before Asking Suppliers for a Print Quote”

Brad Rach:

January 12, 2012 at 5:57 am

Some fantastic advice. When I was fresh out of school one of my first jobs involved marketing for a small company and I did all the negotiating with printers and working with out graphic designers. I wish I would have known all of this before going into the job.
- Elaine Fogel:
  
  January 12, 2012 at 9:21 am
  
  I know what you mean, Brad. Many of us learn this stuff from experience. Of course, better late than never!
  
  What's good to know is that printing need not be an expensive endeavor, PLUS, it can have excellent results. Partnering with a good printer or print broker helps keep costs down. Thanks for your comment.
Jeff Mendola:

January 12, 2012 at 8:51 am

Plus, I always ask my print suppliers if there is something I could change that would lower my costs significantly. On the first project I did this with, they recommended reducing the total, folded size of our annual newsletter by maybe 1/2". This resulted in a 65% reduction in postage costs. Then I asked how large a piece they could print on a standard press. We ended up with a 22"x18" piece with more room for content that was folded down to 6"x11" to meet postal requirements.
Ask for a quote – but ask for suggestions as well.
- Elaine Fogel:
  
  January 12, 2012 at 9:31 am
  
  Good points, Jeff. Looks like you also learned from experience.
  
  In addition to looking at different ways to save money, good printers/brokers can also recommend creative options you may not have previously considered. The whole point of using printed collateral is to get attention and more people taking a desired action. Sometimes size can play a role and sometimes color treatment can, too.
  
  One advantage in using print brokers is that they have access to large trade printers that run gang run printing, so less quantity isn't going to break your bank. They also have regular specials which can save clients even more.
  
  Not like I don't have a vested interest in promoting print brokers… we are print brokers at our agency. So, we bring the marketing perspective to the table. I always ask our clients what their marketing objective is. Who knows? Maybe there are other channels that can be more cost effective or produce better ROI.
  
  Thanks for sharing, Jeff.
  - Jeff Mendola:
    
    January 12, 2012 at 12:50 pm
    
    I took that same printer a calendar project last year. It turned out that they were going to run it digitally, rather than on a traditional offset press, and so I could personalize the calendars for no additional charge. We ended up with 30 versions of our 2011 calendar with personalized photos based on who was going to receive it – for the same cost as 1 version.
    - Elaine Fogel:
      
      January 12, 2012 at 4:06 pm
      
      That's great, Jeff. Variable data printing allows us to personalize so many things now. It leaves such a positive impression and can increase response rates dramatically.

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