These days, deadlines are getting shorter. Many organizations need reports and printouts on the fly, and the decreasing costs of full-color laser printers has made instant gratification a reality. However, there are still many projects that require special attention to detail and will ultimately have a lasting presence that should reflect positively on your organization. For those individuals on whom this responsibility falls – this is for you.

What you need to know about getting your job printed is that you have two excellent resources that are at your disposal who will be more than willing to offer their expertise: the designer and the printer. Both designer and printer can help guide you through the process from development to completion, and can offer you tips and techniques, some of which you may have not been aware.

The designer can offer many suggestions on the creation of the printed piece. Because of experience with developing a variety of collateral, often a designer will have instantaneous print solutions for your piece. Be sure to discuss in specifics what you expect of your final product: Who is the audience? Will it be a small quantity or a massive distribution? Does it need to be sent in the mail or be seen on a newsstand? It is also certainly appropriate to discuss up front the overall budget for your printing. An experienced designer will be able to determine print and design limitations based on this information. Questions like these will create the parameters from which a designer may explore ways to make your printed piece shine – such as whether it becomes a custom die-cut piece with a unique shape; if a special folding technique adds intrigue; if a spot-color metallic will draw attention to important text or details… the possibilities can be abounding, and can ultimately make the piece a stand-out from the rest.

The actual printing of a designed piece is often regarded as the secondary step of the production process. However, the expertise that your printer has to offer can also be a source of inspiration and guidance of what is possible for your final product. The same information you provide to the designer can be just as useful to the printer (including budget expectations). A printer will have samples of finished printed pieces that may fall in line with the information you provide. In addition, a printer can request upon your behalf free paper samples or mock-ups to give you a better idea of the weight and feel of the paper you’re interested in using. If you speak with the printer prior to the designer, be sure to let the designer know what you’ve discussed. Bring to the designer any samples provided by the printer, especially those you feel may provide more insight to your goals for the final piece.

Once you have decided upon the direction of the piece in terms of design and printing options, gather these specifications: quantities, paper selection, ink usage, binding, special requests (die cut, folding, etc.) and send them out to three printers to get a range of pricing. This practice is commonplace and printers are aware of this. It may be that the printer you’ve been working with to gather information isn’t the least expensive, but it is important to consider most printers are willing to work with clients on prices if possible, and client-printer relationships tend to yield better customer service to the client. Cost should not necessarily be the bottom line when choosing a printer. As stated by Gucci Slogan, “Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.”

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