Making You Look Good: Smart Printer Selection & Concise RFQs
We see quite a variety of printing projects – capital campaigns, annual reports, invitation packages, and direct mail appeals, among others. We’re fortunate to have designers and print production experts on staff who are acquainted with the minute details of the printing process and who know how to ensure delivery of a quality product, but it’s these details that can often become overwhelming to organizations that need to handle a print project in-house. Don’t worry – if budgets, time, or even a desire for the experience are pushing you to manage a print job on your own, here are some suggestions and tips to ensure you’re selecting the appropriate printer for the job, quoting the job right, and covering the tiny details that can make a big difference.
FINDING THE RIGHT FIT
At the beginning of any estimating task, you ask yourself some basic questions: do I need a 2-color or 4-color printer? Does the low quantity mean it should print digitally? What size press do I need? Is it appropriate for web? Once those questions are answered and you narrow your pool of printers, you can then use three basic criteria to make the final selection: print quality, service, and price.
PRINT QUALITY: If the job you are estimating is color critical or complex in some way – a multi-fold case statement or custom pocket folder – you are better off using a dependable high-end printer. Conversely, there are simpler jobs that will be produced just fine by a quick-run printer.
SERVICE: If the job requires a quick turnaround and you don’t have time to baby-sit it, choose a printer who provides prompt and accurate estimates, returns your call in a timely manner and consistently delivers on time.
PRICE: Price should be viewed not just as dollars, but also as value. Often the printers who provide the best quality and service aren’t the least expensive – but avoiding project headaches is a valuable thing. Sophisticated printers understand that nonprofits often have set budgets. Tell them upfront; they’ll often make suggestions to help reduce the cost.
SPEC WRITING 101
Your basic checklist includes:
COLORS: How many? Four-color process, PMS spot colors, or both? Are there special instructions, such as a custom mix, metallic, fade resistance, UV, etc.? Do you need ink drawdowns (the application of the spot color to the actual stock)?
COVERAGE: How heavy is the coverage – light, medium or heavy? Does it bleed? If so, where? Are double hits needed on the solids?
QUANTITIES: Unless you’re mailing to a specific number of recipients, you’ll probably want to quote several different quantities to get the best per unit price. Please note on your RFQ whether you can accept 10% over or under the final print quantity. And don’t forget to include the number of samples you need for your office.
PAPER: It’s always best to select the stock yourself rather than leave it up to the printer. You can ask for suggestions, but in the end, the printer will most likely select a paper that runs well on their presses (often a coated sheet). So take the time to think about the end use of the piece, as well as the composition of the photos. For example, a balanced white sheet is good for skintones or outdoor shots, but a blue-white sheet works well if you’re featuring computers, machinery, automobiles, etc. Some printers have house sheets if your budget it tight.
SCANS/PROOFING: In this digital age, we seldom have photographs or transparencies to scan, but if you do, make sure your printer includes a per scan cost in their quote. Also ask them to quote at least a couple of rounds of proofs, and estimate how many hours of color correction time they need to include based on the quality of your images.
PRESS CHECKS: Let your printer know if you want to be on press. Oftentimes, there’s a nominal charge for this simply because it can take a little longer than if you’re not there, and printers charge by the hour for press time. Having said that, I highly recommend being on press when the piece is printed. I can cite quite a few instances where I’ve caught something on press that didn’t get caught in the endless rounds of proofreading beforehand. It believe it’s money well spent.
FULFILLMENT: Is this a direct mail project? If so, you can ask your printer to contract out the mailing, or choose a mail house on your own. Either way, they’ll need to know the drop quantity; how you plan to mail (1st class? Live stamp? Bulk?); is there variable data (eg. personalized letters or pledge cards); the number of components to the job, among other things. Share as much information as you can, even if it seems irrelevant.
When you select your printers thoughtfully and draft RFQs that are clear and concise, there’s less chance of costly errors at a point in the process when both time and money are running out. I may be a bit biased, but the print process is the most exciting part of a job – when you finally get some ink on paper and then hold in your hands the result of a lot of hard work. Very satisfying.
Lisa Kirkman is M Creative’s production manager and an expert in all things paper. To learn more about the printing process, print samples and other helpful details, consider investing in a resource like the SpecLogix Compendium of Paper & Printing.
photo credits: PaperRep, Sohl Design, Carton Service
