PGP Tip: Reduce Headaches - Plan Your Printing

Reduce Headaches - Plan Your Printing

Managing your inventory of printed materials is a great way to avoid the stress of last-minute ordering and the possibility of rush charges. You can develop an internal system for determining when an item should be reordered. Or you can ask us to include you in our RapidRepeat™ reminder system. Here’s how it works:

• For the items you order regularly, we’ll ask you to predict how long each one will last. If you aren’t sure, we’ll assign a projected reorder date of between 3 and 6 months.
• Using the projected reorder date, we’ll set a reminder flag in our computerized estimating and pricing system.
• When we get the reminder, we’ll contact you to see if you do need to reorder.

If this system sounds like something useful, call one of our professionals at 254-773-7391 and we’ll set you up.

Tips & Tricks To Make Your Next Project Smoother . . .

Proofs are an important part of the printing process. A proof provides a means for you to review an example of what the printed piece will look like and to check for errors in the text, verify that colors are correct color, and that the overall design is acceptable. We have a responsibility to present error-free proofs to you; and you have a responsibility to review our work carefully.

Printing projects can be unnecessarily delayed or even turned from standard production times to emergencies if proofs are not reviewed and returned to us promptly. If more than one person in your organization will be proofing, be sure everyone understands the importance of prompt review.

Ten years ago, there was a significant difference in the quality level of printing in full color. But, with advancements in digital printing technology, that gap has been narrowed and full color printing has become high quality and affordable in almost any quantity. This also means that it is much easier today to meet the requirements that your graphic artist or designer envisioned.

At PaperGraphics we can handle all of your inventory printing needs through our time tested models taught to us by CPrint® International. In fact, we are the ONLY printer in our market that is certified to implement these models and that is an advantage you can enjoy when you choose to work with us!

If your organization or business needs to increase sales or take out the pain of print buying we can help. Call us at 254-773-7391 or reply to this message to set up a no obligation consultation where we assess your current situation and offer a plan of attack that works for your budget.

PGP Tip: Take the Pain Out of Print Buying

Take the Pain Out of Print Buying

Do you LIKE to buy printing? If you are like many of our customers then purchasing printing is the least favorite part of your day. But, what we have taught them is that there are ways to make it easier and to take the “pain” out of buying printing. Let’s talk about a few key points:

Use the right design tools.

When designing, use the right tools. Microsoft Word is a good tool for writing a report but it is not a printing industry standard for laying out a brochure. Adobe Illustrator is an industry standard tool for drawings and illustrations, but not for page layout. Adobe Photoshop is an industry standard for color correcting and manipulating photographs, but not for page layout.

Submit a print-ready PDF file.

PDF is now an established industry standard for file submission. Call us and we’ll teach you how to adjust the settings in the native application you are using so when the PDF is created, the allowance for bleed is maintained and all fonts are included with the PDF, including linked fonts.

Allow enough time for the job to be completed using our normal production standards.

We always work best when we work within our throughput standards. While we have PriorityProduction™ for our Major Accounts we are still dealing with the laws of physics and there is less time allotted to the job when we go outside of standard.

However, the biggest advantage that we can offer you is a full charge Production Manager whose job is to make and meet all customer commitments. This means that jobs are actively managed through the shop and checked multiple times per day to assure we will make your promised due date.

At PaperGraphics Printing we can teach you how to take the pain out of print buying through our ManagedMarketing™ program where we can handle all of your printing needs but also teach your staff how to prepare, invite and close the sale with your prospects. In fact, we are the only printer in this market that is certified to do so. 

If your organization or business needs to increase sales we can help. Call us at 254-773-7391  to set up a no obligation consultation where we assess your current situation and offer a plan of attack that works for your budget.

PGP Tip: Manage Your Print Buying in 3 Easy Steps

Manage Your Print Buying in 3 Easy Steps

Our goal in publishing this newsletter is to provide useful information to our customers and prospects on the things that we know best – printing, digital printing, mailing and web services. Often we discuss technical or production issues that are important for you to understand, or share ways to that the products and services we provide can help you expand your business. But sometimes – like this issue – we reveal inside information that will help you better manage the process of buying printing. Let’s get started . . .

Tip #1: Understand the manufacturing process.

A typical printing project has four stages: design; prepress; printing; and bindery. Design is the process of taking the idea for a brochure or other printed piece and assembling all the elements (text, photographs, graphic images, logos) into an example of what the final product will look like. We offer design services; and sometimes our customers do their own design, providing us with a PDF file to print from.

In the prepress stage, the PDF is turned into a raster image – a grid of x and y coordinates with instructions on which coordinate to illuminate for monochrome or color values. A raster image is sometimes called a bit map. Before beginning raster image processing, we check the PDF file to be sure there is nothing in the way the file was constructed that will prevent successful completion of raster image processing. This process, called preflight, is required for every PDF file, whether we have produced it or it was provided by our customer.

Printing is the output and reproduction process. This may be done on our offset press or our digital high speed printer. Bindery is the last stage in the process, where trimming, folding, stitching, drilling and other finishing services are completed.

Tip #2: Understand how design affects manufacturing.

How a printed piece is designed has a great influence on the overall cost.

• Designs that incorporate features such as a bleed (i.e., the extension of an image to the edge of the piece), a complicated folding pattern, or embellishments like foil stamping or blind embossing require more manufacturing skill and processes and so cost more.

• Designs that use a non-standard paper size may waste paper.

• Designs that use more than four ink colors or use metallic or other special inks require more press time to both run the job and remove the special ink color from the press.

 

Tip #3: When doing your own design work, create the file using industry standards for photo image resolution, file compression, and allowances for bindery functions.

During preflight, we check the file to be sure it will successfully complete raster image processing. We also check photo and other image resolution and the allowances for bindery functions such as bleeds, folds, booklet binding and drill holes. If the file you submit has not been constructed carefully, we will return it to you for correction or quote you the cost of having us make the repairs.

Confused? Don’t worry. At PaperGraphics Printing we can teach you how to manage your print buying and make more money through our ManagedMarketing™ program where we can handle all of your printing needs but also teach your staff how to prepare, invite and close the sale with your prospects. In fact, we are the only printer in this market that is certified to do so. 

If your organization or business needs to increase sales we can help. Call us at 254-773-7391 or reply to this message to set up a no obligation consultation where we assess your current situation and offer a plan of attack that works for your budget.