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.