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Managing
your Print Project
By
Judy Barnett
Barnett Print Management
Every business needs to print something. What do you need
to know to ensure success? Follow these simple steps from
an insider with tips to get your project printed on time and
within budget.
1. Organize the team involved, make a task list and
assign the tasks.
Before
you begin, identify all of your requirements ahead of time
and the different items that need designed materials. Think
about how many total pieces you need. Will the design be used
only on your brochure or will it also be used on your letterhead,
in a print ad, and on your web site?
This
will help identify how many layouts to produce at the beginning.
Ask the team of people who have responsibility for the various
parts of the project, how long it will take to complete their
assignment.
Now
you have a schedule for the total number of workdays needed
to develop your project. Count backwards from your due date
to establish your art-ready date.
Be
sure to include both internal and external dates. Build in
time for corrections and approvals. Note: most people almost
never approve something in the same –day that they receive
it. Include time to get legal and technical OK’s, too.
Have
your logo also made as black only if your logo is more than
one color to use on your invoices and fax cover sheet.
TIP:
Sit down with your print rep and review the specifics of your
project. This will confirm how much your job will cost and
how long it will take to produce.
2. Create a Preview Sample
Once
printed, you can’t return your job to the store. It’s
yours.
Paper
and ink are essential elements that achieve the design effect
you want. Therefore, it is a good idea to get an idea of what
your piece will look like before you go to press. This is
easily accomplished by making blank samples of your design
and is called a “Dummy” or a “Folding Dummy”.
You
can order blank samples of the specified paper from your print
rep. Get one each for you, the designer, and the printer.
In addition, make several copies for post office approval
and the letter shop.
Sample
dummies ensure that the designer is happy, you are happy and
the proposed piece meets standard postal regulations. Sometimes
the paper thickness needs to be changed to avoid cracking
when the paper is folded.
Ink
colors look differently on coated and uncoated paper stock.
View ink on your selected paper stock. This is called a “draw
down” and doesn’t cost much to produce.
Dummies
and drawdowns let you correct any problem before your project
goes on press.
TIP:
Someone once said, probably, my mother: It is better to ask
a stupid question than to make a stupid mistake.
3.
Give your specification in writing to the print shop.
The
safest way to have your print shop understand what you want
is to give your specifications in writing. Otherwise, with
verbal specifications, you may receive a quote for a booklet
that is 8 pages plus cover instead of your intended 8 pages
including cover.
Anticipate
that your printer needs every piece of information. Specifications
include quantity, paper type, ink colors, if the piece prints
on one side or two and the flat size and final, folded size.
The details of how you want your piece shipped will help the
printer remember to bundle your brochures in groups of 100
or bulk pack them into the shipping carton.
To
avoid surprises, ask your print shop to give you the quotes
in writing. This way you can compare any quotes you receive
with your written specifications. You need to know what all
of the charges are so you can compare apples to apples with
quotes you receive from other suppliers.
Once
you receive your quote, you may decide shipping overnight
via an airfreight service is more expensive than your budget
allows.
TIP:
It is important to get multiple bids when finding the right
vendor for your project. They can help you make sure you are
paying a fair price or help put you in a position to negotiate
price if the vendor you want to go with comes in high.
4. Setting a timeline at the print shop.
You
would expect the print shop to hold open a space for your
job once they are awarded a project. It’s not that simple.
Print shops try to project their workload based upon clients
letting them know when the jobs will come into the shop.
Understanding
that print shops often do not count the dates they receive
or ship your materials as workdays will help set a realistic
turnaround schedule. Turnaround is the amount of time needed
to produce your job at the print shop.
In
order to play it safe, agree to a specific day your job will
arrive at the shop. Keep to the exact date you agreed upon
to avoid overtime, rush charges, and delays in receiving your
printed materials. Be sure to let your print shop know you
have a specific deadline so the shop can let you know how
long it takes to produce your project.
TIP:
Review and approve copy before it gets to the mechanical stage.
It is much cheaper to catch a copy error before your job goes
to the print shop.
5.
Get More for Less
Print
as many pieces as you think you will need –- and even
more -- to be on the safe side.
Why?
Because it costs about the same to get an offset press ready
to print 10,000 as it does 1,000. The price difference between
the two quantities is mostly the cost of the additional paper.
Given that, you should print as many pieces as you can afford
now, because the additional cost for the extra pieces is small.
Reprinting a job is more expensive, because you must pay for
setting up the press again.
If
you are sending out invitations to a big event, make sure
the print shop knows you need an exact amount. Often print
shops produce a standard of 10 % +/- of the quantity you request,
which means you, could get anywhere from 10% more to 10% less
than you specified. Your letter shop may need extras also,
so ask them how many extras they need to complete your order.
TIP:
Ask your print shop for their internal production schedule
outlining all activities and internal timelines. This way
you can foresee the boss going to Costa Rica and still have
the printer’s proof approved in a timely manner.
6.
Direct mail marketing.
Mailing
postcards can be an inexpensive way to let your prospective
customers know about you and your business. Postcards can
be used as either a promotional pieces or a request for information
from your customers.
Setting
your post card to USPS standards at the design stage will
save you money. For example, a 4.25 x 6 postcard (standard
size) costs $.23 while a
5 x 7 postcard costs $.37, the same as a letter. The paper
stock for a non-standard postcard has special requirements,
too.
To
keep you on track with USPS rules, contact a Mailpiece Design
Analyst. Mailpiece design analysts are specially trained USPS
personnel.
The MDA will “test paper and actual mailpiece samples
for acceptable thickness, background color, flexibility, rigidity,
and barcode print tolerances”.
There
are strict rules regarding the placement of the address panel
and copy on your mailpiece so it is critical for the mailpiece
design analyst to review your prospective artwork prior to
printing.
Taking
this extra step, at the design stage, is the easiest way to
get your mail piece approved by the post office and save on
postage, too.
TIP:
The cheapest postage rates are based upon your mailpiece being
designed for automated compatibility with the USPS postal
equipment. Follow this link to find the MDA – Mailpiece
Design Analyst for your zip code area. http://pe.usps.gov/mpdesign/mpdfr_mda_lookup.htm
Whether you are a seasoned buyer, new to the print business
or in-between, these simple steps can save you time, money
and aggravation on any print project. With a little planning
and teamwork, you can make the most of your print budget and
get your project printed on time, within budget and looking
just the way you envisioned it.
Barnett
Print Management, based in Larkspur CA, is a professional
print buying service that has the commitment, vision and resources
to guide your projects to completion on time and on budget
-- every time. With over two decades of experience, we can
do just that. Contact us at: jbarnett@judybarnett.com.
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