Clamp Down on Printing Costs
Printing costs can seem exorbitant, especially for small companies. Business consultant Lorraine Ball of Roundpeg has some advice for keeping your marketing collateral budget under control:
Plan ahead. The larger a printing project, the less each piece costs. Ball recently designed a tri-fold brochure for a client and received the following price quotes from her printer: $450 for 500 pieces, $650 for 1,500 pieces and $750 for 2,500 pieces. If you anticipate longer-term needs you can save money by ordering in bulk.
Consider cheaper alternatives. A gang run means printing multiple items on a single sheet of paper and then cutting it into separate pieces. Four batches of 1,000 postcards that cost $2,000 to print individually might cost only $750 to print in a gang run. Also, ask about house sheets, which cost less than specialty papers and are adequate for most projects. But always inspect a sample beforehand to be sure.
Develop a relationship with a single printer. Don’t run around looking for the lowest bid on each project. You’ll save time and money in the long run by working with the same printer. Your loyalty might also pay off in favors: An occasional upgrade in paper quality, a job added to another client’s gang run, and overruns thrown in at no extra charge are all perks Ball has received from her printer.
The Po!nt: Printing may be a big part of your budget. But with upfront planning and the right relationship, you can manage your costs.
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