Printing - How Do I Buy It?

Why should I care where I get my printed material from, I'll just go for tenders and go with the low bidder. If you do this probably you won't be in business for long or you'll never really run a successful business. My company, Solutions Ink started from the premise that I don't just sell printed products but rather I help businesses grow and prosper. Being in the business for over 20 years I've seen how the industry and the market have changed. Gone are the days you could charge what you want and deliver any quality good's. With global competition so great, the product must be perfect and your price must be competitive just for you to survive. That being said what should I look for in a printing company. First you should explain what you do and how you do it,to your printer. It is his job with his expertise to decide what product he should offer you. Today there are offset presses, digital presses, web presses and each one is appropriate for a different type of job.

Digital presses today have greatly improved their quality and are great for short runs (under 1000 quantity), variable data (inserting names into each letter), large format small quantity jobs (point of purchases, banners, posters, small direct mail jobs). Turnaround is key and digital jobs usually can be done in days if not hours.

Offset presses are good for jobs of greater than 1000 t'ill about 100,000 or if the absolute quality is essential for the job (brochures, fashion catalogues, price lists, letterheads, business cards, envelopes). These type of jobs usually takes days or a week or two, depending on the complexity of the job.

Web presses are great for large runs of magazines, newspaper flyers or large run business forms.

Suggestions by your printer should help your business grow. He should help in deciding paper stocks, colors, finishings and offer you different price options. New technology can save company's great amounts of time by offering e-commerce ordering and proofing systems. New technology allows form/card combinations, form/label combinations and form/magnet combinations. These reduce the need to print 2 pieces. This can also cut your mailing costs. The idea is for your printer to help you market your business so that you can become more successful. Penny pinching on costs can be short sighted. For true long term growth you have to work in partnership with your printer so that both of you benefit. If you have only one winner, chances are you'll be searching out a new partner pretty soon.

Steven Schneidman has an M.B.A., worked for a large bank, was a Finance Professor at University and has owned 2 Printing and Promotional Product companies.

If you need any help deciding what you should do for your next printing job drop me an email at steve@solutionsink4u.com or visit my website at www.solutionink4u.com.

In The News:


CBC.ca

GM says Super Bowl ads too expensive and bows out
Philadelphia Inquirer
The Detroit automaker said Friday that it won't be advertising on the Feb. 3 spectacle because of a steep price hike demanded by CBS, the network broadcasting the game. "We understand the reach the Super Bowl provides, but with the significant increase ...
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Christian Science Monitor

Advertisers and Facebook face an uphill battle. But it could be worth it.
Christian Science Monitor
General Motors' decision to invest significantly less advertising dollars in Facebook inspired some to suggest that the world's most popular social network needs to grow up. By Megan Riesz / May 18, 2012 Facebook increased the size of its initial ...
Is Advertising on Facebook Worth the Expense?TIME
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Oakfield marketing students dive into advertising
Fond du Lac Reporter
Marketing students at Oakfield High School delved into the world of "Mad Men" recently by creating an advertising campaign for a local business. Fondy Sports Park teamed up with the high school's marketing department to give students a realistic ...


CIO Today

Does Advertising on Facebook Pay?
CIO Today
By Peter Svensson And Tom Krisher GM's advertising spending is a tiny fraction of Facebook's total 2011 advertising revenue of $3.15 billion. But the automaker's decision to cease advertising on the social network could be symptomatic of Facebook's ...
Facebook Advertising Shows 'A Lot Of Potential But It's Not A Slam-Dunk'Huffington Post
Advertisers weigh in on the value of Facebook adsExaminer.com
Why I Lost My Faith In Facebook AdvertisingForbes
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USA TODAY

GM Says Facebook Ads Don't Pay Off
Wall Street Journal
By SHARON TERLEP, SUZANNE VRANICA and SHAYNDI RAICE General Motors plans to stop advertising on Facebook after the company's marketing executives determined their paid ads had little impact on consumers. Sharon Terlep has details on The News Hub.
Facebook's biggest problem is that it's a media companyWashington Post
Do Facebook ads work? IPO, GM spotlight issueUSA TODAY
Facebook sparks divide: GM, Ford advertising strategies divergeDetroit Free Press
Chicago Tribune -Forbes -WebProNews
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Dragas Mortgage Company Selects JASE Group LLC as Advertising Agency of Record
PR.com (press release)
JASE Group LLC (jasegroup.com) will serve as the Inbound Marketing & Creative Advertising agency of record for Dragas Mortgage Company (dragasmortgage.com) of Virginia Beach, VA. Virginia Beach, VA, May 20, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Dragas Mortgage Company ...


AIADMK spent crores of public wealth on their advertising: Karunanidhi
Daily News & Analysis
Place: Chennai | Agency: PTI DMK President M Karunanidhi on Sunday flayed the Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu for its advertising campaign listing its "achievements" on completing one year in office, saying it had spent a "huge amount" of ...

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Presidential TV advertising onslaught begins, but is Pennsylvania really a ...
The Republic
The advertising onslaught of the fall presidential election has begun in Pennsylvania and a handful of other states that may be up for grabs between President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney. Republicans and Democrats both ...

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Successful Merger Creates New Integrated Advertising Agency for Automotive Dealers
PR.com (press release)
New Jersey based automotive wholesaler, Vincent Grace, gained a substantial partner this week, RDI Inc, an automotive advertising & marketing firm. Teterboro, NJ, May 20, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Dealers nationwide will be presented a direct mail marketing ...


Speedway green flags advertising
Post-Tribune
With Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka and Shell Oil Co. signs hung on the walls of turns three and four, Speedway CEO Jeff Belskus is predicting double-digit percentage increases in Indianapolis 500 advertising and sponsorship revenue.

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