share
Minimizing spend is always important. If you’re looking for an easy way to cut down on costs, affordable printing services help you get the most for your money.
Fortunately, luxurious printing doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg—it just takes working with a print partner who understands the ins and outs of printing.
At The Print Authority, we’ve dedicated decades to helping customers access affordable printing, and we love to share our knowledge. In this article, we’ll dig into how to make high-quality printing affordable for your business, including which materials to choose, how to find discounts, and how to streamline your production for maximum profits.
Budget-Friendly Print Doesn’t Mean Cheap Quality
It’s a common misconception that affordable printing is low quality. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. While you can of course spend as much money as you’d like on luxury printing and materials, there’s no need for your printing to break the bank.
It’s important to remember that making strategic design choices can help you look polished without overspending.
Simplicity often reads as premium, so don’t overdesign. Keep your print products simple and classy, which both decreases labor costs for design and subsequent printing costs.
One of the most important ways to ensure you get high quality affordable printing services is to work with the experts. When you partner with a professional printing company that has expertise in affordable printing, you receive top-quality print products at a low cost. They know the ins and outs of the system and can make innovative suggestions that help you maximize quality and minimize cost.
Materials and finishing options also influence the final cost and feel.
Smart Choices: Technology, Paper, and Finishes
Matte vs. gloss? Uncoated vs. coated? Choosing wisely helps you stay within budget.
Throughout the print process, you’re faced with all sorts of decisions. Here are some of the choices you can make and how they affect your printing costs.
Choose Your Technology
Most printing consists of either offset or digital printing. Which option is more affordable depends on your project.
If you’re creating many copies of a small number of originals and a small number of ink colors, offset printing is generally the way to go. It can produce large numbers of copies quickly at a low price.
On the other hand, if you’re printing many originals and using many ink colors, digital printing is usually the better option. Digital printing reduces waste and setup costs for small runs, and your printing company can process your order and begin printing immediately.
Pick Your Paper
Papers come in all sorts of materials, sizes, and thicknesses, all of which can affect your print costs.
- Papers can be made of a wide range of materials, typically from wood pulp and recycled paper but even from straw and recycled cotton. While wood pulp and recycled papers are typically the most affordable, demonstrating your dedication to the environment can pay off in increased orders, so don’t discount the extra costs of specialty recycled papers.
- Of course, papers come in a wide range of thicknesses. It’s a no-brainer, but thinner paper is generally cheaper than thicker paper.
- Paper can be coated or uncoated. Coated paper has a layer on top that provides an additional visual and tactile interest, while uncoated paper has a more natural and rough texture. Which paper is cheaper can depend on what materials the paper is made of.
- Coated paper can have a gloss or matte coating. Gloss paper is smooth to the touch and shines in the light. It makes images crisp and clear and makes colors pop, so it’s a good choice for products containing images or illustrations. Matte paper is less shiny but still has a smooth surface, and its sophisticated look makes it a good choice for items such as business cards. In general, gloss and matte papers cost around the same.
As you can see, there is an almost unlimited number of papers out there that combine different materials, coatings, and thicknesses. The right paper for your project and your budget is out there! If you’d like advice finding the right paper for your project, the team at The Print Authority can help you out.
Finish Strong
When it comes to finishing processes, you have a wide range of possibilities to choose from—all at various price points. When you’re trying to lower print costs, you can pick the finishing processes that best fit your budget.
For example, if you’re printing booklets, choose stapled binding instead of perfect or stitched binding. Don’t opt for extra finishing processes such as round corners or lamination unless you truly need them.
Feel free to talk with your print partner about which finishing processes make sense for your project. If you print regularly, subscription models and volume pricing might be worth a look.
Volume Discounts and Subscription Printing
If you’re looking for predictable pricing and savings, commit to monthly or quarterly printing. When you order in bulk or via a subscription model, you can save large amounts of money.
Some items that are ideal for subscription printing or monthly print plans include order forms, training manuals, note cards, stationery, and envelopes. Because you use these documents frequently and they require few alterations over time, set up a regular order to replenish your stock. This also decreases labor and processing costs and is ideal for businesses with ongoing marketing needs.
Still, avoiding surprise costs is key to staying on budget.
How to Avoid Hidden Costs
Getting billed for a hidden cost is an easy way to lose all of the savings you had opted for throughout the printing process. Therefore, be sure you’re aware of any file prep fees, rush charges, and delivery expenses before placing your order. As well, be sure to work with a printing company that provides transparent pricing, so that you can rest assured that the price you see is the price you’ll get.
Lastly, before ordering your prints, always ask for a proof for your print material. This is a digital or physical example of your finished product for your review. Look through it carefully so that you can avoid reprint costs due to minor errors. Once you’ve reviewed your proof and fixed any mistakes, you’re ready to print with confidence!
Find Cost Savings Today
Understanding your printing costs is the first step to decreasing them. To get a better idea of how much you can lower your print costs, schedule a meeting with The Print Authority. Together, we can go through your print needs and discuss how to make affordable printing possible, no matter what materials you need.
With over 30 years as leaders in the print industry, we have the expertise to help businesses in every sector make a difference through affordable printing. Our team is dedicated to producing top-quality print services that help organizations succeed.
To get started, contact us today.
