Mom N’ Pops Vs. The BIG Boys

Why would you want to use a small mom n’ pop shop instead of using one of the huge print houses? I’m glad you asked as there are several reasons.

First and foremost – you’re supporting a small business. Unless you’ve been asleep for the last million years, you know that small businesses (rather than big businesses) drive America’s economy. Small businesses provide jobs, a good tax base – in short small business is good for America.

Next, you’ll get true customer service. You want your brochures, letterhead, envelopes, and business cards all within 3 business days from proof approval? The small printer can do it – the big boys, well…maybe they have room in their schedule for you and maybe they don’t…

Cost factor: The smaller shop has smaller presses and our cost breakeven point is much less than the big guys. That doesn’t mean we can only handle small jobs – au contraire!! We can handle just about anything you can throw at us!

A smaller shop is more flexible in just about every category. We’re more cost effective, we’re more flexible to better meet your needs, our turnaround times tend to be much better and you have more paper choices for your project.

We also can offer paper choices you might not get otherwise. Sure, we have our house sheet where you’ll get your best price, but what if you want your letterhead printed on ivory linen and not standard 70# white matte? We can do that with next day delivery on just about any paper you want – don’t settle for the house sheet when you really want something else.

Need it REAL-L-L-L-L-Y fast? Guess what – we can usually get your order done on the same day – just don’t ask for the sun AND the stars. We’re good at delivering the moon – but if you ask for complicated finishing of your project that normally requires 3 day turnaround, you might not get that on the same day. Think the big boys will do that for you? Hmmmmm…..

Need something weird done and only need one or two? Yep, we can do that! We’ve produced show n’ tell projects for college students, many trade show displays for clients, mockup of a book for a presentation – even the old transparencies!! Do we charge for the service? Yep – you betcha! But at least you get it done and done right!

The small mom n’ pop print shops are worth taking a look at – we’re versatile, knowledgeable, helpful…well golly gee – add clean and thrifty and you’ll have a boy scout on your hands!!

Next time – why a conversation with your printer is worth your time!

Be safe!

Melissa

Advertisement

Digital vs. Offset

Why is digital printing important? Sometimes you just need a few brochures printed r-e-a-l-l-y fast. That’s where digital printing comes in handy. There are very few limitations to digital printing – 11 X 17″ with bleeds? No problem. Gloss cardstock? No problem. Need 500 brochures by this afternoon at 4 PM? No problem. Then what’s the problem? Sometimes, digital color is off – way off. It depends on the make/model of the printer, what type of file you sent over, what program the original file was created in (is it CMYK or RGB?), the earth’s gravitational pull…ok maybe not.

There is something to be said for beautiful offset color printing with rich vibrant hues and gloss coating. It does require a certain amount of time to produce a beautiful document and it’s worth it when you have planned ahead. But for those times when you need a few in a hurry, digital printing is your friend. Will digital printing ever look as good as offset printing…hmmm…that’s subjective. Some folks are perfectly happy with the outcome especially when an opportunity shows up in a hurrry and you need just a few pieces. Other folks…not so much. Is the piece color critical? Then you might not be perfectly happy with the outcome.

One thing to remember – digital printing is still more expensive than offset. Where the price per piece decreases dramatically with offset printing, it usually doesn’t change with digital – the cost is usually fixed – so expect to pay more (especially if you’re really in a hurry!!)

Talk to your printer – a good printer is always willing to discuss options with you – your timeframe, paper choices and color options. One thing about printing you can count on – when the customer looks good, the printer looks good!

Next time – we’ll talk about why you should use a small mom & pop shop vs. big box stores.

Be safe.

Hello World!

Printing is actually way more fascinating than I ever imagined! I had no clue years ago when I started out what it took to get a beautiful brochure printed. There is something about the feel of fine paper in your hands – I know, I know…we’re in the digital age. Sigh…We’re digital alright, but still nothing can replace the feel of beautiful, fine papers and colorful printing to show off your business or cause (or in the case of job hunters, yourself!)

What makes printing fascinating? It’s creative and custom. You know someone created the document or business card from somewhere in their brain and then took the vision and made something you can touch and feel.

What happens when you receive a thank you note or a card in the mail? You take the time to read and savor it, don’t you? I do. That’s why I believe printing is so special – its personal and real.

Melissa =)