Knowledge about the source of one’s printing is key to making a wise buying decision, especially today when the variety of vendor options available to print buyers is so broad. All printing companies are not equal. In fact, some ‘printers’ have no equipment at all- they just hang out a shingle and represent themselves as if they do. Buyer beware!SpeedMaster 52

Prices, capabilities and quality levels can vary dramatically even among printers with in-house equipment. You could request a print quote from three different printing companies and receive widely differing prices. The printer with the lowest price might not be low-balling and the highest priced vendor may not be gouging. It is more likely, the lowest price printer is better suited to match the job’s specifications to the capabilities of his equipment.

At Multicolor Printing, our product mix is very broad because we have numerous in-house production options which allow us to produce an incredibly wide variety of products… very efficiently. This is the reason why we can offer top-tier quality at prices which equate to supreme value.

Some of the key factors which affect printing prices are:

Equipment

Workflow System

Product Mix

Employee Experience

Print buyers should make themselves aware of the differences between printers who have their own equipment and those who don’t, such as, print brokers and graphic design houses. It is not unusual to hear of outrageous mark-ups being added by unscrupulous print brokers who prey on the ignorance of their customers. This is just one important reason why it is best to establish a direct relationship with an ‘in-house’ printer. If you are in the habit of working with a print broker, it is never a bad idea to ask to see the invoice from the printer who produced the job. If you deal regularly with a design house for your printing needs, ask what services they perform to justify their mark-up on the printing. Knowledge is always a valuable tool!