Quick Questions To Good Prints

By Author: Colleen Davis
Total Articles: 100
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The problem with customers usually is not that they do not know anything about commercial printing. It is that they do not know what questions to ask their commercial printer so that they can learn something for the next time they are in need of printing services. Good clients do not necessarily have to be all-knowing; in fact, being a know-it-all can make the employees of a commercial printing company wish that you just performed the printing yourself. Good clients just have to know the following questions, when to ask these questions, and most importantly, how to ask them.

I wish to get some printed. Can you handle a print job like this? The first thing to do is to establish the commercial printing company’s ability to perform your request. If you ask this right, then you will learn about previous experience of the printer with producing brochures, cards, or whatever it is you are in need of. As an added bonus, you may follow up with requesting samples so that you may examine them. This way, you would most likely learn something about the company, and from then samples you will learn if they can make your order well.

What ...
... is the cheapest I can get for this quality of finished product? The first instinct of buyers is to haggle for the price right on down to the basement. Because of this, they sometimes forget that things like these are trade-offs and by setting the price as low as possible, you are sacrificing the quality of the paper, the ink, and the other materials used. Good printers will offer you the best balance between economy and quality, and it is just an added perk if you are able to lower the price a little without sacrificing some quality. Haggle with moderation.

What file formats do you use? This is a simple question, but a good way to avoid hassle nonetheless. By making sure that you are using the same file format as the commercial printing company, you are avoiding the trouble of having your file converted and your designs distorted. This is especially applicable when you have specific instructions and designs that you need the printer to do. Related questions are “Do you handle this type of image?” and “Can you do file repairs?”

I want to be a regular customer. What perks can I avail of? If you are a person who needs to have a lot of printing done for him, this question is perfect for you. Sometimes you just have to ask before companies inform you of special promos and offers that are only available under certain conditions. Ask this question and you may just save a lot of money.

Feel free to ask more of your own questions, but always remember to ask them in a way that doesn’t make you seem like an ignorant jerk. Good commercial printing companies will understand that you are only interested in learning more about what you are paying for and are genuinely interested with their commercial printing services. They will prefer inquisitive clients to pretentious jerks any day.

For more information, you can visit this page on Commercial Printing