Mark Vruno

How do prospects choose printers? (Part 2)
August 16, 2007

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Question: How do you choose a printer? What are the criteria to look for?

— Sunil S.

Another Answer from a Slightly Different Perspective:
It used to be you chose a printer the same way you would choose any other service person, from plumbers to dentists: Check the yellow pages, talk to friends and family, drive around looking for signs. And the one you settled on was probably just a few minutes drive away. So what if your printer didn’t have all the latest equipment? You could work together to make sure your projects fit his workflow. So what if he (or she) couldn’t do the binding and finishing you wanted? Just make sure your projects require what he can do.

Distance Is Dead
Now we’ve arrived at a time where service providers no longer have to be a few minutes away. We have seen the death of distance—at least for print service providers. (It’s a bit difficult to get your teeth cleaned via the Web!)

You can find exactly the right printer with the right combination of equipment and services at the right price anywhere in the world. And because the Internet allows instant communication, you can transfer files, view and approve PDF proofs, and place orders without having to actually go to “your printer’s shop.”

More than Putting Ink on Paper
So how do you choose from a global assortment of providers? It’s no longer enough to produce great printed products. In fact, with the wide variety of new equipment, you’ll find that print quality is a given, it’s good. Your service provider needs to offer you a number of tools and services to help you grow your business, protect your brand, measure your direct marketing response and deliver high-quality leads to your sales force.

So Many Ways to Add Value
Beyond traditional offset printing, explore digital printing—particularly for short runs to eliminate waste and obsolescence of marketing collateral. Look for a wide range of bindery and finishing services; booklet-making capabilities are available in more and more shops, for instance. And if you are fulfilling requests for collateral and other marketing materials in house, look for mailing and fulfillment services, too.

Print is just one medium available to generate new customers and keep the ones you have. To generate more leads with one-to-one communication, look for printers who combine direct mail, personalized URLs, design of websites and microsites, and other interactive media services.

At Printable Technologies, we recommend exploring print service providers which offer design services, secure file transfer, online proofing, Web-based ordering and fulfillment tracking as well as other online and interactive services, such as cross-media marketing.

No Creative Limits
You no longer have to make your projects fit your printer’s workflow; you can find a print service provider who offers a wide range of online and offline services that fit the requirements of your project exactly. You don’t have to limit your creativity ever again.

Click here for a print buyer’s perspective on the same question.

Posted by Mark Vruno on August 16, 2007 | Comments (3)