Typical Services to Expect from Your Local Printing Company

Printing Services
When approaching a printing company for the first time it can be difficult knowing what to expect and what to ask for. Most places offer a variety of printing services that are available for everyone, not just big businesses.  Not only can they help you in terms of printing your documents, but they can also help to design them as well.  Here I will explain a few things for you to expect to be on offer:

Basic Printing Service
When you need one basic document printed, your library, school or small business might do the job for you for a small fee, but when you need multiple pages printed your best bet is to visit a professional business printing service.  These types of businesses offer a superior service through the combination of highly trained staff who can offer professional guidance, and superior equipment which ultimately result in a higher standard of finish.

Photocopying
Photocopying can be done in black and white or color.  There are a variety of different paper styles and colors that you can choose from.  If you are photocopying a picture you might want to choose a paper with a glossy or matt finish. Also, with a picture you can choose to have it copied in black and white, color, or sepia, which can give the photo a more antique and softer feel.  When photocopying multi-page documents you can also request that they be stapled – which will eliminate much of the manual process and will save you a lot of time!

Design
Businesses that specialize in printing services can also help you design your document and layout of your page.  This can add an artistic touch to help bring your project closer to your expectations.  There are other specialized services that are available to you, such as photography, digital design, logo design and scanning.  

Large Format Printing
Printing services are also available for posters, banners and signs.  They usually range from 12”x18” up to many meters in width and length.  If you provide a picture, you will want to make sure it has a high resolution so it doesn’t get distorted when it is blown up for the poster – this is called pixilation and is an unfortunate consideration when working with digital images.

Numbering
Sequential numbers can be printed on things like invoices, purchase orders, and tickets.  You can choose what number you want to start at.  For example, if you are printing 1000 invoices, you may choose for them to start at 1001 and go to 2000.  Then for your second order you can continue from 2001 to 3000.  

Scoring
When working with a brochure that is made of out card stock or heavier paper, it is a good idea to have the paper scored. This will appear as an impressed line in your paper where there needs to be a fold, thus making it easier to fold the paper in the correct spots.

Cutting and Folding
Not all projects are the same size.  Some projects need to be cut and sized down.  If you are making envelopes or brochures you may want to spend a little more and have your brochures folded for you.  These printing services are great to save you time and improve the quality of the finished product.

There are lots of other different printing services that are available as well.  They include, binding, stitching, and laminating.  It is a good idea to look into what printing services you can choose from and how they will benefit you.