Printing project manager
How to choose an online printer
With everything going to the web it is not a big surprise that printing went there as well. More and more people are taking their printing needs online and more and more online printing companies are popping up to get a piece of this growing pie. With so many companies to choose from, how do you know which one is the one for you? The following is a list of things to look for in an online printing company in no particular order.
Quality of Product. Most reputable online printers will send you a free sample packet so you can see and feel the quality for their material before purchasing. Look for a link that use the word "Samples", no quotations, and you simply fill up a short form with your name and address and you will receive samples soon. Request sample from at least three different companies and compare the quality
Price. The lowest price is not usually the bert pick when printing online. If what you are looking for is a high quality card then you might spend a little more, and it is well worth it. Some companies even offer free printing and all you do is pay for the shipping. The catch is the will put their logo on the back of the card and the paper is usually thin and flimsy. We have all seen and touched these cards before and know the cheap quality right away. Look around for prices and you will see a variety of prices for the same item.
Customer Service. In the print world, as in every other business, things can and do go wrong. You need to make sure you have a printer on your side willing to work with you and communicate with you if something happens. There are tons of stories on the web of an order not arriving and the printer stops responding. Test their customer service by calling them to see if you can get a real person on the line. Take advantage of their online chat, if they have one, to see if you can get someone to chat with you. If they have a chat check to see if they have one dedicated to customer service.
Turnaround Time. Most printers will print the same products (eg: business cards, postcards, fliers) but the printing time will differ among them all. Check to see what the regular turnaround time is for the product you are purchasing. 3-5 business days is common for popular products, and some even offer quicker turnaround without a fee. Everyone can rush your job, but even that might change. Rush job for one might mean 2 business days, while it might mean next business day for another. Keep in mind turnaround time is the time it takes to print the product before it ships. Shipping time is added on after the printing has completed. If you need the cards at a specific time you should speak to the potential printer to see if it is possible.
Reviews. Check online to see if anyone has reviewed the company. Read through as many reviews as possible and you will see a trend about what is good/bad about them. For example you might realize that the company you are reading about has high quality products, for a very low price, but when things go bad (eg: order doesn't arrive in time, the cut is wrong) you cannot get a response.
Some of the more popular online printing sites:
Mind2Print.com | Mind2Print.com
Price: Low, but not the lowest
Offer free printing: No
Quality: High
Free Samples: Yes
Customer Service: High
Turnaround Time: 3-5 business days for most items. Next day rush printing for a fee.
Pros: High quality products and very good customer service.
Cons: No free business cards. Price is a big higher than some of the other popular printers.
Vistaprint.com | Vistaprint.com
Price: Low
Offer free printing: Yes
Free Samples: No
Quality: Low, but you can upgrade to higher quality for a fee
Customer Service: Medium
Turnaround Time: Unable to locate. Need to check yourself.
Pros: Free printing available. Tons of products offered, more than more printers.
Cons: Low quality. When ordering you are hit with page after page of upgrades. Standard delivery takes 14 days.
Overnightprints.com | Overnightprints.com
Price: Low
Offer free printing: No
Free Samples: Yes
Quality: High
Customer Service: Medium
Turnaround Time: 1-5 business day
Pros: Low prices. Advanced online designer.
Cons: Lots of bad reviews.
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