Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Take advantage of print companies that offer design services

Some printers offer design services for free. Check to make sure you will receive a proof. Read the fine print to see what changes you can make to the design and whether there is a charge for that. Provide the printer with a copy of your logo and other printed materials, so they can design something that will fit with your company image.

I recommend: Copy Craft Printers provides design, layout, typesetting and art recreation on a large number of different print products including booklets, brochures, marketing products and business stationary. GDF Fulfillment Solutions offers graphic design and production for books, brochures, catalogs, flyers and many other products.

Create your own design and upload it to a digital printing company website

Look for printers that give instructions on what type of files to upload and how to format them before you design any products. You may have the option to have the company check it to make sure it's right.

I recommend: Upload your document file to CatPrint, choose your print options and quantity and place your order, or request a price quote on short runs of brochures, cards, booklets, flyers and other products. Use the extensive help section at PrintingForLess.com to learn the best way to format your files for upload when ordering brochures, catalogs, cards, newsletters, business stationary and other products.

Choose a commercial printing company that can print a custom-size document

Some printers offer only standard-sized documents on their websites. Choose those companies that list custom-sized documents as an option on their website to find those with the experience and equipment to take on an odd-sized item.

I recommend: Fill out the instant quote form at Color Printing Wholesale, including the item size, paper stock, folding and color options, quantity and desired turnaround time to see your price. Pick a custom size for your printed product from UPrinting.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When using digital printing services that let you upload your own file, make sure you follow the company's specifications exactly when it comes to page size, bleed and resolution. When producing a graphic for upload, the minimum resolution should be 300 dots per inch.

Guide to Printing Companies

Find the best printing company for the type of printing you need

By Jeanni Brosius, CEO, Brosius Young Communications

1. A digital printing company can save you money on set-up fees and small-run printing.
2. Select a printing company that specializes in your needs. Your business card printer may not have the proper equipment or expertise to print your book.
3. Get price quotes from two or three commercial printers before choosing.
   

Action Steps
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Where to find a printing company

Most cities have printing companies that take care of the printing needs of local businesses. However, if you need something beyond a brochure or business cards, such as a book or catalog, you might need to look nationwide for a good deal on commercial printing.

I recommend: The Print Guide breaks down printing companies by type. This is a good place to find commercial printing companies that specialize in specific areas of printing. John Kremer offers a selection of reputable book printers at Book Market.

Toss your project in the ring for bids

If you use a local printing company for most of your printing needs, it may take on a larger project and outsource it to another printer just to keep your business. You should put your larger project out for bid to several companies so you can get the best deal possible.

I recommend: Printing Industry Exchange and Bid for Printing offer free quotes from multiple printing companies specializing in printing services that run the gamut from Post-It-type notes to billboards.

Use a digital printing company for the greatest of ease

You can send files electronically to a digital printing company. Other advantages of working with digital printers include the ability to make changes easier and to have shorter print runs. Costs are usually less than with a traditional commercial printing company because set-up fees are lower.

I recommend: Miami Systems Corporation offers a full line of digital commercial printing services for small or large jobs. Also try VistaPrint for business cards or marketing materials. And don't forget the national office supply and service chains: FedEx Kinko's, Office Depot and Staples all offer online on-demand printing, too.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ask for samples from print companies before accepting a bid. An ultra-low bid could mean sub-standard quality of printing.
• •  Get references from other clients before accepting bids from print companies.

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Find printing companies that print small pieces

Most printers will print business cards and letterhead, but you generally get a better price from printers who do this type of printing exclusively. Look for printers that offer many options: different weight paper, the option for color or black and white and different types of folds. If you order a card or flyer that is blank on one side, compare prices to make sure the company doesn't charge the same price as it would if you ordered it printed on both sides.

I recommend: Order business stationary, letterhead, flyers, brochures, business cards and many other items in almost any quantity from iPrint.com. MyPrintShopOnline.com specializes in brochures, postcards, newsletters, stationary and booklets and has been in business since 1992.

Look for a printing company capable of printing magazines, catalogs and books

Many online digital printing companies print mostly items made from one sheet of paper or card stock. Printing documents with multiple pages generally requires more expertise. Look for printers with experience producing these types of products.

I recommend: 5 Star Printing is a commercial printing company that prints magazines, catalogs and books as well as smaller items. Commercial Printers prints and binds many products including catalogs, annual reports, booklets and procedure manuals.

Choose a digital printing company for large quantities

A big part of the cost of printing is setup, and as the quantity goes up, the price per piece goes down. Digital printing brings the overall price down, so that sometimes doubling the quantity only slightly raises the price of the order. Look for printers that specialize in large quantities to save the most money.

I recommend: Get large quantities of flyers, mailers, brochures, pocket folders, business cards, forms and business stationary printed at Wholesale Business Printing. Request a free quote on brochures, flyers, business cards, postcards or letterhead printing from Avanti Printing and Graphics.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The days when a company had one corporate printing firm may be gone forever. Choose several quality firms that specialize in a variety of types of printing to get the best price on each kind of printing you need.

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Bleed

Bleed is when any part of the image goes right to the edge of the paper, either on one edge or on all four sides. To achieve this, the graphic artist makes the artwork larger than the finished page and the printer prints it larger and then trims it to the correct size. Generally, the design needs to allow for at least 1/8 of an inch leeway in case the trimming is not exact.

I recommend: Find a long list of printing terms defined, including bleed, at Bob's Print Guide.

Crop marks

Crop marks are marks on the artwork that show where the corner of the printed page will fall.

I recommend: Click on the words at the right at the Service Plus glossary page to see definitions of print terms, including crop marks.

Image resolution

Resolution is the number of dots-per-inch in an image. When the image comes from a computer, the number of dots is the same as the number of pixels, since pixels are the dots that make up the computer image on the screen. Generally, the image used to make the artwork will have a much higher resolution than the final printed image.

I recommend: Read a detailed explanation of image resolution and how it affects the clarity of your printed piece at PrintingForLess.com. Find advice on which resolution to use in your images at Angel Printing.

Blueline proof

A blueline proof, sometimes shortened to blueline or blues, is a final proof made from the film negative that will make the plates used by the printing company. This is generally the final chance to catch a mistake, and you should use it to check for errors in pagination and artwork placement, not just spelling and grammar. Printers that use newer digital printing technology may not provide a traditional blueline proof to their customers.

I recommend: Read a detailed explanation of what to look for when your printer sends you a blueline proof at Print Industry Exchange.

Color separation

To print something in what printers call 'full color,' the printers separate the colors into four layers known as cyan, magenta, yellow and black, also called CMYK. When mixed together, the layers will result in a rainbow of colors. Printing companies use process color, or spot color, when they add a specific color to what would otherwise be just black ink. With either of these processes, the company must separate the colors and place them on different plates in order to get the correct look for the color image.

I recommend: Find a definition of color separation at Internet.com, a division of WebMediaBrands.

Binding

Binding refers to any of a number of ways of forming separate sheets of paper into a book. There are many different forms of binding, and each printer may perform several different types. It's not common to find many printers who perform every known form of binding, as each usually focuses on a specific type of publication.

I recommend: Find a list of various types of binding at Powis Parker. Check out a list of binding terms at the website for the University of Florida.