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Looking for Printer Partners: A Checklist for Making Smart Choices

Posted Jul 25, 2012 in Printing Services with (0) Comments

When you’re looking for a printer for a single project, it’s pretty simple — you just choose a printer who specializes in the stock, process and finish requirements of the project. But every project is different and printing requirements can vary greatly. To make sure all of your bases are covered, you will need to build relationships with multiple printers.

At the end of the day, however, it’s your reputation that’s on the line. So how do you know if a printer is worth your business? The following is a handy checklist you can use while interviewing and evaluating printers. It will walk you through the key considerations and questions to ask, so you can make informed, strategic decisions.

Printer Considerations Checklist

  1. Word of Mouth and References
    ❏ Can you share any recent references from other resellers?
    (You should also search the Internet to see if you can uncover any customer ratings or testimonials.)

    ❏ Is your company on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn?
    If so, follow them before committing to see what you can learn about the company.

  2. Proven Quality, Reliability and Reseller Experience
    ❏ How many years have you been in business?

    ❏ How long have you been working with resellers?

    ❏ Can you share any recent samples that would represent the range of your capabilities?

    ❏ Is your company a member of any print industry associations or the Better Business Bureau?
    These memberships tell you they care about their reputation and longevity.
     
  3. Quality Control
    ❏ Do you own your facilities or do you ever outsource to a third party?
    You want to make sure they can control quality down to the press. You don’t want a printer that hides how they will produce your job.

    ❏ How would you handle a project that doesn’t match your capabilities? 
    Look out for any printer who says they’d alter your design in an attempt to "make it work.”

  4. Easy Ordering & Account Management
    ❏ Do you charge for project quotes?
    Hint: They shouldn’t.

    ❏ How fast can you turn quotes around?
    You want a partner who can get you quotes quickly so you don't miss out on business.

    ❏ Do you accept orders by phone, fax and/or online?
    Make sure they work they way you prefer.

    ❏ Is there an easy way to repeat orders for my returning customers?

    ❏ Check for comprehensive online order-tracking and account-management capabilities so you can stay on top of your projects anytime, anywhere
     
  5. Cost and Production Matters
    ❏ How do you manage unexpected costs?
    A reputable printer will always limit unexpected costs and let you know in writing about potential cost risks on any given project.

    ❏ What sort of accommodations will you make for last-minute changes, emergencies or rerunning a print job when mistakes are made?

    ❏ Do you offer any discount on RIP Charges?
    RIP charges are the printer fees for processing images. A discount will help reduce your production costs and increase profit.

    ❏ Do you offer hard proofs as well as online proofing? What are the related charges?

    ❏ What is your usual turnaround time?
    Look for a printer who can finish most orders within two to three business days.

  6. Guarantees
    ❏ Do you offer any guarantees in terms of deliverables, cost, quality, quantities and timelines?
    Make sure you get any guarantee in writing. A verbal handshake is not enough.

  7. Respecting and Protecting Your Customer Relationships
    ❏ Can you provide unbranded printing samples?
    You don’t want to show your customers samples that have the printer’s name all over them.

    ❏ Do you offer blind shipping? Can you use my return address instead?
    “Blind shipping” means shipping the final product directly to your customers, without the printer’s name on the package. This makes for a more seamless experience for your customer, and enables you to protect your client relationship.

    ❏ Would you ever contact my customer directly?
    You do not want any printer to contact your customer without your permission.

  8. Value-Added Services
    ❏ Do you provide any or all of the following?
    • Pricing guides
    • Sample catalogs
    • “Freemiums” such as production templates, graphic design assets, how-to articles
    • VIP programs, such as pricing discounts, bonus production services
    • Client referral program
      (this is a program whereby the printer refers new client leads to their resellers, rather than serving the new lead directly)

  9. Fanatical & Expert Customer Service
    ❏ How much training do your customer service representatives receive?

    ❏ Do your reps fully understand printing?

    ❏ What is their experience level?

    ❏ When is customer service available?

    ❏ Can I get help by phone, email or IM? 

Tell us what you look for in a trade printer in the comments below.

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