How to Work with Print Vendors

Your Specifications: Things to keep in mind during the initial phases of a project. A brief overview of our process here at MarCom:

Important things to know before the project begins:

Timeline – How long will it take to complete the job?
When drafting a preliminary schedule, start from the desired delivery date and work backwards, factoring in a recommended 2 weeks of production time (3 weeks for magazines, larger jobs, more involved/specialty jobs like promotional items). This is an example of a schedule we created for a job… depending on your needs, your schedule may not be as long and involved as this one, but I just wanted to show this as an example to illustrate all of the stages we factor into a job here at MarCom. We use 2 weeks as a standard guideline for production, but if a faster turnaround is needed, reach out to the vendor! The 2-week guideline for us includes at least one round of color and content proofing, which is highly recommended in order to ensure your satisfaction with the final result. Another thing to note: be aware of University holidays when building the schedule. Factoring in an extra day or two around holidays is recommended, and if you’re not sure whether the vendor observes the same holidays, it’s always a good idea to ask!

Budget – How much can you spend? When we request an estimate from a vendor, there are multiple components to consider when it comes to cost.

Quantity – How many copies will you need? When printing offset, typically you’ll get more of a cost-per-unit savings the larger the quantity gets.

Quality – Your choice of paper stock and printing specifications will determine the overall quality of the piece, as well as the cost. (Refer to paper samples provided by Paul.)

Flat and Finished Sizes – If you are printing a booklet, brochure, or any other piece that requires folding, be sure to specify the flat size as well as the intended finished size of the piece. This is important because some vendors may not have the equipment requirements for an oversized piece. You can refer to the preferred vendor list to find out more about each vendor’s capabilities.

Binding – If you are printing a booklet or a magazine, there are a few different options when it comes to binding (show examples of perfect binding, saddle stitch, wire, GBC). Typically, perfect binding will be the most expensive but tends to look the nicest!

Folding/Additional Finishing – If your job involves folding, there are a few things to consider. First, what type of fold will you use? (Refer to examples of z fold, double gate fold, etc.) Second, will the folding require the paper to be scored? If you are using a heavier cover stock, scoring the paper is recommended in order to avoid cracking. Any folding instructions for the vendor typically go on the job ticket in the “Additional Finishing” section.

Number of Colors – Another thing to consider is whether or not you will be using any special inks. If your job includes a large area of the BU Red, you will need to specify the Pantone color PMS186 on the job ticket. 4/4 refers to the standard 4 color process printing (CMYK), and 4/0 is used to denote 4 color process on a one-sided printed piece. 5/5 refers to the standard CMYK plus another color, typically a specific Pantone color, in this case PMS186.

Photoshop/Prepress – Part of the reason why we build in 2 weeks for print production time is to allow adjustments to be made after a proof is reviewed. All of our vendors have in-house prepress teams who are able to do things from minor color corrections to removing litter on a sidewalk in a campus photo. If something doesn’t look quite right when you’re reviewing a proof, let the vendor know! You can request a revised proof to confirm that your requested changes are correct and you feel good about your job. We build in what we call “color system time” to each job before requesting a quote, usually at least a couple of hours for anything that includes a decent amount of photography. This allows for corrections to be made in the proofing stage without going over budget.

What will it be used for? – Consider how much the piece will be handled (glossier stocks will show fingerprints). If it is going through the mail, you will want to go with a heavier cover stock for durability and consider postal specifications (wafer seals, space built into the design for addresses and bar codes); if it is an outdoor banner, you’ll want to look into strong weatherproof materials. This will also narrow down which vendors you can use for your job depending on their large-format and substrate capabilities.

All of this ties back into your budget: feel free to request estimates from a few different vendors. Depending on the print processes they use and the volume of work they typically handle, estimates may vary. The quote on the right is significantly lower because this vendor has web press capabilities and can more efficiently handle high-volume jobs. Keep in mind, you won’t often see a price jump this drastic, but this particular job’s quantity was right on the threshold for being run on the web press. Charles will get into more of the production specifics and requirements in a bit. Remember, if you are unsure about any of the terminology listed in the estimates, or when drafting a job ticket, all of the sales reps for our preferred vendors are extremely knowledgeable and will be more than happy to explain and walk you through your options.

Other Fun Stuff – There’s a lot you can do to make your piece stand out, and our preferred vendors are here to help. (Show examples of embossing, spot UV, folder pocket, etc.)