Working with your printer

  • Involve your printer during the creative stage

When designing your insert, it is often beneficial to involve your printer in the early stages of the process so that they can outline your options and add value.

 

  • Understand your printer’s strengths and opportunities

Each different printing organisation will have different printing presses and areas of expertise that will allow you to find the best match in terms of printing costs and design.

For example, trimming an insert down to size involves an inevitable waste of expensive materials. You might be able to avoid this by finding a printer who can produce your insert at the right size first time – perhaps using a short cut-off press, which enables different sized inserts to be produced without wasting paper.

 

  • Provide sample to publisher early

Make sure that your printer is able to supply a final sample of your insert to your publisher for approval at least two weeks prior to the delivery date.

 

Printing brief

Provide a detailed written brief. When you supply a specification to a printer for your print project, include as much detail as possible and provide this information in writing. This will enable your printer to provide an accurate quotation, based on using the best presses for the job. You will need to specify the following:

  • Quantity
    Be as accurate as possible with the quantity of inserts you require.
    Allow extra for inevitable errors at different stages of the printing, delivery and inserting processes.
  • Pagination
    The order in which the pages of your item should appear.
    Depending on your production method, any booklet will commonly need pages in a multiple of four as each additional sheet of folded paper gives another four sides once bound.
  • Colour
    For example, whether your design will require two colour, four colour or monochrome printing.
  • Paper weight
    Give paper choice major consideration, especially if your product is to be mailed, as weight will greatly affect the cost of postage. Saving a few grams per item could reduce the price of your mailing significantly.
  • File format
    Clarify how your data and artwork should be supplied – for example, as ISDN, PDF, Quark/Illustrator
    files and so on.
  • Product finishing
    How do you want your product to be finished? Consider how it should be folded and whether is
    should be stitched, stapled or perfect bound.
  • Packaging
    It is important to specify in writing how the inserts should be packed ready for delivery to the bindery – for example, bulk packed, cartonned or other?

Some insertion houses have very specific delivery requirements. If these are not met, they can and do refuse deliveries. This then involves repacking, which can have a detrimental effect on your schedule as well as additional costs – and, of course, you risk missing the insertion date.

Ensure that you have clarified the requirements of the bindery before you brief the printer, including:

  • Should the bulk packs on pallets be boxed or shrink-wrapped?
  • Do they require special pallets?
  • Does the recipient require copy to be in specific bundle sizes?
  • Should the pallets be a maximum weight?
  • Delivery requirements

What delivery is required? Is it ‘ex works’ (no delivery costs included) or multiple single point delivery?

• Schedule required.
Finally, inform your printer of your schedule in as much detail as possible. If you are able to specify when data will be available and when delivery is required, this can be of real benefit to both the printer and yourselves. If you leave the schedule information to the last minute this may affect the price and may also compromise where and with whom you eventually print.