Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Printing Company

Hiring the right printing company for your business is a crucial marketing move, and you only have a few critical minutes or email exchanges to evaluate whether a particular printing company is right for you. Make the most of this short time and ask the right questions, so you won’t be surprised down the road.

No matter if you’re looking for support for your business or the new publisher of your comic book, asking the company you’re interested in precise and direct questions can save you a lot of wasted time and effort.

Here are the most important questions you can ask your potential printing service before signing a business contract with them.

Is the Printing Company Familiar With the Product?

Whatever you have in mind – posters, door hangers, bookmarks, or table tents – ensure that the professional printing service knows the printed products you want.

Previous work is also a serious consideration. Once you’ve ascertained if the service can meet your expectations, ask for examples of previous jobs so you can check for quality and errors.

Can the Prospective Printer Provide Samplers?

Inspect samples as close to the printing project you have in mind as possible. If you want a bookmark made, ask for the print vendor’s  example of customizable bookmarks.

Try and match the print material of the sample close to your design idea. This will let you see and touch the wares before you buy them.

Does the Printing Company Offer Design Support?

There are print jobs that are so simple they don’t need any graphic design input, but certain projects need a professional touch to come to fruition. Certain design services provide design support along with their print services.

When you’re speaking with customer service, ask about different packages, and if one includes one-on-one with a graphic design expert.

What Type of Printing Do They Offer?

There are two main types of printing. When choosing a printer service, you need to know what kind of printing the service uses before signing on the dotted line. Offset printing and digital printing are the most commonly used printing methods. Here’s a bit more about each of these.

Offset Printing

In this laborious process, the printer engraves a sheet for each page, which is why you can’t just print two or three copies of your project without losing significant money and effort. Offset printing works best for more extensive print jobs.

Digital Printing

Using the latest technology, digital printers can apply a four-color process in the blink of an eye. Digital printing is fast and, with some services, you can print-on-demand, which means you can control costs and distribution.

The main difference between these two types of printing is quantity. Do you want a set copy file and a large order for bulk printing which is the perfect job for offset, or do you prefer digital printing’s customizable nature? In the end, the choice is primarily influenced by your project’s scope and nature.

What About Creative Requests?

If you’re hiring a printing service to partner with you and  be a vital tool in your marketing arsenal, ask them how they handle bespoke requests.

Bespoke requests are those that are out-of-the-norm or one-of-a-kind. Some printing services have robust design arms and can help you on every step of your creative journey, but others don’t like to take on tailored projects. It’s important to ask these questions before deciding on a service.

How Long Will it Take?

Turnaround time is as big a consideration as anything else. You have deadlines to meet, and you need to feel assured that the service you’ve chosen will keep up their end of the bargain.

Ask for an estimated delivery time for your printing job. You can go further in your research and look at customer reviews, specifically looking for comments about turnaround time.

The Last Round

Choosing a printing service is a tricky business. You have to ensure that the projects that you have in mind fit the scope and capabilities of the service you’ve chosen.

No matter if it’s a personal creative endeavor or a boost to your marketing strategy, seasoned printing professionals like those at Comix Well Spring can help you achieve your printing goals.