Four Tips for Starting to Work with an Online Print Shop

According to the numbers found elsewhere on the Web, the average small business spends approximately $10,000 per year on print jobs that include brochures, posters, books, and other materials. Onsite printing is more costly than outsourced printing as a general rule, due to the high cartridge cost for onsite color printing. Color printing is typically about 27 cents per page in the office and 23-25 cents per page as an outsourced endeavor. The average small business can’t afford such high costs of printing in the current climate.

The Internet offers some serious relief for ever-climbing printing costs. The local printer is usually not interested in offering incentives or partnering with small businesses to control costs. It is up to the small businessperson to seek ways to economize.

If you discuss the online alternative with a brick-and-mortar printer, he may suggest that websites are impersonal and unable to change or personalize their offerings. However, it is the local printer who can’t reduce his prices for fear of not making enough money to cover all his overhead and still make a living.

The lower overhead and massive customer base afforded by doing business online provide distinct advantages to printers, who can pass on their savings to their customers. Here are four things to consider when using an online print service.

Review Shipping Costs. When comparing online print costs, don’t forget the cost of shipping. While many online printers have a shipping comparison chart, not all do. You should get familiar enough with the common shipping methods that the printer uses to be able to determine which will be the cheapest for the weight you need. This can be critical when mailing an item that weighs more than average or an oddly-shaped item.

Find Printing Services that Specialize in What You Need. Some printers specialize in posters, but you may need a print master who is exceptional at online book printing. You should find the online printer that is best for your particular needs. An example might be that one printer will print a 90-page book on demand for $5.67 per book. By the time that book ships to your facility it costs about $7.34 per book, which is considered quite expensive in the world of online printing. Other printers can accomplish the same job for only $2.00 per book and add only $1.30 for shipping if you order 100 units. This brings down the cost per book to only $3.20 per unit, but you may not need that many. Understanding specialties can save you a considerable amount.

Check on Alternative Formats. Binding types, paper, and other factors can make a big difference in price. For example, a spiral-bound copy may save more than a dollar per item over perfect binding, and in some cases, such as a test manual that is meant to be written in, it may even function more effectively.

PayPal is a Convenient Way to Make Online Payments. Because printing needs can be difficult to predict, if you have a strict budget limit, you can put the allocated funds in a PayPal account and pay directly. This gives you the ability to check your remaining balance and see what you’ve spent and where you’ve spent it in addition to paying for jobs easily.

Printing can easily become a streamlined and affordable process if you find the right online printing companies with which to work.