Top 10 Printer Tips for Consumers

• Choose a local printer
There’s no substitute for being able to go in and speak to a local printer face to face to discuss your requirements and get professional advice tailored to the specific job you have in mind.
• Ask for artwork specifications
In order to get the best final results you’ll need to make sure the artwork you supply to your printer complies with their specifications. For example if you supply images in a lower resolution than they’ve asked for, the final printed product may not be good as you expected.
• Get your designs done professionally
Following on from tip #2, it’s important to get a graphic designer to work on your artwork before sending it to the printers if you don’t know what you’re doing. The printer can only work with the artwork they’re supplied and if yours is sub-standard, your final prints will be too.
• Give your printer specific instructions
It’s no good just telling your printer to print your job on a good quality cream paper; you should be more specific than that. There are many different paper shades and weights so the more specific you can be the better as this will ensure you get exactly what you had in mind and this is just one good reason to visit your printer in person.
• Don’t be fooled by low prices
There are thousands of printing companies online who offer fantastic deals on a wide range of personal and business stationery but these low prices are often too good to be true. You may think you’re getting a bargain online or locally but the final print quality could be so poor that you need to have your job printed again, so it can be a false economy.
• Get your documents double checked
Taking a few minutes to get someone else to check your artwork before it gets sent to the printers could save you a lot of time and expense. A small error could result in you having to get your document re-printed and it’s your responsibility to make sure it’s correct.
• Always ask to see a proof
Another good reason to choose a local printer is that you can see a proof of what you’re job is going to look like. If you order over the internet from a printer based abroad, you may have to rely on a screen proof which is not an accurate representation of the final print quality.
• Ask to see printed samples
Before you place an order with a printing company it’s a good idea to ask them for some samples of their previous work. Most companies have sample packs they are happy to send out for free to show off the quality of their printing.
• Collect your prints rather than getting them delivered
You can save money by collecting your prints as opposed to them being delivered to you as this can be very expensive depending on the quantity you’ve ordered. Going to collect your prints in person also gives you the opportunity to assess the quality while you’re there and point out anything you’re unhappy with.
• How to sort out any problems
When you sign off a proof before the printing process begins there will usually be a list of terms and conditions. As we said before it’s your responsibility to ensure your artwork is correct before you approve it to be printed. However, if there’s a problem with the quality of the print, you’ll need to discuss that with the printing company to see if you can reach an agreement which could be anything from reprinting the whole job free of charge or offering a partial refund, depending on how bad the problem is.