Commercial printing is an intricate process that requires extensive consultation between a client and the commercial printer to achieve the desired outcome of a project. To do this, it is important to schedule periodic meetings and collaborate with your printing vendor to brainstorm new ideas that will enhance the printing process. Beyond this, meetings and collaborations can yield many more benefits for your project. Read on to learn how you can gain from these meetings and collaborations.
Share Real World Samples
By the nature of their work, commercial printing vendors often share digital samples of their work when showing you ideal designs for your project. As you may already know, the quality of the finished product might not be as good as the digital design. However, when you meet with a printing vendor, they will have an opportunity to show you real-world sample designs relevant to your printing project. They might also share finished products from former campaigns with similar traits to your project that demonstrate the crisp finishes from their offset press or flawless designs from their digital printers. In case you need them to emboss your products on foils, the printing vendors might demonstrate by creating a sample design for you to see and feel.
Meetings and collaborations also create an enabling environment for your commercial printing vendor to showcase their knowledge on variable data printing. For example, instead of providing basic statements or letterheads, the printing vendor can demonstrate features of a winning personalized direct mail campaign. All the while, you can share your opinions and add design features that you believe will enhance the quality of your project for the printing vendor to adapt into the final design.
Discuss Latest Advances in Technology
As commercial printing evolves, printing vendors are finding new ways to stay ahead of the game. They strive to maintain their ability to provide product-enhancing services from the start of a project to the end. Some do this by hiring new talent to diversify their talent pool. In contrast, others go for more direct solutions like partnering with technology companies and collaborating with other printers and relevant service providers to link digital and print successfully through a multimedia campaign. From an outsider’s point of view, you won’t be able to fully appreciate the potential benefits of these partnerships. However, having scheduled meetings with your commercial printing vendor will improve your scope. They offer market insights, technological advancements in the printing space, and advice on the right technology to use on your project for great results.
Keep Ahead of Industry Trends
By setting up meetings and collaborating with your commercial printing vendor, you set yourself directly on the information path. Your printer is more likely to tell you and show you the new trends in print design. The vendor is likely to leave the safety of specs and demonstrate the different printing tricks that will increase your project’s success rate. These tricks include combining print and other media to enhance a project’s effectiveness or selecting print and paper to create the right mood in your printed piece.
Collaborating with a printing vendor also ensures you use the right printing method for your designs. This is because the vendor will advise you based on their past successes and challenges or demonstrate the possible outcome of a course of action using paper dummies. The print vendor will also offer you alternatives to meet your project goals.
Enhance Efficiency
When you collaborate with a commercial printing vendor, you won’t communicate your ideas to multiple vendors. Instead, you will share your designs with your vendor’s team, who will help you create the image you need for print and digital mediums. This minimizes the response time during the project’s lifetime and reduces cost. It also guarantees consistency across digital and printed media. In case of any mishap, you will know who to call for redress.
Improve Your Brand and Lower Your Risk Exposure
Consumers today have high expectations of digital printing. To meet these expectations, it is wise to collaborate with a commercial printer. Partnering with a commercial printer gives you access to the latest technology as they invest in the latest trends to maintain an edge in the market. Consequently, your brand will always communicate innovation.
Scheduling periodic meetings and collaborating with your commercial print vendor should be a priority for your project’s success. This is because such vendors are dedicated to customer satisfaction and are always looking for ways to enhance clients’ projects from start to finish. Consequently, the commercial printer offers a lot of value at an affordable rate. As a client, collaborating with such a print vendor enhances efficiency, upholds your brand authority, and ensures that your final designs have the right mood on digital mediums and print.