This month we’re looking into the first two steps of the Life Cycle of a Print Job: getting a Quote and placing an Order. If you missed our intro post with an overview of the Life Cycle of a Print Job, you can check it out HERE.
Before you even begin the design process, it’s a good idea to talk with your printer about production logistics and request a quote first, even if it’s based on a preliminary concept. It sets the expectations on both ends, and helps us create a plan for your project. We can always revise our pricing if your specifications change!
Once you have your print specs spelled out and know your quantity (or a range of quantities), contact your customer service rep to request a quote. We’ll submit it to our estimating department for pricing.
Estimating A Print Quote
One of the first steps in estimating is to determine whether your print project would be best suited for traditional offset print, or to run on the digital press. Some specs will dictate this for you (like if you want an aqueous coating or varnish, special PMS inks, or if the size of your piece exceeds what we can print digitally). Usually quantity is the driving factor beyond that.
From there, estimating will determine the most efficient way to run on press, figuring sheet size and imposition to minimize costs and waste. We’ll request pricing from any outside services we may have to subcontract as well as any special materials we may need for production/shipping. Factoring in the fixed and variable costs required for your project will finalize your pricing. Then, your customer service rep will send you the quote via email.
If we were writing this series even just a year ago, that would be the end of it. But since the spring/summer of 2021, as prices started to increase every month and supply chain delays and availability issues began to crop up more frequently, the quoting process has become more complex. Almost every quote comes with a caveat of it being dependent on paper availability and pricing at time of order.
Placing An Order
With final specs confirmed and pricing approved, and design files ready to go, now it’s just time to submit your order!
Contact your CSR with approval to proceed (this can be a simple email or an official purchase order), and submit your art files via email (if small enough), our FTP (up to 1GB), through online transfer services, or another method of your choosing. We can retrieve files from most storage sites with the proper links/credentials.
From there, we do the rest of the heavy lifting to get your job in the works.
How To Facilitate The Ordering Process
If you have a quote from us, please provide the quote number. It helps us begin the next step of writing up a production order.
If we quoted multiple quantities or other options (like stock or binding), please be sure to include which option you want to proceed with.
Please provide as much info at time of order as possible, like any firm delivery dates, the delivery location, any special labeling required, etc. It helps to provide this info up front so it is captured on our production order right from the start and can be factored into our scheduling process.
Next up, getting your Print Job into Prepress!
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