Most
successful printing projects don’t happen by accident. They start with a good
plan. Here are 5 steps to ensuring that everything goes smoothly and on budget.
1. What is the goal of the
printed piece?
Is
the goal of the piece to entertain or inform? To impress? Your marketing goals
influence the design and quality of the piece. Certain ideas may have a
significant impact on turnaround or cost. For example, some binding options can
take extra time, and certain trim sizes might incur extra expense. Paper
choices can also affect the project cost and turnaround time.
2. Who is the audience, and
how will they use the piece?
If
you are designing a flyer for a theatrical opening, it will look different than
one promoting a rock concert. People read a book differently than they read a
poster. Before setting anything in stone, talk to us to determine how your
design decisions can affect the project budget and schedule.
3. How many suppliers are
involved?
Take
into account the schedules of any outside service providers. For example, if
you are using a freelance illustrator or label designer, you need to take his
or her availability into consideration. If you’re adhering a label to a bottle,
you need to work with the bottle company to ensure that the bottles are
available when you need them.
4. When does the piece need
to arrive?
Always
plan backwards from the delivery date. It’s particularly important to involve
us in this part of the planning process so we can schedule your project.
Because we juggle many jobs at any given time, your project needs gets to press
in time to meet your deadline. If not, your job may get rescheduled behind
other jobs, and especially if those jobs are large or complex, that can affect
its mail or delivery date significantly.
5. How much “fudge” do you
need?
Finally,
you need to incorporate “fudge factor.” Always add in buffer time to
accommodate slippage in the schedule. The larger the project, the more buffer
you will need.
The moral of the
story? Good print planning starts with communicating early—and often.Please give us a call at 440-946-0606
Or visit our website here for more information.
