Online printing has changed and streamlined the workflow process dramatically for businesses in many industries, though this shift is possibly the most evident in the printing business. A definite demand still exists for specialty print products such as wedding invitations, graduation announcements, calendars, brochures and business cards. To produce the best quality products in the timeliest manner, printing companies no longer have to rely on heavy machinery, expensive reams of paper or large volumes of ink that need to be kept in their own facilities. As a print business owner, you can now have orders processed through online printing services and delivered ready for your clients to pick up.
Using a commercial online printing service will save you noticeable costs on supplies and printing press equipment. It will also allow quicker turnaround times even for larger-volume orders. Online printing services give their clients a good deal of convenience and flexibility as well.
Cost Benefits for a Printing Business
Running a successful printing business requires knowledge of specific equipment and of which supplies fit best with certain projects. A specific grain or finish of paper may be best for an order of flyers or a set of invitations, but you may not find it financially practical to keep large rolls of many different paper types on hand.
An online printing service solves this supply inventory issue by only using the amount of paper and ink required for an individual print order you submit. This process essentially follows the concept of “print-on-demand” that has started replacing the use of traditional printing presses. The expenses you pay for each of these online print orders are relatively small compared to the long-term costs of purchasing and warehousing large volumes of printing supplies.
Managing Projects Online
When you begin using an online printing service, you will typically create an account that allows you to submit and manage digital files of each print order you want completed. These print project interfaces are normally quite simple to use, allowing you to adjust the layout, typography, print dimensions, colors and more with just a few mouse clicks. This platform allows you to make and save as many changes as you see fit before submitting the final digital files for printing. Creating one of these accounts is often free; you only pay for the prints that you order.
An online web-printing service may charge a flat fee per page or by specific project type. To determine which online printing service would be the most cost-effective for your print shop, take a look at the kinds of orders you process the most often and their average costs. Then compare those costs to the fees of at least a few different online printing services to find the ideal option.
Print Order Flexibility
Managing a print order with an online printer’s software also allows you to change the numbers of copies you need for a certain order. This feature is especially convenient for those times one of your customers needs an extra 50 invitations or flyers at the last minute. The client can simply log into their online account and submit an additional order for the saved print project.
An online printing service often allows you to save individual projects in your account for future use. Many even allow you to submit and save templates for your most frequent print orders. All you will need to do for a new order with a template is select the file, enter the needed wording and make any edits to the final print file’s appearance.
The added conveniences of online printing are numerous, including fewer inventory costs, easier changes to existing projects and the ability to save print template for future orders. An online printing service will normally supply you with user-friendly web-based software tools to edit and preview your uploaded print proof files, and you only need to pay for the final product. Some online printers even have pre-payment options for you to add an account balance to be used for future print orders.
How Can Online Printing Improve Your Business