Key Questions To Ask In Selecting An Online Printing Service

Selecting a reputable and reliable online printing service can be extremely beneficial in helping your business prosper and in building a strong customer base. Printed promotional materials are a key component of most entrepreneurs and businesses' marketing and advertising arsenal. A well written and attractively designed brochure can help jump start a new setup and  thwart the competition in the process. Even though most people spend a good amount of time on designing and developing their printed promotions, surprisingly not many bother to think about the vital attributes of a printing company before choosing one.

There may be several reasons for this. The primary cause for rushing into printing could be because of time constraints, especially since the bulk of their time has gone in designing and copy writing. Another common reason is that although the entrepreneur or marketer is well-versed in the basic and advanced techniques of advertising and imagery, they often lack the necessary knowledge required to suitably assess a brochure printing service. Ever heard of a college providing instruction on printing techniques and processes? Of course not. More often than not these are things that are learned on your first job and through professional experience.

So how do you evaluate and select an online printing service that best suits you and your company's needs? By asking some critical questions about the printing service and answering them accurately to the best of your abilities. Here are some questions that can hep you get started:


When was the online printing service established?
A printing company that has been around for some time is most likely successful and has a satisfied customer base.

What are the products and services offered by the printing service?
A practical online printing company will have the whole range of products like brochures, business cards, flyers, catalogs, greeting and invitation cards, stationery, table tents and other customized products. They will also offer extras like perforations, hole punching, die cutting and mailing services.

What sort of technical specifications do they offer?
This will include dpi, lpi, offset and digital printing, turnaround times, paper thickness and quality and much much more.

Does the online printing service have integrated systems?
Printing companies that boast integrated proprietary enterprise software normally take their work and operations very seriously.

What sort of equipment is used for printing?
Big names like Hewlett Packard and Heidelberg make a huge difference in printing and finishing quality.