Whether your are looking for banner printing, offset printing, vehicle wraps, or any other specific print job, finding the best commercial print provider for your project might not be an easy task. Not all commercial printing companies are created equally, and using the wrong one can be more than just a little frustrating. Some commercial printing companies produce poor quality work, which is a negative reflection of your business to your potential customers, not the printer who developed the poor quality work.
If you are a small business owner, you probably don’t have the marketing budget to select commercial printing companies through trial and error, paying for services that you are not satisfied with can really add up quickly. To help you weed through the commercial printing companies in your area and choose the best fit for your printing needs, we’ve put together a few qualities the best commercial printing companies have.
Six Qualities That Great Commercial Printers Have
- Longevity in the Industry.
Although baby commercial printing companies may be eager to get your business by offering you lower prices for their services, when you find a company who has stayed the course for years upon years, you know that they are doing something right. Identifying commercial printing companies who have been in the industry for a long time is a good place to start when looking for a reliable and quality service.
Of course, if they’ve been in the industry for a few decades, it does not mean that they’ve stayed on the cutting edge of technology (a factor that is important in the commercial printing world). After reviewing the length of time a commercial printing company has been in business, review their portfolio and quality of work. We’ll cover this more later. - The Right Service Offerings
The services that commercial printing companies offer vary from one provider to the next. There is not necessarily a right or wrong answer here, you just need to know that they offer the services you’ll regularly need. Finding a commercial printer who offers services like 24 hour rush printing, custom printed items, and online printing are particularly convenient for small businesses. - Current Technology
As we mentioned in the first point, if a commercial printing company uses newer technology, they may be able to produce large quantities in faster time frames, with better quality, and lower prices. It is beneficial to you to check on the age of the equipment being used by the commercial printing companies you are considering.
On the same wavelength, some printing services, such as offset printing, is a tried-and-true method that has been used for decades. If you are looking for an offset printer, having brand new technology is not as important. - Fast Turn-around Times
Getting your print job back as quickly as possible might be one of your greatest priorities. Ask the commercial printing companies you’re considering what their standard time frames for returning a jobs of the size you typically need. Additionally, consider if rush services are available, and at what cost, if you need them. - Strong Security Practices
Some of your print jobs may involve customer information that, if compromised, could damage your reputation and harm your customers. If you’re printing needs involve mail merges like this with sensitive customer information, is very important to check the security policies of the commercial printing companies you are working with. Ask about their data handling, firewalls, and disaster recovery plans. You may not know all of the security best practices that are needed to keep your customers safe, but you can get a gauge of the priority the printer puts on security from from the confidence of their answer. - Great Customer Service
The best commercial printing companies offer a dedicated representative to work directly with you to ensure your satisfaction. Having a project manager for your commercial printing needs will ensure that there is a seamless communication on all aspects of the print job, and that any problems you may come across our handled appropriately. Sometimes problems are unavoidable, the last thing you want is to have to fix the issue with a call center representative who really doesn’t care if your needs are met or not.
We want to hear from you! What do you consider important qualities in a commercial printer?