Choosing a Brochure Printer

When selecting a brochure printer, it’s important to understand and identify any differences between what you’re expecting to receive and what’s being offered by any given brochure printer. Not all Brochure Printers are created equal. Nor is there a solidified standard for what brochure printers include in there posted pricing.

Let’s take this example for instance. Say you’re in the market for tri-fold brochures, full color on both sides. You’ve found a couple of printers that seem reputable, but you’re confused because one printer’s listed price is nearly half the price of their competitor. Why is this? Being the budget minded business person you are, you decide to proceed with the lower cost brochure printer. Let’s call them “brochure printer A”. Now, as you’re placing your order, you’re told that their listed price does not include scoring and folding the brochure. They also disclose that the price only includes 1-color on the inside and full color on the outside. It’s not printed on high-quality gloss stock, but instead is printed on a light matt paper. The final product looks more like something you can print on your home printer than something that is printed commercially. In the end, you’ve got a sub-standard product, and when it’s all said and done, you’ve actually paid more than the other printer you were comparing them to.

Brochure Printer B, on the other hand prints all of their brochures on 100 lb gloss text, a nice, heavy, sturdy paper, typical in high-quality brochure production. The listed price includes full-color printing on both sides, scoring and folding. When you receive this product, the color is vibrant, the feel of the brochure has weight to it, and it makes a much better impression than the product of brochure printer A.

There are so many options available in the printing industry these days. But it’s important to compare apples to apples when selecting a brochure printer. Here are a few questions you can research to qualify any given printer offering brochure printing.

What does their “list price” include?
Is scoring and folding additional?
Will they print full-color on both sides?
Do they allow full-bleed graphics on the design?
What kind of paper stock will it be printed on?
Are they printed digitally or off-set?
What’s the turnaround time on production?
What’s the shipping cost?

Look for testimonials from previous clients to get an idea of their reputation. If they don’t have testimonials, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a bad printer. But, be sure to investigate them a little more. If you’re bidding out for a larger quantity job, ask for a couple of references.   

Most reputable printers provide free sample packs of previous work printed. Request a sample pack to get a feel for the actual product. And feel free to contact them by phone. It’s equally important to have customer service available when you need them, so feel them out in this department too as well.

Selecting a brochure printing is more than finding someone to print your brochures. It’s a process of building a relationship with a  company that will hopefully last with good repor. So be sure to evaluate the different departments involved. And be sure to add Image Media to that list. We know what it takes to build relationships. And we excel at helping you build a brighter future for your business.