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Commercial printing tips
Get a Good Quote
If a job is more than 10 percent of the client's annual printing budget, get six printing quotes. For smaller jobs, get three. Don't assume that just because one printer had the lower quote on a similiar job the month before that they will be the low cost choice the next time. Even slight changes in paper or ink can significantly alter the quote.
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/printing/qt/quotes.htmLower Print Quality Requirements
Sometimes 'good enough' really is
From the beginning, talk to your client about the minimum printing requirements. Not only will premium printing cost more, the quality control process can take longer. If not needed, opt for faster printing methods.Design for speed. Create layouts that don't require perfect registration, flawless color-matching, or time-consuming finishing touches when time is of utmost importance.
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/printing/qt/print_quality.htmBinding
If your needs include binding it’s always better to be knowledgable of you options to make in order to make informed decisions. The following are a list of the options you have for putting together reports, booklets, or other materal. Producing booklets, brochures and other types of commercial printing, how do distributors choose the best binding method? "The biggest considerations seem to be the look that the end user wants and the cost," says Jeff Kincaid, director of marketing for manufacturer Creative Printing Services Inc., Des Plaines, Ill. Kincaid shares information on six types of binding, starting with the most common:Folding is the most popular finishing technique, according to Kincaid. Distributors often create cost-effective direct mail pieces by folding them down to 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches and sealing them with wafer stickers.
Saddle stitching is often referred to as "stapling" but doesn't actually involve pre-manufactured staples. Instead, a machine cuts wire from a roll, stitches it into the paper and cinches it on the other side. According to Kincaid, distributors shouldn't try to saddle stitch more than 120 pages. "If you look at some saddle-stitched magazines, you'll see they're fatter at the spine," he says. "As the page count gets big, it gets noticeably bellied [at the spine] and the center pages pop out."
Mechanical binding includes several binding techniques, such as loop, spiral, double Wire-O® and plastic-comb. End users can buy small plastic loop binding machines for their offices and bind one book at a time. Spiral binding involves a continuous piece of wire spiraling in and out of the book. Double Wire-O involves pairs of pre-manufactured wire. With plastic comb binding, a large, printable plastic strip runs down the book's spine. Double Wire-O® and plastic-comb are highly durable and commonly used for cookbooks, Kincaid says.
One advantage mechanical binding offers is that it helps books open flat. One disadvantage: books often must be hand-fed into binding machines. "It can be very costly to do mechanical binding on a long run," Kincaid says. Distributors should carefully consider the product's end use, the customer's aesthetic value and the length of the run, he says.Glue binding, also known as paste binding, is done in-line on a web offset printing press, making it quick and inexpensive, Kincaid says. The entire product, however, must be on the same stock paper, he says.
Perfect binding, also known as adhesive binding, is used for large books or magazines that will be referenced for a few years, Kincaid says. Examples include membership directories, textbooks and paperback novels. According to Kincaid, perfect-bound products usually have a minimum of 96 pages, unless they're on very heavy paper.
Case binding is sewn on with thread. "A case-bound book is used if the publisher wishes the book to be used for years and years and not fall apart," Kincaid says. Examples include college textbooks and medical books. Case binding works for runs of any size.
When choosing a commercial printer, the printer you select should have a broad-based knowledge of printing as it relates to your budget and scheduling needs. The printer should be capable of guiding you through your project requirements, or working with your art director to provide the appropriate design, art, illustration, photography, digital/electronic film output, ink, paper, printing and binding. The printer orchestrates the final printed piece by coordinating the many craftspersons involved in the printing process. In some cases, printers also provide die cutting, embossing, stamping, and mailing services.Consult with commercial printers in the early stages of your project. This will potentially save you cost and time when your book is ready for submission. Your commercial printers will keep a careful watch over you and guide you with proper book protocol.
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