An article on IT-ONLINE explains how small and medium-sized businesses can cut down on expenditure by doing their own printing.
Penned by Allison Zimmer, a Channel and SMB Marketing Specialist at Xerox, the article states that “it’s so exciting for many SMBs to find that there is one place they can successfully cut costs by bringing a task in-house – with the right mix of skilled support, and the right equipment.”
Although certain projects should still be outsourced – such as “over-sized booth banners or trade show posters” – items such as flyers, business cards, mailers and letterhead “can actually be printed in-house for less than you’re paying a professional printer, without sacrificing quality.”
However, when it comes to printing your own business documents, there are certain things to bear in mind.
Brand consistency
Before you press the ‘print’ button, “you need to be sure your materials look, read, and yes, even feel consistent with your brand guidelines”, taking into account a variety of factors, including colour, font, and even the weight of the paper you are using.
If you don’t have a skilled graphic designer working for your business it is best not to over-stretch your creative limits, and keep your materials “simple and brand consistent”, avoiding mistakes such as “low-resolution photos or images or stretching images that should instead be properly resized”.
Using Adobe Photoshop can be very helpful for creating the right materials.
Use the right paper
The paper you use has the same amount of importance as what you are printing on it “so don’t skimp on the paper you use.”
The right ink
Just as with paper, you have to ensure you are using the correct ink, as the ink you use “will make a big impact on the quality of your results”.
Set your materials apart
If you use different kinds of paper and different inks for the various materials being printed, this will help to differentiate them.
Use a “professional-grade printer”
Companies who want to bring their printing in-house ought to invest in a professional level printer to help them achieve the best results.
