5 Printing mistakes that could be costing your brand money

Print is an essential part of business with printed materials playing a vital role in our daily lives. From sales catalogues and event brochures to information guides, marketing collateral and manuals, most companies need to have printed materials in some form to function.

But, keeping track of your project and making sure that you only spend your budget in the places that count can be a mine field.

There are hundreds of different styles, paper weights, colours and finishes so how do you know your project is heading in the right direction and you aren’t making costly mistakes?

We have pulled together the five top pit falls that businesses often don’t realise could be bumping up their budget.

Over or under estimating demand

It is no surprise that buying in bulk often reduces the cost per item of printing. If your printing materials are something that you are going to continually need then buying items in bulk rather than in multiple smaller batches will deliver a sizeable saving.

However, it is also important to not over judge requirements either. Just as buying small batches can add to cost so can over ordering items which become outdated before you get chance to use them and then have to be thrown away.

Where possible designs should always be created with longevity in mind so try not to add in team biographies, prices or dates if not essential as these are areas that may change frequently and will quickly out date your products.

If your business does make frequent changes to content or you are creating content for a specific event or promotion, then make sure that you don’t over order even if it reduces the price per item cost. It will be more cost effective in the long run to do multiple short runs that the materials are used then have lots of unneeded materials that are wasted and taking up room in your store cupboards.

Using low resolution images

Low resolution pictures may look okay on screen but images with a minimum resolution of 300 DPI can result in blurry or pixelated prints.

Double check image sizes before adding to documents and make sure that they are a suitable resolution to produce the quality product that you are looking for. If you are unsure, always ask your printer for advice on what resolution they recommend and how best they should be uploaded. 

Taking the time to get it right before going to print will save you being disappointed by results or having a costly reprint to fix errors.

Choosing the wrong paper

From Grams per Square Metre (GSM) to silk, matte and gloss there are lots of different types and finishes to your paper that can affect your print quality. Getting the right budget and finish all relies on understanding the purpose of your product and the style that you are looking to achieve. High end paper for a high-volume, temporary item will add to your cost, whereas, thinner papers can allow images to bleed through to the next page and not showcase the photo finish you are looking for. It is important to understand the style and finish that you are looking for and chose the right paper for the job. It is easy to add on costs when choosing too high a density paper or specialist finishes that are just not needed for the type of project that you are creating.

Skipping the proofing process

It may seem like an added time constraint to review the document you sent over before print. However, errors cannot be amended after going to print. There are occasionally times that designs can be altered and print areas missed once documents are uploaded at the printers. It could be that the template you are using for the design is different to the print area or you have missed a spelling mistake. A printer will not reread all your copy and check images. It is your responsibility to check that the content and layout is what you were looking for.

Taking a few moments to review the content before print provides the opportunity for a final proofread and to check that the design works as intended.

Overly complex designs

It is often easy to forget how your design will work in print. Creating intricate page designs and multiple levels of printing or binding may look great, but does it add to the final product? In some cases, it may be completely justifiable but think about what your project wants to achieve, where it will be used and if the extra cost will add value. There are many imaginative and effective ways to simplify your design without compromising on quality.

Think about using page cut outs just on the front cover of a brochure rather than through out, simplify page layouts to reduce the need for multiple set ups. Careful design solutions can create the wow factor without bumping up the cost. If you are looking for inspiration why not ask our team for ideas.

Getting the perfect finish is all about understanding the printing process and with over 60 years in the industry it is something LG Davis has a lot of experience in.

If you are unsure whether you need a matte or gloss finish or can’t decide how many leaflets to order, then we are happy to help. Take the guesswork out of ordering and don’t risk costly extras that just aren’t needed. With over 6 decades of experience our team can help you to get the very best project at the most efficient price.