The Top Printing Concerns Many Businesses Face in Their First Year

Whether you’re marketing and looking to build brand awareness, you may encounter a few printing projects during your first year of business. While most advertising is online these days, printing allows you to connect with customers and grow your business.

However, there may be some concerns your business may face that you should consider to get the best results. Failing to look at these certain aspects of printing could cost your business’s reputation and brand recognition.

To ensure you avoid costly mistakes, here are the top printing concerns you should be aware of in your business.

 

1. High Prices

During one of your first printing projects, one of your top concerns that you may face is the cost involved. Printing can turn out to be expensive, which may discourage you from moving forward with your projects.

However, several printing companies offer competitive prices and meet your specific needs. Consider researching companies and comparing prices where you reside.

While some professionals have inflated prices, others offer high-quality work at a discount rate. Remember, though, sometimes you get what you pay for in the printing services industry.

 

2. The Quality of Prints

When creating marketing materials for your business, you know they need to hit the mark. A print must be professional-looking and high-quality enough to impress potential customers.

If you have low-quality paper or colors that don’t precisely match your brand, this could reflect poorly on your business. Then, you could result in a loss of interest rather than attracting new customers.

Consider reaching out to the printing company you’re interested in working with and ask them how they determine the quality. Or, you could ask if they provide digital prints since they can provide clear finishes compared to screen printing.

Additionally, some printing companies use color management software to determine the accuracy of brand colors and print conditions.

 

3. Standing Out From the Competition

Many businesses have difficulty standing out from their competitors, even in printing. However, you may not have been aware that custom printing and specialized techniques are available to businesses.

For instance, UV coating, foil stamping, die cutting, embossing and more are all methods that can set your materials apart.

Remember, adding these techniques can add more costs to your budget. So ensure that you evaluate this to maintain your budget.

 

4. Visible Flaws

In printing, design and color are everything, especially for marketing. Every time you have a printing project, it needs to be flawless.

However, prints can have visible mistakes on them. And if you’re not checking carefully, these mistakes can reflect on your company. In turn, you may lose consumer confidence.

While businesses in the first year have a busy schedule, it’s important not to let that keep you from proofing your materials. Consider double-checking each time and asking a colleague to look it over. That way, you have a fresh pair of eyes to help you see potential flaws.

 

5. Meeting Deadlines

One of the top printing concerns your business may face in its first year is meeting the stated deadline. When the materials aren’t ready, this can be a huge problem and may push your marketing campaign further back.

For example, some printing companies constantly schedule orders to ensure they always have them. However, this can cause serious delays.

When looking at a professional printing company, they should know what and when to deliver the materials as promised.

 

Make a Careful Investment

When considering the top printing concerns, it’s important to acknowledge every aspect before spending valuable resources on a project. Otherwise, you may receive disappointing results. With careful planning, you can ensure your investment will pay off in return.

Eleanor is the editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the director at a marketing firm prior to becoming a freelance web designer. Eleanor lives in Philly with her husband and dog, Bear.