Questions to Ask a Printing Company
Questions for briefing and quoting a commercial print job, whether it is business cards, a catalogue, packaging, or a book. Written for anyone comparing printers and trying to make two quotes actually comparable.
The questions
Open any question for the note
Which parts of this job do you do in house, and what do you send out?
Why ask it
Many suppliers are brokers who place work with a plant you never speak to. That is not automatically a problem, but it changes who fixes a colour issue and how long a correction takes, so you want it stated at the start.
At my quantity, is this better on digital or offset, and where is the crossover?
Why ask it
The crossover point is a real number a printer can give you, often somewhere in the hundreds for small formats. A supplier who pushes one process for every quantity is describing their equipment, not your job.
What presses do you run, and what is the largest sheet you can print?
Why ask it
Sheet size decides how your pages gang up, which is the main lever on price. A job that needs an awkward second pass because it just misses their sheet will quietly cost more everywhere else.
Can you print on the stock I've specified, and if not, what would you suggest instead?
Why ask it
House stocks are cheaper and often better than a specified paper the printer has to order in. Ask what they hold, and ask why they prefer it before you assume a substitution is a downgrade.
Can I see and handle a physical sample of the stock before we go ahead?
Why ask it
Weight and finish read completely differently in the hand than in a swatch photograph, and uncoated paper in particular shifts how ink looks. A printer who will not put paper in the post is not set up for careful work.
Will I get a hard proof on the actual stock, or only a PDF?
Why ask it
A screen proof checks content and nothing about colour. If brand colour matters, insist on a physical proof and expect to pay for it, since it is far cheaper than a reprint.
How do you handle colour matching, and can you hit a specific Pantone?
Why ask it
There is a real difference between a spot ink, a close process build, and "it will look about right." Ask which of the three you are buying, and get the answer in writing on the order.
What's the total, including setup, plates, proofs, delivery, and tax?
Why ask it
Quotes are routinely compared on the printing line alone while setup and freight sit underneath. Ask for one figure delivered to your door, which is the only number that lets you compare two suppliers.
What does the price do at the next quantity break?
Why ask it
Most of the cost is in setup, so doubling a short run rarely doubles the price. Ask for two or three quantities on the same quote before you decide how many you need.
What are your file requirements: bleed, resolution, colour space, and fonts?
Why ask it
Getting this at the briefing stage prevents the most common cause of delay, which is a file bounced back after the schedule has already been set. Ask for the specification as a document rather than over the phone.
Who checks my file before it goes to press, and what will you flag?
Why ask it
Some printers preflight thoroughly and call you about a hairline rule or an RGB image, and some print exactly what you sent. Knowing which you have decides how carefully you need to check it yourself.
How long from approved proof to delivery, and are those working days?
Why ask it
Turnaround is nearly always quoted from proof approval, not from when you place the order. Confirm both ends of that and whether the last day includes the courier.
What happens to the schedule if I approve the proof a day late?
Why ask it
Press time is booked in slots, so a missed approval can cost several days rather than one. A printer who explains their cut-off honestly is easier to plan around than one who promises flexibility.
How much over or under the ordered quantity should I expect?
Why ask it
Small variances are normal trade practice on longer runs, and the tolerance should be on the quote. If you need a guaranteed minimum for a mailing or an event, say so now and expect a small premium.
If the job comes back wrong, what happens, and who decides whether it's wrong?
Why ask it
The answer you want names a reference: the signed proof, or an agreed colour target. Without one, a colour dispute becomes an argument about impressions, which the customer usually loses.
Can you do the finishing here: folding, binding, die cutting, foiling?
Why ask it
Finishing that leaves the building adds days and a second party to any problem. It also explains price gaps between quotes that look identical on the printing itself.
Will you send me a sample of a job like mine that you've printed?
Why ask it
Ask for something comparable in stock and process rather than their best showpiece. Handling real output tells you more about their standard than any statement about quality control.
Do you keep my files ready for a reprint, and for how long?
Why ask it
Repeat orders are cheaper and faster when the printer holds the prepared files and settings. Ask what happens after a year, and whether a reprint carries setup again.
Can you mail or fulfil this, and what does that add?
Why ask it
Printers with a mailing operation can save you a shipping leg and a lot of handling. Ask how address data should be supplied and who is responsible for postal compliance.
Who do I call if something goes wrong late on a Friday?
Why ask it
You want a name and a number rather than a general inbox. On a deadline job, how quickly a human answers matters more than the last few percent of the price.
Getting Comparable Quotes and Predictable Results
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before You Ask for a Quote
Write one specification and send it to everyone
Quantity, flat and finished size, page count, stock weight and finish, colours on each side, finishing, packing, and delivery address. Any quote built on a slightly different assumption is not comparable, and printers will happily quote to their own convenient version if you leave gaps.
Ask for two or three quantities
Because setup dominates the cost, the second and third figures often change your plan. It costs the printer almost nothing to add them to the same quote.
Send the real file, not a sketch
A printer looking at the actual artwork will spot the die that will not fold, the black text that is built in four colours, and the image at ninety dots per inch. This is free advice and it is worth more than a lower quote.
Get colour expectations into the order
"Match the signed hard proof" or "Pantone 2758 as a spot ink" is a standard you can hold someone to. Anything less specific leaves the judgement with whoever is standing at the press.
Keep every approval in writing
Approve proofs by email, not on the phone, and keep the version number in the message. When a dispute happens it always comes down to which proof was signed off and when.
Where Print Jobs Go Wrong
Choosing on the printing line alone
Setup, proofs, finishing, and freight can move a cheap quote above an expensive one. Compare delivered totals, and ask what is excluded rather than what is included.
Changing the trim size after artwork is done
A small size change moves every bleed, margin, and image crop, and it is where late errors come from. Fix the size with the printer before the design is finished.
Skipping the hard proof to save a day
The day you save is the day you would have spent catching a colour shift or a missing overprint. On anything you cannot reprint cheaply, take the proof.
Assuming the screen is the standard
A backlit display cannot show what ink does on uncoated stock. Judge colour on paper under ordinary light, and judge it before the run rather than after.
Ordering the exact number you need
With normal run variance and a few damaged pieces in transit, an exact order can leave you short. Build in a small margin, or agree a guaranteed minimum in advance.
Sequences by Job Type
Short run, quick turnaround
- 1"Digital or offset at this quantity?"
- 2"How long from approved proof to delivery?"
- 3"What are your file requirements?"
- 4"What's the delivered total?"
Brand-critical work
- 1"Will I get a hard proof on the actual stock?"
- 2"Can you hit this Pantone, and as a spot or a process build?"
- 3"If the colour is off, who decides, and against what reference?"
- 4"Can I see a sample of a similar job?"
Long run or complex finishing
- 1"What's the largest sheet you print, and how will this gang up?"
- 2"Which finishing happens in house?"
- 3"What over or under run should I expect?"
- 4"Do you hold the files for a reprint?"