At Jacob North, we believe there’s a difference between price and cost. Remember the old axiom, “Beware the cost of the lowest price”? We won’t always be the lowest price for our customers, but we can certainly promise to provide them with the lowest cost.
What does this mean? It means our people will be there to help you, providing assistance in the early planning stages and working with you every step of the way. We will recommend processes that will save you money or recommend against processes that will cost you money. We’ll make recommendations that solve your problems and serve your budgetary needs. In the end, that makes a big difference in cost.
But what are some things that you can do to keep costs down?
Plan... Carefully
To maximize the value of your printed pieces, be sure to carefully plan them by thinking critically about layout, design, and copy. Finalizing and proofing content before it ever reaches the printer is an easy way to limit steps in the process, reduce management time on the project, and prevent potentially costly issues later on.
You’ll want to be sure that information is not only correct, but cross-checked for time sensitive information as well. For example, if you’re planning on printing a new company brochure, the last thing you’ll want are 5,000 brochures with the wrong address because your company moved a few months later.
Order Accurately
Finding the balance between ordering too little or too much can be difficult, especially if you’re printing sales materials such as brochures or folders. Once you factor in things like cost per unit, you might be tempted to order hundreds or thousands more units to enjoy a lower cost per unit price. But is it really worth it if you’ll end up being stuck with hundreds or thousands of leftover items that will likely never be used?
Try to get a sense of how long your sales materials have lasted in the past to determine a more accurate order. And don’t forget digital printing process, which offer cost-effective ways to produce smaller quantities and provide updated versions on a demand basis.
Avoid Temptation
Try to avoid the urge to go overboard on your printed piece. There are many beautiful things you can do in print, so while it may be tempting to use a nice, thick stock of paper with some embossing or varnishes, try to avoid doing so unless making a really high-end impression is paramount to your message. Otherwise, you’ll be surprised how good your piece can look using conventional printing methods by working closely with a capable designer or design shop.
For more tips on keeping your printing costs down, consult your Jacob North representative or reach our customer service at 800-541-0695.