Finding the right printing partner is an important decision for any business producing printed materials, from business cards and stationery to catalogs, signage, packaging, and more. Your printer acts as an extension of your brand, so choosing a printing company you rely on for quality, consistency, and responsive service ensures every item leaving their facility positively represents you.
Define your printing needs
Start making a list of all the printed pieces you utilize across marketing, sales, operations, and other business functions where print collateral leaves a first impression on prospects, customers, or internal teams. Common needs often include business cards, brochures, sell sheets, branded stationery, packaging, invitations, signage, and promotional products. For each printed item, specify important details like finished size, paper type, binding style, finishing treatments, quantity needs, frequency of updating/reordering, and ideal turnaround time from approval to receiving the order. This clear scope of work helps prospective printers assess their ability to meet your needs and provide accurate quotes.
Vet printers’ capabilities
With your printing needs defined, investigate candidate printers’ offered services and areas of specialty to determine if they fulfill everything on your list, both now and as your business grows. Visit their website and request sample books showing work similar to your requirements and complexity to evaluate quality firsthand. Check for specialties or certificates related to your field and products.
For example, a printer experienced with food packaging may offer different quality assurance practices than general commercial printers. Shortlist printers that not only meet your core needs but offer ancillary services like graphic design, warehouse/fulfillment, mailing, and print-on-demand that provide added convenience and value.
Assess experience and reputation
The number of years a staten island printing company has been in business and the reputation they’ve built are strong indicators of its reliability. Search online for reviews and testimonials from past clients sharing their experiences on factors like.
- Consistency in delivering promised timelines
- Responsiveness when issues arise
- Quality control rigor to prevent errors
- Staff expertise and transparency
- Ability to handle last-minute changes or rush requests
Positive feedback in these areas increases confidence in the printer always coming through for you.
Compare service offerings
Beyond print production capabilities, you want a printer positioned as a strategic partner taking an active interest in making your work shine.
- Free branded templates, graphics libraries, marketing playbooks, or content resources
- Custom web portal providing real-time job status updates
- Online ordering and proofing to accelerate approvals
- Data strategy, personalization, and localization guidance to boost campaign performance
- Volume-tiered pricing with included rush order allocation
The right partner invests in making great print easy and actively guides you in getting maximum value from every job. The best business partnerships result from sharing compatible values, standards, and priorities. Vet printers thoroughly consult the experiences of fellow businesses served to choose one poised to deliver the level of service matching what you and your brand stand for. With a reliable printing partner upholding your standards backing each printed piece in the marketplace, you proceed confidently knowing that first impression shrink-wrapped around your product or embedded in your marketing will always reinforce the brand story and image central to your ongoing success.
