Valuable Tips for Catalog Printing

Basic knowledge is a vital factor to save you money and avoid delays in your printing needs. So to give you this familiarity with basic information and to keep you away from printing dilemmas, here are some valuable tips that you should consider.

Let us start with the press types and their distinctions. A web press, which is specifically designed to print rolls of paper, can print extensively faster than a sheet fed press. On the other hand, the intricacy of the web press means more effort to setup and run. If your catalog or book can meet certain minimums of quantity and page count, along with using paper formats available in web form, you can take advantage of the savings the faster web press allows. In general, catalogs of 16 printed in a quantity of as low as 5,000 will be cost-effective on a web press.

With regards to the page count, if you can finesse your page count to increments of 32 pages for standard format (8-3/8" x 10-7/8") or 64 for the digest format (5-3/8" x 8-3/8") you can save substantial cost by printing on an eight-unit web press which is competent of running two webs simultaneously. It means that the labor time will be slashed to 50%. Standard four- to six-unit web presses can only print single webs or 16 pages in standard format. You must use 60# or lighter basis weight stock for utmost efficiency.

In connection to page size, you can save a substantial amount of money on your printing by designing for a somewhat smaller page width. A 7-3/8" page width instead of the standard 8-3/8" page width means the printer can buy 31" rolls of paper instead of 35" rolls. Your job will need about 10% less paper. Since paper is a large percentage of your printing cost, your savings on it can be momentous. Your freight and mailing costs should also be lessened.

Perhaps the most advantageous and cost effective catalog size is the standard format (8-3/8" x 10-7/8") with 32 pages. Outside of this format, the next most cost effective formats are standard format catalogs with page counts in increments of 16 pages, such as 48, 64 or 80 pages.

Send your mailing list to your printer or mail house at least 7 days before the scheduled binding/addressing date so that estimated postage may be calculated and the list analyzed to prevent delay. Send your postage check at least two business days prior to the mail entry date.

Scheduling is a critical factor because web presses normally run 24 hour a day, 6-7 days a week. If you see that your disks and other concerns may not get to your printer on time, be sure to tell them right away. You can prevent delay if you file delays in advance. Web presses may still have the flexibility to make alteration in the schedule that will allow you to meet your deadliest deadlines.