Strengthen Your Print Budget By Streamlining It

August 24, 2016

Your print budget has a huge impact on your overall bottom line. Ensuring it is as streamlined as possible while being robust enough to drive results is a difficult balance to strike. We have a few ideas to help make that happen. Because when your ROI increases, everyone is happy.

1. Plan Ahead – Simple mistakes often can be avoided with a little planning. Take time to think through your print budget, deadlines, the interpretive elements of the project so any challenges can be identified. No future can be predicted accurately 100% of the time (just watch the weather on the news at 10), but a well thought-out plan will create a budget that gives you exactly what you need.
2. Bunch Your Runs – By placing many projects on the same sheet, or piggybacking on an unused portion of a sheet, you can reduce manpower, plates, and prep time.
3. Think “down the line” -There is no better way to streamline your print budget than to eliminate costly changes. The closer to your deadline you get, the more expensive changes are going to be. Make sure everyone who needs to approve your files does so BEFORE you submit them for printing. Proofread your copy multiple times. Confirm that you’ve prepared your digital files properly, keeping in mind that the resolution of digital files varies greatly.
4. Reduce the size and number of pages – Optimize your pieces and maximize the use of paper. Less paper means less money spent. It’s that simple.
5. Make subtle changes to brightness – Generally speaking, the brighter the paper, the higher the cost. But few people will notice a slight change in the brightness of your paper, so this is often somewhere you can optimize your print budget.
6. Consider colored papers instead of bleeds – You may be able to create the effect you want less expensively with colored paper instead of ink.
7. Opt for the house paper – Paper prices fluctuate often, but you can save time and money by using papers we purchase in high volume. Ask us for samples.

Need more money-saving ideas? Give us a call!

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