Choosing the best professional printer for your business

As a small business owner you probably need all sorts of printed materials, including brochures, fliers, business cards and posters. Not all of these tasks can be completed on your office printer, nor would you even want to attempt it. What you need is a good professional printer; unfortunately, not all professional printing companies are created equal. Here’s how to choose a professional printer that best fits your business’ needs.

Can this printer meet your needs?

In order to answer this question, you’ll first need to determine what your needs are. What type of graphic files do you use? Do you have a deadline that you need to have met? Does your business require specialty services such as print-on-demand, web-to-print capabilities, die-cutting services or in-house binding? Whatever your needs are, make sure the printer you choose can meet them.

Do you need more than just a printer?

Some printers do more than just print; they offer graphic design services, mailing fulfillment and mailing lists. If you think your business needs added services, ask around to see what different companies offer. You could actually save a lot of time and money by using just one company.

Ask to see samples of their work.

No matter what time of the day you walk into a print shop, there’ll be something there they can show you. If you want to see samples of brochures, fliers, postcards and other marketing materials they’ve produced, just ask. How else will you know whether or not they can do your job well?

Ask for references.

This is especially important if your business will be using their services often. Ask for names of some of their bigger clients and give them a call. Ask about the level of service they provide, costs and whether or not they’ll meet your budget. If you’re going with a company that provides added services, make sure you ask how well they do them. If the printer refuses to give you references, find one that will.

Is the staff knowledgeable and friendly?

The printer might do a great job, but if it’s a struggle every time you see them, then you might want to reconsider. The staff should be friendly and offer up information on ways to provide better, more cost-efficient service. If it’s cheaper to print on matte rather than glossy, the printer should let you know this.

Will they be able to meet your deadlines?

There are some great print companies out there, but unfortunately they can’t all meet everyone’s demands in the time they need them. Make sure that the printer you choose has the equipment and the staff to complete the job on time.

Do they offer green services?

This is especially important if your business has a green reputation. If you choose to go green, then the companies you choose to work with should be green as well. Look to see if they’re using renewable resources and recycled paper products, and that they’ve made a commitment to conserve energy. Many printers now use soy-based ink, which can be more expensive, but is of higher quality and much better for the environment. Ask which green options your printer offers.

In conclusion

As you can see, there’s a lot more to choosing a printer than calling the first one you find. To make sure that you choose a company that best fits your needs, get to know what they offer in terms of knowledge and service. Ask for references, or do a little research on your own. You could post the question on Facebook or Twitter. Small business owners are always happy to share information with other business owners. After all, they understand the importance of working with a company that is professional, skilled and offers great customer service.