Switching Your Printing Business Model To Online Printers

Janice Jenkins asked:

The digital age has come to our business doorsteps and the most competitive firms are now taking advantage of it in a multitude of ways. For the printed advertising and promotions, more and more companies are now turning to online printing companies as their printer of choice. It is a minor paradigm shift in the printing business model that should cause an explosion of different opportunities for a company. Hiring an online printer has a lot of advantages that range from virtual interactivity, high speed feedback, online design, fast overnight deliveries and digital online printing. Also, an online printer can offer these services at a relatively low cost that can compete well with any other traditional printing company out there.

Hands on vs. Virtual Printing Transactions:

First though, it would do well to compare the traditional printing model from the virtual one. So let us go to the basics. “Hands on” printing will typically require you to be on site at the publishing company’s office. You will need to transfer your designs to them from there, or sometimes you may need to avail of their own “in house” layout or graphic artist to do it for you. Either way, you will have to wait until proof reading is done and sample printings are produced. You will then have to go back to the printing office, finalize your design and have them produce the metal template for offset printing. The printing should take several days and afterwards you will AGAIN have to go to the printing office and pick prints up. If any mistakes happen in this stage, you will again have to repeat the whole process until you get the prints just right.

Now, for the virtual printing transaction, all you need really is your computer and an Internet connection. You just need to go to the online printing company’s website and then try to setup the order and the right printing quotation that you want. Typically they will have a “wizard” like step by step process which makes the whole ordering experience easier and faster. You just have upload your designs; enter contact numbers and payment details. In most cases, a representative may contact you online for the confirmation, and if needed they might ask you a few questions about your design and any printing options that you may want to use. Sometimes they may offer you a free sample printing and image of your design so that you yourself can judge if your design is ready for printing. At any time you can contact the online printing company representative and get tips and feedback if you really need it. Once all the details are set, you will only need to choose the time of delivery and the printing should commence.

This whole process can be completed from 15 minutes to 1 hour at the most, if you have a few design issues. You would not need to leave your home or office, and you can even work or do something else as this happens. Come delivery time, you will just need to be present at the door to receive your prints. You do not need to go to the printing office and waste time dealing with secretaries and lines.

The online printing model:

So what does this mean for your online printing model for business? Well this means that you can readily and easily send different kinds of promotional designs instantly using an online printer. If you want your advertising prints or corporate tools and newsletters updated quickly then a quick design and email is all you need to have them updated. You will have the new printouts delivered in no time, with virtually no hassle at all. You can set your publishing and promotional schedules to faster time frames, and you would not have to worry about doing foot work yourself.

Clearly it seems that online printing is something to look out for as time goes by. If you are a company who prints a lot of advertising and promotional materials, you may want to study and consider online printing as a viable business model for efficient and fast publishing and promotions. So try it out once if you can and see if it can apply to you.

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