Why online document printing is better value?
According to market research an online document print order saves would be up to 35% below the average retail cost from a selection of print and copy shops randomly selected across the UK.
As well as the cost saving, online offers the benefit of quality consistency – with printing produced on the same equipment, paper and card with the same methods of binding – so corporate identity and company image can be controlled.
And there is also the predictability and control over costs and prevention of “rogue spending”. With 24/7 pricing there are no hidden charges and prices are calculated by the consumer within a few seconds.
This makes online print pretty good value for money. It appeals to the small business and sole trader as well as the home-based executives for reasons of cost and quality.
However, it also appeals to larger companies due to the simplified administration and better cost control, whether payment is made by credit card or “on account”.
One of the most alarming elements from the research undertaken last year was the wide variation in prices for the same specification from different outlets in different parts of the country – even from two different branches of the same organisation. For example, two print and copy shops within a few miles of each other in the same organisation had a 30% price variation for a relatively small order of under £250.
There is no doubt that online printing is getting better value all the time.
To understand why there are cost discrepancies you only need to see the diversity of print products offered by the typical retail printer. The “all under one roof” concept of printing requires a wide range of equipment, experience and capability. Most printers are able to provide a large number of options but are usually unable to benefit from scale due to the limit of their own local marketplace. It appears that being "a jack of all trades and master of none" is especially troublesome in the printing industry.
There is no point having a specialist piece of equipment if it is only used a few times in a year.
However, the internet allows for specialist niche printing companies to concentrate on a particular specialism. Rather than “re-inventing the wheel” the products can be offered on a national or international basis with good digital marketing and search engine capability.
Customers can now gain access to production quality machines and special finishes even for small quantity orders. Whether you want printed playing cards, serviettes, beer mats or brochures – the more specific your requirements the better value you will find. And the range of printed products that is now available via the internet is expanding rapidly.
In the last couple of days alone, Direct2Print have been asked to source two particular products by sub-contracting to specialists. One is for a printed wallet for inserting photographs quickly and easily and another for the production of Counter Mats to insert promotional point of sale messages in retail outlets. Both products can be sourced at discounts of more than 50% because the suppliers have already produced similar products in the past.
With printed presentation folders this has always been the case the die cutting tool could cost upwards of £100 and so using an existing template would be of immediate financial benefit. It is just that now technology makes the search process faster and easier to the benefit of all concerned.
ENDS
Chris Jepson, Managing Direct, Direct2Print Ltd.
About Direct2Print (www.direct2print.net) – Direct2Print provides a specialist online document and digital print service from a production site strategically based in the middle of the UK near Birmingham. It prints, binds and delivers documents for companies and public bodies of all sizes – from 6 working hours to 3 working days. This year documents have been distributed to the United State, Brazil, China, Hong Kong and the Middle East. For media relations contact Chris Jepson (Managing Director) on 0800 0346 007.
