The field of digital custom printing is changing once again in an intriguing way. Offset printing has been declining in some areas, such as newspaper and newsletter printing, as well as some catalog printing. Nevertheless, I still see in my mailbox every day at least as many marketing postcards, printed and converted custom envelopes, and any number of other new and exotic promotional materials as ever before.
Custom printing is a tactile experience. When you hold a printed piece in your hands, it matters whether the paper is smooth or rough, coated or uncoated. This may not be a conscious response when you page through a print catalog, print newsletter, or brochure printing sample, but the paper texture still affects you. One of the most notable qualities of print publications–the feel or texture of the paper–is completely lacking on the Internet.
Custom book printing is a process, not a commodity. It involves many people, many skills, and many steps. To some extent, things go wrong in every press run. The challenge is to determine what constitutes an actual printing error and to work with the business printing service to correct it.
If almost all printing companies put ink on paper, knowing how to determine and articulate your paper needs will help you get the results you expect from your printing services. This is true whether you're working with brochure printers, book printers, sticker printers, or postcard printers. Understanding paper qualities will help you in all these cases.
Printing companies share something in common. For the most part, they all put ink on paper. Knowing how to communicate your paper needs will go a long way in helping you get the results you expect from your printing services, whether you're working with catalog printing companies, large format printing services, or book printers.
It is a fair assumption that the majority of custom printing jobs are printed on paper. In many cases paper costs are a large portion of the total price you pay printing services for their efforts. This is particularly true when you work with book printers or catalog printers (or other print companies that provide multi-page “signature” work). In some cases, paper can comprise up to 30 percent of the total cost of a business printing project, so it behooves you to consider what you are buying.