Printing: What You Need to Know 

Once we get the design process right, it is time to print! The key components of a mailing must be determined and communicated upfront between the client and the production partner to be sure the print process goes according to plan. Learn about four of the major factors that play into finding the best supplier partner for your campaign.

Impact. The impact of the mailing is the most important aspect that the client should know before going to print. The reaction you want your audience to have when they hold your mailing in their hands when they get it from their mailbox is key for your Account Manager (AM) to understand. Once they understand the desired impact, the AM will communicate with print suppliers to see who will be able to live up to these expectations. For example, if you are mailing to a high-level donor, rather than a first-time donor, you may send a higher quality mail piece. 

Intention. It is extremely important that the client knows what it is that they are trying to accomplish with this mailing. What do you want to tell the audience about your organization? Your AM, once they understand the desired outcome of your campaign, will be clear on what to look for and what suppliers will be able to make that intention come to life. 

Quantity. It is key that the amount of mail pieces desired for the mailing is communicated as soon as possible. There are key components of a mailing that your production expert must know before bidding to print to all of Production Solutions’ supplier partners. That way your AM can be sure to only bid to printers that can produce the number of pieces necessary, while still delivering up to your other expectations such as quality, schedule and budget. Only after understanding these components from the client’s perspective can the AM communicate to supplier partners. PS’ supplier partners then provide information on how soon they can print for you and for what price.

Connection. The most valuable factor that PS gives a client is the relationship that an experienced production partner has with their supplier partners. PS pride ourselves on our relationships and our outstanding reputation among suppliers. The AM will bid to print based on given specs and preliminary artwork, and then the printer sends back estimates. This upfront communication, and thus this seamless process, would not be possible without PS’ connection and trustworthy relationship with all parties involved. 

Now that you understand what it takes to align a client with a supplier partner, it is key to understand what happens during the print process, and what different methods of print are available to you.