(Cost Saving Strategies, Hints and Tips)
Recently a well-known client of mine contacted me to tell me they were going to a publishers conference in NY. They were responsible for moderating a discussion that revolved around cutting manufacturing and production costs while DOING MORE with LESS...(isn't that the tune of the season!") To help them out I delivered a document they could take with them to remind their colleagues of some key printing areas where time spent truly equals money earned.
Although this is not a comprehensive list, below you will find an excerpt from the document I shared with the client (and now with you) to help get the most VALUE out of your printing dollars.
Design Phase
• Working with an experienced designer who is familiar with the printing process can substantially save you time and money. An experienced designer will know how to properly create your files (i.e. embed fonts, make sure linked artwork is linked, clear instructions, etc.) to save time in EPP thus saving you prepress dollars. Unfortunately, many publishers incur superfluous costs due to excessive EPP charges involved in poorly created artwork. So make sure your designer knows your printer’s file prep guidelines before sending your files.
Note: We live in a .pdf world and many EPP departments are setup to process .pdf’s more quickly than working with specific applications for your files. Processing “clean” and properly exported .pdf’s will translate into cost savings as well.
• Tell your designer what paper and stock you plan to print on. Paper is an organic material and reacts differently to ink densities and colors. As such, sharing the stock specifications with your designer will help him or her design your art in ways that will print more consistent with your original vision. I guarantee this will save you headaches and money down the road.
Paper and Stock
• Know what paper stock your printer has on their floor and readily available. Requesting stocks other than these will cost you time and will generally require the publisher to make a minimum purchase commitment (often 5000lbs or more) which may be too excessive for your project’s run length. Additionally, knowing that ordering special/vanity stocks may require more lead time, make sure you plan accordingly so you do not jeopardize your deadlines.
• Consider decreasing the weight of your paper stock. (i.e. 100lb. opaque to 80lb. opaque) Not only will you save on stock pricing, but you will save on freight as well.
• Know the signature count of your printer. Every printer is unique and will often print a certain signature count more efficiently than another printer, thereby saving you money. For example, Printer 1 might print in 16’s and 32’s, so if you have a 24 page book, it will likely cost more than an even 32 page book (even though less paper is being used).
Cover Finishes
• Know your cover finishes. Just as there are breaking points between digital and offset printing, there are also breaking points in cover finishes. A good thing to keep in mind is that Laminates are generally the most expensive, then UV’s and Varnishes. However, you may find specialty cover finishes like Acqueous coatings costing less at higher quantities than UV, therefore making your product stand out as well as keep more money in your pocket.
Prepress and EPP
• Consider using Black Inks and 1 PMS instead of using 2 PMS colors for your text. Keeping your PMS count down is a good rule of thumb in keeping your costs down.
• If you want to print text pages in full color, consider using 4 color equivalents (or 4c Process Inks) of your intended PMS colors. Specific PMS colors are often more costly and may cause delays in the proofing stage and production.
• Take advantage of printer provided Online Proofing tools. Although once regarded as inferior to the traditional "blueline" proof, many current Online Proofing solutions have highly sophisticated tools in which a designer can double check ink densities, upload changes and instantly approve pages without any charges.
Note: If you print a large volume of products, you will see SIGNIFICANT savings with not having to mail proofs back and forth.
Distribution and Freight
• Want to save on freight? Ask your printer if they have warehousing space and fulfillment/distribution services. Some printers often distribute products for their clients and are able to drop-ship directly to your accounts. This saves the publisher having to pay for freight twice: once, from the printer to the publisher’s warehouse and once again from the printers distributor to their retail accounts.
Digital Printing
• Go Digital. A lot of publishers may still be hesitant about utilizing digital presses for their work, but digital printing has quickly become a standard in the printing industry. In fact, black inks on a digital press often look much sharper than offset with far more consistency. Consider the numbers. 6 years ago there was very little digital (meaning digitally printed) book volume. Today, those same printers are printing millions of page impressions per month. As the offset world continues to see a decline the digital printing market is continuing to rise at a sharp increase.
• Confused on how digital printing can help with your bottom line? Digital printing makes sense when you can accurately forecast your sales. For example, if you know you will sell through 1800 books in the next 9 months, consider printing 3 runs of 600 digitally. Not only will the publisher be seeing increased savings in not having to pay for offset plate making, but they will also find significant savings in relation to their warehousing/inventory dollars.
• Additionally, when publishers order in shorter more frequent quantities, they will less likely have to pay for destruction and remaindering thus keeping their dollars down while providing more accurate sales data for their sales cycles. More accurate sales forecasting means more liquidity for their publisher. This excess cash flow then can be used in other areas of the organization or to re-release back catalog in short quantities (which has quickly become the trend for many publishers).
Other Ways to Save
• To more accurately project your printing costs, work with well-established printers. Vicks, located in NY, is one I highly recommend as they have been said to, "Have more integrity in their word than most people have in their signatures." They have been printing for over 90 years and continue to base their business model on their clients' needs. For other printers it is imperative to MATCH their quotes with their invoices. Unfortunately, in today's world, many printers will offer “below cost/bankrupt” pricing to get you in their door. However, when the actual invoice arrives you may see additional “AA” charges that you didn’t commit to and other administrative costs making the actual invoice reflect a much HIGHER figure than the original estimate.
• Be careful of where you send your projects to be printed. If a price looks too good to be true just remember, "You get what you pay for." This statement is especially true with printing.
Above all, don’t be afraid to ask your printer for cost-effective suggestions. Printers see a lot of different products from many different publishers and if they are truly working for you…they will be happy to make recommendations that are more cost effective while still achieving your product’s marketability, quality and integrity.
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