Printing quotes are ‘estimates’ that you can use to work out a budget for your printing project. Quotes are entirely dependent upon the information that you provide, missing information can provide you with non-comparable quotes from different suppliers ‘filling in the blanks’. So, how do you describe your job to your printer to ensure you get the most accurate price quotation? What information should you include?
Along with your contact information and the name of your organisation, your quotation request should include the schedule of timings for your job: when it will be ready for press and when you will need it delivered. You need to tell the printer whether it is a new job or a reprint, and if it is a reprint whether any changes must be made.
Note if design is required, or artwork is ready for print - if so how will this be supplied, and what kind of prepress work you expect to be done. For example, if you are providing FPO's (for position only) of photos you want the printer to scan, let the printer know this, and specify the level of proofing you require – PDF, Lo-res or Hi-res.
Note the number of copies you want printed, the size of the job (flat and folded) and the number of pages. If the job is a brochure, remember to count both sides of each page. If you are requesting an estimate for a book, note whether it is a self-cover book (no extra cover) or whether it has a cover of a thicker stock.
When specifying the paper stock on which your job will print, note the weight, grade, color, finish – uncoated/silk/gloss/etc, and any other information you have. If you want the printer to suggest cheaper, alternate stocks, note this as well. Remember to specify cover and text stocks separately. Tell the printer the level of quality you expect: basic, good, premium, or showcase.
Note separately what colors the text pages will print and what colors the cover will print, specifying whether the colors are process (full color) or PMS spot colors. If your publication will include any coatings, such as lamination, Spot UV or varnish, tell the printer the percentage of coverage required and whether they will be a matt or gloss finish. Any extra services should also be noted, such as embossing/debossing, die cutting or foil stamping – any of these processes can be costed as optional extras, should you want to keep them separate in your quotation.
Don't forget post-press work: finishing and binding. If you want your job trimmed and folded to a specific size, note this on your request for quotation, and describe the type of fold (wrap fold, accordion, double-parallel, etc). If your project is a book, specify the type of binding, including saddle-stitch or side-stitch, perfect binding (and burst perfect binding), GBC or plastic comb, spiral wire or plastic spiral (or wire-O), or case binding. Tell the printer also what edge the book will be bound on, and be sure to mention any scoring, perforating, laminating, numbering, drilling, etc.
If your job is complex and includes special hand finishing, such as inserting, pockets with builds, etc., it’s always a good idea to make a paper dummy for the printer. It's always easier to communicate your printing needs when you can hand the printer a three-dimensional sample showing exactly what the finished product should look like.
Finally, specify packaging and delivery. Tell the printer if you will need any samples, where the job will deliver to, or if you expect the printer to enter the finished job into the mail stream. Labeling, ink-jetting of address information, etc., would be included in the specifications at this point. Bulk packing, shrink-wrapping, and maximum carton weight should also be noted.
There is a lot of information to include on a complex print project, but the more specific you can be, the less likely you will be to receive additional, unexpected charges on your bill.
Don’t forget though, there are many variables involved in the production of a printed article, and there are many junctures during the process, where changes to the specification can take place and each spec change will effect the final price you have to pay. Some of the most common variables to keep in consideration are...
- The number of copies required
- The type of paper used
- The weight of paper used
- The type/level of proofing required
- Extra proofs/plates required
- Additional in-house design, pre-press work or authors corrections
- Changes to the size of the document to be printed – finished document measurements & page numbers
- Changes to the number of ink colours used within the document – 4 Colours Process, Spot Colours
- Changes to the coverage and complexity of any special finishing
- Changes in delivery details – changes to print specifications affecting final weight of the product can also incur increases in delivery costs.
Before you change any element of your specifcation during the production process, check the cost with your account manager. Nobody likes an expensive surprise!
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