There have definitely never been so many options before when it comes to finding a good printing company. All of them have their specialties, and many of them have their weak spots. But what is it that sets one apart from the others? If you’ve never really worked with a printing company before, or if you’ve always worked with the very same printing company, it can be hard to know what to look for. Having worked in the printing business for years, we feel that we’re qualified to point out the basics as far as what makes a printer worth hiring.
Their Product Lines
Some American printing companies do only one type of printing – poster printing, for example – and they may do it very well. This can be great if your business is constantly printing posters and very little else. But if your business’ needs are dynamic and you may need posters one week, business cards the next, and postcards the following, you’ll have to constantly establish new relationships with printers in order to get all your jobs done. This can be time-consuming – you’ll have to learn the specific instructions for uploading files, sending in custom jobs, etc. for each individual printing company every time you send in a new job. You may find it more efficient to lock in a single trustworthy American printing company that does a broad array of jobs so that you never have to go through the hassle of reading online 
reviews of new printing companies again.
Their Turnaround Times
Some color printing companies seem to offer great deals on business cards– we’ve seen everything from $10 business cards to free business cards – but the problem can be a matter of time. If you have infinite time to receive your business cards, then you have nothing to lose in hiring such a company to print your simple (and probably relatively low-quality) business cards. But be prepared to wait a month or even longer to receive your product. In our experience, successful businesses don’t have that kind of time, so we recommend finding an online printing company that clearly discloses its turnaround times and gives you time frames that are conducive to the fast pace of the business world.
Shipping
Piggy-backing on the turnaround time frame consideration, shipping costs and speeds might also be something to factor in when choosing a color printing company. Again, some printing companies offer what appear to be incredible prices on printing certain products. Then you go through all the steps and hoops to design your printed piece, only to find out that “shipping and handling” costs as much as the product itself. This is not an exaggeration! We’ve seen it happen many times. Then either you scrap the project in frustration and start again with what you hope is a more reasonable company or you pay the high shipping cost because you just can’t be bothered to look further. A better idea is to go with a company that clearly discloses its shipping costs and speeds at the outset so you don’t get any crazy surprises at the end.
Customer Service
Some online printing companies cut costs by employing customer service agents overseas or by having little customer service at
all. This is all well and good until you need help creating a custom job or have questions about specialty products like silk laminated cards, 3-D cards or spot UV printing designs. You can often find out a lot about a printing company’s customer service by reading online reviews, or better yet, just make a quick call or send an email even before you hire them. That way you can check out their level of expertise, their prompt response time and their friendliness before you get in bed with them, so to speak.
As we said, there are many printing companies to choose from and a lot of factors to consider in choosing one. But in our experience, if you want a quality online printer who can accommodate your business in a multitude of ways and leave you feeling satisfied overall, the above are some important points to keep in mind.
About Jenny DixonJennifer has been apart of the EliteFlyers.com team for over 15 years. She brings a deep understanding of web marketing, thoughtful strategies, that she's able to design, manage, print, deliver multi-media campaigns to meet all client's goals. Her personal portfolio includes high-end design and printing of business cards, flyers, post cards for elite businesses and individuals from all over the world.
