Build a Collaborative Relationship With Your Printer

• Contract for one year at a time. Unless yours is a very large company, contracting for more than one year isn’t necessary. Too many things can change, and going out for bids no more than once a year is ideal. It’s a competitive business, and you want to remain current.

• Be sure you’re quoting the same amount of square inches of selling space. For example, if you’re a cataloger, catalog trim sizes will vary from one printer to another. Convert the physical dimensions and number of pages in your catalog to square inches to make it easier to compare prices. Also keep in mind that going to a slightly smaller trim size can save money without affecting your results. For example, a trim size of 8” x 10-1/8” will pull as well as a catalog measuring 8-3/8” x 10”, yet the slightly smaller trim size will cost less to mail.