Strategy: Should You Purchase Your Own Paper?

A word of caution: Often, printers gang order paper for multiple catalog clients in order to obtain the best price, which is more difficult for a merchant to do.

Objection No. 2—You’re stuck if the paper is bad. Although it’s highly unlikely the paper you supply your printer with will be bad on press, it does happen on occasion. The mill guarantees the paper, and the merchant will stand behind you. What’s more, your printer won’t abandon you simply because you supply your own paper. The printer wants to resolve any paper problems as quickly as possible. So it’s likely to call your merchant first in order to resolve any issues. The mill often will replace the paper for you, but usually not in time to make your press date. Some printers may bill you for the press time.