Print-Plus: Why Printer Lead Times DO Matter

Shown below are the actual schedules from five different large and respected catalog printers for creative and mail files:

As you can clearly see, these schedules vary, with 14 days for creative files and 13 days for mail tapes being the shortest. A shorter lead time for submitting creative files to your printer allows for more time for merchandise, layout and design changes. The benefit of shorter lead times for submitting mail files really can be quantified per the example below.

Schedules can and should be a negotiating point in any print contract. The printer will usually start with a longer schedule in its favor, just like it will typically start with a higher price point. Some printers start with a reasonable schedule, but even so a couple of days can always be shaved from what's quoted.

Co-mail pools and postal discounts can still be maximized even with shorter mail tape lead times. This shouldn't reduce your co-mail savings and net postage costs. Maximize your sales by extending tape-due cutoff dates, and consider mail tape and creative file lead times the next time you obtain print bids.

Stephen R. Lett is the president of Lett Direct, Inc., a catalog consulting firm specializing in circulation planning, forecasting and analysis. Stephen can be reached at steve@lettdirect.com.