How does printing turnaround time impact your event planning? If you have ever experienced planning for a large company event or a mail campaign, you know just how overwhelming the process is. Organizing the venue, invites, catering, and the high volume and variety of printed materials are all part and parcel of ensuring the success of the marketing campaign or event. One thing you need to be careful of is that your printing turnaround time will ensure that you get the product in time for your event.
However, when working with an external printing services provider, one potential nightmare is not having everything ready when you need it. This might not necessarily be the fault of either party as printing services generally involve many different steps and processes which will vary depending on the print media being created. On top of that, different printing companies will have a different turnaround time as well as quality standards that they adhere to.
Dazzle Printing has been providing reliable and quality printing services for over three decades, creating amazing products at competitive prices. To help event planners and marketing teams better estimate the printing turnaround time, we have set up an easy guide to the different considerations that can help.
Start Early
We understand that having a long time frame for printing is not always possible, especially if you are working with anything relating to current affairs. However, the earlier you start to communicate with your selected printer, the better. Not only will this give you a better idea of whether or not your chosen printing service provider can actually carry out the project, but they will generally give you an expected turnaround time for that product type even if you are only consulting far in advance.
On top of this, you will be able to avoid any expedited shipping costs or rush order costs that are normally associated with last-minute print orders.
The Printing Process and Turnaround Time
Understanding what needs to take place is important for having a good plan in the first place. For example, if you plan to request a free printing sample package from multiple companies, you have to also take into account the delivery times for those samples to reach you. Another thing to consider is the amount of time you will need before you even send them out to print – copywriters and designers will generally need around a month or two to conceptualize and finalize your text and design.
Next, specifications will need to be discussed, like your quantity, dimensions, binding type, folds, extra finishes, offset printing, and other types of additional services. These will all add extra time to your printing process.
Once this has been finalized, a proof will be sent to give you an idea of the final product. If this does not meet your expectations, more discussions and additional digital and hardcopy proofs may be required before production even starts.
Production Time
This will normally take place about a day or two after the final proof is approved. During the printing process, random sampling will be conducted to ensure that the final product is of good quality. Only after this stage will the printing order be distributed to you via self-pickup or through shipping. In the event of shipping, it is always important to factor in at least a few extra days in case of unexpected delays due to carrier limitations.
When you’re ready to print your next project, be sure to contact Dazzle Printing. We take special pride in our ability to help all of our clients meet their printing deadlines.
