Doug Curren

WOW! Copans Printing & Graphics just announced a new Internet Printing Special for business cards. 5000 full color on two sides for just $229.00! Now these are digitally printed from your supplied and printing industry supported electronic file on 12 point gloss cover paper. You may be asking yourself "what would I do with 5000 business cards"? I have asked that question many times to people who have purchased them from on line gang run printers and discount printers. The difference between Copans Printing in Pompano Beach Florida and gang run printers is that we stand behind our finished products. If you are not completely satisfied with the printing you receive, we want to know because we care about that and Copans will reprint your order at no cost. Gang run printers? Good luck with that. I have said it before and I will say it again. You get what you pay for. When they ask for .TIFF and .JPG files that's a sure indicator you have entered into a relationship with a gang run printer. PDF files are used by quality print shops world wide. Notice I said relationship? Gang run printers don't care about relationships. They only want your money upfront and you get what you get.

Look for my next post on how to use those 5000 business cards and how printing on two sides can better convey your message and enhance how people remember you. You do want to be remembered, right?

I just got off the phone with a client and I just had to share this story about the order i didn't get. So i had given an estimate for 500 brochures 11" x 17" with bleeds that folds to 8.5" x 11" from their supplied and industry supported file for a South American trade show they were participating in for the first time. It was not last minute mind you. When they asked for the estimate it was three months out. Sounds simple enough, right? A few months go by and no order. But why? I was told I have the order. When I called today to see how things were progressing I was told they decided to have it printed in California because the price was cheaper. I don't know who said it first but I love the phrase "cheaper is not the best value".  After adding in the shipping an unfortunate thing happened. They paid more than what I would have charged and the quality was not what they expected. Not only did they pay more and wait longer there was no time to reprint it and reach them in time so they had no choice but to go with what they got. What could the California printer do about it? The conversation went something like this on the phone. "Sorry, we printed what you gave us". "You will have to pay again for the printing and shipping to have it reprinted and we can not guarantee delivery in time".

Now what if they called me and said they found it for less? I think its a good thing to ask to match or beat a documented price. If I can I will within reason. Especially to grow a relationship. That's the point of this story. The best value is not because its a cheaper price but rather communicating and educating so clients can make a sound business decision. Like any relationship when you build trust and good will the relationship flourishes. What do you think? I really would like to get my readers feedback. What is important to you? There are printers out there cutting prices to the bone and going out of business which in the long run really hurts the industry and can leave you the client file less. Just today I got a call from a client who said his printer went AWOL. Bad for them, good for me. 

Co-Authored by Kimball Stadler

Kimball was asked by a potential customer to explain a few things about printing in easy to understand "everyday terms".  Here's how she responded.


I have recapped a few ideas below to help you understand the "printing lingo" from an outsiders viewpoint.  So many times we talk to companies that feel they are paying a high price for services but given no explanation as to why these charges are incurred so thank you for the chance to explain.  I hope it will save you time and money as you price this job in the local area.

1. Beware of on-line companies. They have very cheap prices, but no guarantees on the quality of printing and finishing and if they are out of your area ask about shipping charges and be careful. Ask them to explain the conditions of doing business and ask them for their version of "Printing Industry Trade Customs". See www.printing-press.org for more information.

2. Cut down costs by providing your artwork files in printing industry supported formats like .pdf and .eps. To be sure call and ask. If files need to be created set a budget and ask to be notified if the budget will be exceeded. Ask questions like "are there extra charges like the purchase of stock photos"? Best to know now then when you pick up your order and be held hostage.

3. For ultimate savings, run as many items as you can at the same time (business cards, envelopes, invoices, letterhead) in your color(s) because all printers charge an "ink wash charge". That charge may be $25.00 or more per color for each item.  BUT, when you run multiple items together, the ink wash charge is spread out over all the items - not for each.

4. How long will you have to wait for the job?  What if they miss deadlines on important projects?  How will you know that? All of those questions build up when your image and reputation are important to you. So ask questions.

These things don't happen here at Copans because we communicate and educate our clients. While we may not always be the lowest on pricing, we will be the highest in service, printing quality and the added value of ideas and strategies on how to grow your business and get your name out there. We believe these core values separates us for the competition.

I hope this helps and again, thank you for the opportunity.

Kimball Stadler
Account Representative
Copans Printing & Graphics

I have been so consumed in online social networking and "Getting My Name Out There" I have not been taking my own advice. To supplement my message by printing promotional and marketing pieces that target my selected market. OMG! What happened here? Nothing more than most of you I am sure. Can you relate to this? You probably have a laptop, PDA, Smart Phone, IPOD or an MP3 player. Maybe all of them.They play music and take pictures. Maybe listen to an audio book or music. You can get email, transfer funds in your bank account or check stocks all while sitting in the waiting room at your doctors office. How convienent is that?

So today was really awesome! The first collabrative meeting with Kimball Stadler, Matt Kinsey and myself called Brain Tank. What is Brain Tank? It is a collabrative free meeting designed to create innovative sales orientated results. Business owners and sales people walked away with ideas to promote their brand image and how to make the next sales campaign a successful one. The participants Meridee Cole, Marisol Hernandez, Carol Samela, Donna Faul and Steve Carroll really engaged in the process of sharing challeges and successes.

This question is asked alot by my clients more and more in todays high tech digital world. It used to be plate, print and deliver. A plate by the way is made of high grade aluminum with a laser image that transfers the image to a rubber surface and then to the paper. Thats called offset printing. Now that plate plays a vital pricing role. A job thats full color on two sides 8.5" x 11" 500 sheets prices higher than using the digital process so it becomes a mute point. I used to outsource thiese projects until i noticed just how much i was "giving away" so we have just installed a brand new state of the art Xerox 700 Digital Press. The color is awesome! Its vibrant, it really pops and serves our clients short run color needs.

So where does that leave the tried and true historic conventional offset printing process? I believe it will always be with us because no new process can produce the same quality and there are many clients out there who know and can see the difference but under 500 sheets of 8.5" x 11" digital printing is the way to go. You can print using a variety of papers too. From glossy text and cover papers to textured papers. They are specially made to handle the heat some digital machines dish out. That is one excellent advantage with the Xerox 700. It has decurlers to minimize curling as it exits the machine so it lays nice and flat. In addition it uses less power so it generates less heat making it a very green machine. If you would like more information contact me directly.

The following is a “fire control” email between myself and and a identity designer whose customer was unhappy with his printing on an uncoated paper versus a coated or gloss paper and I thought the subject was worthy to share. When the customer received his PDF business card proofs, he thought he would receive exactly what he saw in the PDF. A nice shiny new “jump off the paper” logo. First thing my designer should have done was to educate the client BEFORE going to press, the differences between coated and uncoated stocks and how ink appears on both. Using the Pantone Matching System each color sample appears both on coated and uncoated. As an example the “U” in PMS 431U means “uncoated.” For “coated” stocks it appears 431C, the “C” meaning “coated.” This is how it went.

Word, Illustrator, EPS, PDF, MAC, PC…what does it all mean? Todays technology allows every person to be a typesetter/designer. Problem is when you bring it to me for printing, I cant use the file and I proceed to ruin your day because all of the hard work that went into the project may need to be re-done. “But I printed it out at home and it worked fine.” True. But printing at home and printing on my offset presses, ah ha!