Printing, Brochure Printing, Business Card Printing

For most consumer products, you can save a lot of cash by developing the necessary skills to make them yourself, purchasing the base materials and going the DIY route. Many people assume that the same is true of business card printing and brochure printing; that if they own a printer with sufficient output quality and have some basic design skills, that they can save a lot of cash by self-printing. However, there is more to the price dynamic of business card printing and brochure printing Melbourne than simply paying somebody else for their skills. We look at the things you need to consider when weighing up whether to go the DIY or Don't-IY route!

Stock types

When you have your business card printing Melbourne done through a professional, you have access to an enormous range of stock types, including:

•Thicknesses up to 300gsm ... and heavier! Ordinary computer paper is 80gsm
•Materials like banner stock, polyprop stock and sheet labels etc for printing on
•Finishes from ultra-matt to high gloss; most home printers cannot handle very glossy materials

Additionally, due to economies of scale in purchasing, you'll find that printers can access these stocks at much lower than retail prices.

Alignment

You know those little plastic guides at either side of your home printer? Even if they slide in and out, chances are that you'll waste several sheets of business card paper trying to get your design to line up exactly where you want it to be on the paper. Melbourne brochure printing and business card printing services guarantee millimetre-perfect placement of your design.

Colour management

Every computer monitor and every printer represents colour differently. If you want your business cards in full colour, you may need to do some experimentation with colour management before you find the settings that you prefer.

Economies of scale

When you have a Melbourne brochure printing or business card printing service create your materials, you'll notice the substantial unit pricing difference as you have more copies printed. This is simply due to the fact that much of the cost in professional printing comes from the labour element, not the materials. However, the cost in self-printing is mostly materials dependent - after all, you aren't paying yourself for your time! Therefore printing twice as many cards costs twice as much, if you do it in your own office.

Changing details

However, despite all of the above points, if you will only distribute a few cards or brochures before the details on them change (for example, if you're renting an office; or if your brochures include pricing information), the unit pricing of small runs at Melbourne brochure printing and business card printing firms can become burdensome. There is no doubt that larger runs are far more cost effective, no matter what printing service you use! If you'll need only a few copies of your card or brochure before the design changes, it may be worth investing in your own equipment and developing the skills you need to self-print.

And don't forget the significant positive impact that professionally printed brochures and business cards will have on your business's appearance. People can tell when you've printed your own business cards ... is that the image you want for your business?