Like finding a printer for your business cards or letterhead, finding a book printing service means taking into consideration a variety of factors. Whether you’re self-publishing your first novel or responsible for having your business’s coffee table book printed, there are certain factors to keep in mind.
To that end, these tips will help you select a suitable printer.
Here, we outline some of the factors to take into account to choose the best book printing service for your needs.
1. Price
When you find a few potential printing companies, ask for quotes from each to figure out whether their services are within your budget and to make sure you aren’t getting ripped off.
2. Reputation
Every business needs a good reputation earned through positive reviews from existing clients. Reputable companies will have Google reviews on their website. These are great indicators and will help assure you that you’re making the right choice.
3. Accepted File Formats
When creating and organizing the files that need to be printed, ask the service provider which file formats they support. Pictures are generally saved in high-quality JPEG format; words can be saved in a Word document.
4. Printing Options
You should ideally look for a company that offers both digital and offset printing since it can make your project more cost-effective and flexible.
Digital printing typically doesn’t require a huge setup cost and is suitable for small-scale printing orders.
Offset printing isn’t overly expensive but typically works best for larger quantities, special finishes such as Pantone inks, and larger paper types.
5. Equipment
The quality of the finished product depends largely on the equipment used to print it. Remember, a printing company with the newest equipment doesn’t guarantee a better end result than one with older machines.
What’s more important is the condition of the printer. You can ask to visit the printing facility to take a look at the equipment. Are the machines in good shape? Well-maintained equipment is less likely to result in printing delays.
If you plan to have your book printed digitally, it’s better if the companies use the latest models for the best quality product and quick turnaround.
6. Customer Service
Our digital world makes it easy to see quickly how good a company’s customer service is. Check out their social media profiles to see what their existing clients have to say about their services.
Print is far from dead, and getting a book printed isn’t simple. By following these tips, however, you can more readily find a reliable book printing service near you.