News
07/15/2021
Steve Bearden

Looking to have a commercial printing company print the next big marketing project for your business? If so, you’re probably curious about the process itself and how long it might take to complete.

Many factors determine the amount of time any printing project might take. And if your business is on a tight schedule with deadlines right around the corner, it’s crucial you know what you’re getting into by moving forward with a printing project.

Some of the factors that influence the turnaround time on a printing project include:

  • Number of items. Whether you need 100, 1000, or 10,000 items will affect your turnaround time. Also, any additional items included (dust jackets, envelopes, stickers, etc.) can also add to that time.
  • Folded items. If you need a few hundred brochures printed, each of them must be folded, which means they’ll have to run through the printer more times than a normal item would.
  • Special finishes. Choosing varnishes, glosses, and other finishes for your printing project can add an extra day or two to any printing project, even those of smaller volume.
  • Type of printing. Most commercial printing companies offer digital or offset printing for your project needs. Digital is faster for smaller volumes, while offset is slower but more effective in larger volume print runs.

Ways to Speed Up the Printing Process

When it’s critical to meet a specific deadline, there are a few strategies you can take to make sure your printing project fires off at exactly the right time. That way, you can get your printed material in hand as soon as possible.

Some of the best ways to speed up the printing process include:

  • Researching your project ahead of time. Look into what similar projects your business or businesses in your industry have done previously and shape your project around their successes. That means knowing the type and size of paper to choose, already having your colors in mind, and having the design ready to go to print when your custom printing partner receives your order.
  • Taking advantage of digital printing. As the newest, most advanced means of printing to date, digital printing is the easiest and fastest way to print a smaller number of items as soon as possible. When you have the option to choose digital printing for your business’s printing project, you’ll speed along the process considerably.
  • Sending print-ready documents only. This means to always send PDF documents with high-quality images, properly formatted and ready to print immediately. Many printing companies have to spend hours, if not days correcting poorly formatted documents. If you can’t afford to wait that long, make sure your documents are in perfect shape before you send them (digitally, by uploading it onto your printing company’s website or by email).
  • Choosing your design elements ahead of time. Your printing partner will most likely ask you to specify your ink colors, the type of binding you want to use, the paper type, and more. By knowing the exact specifications you want for your final product, you’ll significantly reduce time and get your project in your hands as quickly as possible.

Have a deadline to meet and want your business’s printing project handled promptly and professionally? Reach out to the custom printing experts at Linemark today.

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