Print marketing is often hailed as one of the most cost-effective ways to grow a business – but there are a few tricks that can help you get even more value for your money. In this guide, we’ll go through the best cost-saving hacks and how to save money when ordering print for your business.
1. Get Prints Commercially Printed Online
Not only does ordering print online save time, it can also be a lot cheaper than going to a traditional print shop. Instead of going back and forth with complicated requirements and terminology, most online printers allow you to set up and approve your print through their website and order in a matter of minutes. Plus, commercial printers are usually better equipped to handle large quantities and complex items, meaning you’re not limited to basic options.
2. Use Free Design Tools & Templates
One of the biggest costs with any kind of marketing or advertising your business does is designing materials. Most design options mean spending money to get a professional-looking print design – whether that’s through paying a freelance designer, hiring someone to design in-house, or buying expensive design software to create the designs yourself.
Luckily, there are now many options for creating designs online that cost nothing. Popular design tools include Canva, while designing for print on Microsoft Word or Publisher is even possible.
At instantprint, we’ve got a range of free templates that are available to customise using our online tool. Our in-house design team creates these templates to help you save on print design costs, and still achieve a polished, professional design that’ll impress your customers.
3. Get Your Artwork Checked for Free
Setting up artwork for free can be daunting. And, if you’re unable to get your artwork checked by someone, it can feel like a risk to send it to print only for it to come out wrong. Instead of putting it all to chance and crossing your fingers for a good print job the first time around, find an online printer that offers an artwork-checking service.
At instantprint, we check every single piece of artwork that your supply us with as standard, ensuring we get it right the first time. Here are the 10 key things we check your design for.
4. Buy in Bulk
If you’ve got the means, ordering higher quantities brings the unit price down. For example, ordering 1000 business cards makes each individual business card cheaper than ordering 100 business cards, despite the overall price being higher.
This is a great option if you reorder the same print materials often – just order higher quantities, less often!
5. Choose Longer Turnaround Times
At instantprint, we offer different options for turnaround times. If you can afford to wait a little longer for your print to be delivered, you can actually save on the cost. Similarly, if you’re in a rush, we offer express turnaround on many products for an extra cost.
The key here is planning ahead. The further ahead you plan, the more you’ll be able to save on cheaper turnaround costs. Leaving a campaign until the last minute will mean forking out for express turnarounds to ensure you launch on time.
6. Create Evergreen Print Products
Sometimes investing in more durable products can help you save money in the long run. For example, cardboard signs are a great alternative to standard posters – and they’re less likely to tear. Even though you might spend a little more investing in cardboard signage, it might be cheaper than replacing posters often.
Similarly, designing a generic roller banner that can be used at every sale you host this year is much more cost-effective than buying a brand-new banner for every sale.
7. Choose Thinner Printing Stocks
Thinner paper stocks are ideal for short-term sales or brochures and menus that consumers only need to use once. Although they might not last as long as their thicker counterparts, choosing a thinner stock can make a big difference to the overall price of your print.
Choosing a reputable printer is essential for ensuring those thinner stocks still boast the same quality as the thicker ones. Here at instantprint, we carefully select all of our paper stocks to ensure they reflect the high quality our clients know us for.
Are Cheap Printing Stocks Good Quality?
We source all of our paper stocks from reputable, sustainable suppliers and they’re all FSC-certified. Our budget range stocks are cheaper because they are generally thinner than our standard stocks, but will still meet our gold standard for print. We have a rigorous checking system to ensure our clients are always satisfied with the quality of their print.
If you’d like to see the difference between the different stocks that we offer for yourself, we recommend ordering our free sample pack, which features a variety of popular products, stocks and finishes.
Economy Printing
From the material you print on to turnaround times, being able to control so many elements of your print makes it one of the most cost-effective marketing tools for businesses. Ready to start making an impact on a budget with print? Check out our economy range to discover all of our most affordable printing options in one place!
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