A print shop provides printing services for business and individual needs. It uses commercial printers for brochures, flyers, business card production, and more. Here is what to look for when choosing a print shop:
Design Solutions
Print shops offer solutions for businesses in a range of industries, including dining, fashion, art, and marketing. Using first-class technology, they create designs that allow businesses to represent their brand. When ordering a print run from an experienced printer, you should be offered a professional consultation session before your project begins. This gives clients an opportunity to provide detailed information on the project production schedule and printing specifications or ask any questions they may have. Companies will then upload their files to a shared access point, and experienced printers should develop proofs for you to review before creating your finished project.
Ink and Paper Stock Options
Paper stock is the type of paper used for your printing project. Print shops offer paper with different textures, colors, finishes, and brightness. Uncoated paper stock appears woven and is heavily textured. Smooth and glossy or matte paper improves print contrast and definition. Commercial printers and graphic designers use coated paper for vibrant colors and fonts. Color coating variations can deliver a soft luster or high shine. Soy-based ink and recycled paper options provide eco-friendly print solutions to businesses. Some shops can also print your design on stickers or create window or wall vinyls.
Service Types Offered
Most print shops offer digital, offset, large-format, and book printing services. Digital printing uses inkjet printers, allowing for faster turnaround times and providing high color accuracy in any size. In offset printing, images and text are transferred to metal plates, which are picked up by a rubber stamp and rolled onto your chosen material. Though this method takes longer than digital printing, it is the preferred option for large print runs, has a stronger color matching system, and can print on heavier and thicker materials. Large-format printing uses high-resolution images and typography to produce giant signage for bold business statements. For book printing, professionals can print and bind each page into a joined document and can include booklets, catalogs, or notebooks.
Printing Quality
Professional printing services produce quality books for hotels, magazine-style guides, and glossy portfolios for artists. Quality control standards maintain color accuracy and print quality to ensure that each print in a single project is consistent throughout. Experienced printers can edit a client’s project files for errors in spelling, alignment, or color matching and rectify them before printing proofs. Some software also detects low-resolution images and missing bleed, which would affect a product’s overall print quality.
Proofing and Color Management
Once the project file has been approved, professionals print proofs or test runs to ensure the quality of the electronic file transfers to the printed page. For rush printing services, proofs may be delivered electronically as a PDF. Cloud-based platforms allow clients to access proofs and pinpoint any changes they would like, and professionals can view these notes in real-time. Some print shops may provide clients with progressive proofs, which display the effect of multi-color combinations. During proofing, experts provide color profiles and calibrated monitors as matching tools to help ensure final colors are consistent throughout the image. Any necessary changes are made before the finished product is delivered to the customer.
Monitoring
Print shops use automated order management software that provides real-time project updates. For large-volume projects, professionals provide clients with an estimated completion date. Responsive teams handle customer calls and queries. Clients can access a printer’s troubleshooting, design consultation, and delivery logistics services throughout the project. Enterprise resource planning solutions allow print shops to provide centralized data in the order fulfillment process.
Learn More About Printing Services
A professional print shop offers printing services for every kind of business need. Additional services like lamination, folding, or specialty format printing enhance customer satisfaction. Contact a reputable print shop to learn more about their services today.
