Rowlands Graphics prints some jobs inhouse. I specialize in digital printing: large format prints, small quantity flyers or booklets, and copies. I also send jobs out to other printers who can produce the job better, quicker, and more cost effectively than I can in my own shop. This is called “Print Brokering”. I will send a print job to the best printer for the specifications of that particular job. I currently have over 20 specialty printers that I use frequently. Some are great at envelopes. Some are the right choice for brochures. Others are my go-to for high quality magazines.
Why can’t you just send your job to the printer yourself and bypass the middle man? Sometimes you can but it isn’t always straightforward.
Most of these mega-printers specialize in a particular type of printing. It’s going to take a lot of time and a few failed experiments to find the right printer to send your job to. For example, a printer that specializes in magazines is going to be the wrong choice for a business card order. They might be able to fulfill the order but they will cost more and often do a substandard job with a slower turnaround.
Some of the best mega-printers don’t accept jobs from the public. They wholesale print and work exclusively with print brokers who can send them jobs with the right specifications so they don’t waste time and money fixing errors. These wholesale printers offer the print broker discounts so that we can offer the print jobs to our clients for about the same price the client would pay if they sent the job directly themselves. In many cases it is about the same cost but the client gets the benefit of having a professional fix any potential errors in the print files and recommend the best printer that will provide the best quality, the best price, and a turnaround time that fits the project.
You should consider using a print broker because they can save you time and money by leveraging their established relationships with multiple printing companies to negotiate better prices, access a wider range of printing options, and ensure faster turnaround times on your print jobs, all while managing the entire process for you, so you don’t have to shop around for the best deal each time.
Key benefits of using a print broker:
- Expertise and guidance: Print brokers have in-depth knowledge of the printing industry and can advise you on the best printing methods for your needs.
- Cost savings: Print brokers can secure lower prices due to their bulk purchasing power and established relationships with printers.
- Access to diverse options: They can connect you with printers specializing in different types of printing, allowing you to choose the best fit for your project.
- Quality control: Print brokers can help ensure consistent quality by managing the production process and monitoring each step.
- Time efficiency: They handle the quoting, sourcing, and communication with printers, freeing up your time to focus on other aspects of your business.
Rowlands Graphics is a print brokerage. That means that I don’t do most of the printing myself at my own shop. Instead, I shop around and match up a specific kind of print job with the best printer available.
I work closely with many different print shops who give me a substantial discount not available to the general public because I send a lot of jobs their way.
I am able to add a markup for myself and still pass along a discounted price to my clients. I can usually offer unbeatable prices, oftentimes better than local in-house printers.
What is a print broker?
A print broker matches up a job’s specifications with the right printer to get the client a perfectly printed job in the time frame they need at the best price available.
What are the advantages of print brokering?
- Rowlands Graphics will match the print job specifications to the most qualified shop.
- As a print broker, Rowlands Graphics can get your job done on time. If one printer is tied up I can continue searching until I find someone who can meet our deadline.
- A print broker doesn’t have to attempt to print a job on a press that isn’t meant for it. I use only outsources running the most modern, fastest and color-perfect presses technology can build.
Print brokering has many advantages. Firstly, I am able to send a client’s job to the printer that is a perfect fit for the specifications. Depending on their presses and house paper stocks, one printer might be set up to do a great job with raised UV. Another printer specializes in printing and folding maps, another printer offers great prices on carbonless NCR forms. Yet another printer specializes in hard cover book printing.
It is nearly impossible to find one printer that can do a good job with multiple different kinds of printings.
If you go to the hardcover book printer and ask for a quote on business cards they are going to give you a bad price (if they will give you a quote at all). If you go to the map printer and ask for a price on tri-fold brochures, his price is going to be higher than you can get elsewhere.
“I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”
– Abraham Maslow
By not owning my own presses and paying a staff to run them, I am not trying to force your job to fit my shop. I won’t act like a hammer or treat you like a nail.