Ordering print through automated online systems is a growing trend but why is a large percentage of the print suitable for online ordering still being purchased by traditional means?
Confidence is a big factor in the motivation to buy print over the world wide web. Beyond the concern for quality and turnaround is the apprehension in assuming personal liability for order errors. Quality controls at the front end of most online print systems are automated, therefore anything submitted outside the confines of the grid is usually not reversible. Once you click “I accept” you’ve bought the farm so to speak.
For commodity printing at great prices online appears to becoming the self service to print as did filling your own vehicle with gas. The difference being that successful self service of online print requires a higher level of expertise than pumping petrol. For instance, anyone who is a novice to print should avoid ordering online without assistance. Even with the guidance of online help menus and tutorials a newbie is destined for pitfalls on a maiden voyage.
Tips for preparing your orders online:
Art – Make sure your art is prepped per the instructions from the online printer, use their provided templates if available.
Proofing – If exporting PDF’s open up in Acrobat and inspect all type and images closely. When zoomed in at 400% everything should look clean and sharp with no pixelation, stair stepping, or other visual abnormalities.
Read – Review help instructions from the online printer’s site and mind adherence to all details no matter how insignificant they might appear.
Practice – Place a trial order by entering all your order specifications, some online systems will hold your order in a shopping cart at checkout for a limited time. Mistakes are usually made when placing an order in a hurry or after working late hours finalizing art files.
Review – Triple check everything, before you click the “OK” I release you from all liability and there is no turning back now agreement button, make sure all your specs are correct (including shipment address info).
Confirm – After your order is placed and files up, go to your current order section at the online printer and confirm all details are accurate. Some sites allow you a limited amount of time to correct or cancel order errors.
Human customer service is limited if non-existent when ordering online, especially at the big guys. Yet a few sites such as our sponsor VIPrintShop.com offer a level of technical support and instruction to first time customers. This hand holding can make the difference between receiving your 5,000 brochures timely and correct vs. late and unusable.
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Those are very helpful tips listed! Yes, buying print online seems to be the wave of the future, especially with the cost conscious. But sometimes you get what you pay for!
Buying print online has become a regular process for me. Though I must admit, when starting off, things didn’t go so smoothly. Now I have my list of online and traditional printers that I use on a regular basis, each having a niche that sets them apart from each other.
When ordering online, what I have found, is that customer service rules the game.
I suggest that you test any online printer with a small order of their cheapest product. Send them a file that has some sort of error. Make sure it’s an error that you feel would be caught by your traditional printer, like placing a low res graphic in. Then see what happens.
Do they contact you with a preflight error or do they just print and ship? If you are contacted, is it via email or phone? If via email, is there a phone number you can call and get live help? Is the live help knowledgeable or are they limited to a script?
While this test may cost you $20 and you may end up with some crappy business cards (from those that just print and ship), in the end it will save you a lot more than just money.
For me, price and quality are important, but it’s customer service that seals the deal. I know that if I ever have a problem with my order, whether it’s my fault or theirs, my printer is going to take care of me.