Printing, Signs & Banner solutions

Thanks for choosing CT Printing, Signs & Banner.
Yes, we work with a print broker!

Many people don’t know what a print broker is. Since we are not writers, we’ve searched online and found a great blog (printingindustry.com) that explains it very well the roles of a print broker:

What Is a Print Broker?
I think of a print broker as an “outsourced print buyer.” If you need a knowledge base that goes beyond your professional experience, or even if you are just so busy that you don’t have time to research the best avenues for a custom printing job, a trusted broker may be a valuable ally.

A reputable commercial printing broker will provide the following services:

Finding the Best Vendors

Let’s say you’re producing a direct mail package that includes a series of die-cut keys printed on card stock, hooked together on a keyring, inserted in a polybag, and mailed out to your prospects. Last year a client of mine did a job exactly like this. For such a complex job, you may need several vendors to produce, assemble, and ship the direct mail package.

A good commercial printing broker will discuss the job with you, draft a list of specifications, and then go to work finding the best equipped and most economical vendors. Some printers will specialize in offset printing, digital printing, large-format printing, or even letterpress. At this point, it’s important to find several vendors specializing in the specific kinds of work you need, distribute specifications, solicit pricing, and vet the vendors to put together a team that will make the job happen on time and within budget.

A good printing broker will come back to his or her client with a short list of potential vendors that can do either the entire job or the individual components of the job (printing, assembling, mailing). The broker should be able to provide not only pricing but also samples and relevant personal experience with the vendors to justify choosing one over another. A printing broker’s long history of working with the various commercial printing suppliers is his/her greatest asset at this point.

Managing All Components of the Print Job

Let’s go back to the initial example of the die-cut keys on the keyring. Last year I found the best printer for my client. The vendor specialized in high-profile marketing materials. While most printers can do such work, some focus on simpler jobs like brochures and postcards, and others regularly produce jobs involving intricate work, including die-cutting and foil stamping.

In addition to finding the most appropriate printer for the marketing piece, I also found a source for the rings that would hold together the printed, die-cut keys. And I found a source for the custom envelopes. In the process, I had the vendor send my client mock-ups of her assembled job (which she had provided) in various kinds of envelopes to see whether one was better than another for protecting the contents. After all, a banged up set of cardboard keys on a ring would reflect poorly on my client. If the keyring had punched a hole in the envelope during transit through the mail, that also would have been problematic. It was important to test everything. This is the kind of service a reputable printing broker provides.

When the keys had been offset printed and die-cut, I made sure the individual elements were hand-assembled correctly and then transferred to the mail shop (a separate vendor). It was essential that all variable data digital custom printing work supporting the mailing was accurate as well. In short, I had to ensure timely production of all elements of the job by all vendors, and then coordinate a mailing that would put the keys in the hands of prospects exactly when my client needed this to happen.

A reputable print broker will make sure everything goes as planned.
That’s what we do at CT Printing, Signs & Banners.

Not our client yet? Contact us and let’s discuss your printing needs