Press check: finding the right printer doesn't have to be a harrowing process if you practice a little soul-searching and caution

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Nov 15, 1997 by Mark Winz

Finding the right printer doesn't have to be a harrowing process if you practice a little soul-searching and caution.

Johann Gutenberg invented the first printing press in 1441, and by the 1500s more than 1,000 printing shops were already operating in Europe. Today, more than 52,000 printers are up and running in the United States alone, according to the Alexandria, Virginia-based trade group, Printing Industries of America. And this abundance of printing shops provides us magazine publishers with a great opportunity to "shop around" and seek competing bids.

But finding the right company is a dizzying and time-consuming job. The following steps can help you choose the right printer and negotiate the right contract for you.

List your priorities

What aspect of a printer's work is most important to you? Outline your priorities--you've got a lot of questions to answer. Consider the equipment and technology for printing and related services. Can the company's presses run a 48-page form if you need that size? Can they handle your prepress work or host your Web pages? If you don't have the staff in-house to perform these tasks, passing them on to your printing company might simplify your workflow. Ask yourself: What services do we need today and in the future? Do you want to print computer-to-plate? If you work on a tight schedule, find out whether CTP can be integrated into your system to save time. Look into costs, too. Using direct-to-plate printing cut my magazine's prepress bill and trimmed three days off our schedule.

Select printers and request bids

Get suggestions from industry publications and everyone you know to compile a list of contenders. It's essential to find out what you can about them. If they have Web sites, start there and follow with a round of calls. Your primary concern should be financial health; you don't want to depend on someone who might be run out of business in a year.

Also consider how your magazine fits into the plant's work. If your pressrun is 20,000, your job might get lost at a company averaging 300,000 per run; if you print a weekly, a plant on a monthly schedule might not be right for you.

Ask for bids

When you've narrowed your list of potential printers to a manageable size, write a letter asking for bids. Describe your magazine's trim size, typical printrun, page count and paper requirements, including all related items such as ink-jetting, shipping and storage. Also send along copies of the last few issues. When asked, my future printer sent a copy of a recent printing invoice with the prices blocked out for a line-by-line comparison.

Compare samples and bids

You'll receive bids with lists of current customers, information about the company and plant, and samples of their work. You won't get weak samples, so visit a magazine store to see what they produce outside the sample kits.

Compare each part of the bids--not just the bottom line--after making sure each is complete. Which of those items will change from issue to issue or year to year, and which will not? For example, paper will fluctuate, so don't choose a printer based on low paper prices alone. However, if the company adjusts labor costs based on the inflation rate, your price won't change significantly. What allowances are there for under- or over-printing? In our last negotiations we cut our overprint allowance from 3 to 1.5 percent. Also, don't forget to include variables that affect mailing costs.

Narrow the field

Add to your growing knowledge of the companies still on your list, and eliminate those that no longer meet your criteria, by calling production managers from magazines that print at them. Ask about customer service and other intangibles the samples and bids don't tell you. Arrange to visit the plants to meet the people who might produce your magazine. Do they appear to know what they're doing?

Negotiate and sign the contract

After making your choice, use the earlier bid to start negotiating. Having more than one contender strengthens your position, but don't mislead a sales representative into thinking there's competition when there isn't. Negotiate in good faith and expect it in return. You'll build trust, a benefit in the future.

Keep in mind that the contract will be written to favor the printer, so go over it with an attorney. Our contract was reviewed by our contracts department as well. And as a result, we received several changes in our favor, like a clause allowing us to cancel out with prior notice and one eliminating a requirement that we pay bills with which we don't agree.

Finish the process

If your contract is with a new company, write to your present company and tell them about the change. Some contracts include clauses that automatically renew an agreement if the printer isn't informed otherwise within a certain time frame. Your production manager, art director and all who oversee printing should meet with the service reps to smooth the transition.

This process may sound taxing, but it can benefit you with better quality, service and prices. Happy hunting.