Need a Primer on Print Shops

October 9, 2008 9:24 AM

What should I be looking for in a print shop? Any recommendations for print shops in the Greater Toronto / Hamilton area? Online print shops based in Canada (or with cheap shipping to Canada) would probably work too.

I've gotten a couple of quotes from local print shops, and from the local Staples. There's a big difference in prices, so I think I need an intro to Print Shops 101.

I'm looking to print some letterhead (3 colours) and envelopes, for now.

posted by backwards guitar to Shopping (3 answers total)

3 colors? Do you mean 3 spot Pantone match colors?

If you take a letterhead job with Pantone match colors to a professional print shop, they are going to quote you based on running 3 plates for the 3 colors.

A place like Staples isn't going to run the job on a professional press. They're going to run it off on a big, glorified office printer. It's a lot cheaper, but you won't get clear, flat colors. All the colors will be built from dots of ink, like an inkjet does.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:47 AM on October 9, 2008

I can't recommend a specific shop in your area, but your results will come out significantly better at a legitimate print shop. Like Thorzdad said, Staples (and Kinko's and the like) are just going to do your printing on a big ol' copier, essentially. The same goes for most online printers. A ground printer will (should, anyway) give you a proof before you take the plunge into the full job, and the end product will look so much more professional. You can also request samples from your local shops to see what kind of product they produce. It'll be more costly than a place like Staples, but it won't be outrageous.
posted by katillathehun at 9:52 AM on October 9, 2008

Also take a look at what type of paper each print shop is using for the letterhead and the envelopes. If the printers are quoting based on different weights and qualities of paper, then that can have an impact on your total cost. Get a paper sample from each shop so that you can actually hold them and compare.
posted by Kabanos at 12:12 PM on October 9, 2008