If you’re working on a design you know you want to get printed — whether it’s a book, catalog, postcard, sign or promotional item — you might be on the step where you need to choose a professional printer. No matter how much work you’ve put into your designs and ideas, the result can only be as good as your print expert’s work. So where do you start?
If you’re in the Lancaster, PA area and trying to decide on a local business, you may have just found the perfect list. While Integra is able to meet most customer needs and provide high-quality prints, we’ve left ourselves off this list because we recognize the importance of a little healthy competition, especially when it’s local and in a community we love. That’s why we wanted to spotlight some great companies in our industry that have also been around a while and staff top-tier print professionals.
Even more critical is that you go into your print decision with the confidence that can only come from doing a bit of your own research. You should learn about your options and make a selection that’s the best fit for your needs, which is why we’ve also included some tips for choosing a great printer. At the end of the day, the most important thing to us is that you find a printer who can handle your needs in the moment and ideally scale with your business as those needs change and evolve — whether you work with us or not.
So without further ado, here is a list (in alphabetical order) of the businesses we consider to be our most worthy competitors — the best six printing companies in our area, each with its own unique strengths, but all doing great work and garnering stellar reviews for it.
1. Cooper Printing, Inc.
Dave Cooper started Cooper Printing in his garage all the way back in 1988, and over the decades, it has grown into the thriving company it is today. This growth has led to two location changes, one to Penn Grant Road and then a final move to New Danville Pike, where you’ll find the business today.
In 2014, Dave sold Cooper Printing to two long-time and well-trusted employees, Ryan and Heather Shaubach.
Among other things, Cooper Printing offers letterpress, offset and digital printing along with die cutting and finishing services to customers in the Lancaster, PA region and beyond.
2. DavCo Advertising, Inc.
DavCo Advertising, Inc. is a family-owned business in its second generation of ownership after founder David Esh started it in 1974. In 2003, the company moved to a 35,000 square foot building in Kinzers, PA. They’ve since added a 30,000 square foot addition to the building for post-press and bindery equipment, screen printing, embroidery and photography in addition to their graphic design, packaging and fulfillment services.
This company is all about the top equipment our industry has to offer. They focus, among other things, on research of new products and technologies, investing in the latest equipment to better serve their customer base with their on-site production.
DavCo takes it a step further than printing, offering advertising space in their local business directories. They print the Lancaster County Business Directory (LCBD) as well as the Central PA Business Directory (CPBD), so they’re the people to reach if you want to be featured in one or both of these marketing tools.
3. The H&H Group
Serving Central Pennsylvania and beyond, The H&H Group, known as “H&H Graphics” until 2014, was established in 1978. At their start, they were a Sir Speedy franchise that then purchased and merged four Sir Speedy shops to form H&H Graphics. The company then merged MultiGraphic Marketing into their business in 2019 and Conestoga DPI for large format graphics in 2022.
This awesome and fairly large printer now owns Pennsylvania print locations in Harrisburg, Lancaster and York. They work with customers across the East Coast. In their lineup of product and service offerings, The H&H Group offers mailing, fulfillment, printing and signage.
4. ITP of USA
This printing company has been around and offering print work throughout the Lancaster region since 1999. ITP stands for “Innovative Technologies in Print,” and they cleverly use their business acronym to say “Imagine The Possibilities.”
ITP of USA offers everything from marketing and design assistance to print to bindery and finishing services to direct mail to digital storefronts. They keep their state-of-the-art equipment onsite along with a team of industry professionals.
5. The Standard Group
The Standard Group has its headquarters in Reading, PA, with a print and technology center in Lititz, PA and a fulfillment center in Lancaster, PA.
This business offers a range of products and services, from offset and digital print to medical printing, direct mail, promotional products, apparel and a slew of industry-specific brand-building and marketing materials.
The Standard Group transitioned in 2016 to being an employee-owned business, and they maintain a close focus on sustainability, customer satisfaction and an inclusive workspace.
6. WhiteOak Printing Co.
WhiteOak Printing Co. began its journey in 1984 in Marietta, PA. They moved to downtown Lancaster in 1987, and then moved to Dillerville Road in Lancaster, PA in 1995. Since then, their timeline has been dotted with huge achievements, such as installing the first color press in 2001 and acquiring GPI Marketing, a promotional products company, in 2012.
Offering all manner of print, signs, mail, fulfillment, promotional products, design work and online services, WhiteOak serves clients locally, nationally and even globally.
If you’d love to lean on a tried-and-true giant in the industry, WhiteOak should be among your top choices. On the other hand, if you prefer to do business with smaller companies with smaller teams, it probably isn’t the right fit.
Which Lancaster, PA Printing Company Is Best for Me?
Choosing a business to buy your prints from can be a daunting process. Making the wrong one can mean missing your deadline, overpaying for the work or hating the final result. Even knowing where to start can be a struggle, and maybe that’s the position you found yourself in when you visited this article.
We hope we’ve at least gotten your research off to a good start.
You may still need some time to decide who your perfect printer will be and check in on some of the factors mentioned above. In the meantime, maybe you’re wondering why we didn’t include ourselves, Integra Graphics Synergy, on the list. That decision was to be as unbiased as possible, help you get a complete picture of your options and give a spotlight to some other great companies in the area.
That said, you might be wondering what it’s like to work with Integra, and we’re happy to provide the answer. You’re also more than welcome to check out our other blog posts on print management companies, print techniques, signage and more.
Looking to talk to someone about your questions?
Reach out to us below to bend our ear with your print questions — we’d love to learn about your print and promotional journey whether you’re an Integra customer or not!
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