Are you expecting to need prints, signage or branded promotional items for something upcoming, like a direct mail campaign, trade show display or catalog launch? Does the plan come with an important deadline or set of deadlines that you need to hit to make the launch a success?
At Integra, we offer print solutions to companies both large and small, always with their timeline top of mind. It’s at the core of our work as a print broker, and we’d be happy to do the same for your business. But first, we want to make sure you’re aware of the issues that can arise so that you can have a plan in mind whether you’re working with us or another great print specialist.
Once you’ve read this article, you should know everything you need to avoid the top five print setbacks. What’s more, you’ll know how Integra Graphics Synergy can help you dodge delays and get your copies right where they need to be, right when they need to be there.
Picture the following scenarios to understand just how they could impact your timeline.
Print Deadline Issue #1: You Show up Without a Print Product Game Plan
It’s normal not to have an exact plan in mind for your print work. Afterall, it’s probably not your job to know the ins and outs of paper types, bleed level and ink colors. But you know your company and brand better than a third party ever could, and you should have an idea of what your project will ideally look and feel like.
If you’re going on little information and having trouble deciding on colors, designs or what you should print in general, build extra time into your schedule to work out those details.
Your Opportunities With Integra's Design Capabilities
Just like other printers, we recommend coming to the table with at least an idea and design in mind if you haven’t already procured your print design and layout. That being said, we’re more than willing to brainstorm with you if you let us know the impact you’re hoping to have and the type of print work you think you might need for it. Our in-house designer and connected agencies can help create your design from scratch, but keep in mind that each one of these steps will add to your timeline.
You can also explore our learning hub to read all about top paper types, promotional products and print styles. We’re always adding to this resource, so if you don’t find what you’re looking for, keep checking in!
You can also reach out to an Integra team member to have a discussion about your project before you’re in the design and print stages and before you’ve committed to start a project with us. We love helping in this way, and a preliminary discussion could help you create a more economical layout and avoid headaches down the line.
Print Deadline Issue #2: Your Project Files Don’t Fit the Appropriate Format for Your Print Professionals
When you place a new order with a new design, your print professionals will need the specs first and foremost. What are the colors, size and design? Will it need to be scaled? Are there any other fine-tune adjustments required to make your piece truly print-ready? Is it an embroidered hat that requires a digitized thread count for the decorator to use in their embroidery machine? A sign that needs to match with local regulations and therefore be sized particularly?
Pay close attention to the directions when you prepare your files for your printer. In many cases, you’ll want to provide a vector image over any other file type to ensure the design scales appropriately without losing its visual integrity.
If you aren’t sure how to prepare your files, ask for help. Sometimes the printer will work with you to make things right, and sometimes you’ll need to rely on how-to videos and tech-savvy co-workers to get it right.
Sending information in the wrong file type — or worse, skipping entry of your information altogether — will often result in back-and-forth communication and questions with your printer. Naturally, that takes time and can slow down any project.
How Your File Submissions Will Go With Integra
Because we act as a single point of contact for our customers and their print work, we’ll be sure to review your files and get them in tip-top shape before they reach the print house. First, we’ll make our file requirements clear. Then, we’ll be ready to answer any questions you have as you’re gathering your documents and building out your design files.
If we have questions about the files you submit, we’ll reach out for clarification. Ultimately, we’ll use our knowledge of the print industry, print equipment and our vendors’ preferences to smoothly transfer your files to them and avoid delays.
Print Deadline Issue #3: You Forget to Factor in Print Proofs (Samples) and Their Review Time
It’s typically going to be in your best interest to request proofs on any new printed products. If you’re running your own company and calling all the shots on this project, you might kick yourself later if you spend a sizable amount of cash on work you dislike or that you wish you had tweaked before the press.
The first step here is to choose the best proof type for your needs. You might want physical, digital or a combination of both to make sure your final project turns out just right. Remember that both will require some extra lead time on the project, but hard (physical) proofs will generally take longer since they need to be dropped off or mailed.
Do some soul-searching on this question: Are you or your boss picky? If you think you’re probably going to request changes once you receive a proof, and especially if you’ll want a follow-up proof after those changes, tack some wiggle room onto your overall project timeline.
How You Can Benefit From Integra’s Proof Process
You may want to know a little bit about what happens after you sign your pricing quote before you choose which print company should handle your project. At Integra, we’ll begin working on your hard or soft proofs as quickly as possible to get them promptly in your hands (or on your screen).
Our team places an emphasis on transparency and efficiency, so you’ll learn from us exactly how long each type of proof will take to arrive, how long requested changes might take and when we plan to move from the proofs to the prints. If the timeline seems questionable, we can work with our print specialists to aim for quick turnarounds. If doing so comes with associated rush fees, you’ll know before we sign off on it.
To get an early idea of roughly how long your prints will take, click below and try our timeline calculator.
Print Deadline Issue #4: Your Go-To Print House Experiences an Equipment Failure or Worse
A sad truth we’ve all learned to live with in the technological world: Sometimes, technology breaks. Systems require software updates, mechanical maintenance and a carefully trained professional to man the and keep them running. Sometimes technology gives us grief for seemingly no reason, or it just gets too old to keep up with our demands.
It happens. If you own even so much as an office phone or email account, you’re probably well-versed in occasional technological frustrations. Print houses are no different, and given that a majority of their work relies on specialized equipment, breakdowns can seriously impact output, ultimately causing missed deadlines if there’s not a good backup plan in place.
Sometimes, just one piece of equipment is responsible for a majority of a print house’s production. You can imagine, then, how tight things get when an error occurs. And that’s all risk run just from temporary or permanent equipment glitches or breakdowns. While much rarer, disasters like fires, floods, hurricanes and power outages can befall a print warehouse just like anywhere else, and when they do, production generally halts.
How Integra Can Pivot to Avoid Delays in Your Print Delivery
Because we’re a print broker rather than a print house ourselves, we have multiple contact points and a wide array of vendors who can meet your print needs. If something goes wrong with one vendor, your representative will pivot to another to make sure your timeline is still intact.
Most of the time, when issues with print houses come up that could cause delays, our customers never know about it. Not for a lack of transparency — customers are welcome to any information about their project — but because we position ourselves as problem-solvers for our clients to buffer them from stress and keep their work moving.
Print Deadline Issue #5: Logistical Problems Arise in the Delivery Process
Couriers and mail houses face the same slowdowns as the print houses discussed above. On top of that, they’re on the road, so they have to be aware of weather conditions and try to avoid traffic incidents. It’s a lot on their plate, having our business dealings in their hands, and they work hard to fulfill demanding delivery schedules.
But invariably, things sometimes go wrong. Packages are lost, snow or ice slows trucks down and traffic jams keep valuable prints from their destinations. Remember to factor in the distance your work will need to ship, and consider these possibilities.
How Integra Will Deal With Delayed Deliveries on Your Behalf
This is a tough one, because at the end of the day, mail houses and delivery services are out of our hands. We can do everything up to and including getting the work printed and on the road, so to speak, on or before the allotted date. From there, it’s up to the USPS or other courier.
What we can do is ensure we place a strong emphasis on local collaboration when doing so makes sense. By aligning with vendors in proximity to our customers, we can often keep delivery times (and costs) closer to their intended mark. While we're stationed in a few key locations, our reach is anything but limited.
Our primary offices are located in:
- Lancaster, PA (Headquarters)
- Washington, D.C.
- Atlanta, Georgia
The other promise we can and do make to our customers regarding delivery times is simple: We’ll always be transparent and keep you informed. If rush options are available, we’ll get the costs outlined right away. If a delivery issue arises, you’ll know about it the second we know about it. We provide tracking information when available as well, so feel free to request updates.
Is Integra Graphics Synergy Right for My Print Project?
Timelines are a complicated subject, and deadlines are a dreaded one, but it doesn’t mean you have to fret. If you came here worried about your upcoming time crunches and wondering whether Integra Graphics Synergy is the right print solution for you, we hope you’ve found your answer. We can’t account for every possible delay, but we will certainly do our best and employ the strategies outlined above to keep your project moving along smoothly.
If you don’t think we’re the right fit for you, we wish you well and hope you’ve found some useful information to guide your time-based print decisions. On the other hand, if you’re ready to get moving on your print project and like the solutions we’re able to provide, reach out now!
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