stationary at desk

How to Save Money

Use State Printing

We take pride in reducing printing cost for you. Know what you want, but be open for suggestions from your Customer Service Representative. When contacting your Printing Services Representative about a printing job, please do not be offended if a suggestion is made to save the state money. We take pride in reducing printing cost for you.

One or two color printing

One or two color printing can enhance your printing project. Instead of using full color, use a screen of the PMS color you plan to use, or use a tool line or other graphic item to accentuate the document.

Proofing

When electronic media (diskette, zipdisk or CD) is provided by the customer, proofs are always required. Please check your document(s) for typos, grammar, spelling and/or content prior to submitting a print request. Camera-ready copy should not require a proof in most cases, depending on the method of printing. We provide PDF, color copy, black and white and blueline proofs.

Reduce the number of pages

One of the primary cost factors in printing is the number of pages in the document. Printing on both sides of a sheet can reduce page count, which can also translate into less finishing time. Adjusting the space between lines of text or sections within the document and/or using a smaller type font is also an option for reducing the page count.

Reduce the number of ink colors used

For each color of ink used in a publication, multiple functions occur. Each color requires its own plate and extra press time. It is easy to see that reducing the number of ink colors will save both time and money.

Paper selection

Our paper contract includes most of the categories of paper that will be needed by any state agency. Contract paper is almost always less costly than non-contract paper. Non-contract paper requires that agencies plan ahead as it may take one to two weeks or longer to receive. Also, some non-contract paper requires full carton purchasing. After the paper arrives, the job will still need to be printed and finished. This can cause a delay for jobs not allowing sufficient lead time. Contact a Customer Services Representative for assistance in selecting a low cost solution to meet your paper needs.

Use standard paper sizes

Developing your piece using standard size pages – 5.5 x 8.5, 8.5 x 11, 11 x 17 allows us to efficiently produce your piece multiple times up on our larger press sheets.

Specialty processes

We can die cut, perforate, foil stamp and emboss, print heavy coverage and full bleed and use lots of specialty inks and papers. You should be aware that these processes add costs and additional time to your project.

Quantity

In most cases ordering an additional thousand copies of a publication is considerably less costly than ordering another thousand after the job is completed. There are a number of set-up costs involved in producing an offset print job. These are the costs required to print a quantity of one. If these costs were represented by a cost of a hundred dollars then the cost would be one hundred dollars each. In order to double the order, each piece of equipment involved in the production would be left running for an additional one second. The incremental cost of doubling the order would be miniscule but the cost of each item would be cut by nearly 50%. This is an extreme case, but it does demonstrate the concept.

First run savings

Produce as many copies of your job as you anticipate you will need. Once the press is set up, the ink mixed, and the paper ordered, it is considerably less expensive to print multiple copies than to run just a small amount with the intention of printing more in the near future. Ask for a quote to see your cost savings.

Print on demand

Print on demand is a concept where the customer orders only the amount needed “now” and additional copies are ordered when needed. This is opposed to the traditional method of ordering an annual supply that is warehoused. Using the print on demand concept with appropriate print jobs eliminates the cost associated with warehouse space, inventory control and discarding of obsolete publications. This concept assures that information provided to the end user is always accurate and up to date. If corrections are necessary, send the new copy and the corrections will be made. It’s as simple as that.

Security printing

Instead of purchasing expensive security paper for your printed document, we have developed various security features that can be imprinted at the same time your job is printed and will be just as or more secure than specialty papers. Contact a Customer Service Representative for further details.

Process color (CMYK) vs. RGB

Offset printing is a process using color (CMYK, cyan, magenta, yellow and black) or spot color (PMS, Pantone Matching System colors). RGB is a color process used by electronic media to display red, green and blue transparent light. Although graphics created and saved in RGB display well, they do not print well. CMYK and RGB will not produce the same colors. If you submit RGB graphics, our staff must convert them before your job can be printed, which impacts the cost of your job. Therefore, all color work submitted for printing on a press must be saved using CMYK or Spot colors only. Also, clipart from the Internet cannot be color separated for offset printing. A Customer Service Representative can recommend ways to use color for the best effect on your printed piece while being mindful of the economy of the job.