Order printing: visiting cards, flyers, brochures, banners
What affects the price of printing
In printing, several parameters set the price at once: quantity, size, paper, colours and finishing after print. Visiting cards on coated paper and on designer board cost different amounts, just as a banner with hemming or without. Usually the unit price drops as the quantity grows, because the preparation cost is spread over more pieces.
Another important point is the technology. Digital printing suits small runs, offset suits large ones. Banners and posters are made with wide-format printing.
What to put in your request
- what to print — visiting cards, flyers, brochures, banners, stickers;
- quantity — number of pieces, for example 1,000;
- size — A4, A5, 90×50 mm, a banner in metres;
- material — paper weight and type, vinyl, banner fabric;
- colours — 4+0, 4+4 or black and white;
- finishing — lamination, die-cutting, rounded corners, binding;
- artwork — whether it is ready or you need design;
- timing — for example, within 2 days;
- city — pickup, delivery, fitting;
- budget, if you want to name one.
Example: “I need 1,000 visiting cards, 90×50 mm, on coated paper of 300 gsm, printed 4+4, with matt lamination. The artwork is ready for print. To be made in 2 days, pickup in Cape Town. Budget up to R 580.”
How to prepare the artwork without trouble
Delays most often come from the artwork. Print shops need files in the right size with bleed for trimming and colours in the right mode. If you are not sure, ask in what format and with what settings to send the file, or order the design separately.
Before the full run, ask for a digital or physical proof: a mistake in the text or phone number is easier to fix before printing than after.
How to compare offers
- Make sure everyone is pricing the same paper, size and colours.
- Find out whether finishing, cutting, packing and delivery are in the price.
- Ask about timing: whether it means days of production, and whether artwork preparation is included.
- Check what happens if the colours turn out different from the artwork.
For signs and large structures there is a separate category, signs and outdoor advertising, and for T-shirts and mugs, printing on clothing and souvenirs.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
Instead of sending the same artwork to several print shops, create a request once. Print shops reply in the chat: price, timing, what is included. The request is checked, and you see hints about details. Providers see where their offer stands and often improve their terms. Only the print shop you choose gets your contacts. More on how it works.
