Finding
a Printer
by Suzanne
Hardy
In this era
of online delivery methods, we seem to rarely hear about printed manuals
and the problems that we face delivering this type of product. In addition
to the time and effort involved in writing, editing, and formatting a
printed manual, having a manual printed has its own set of challenges.
If you already have a printer you trust, consider yourself lucky. If you're
in the process of switching printers or need to find one for the first
time, here are some tips for the journey.
Technical
writers are often required to handle the production of printed materials
after they've written them. This may include choosing a third-party vendor
who not only has the right price but who also will deliver the high-quality
product you need in the right time frame and using a process that works
for you. Where do you start?
When you're
looking for a local printer, ask for references. Not only can you get
these from the prospective vendors themselves but also from the company
that packages your product or burns your CDs and other writers and graphic
artists you know.
Once you
have a list of prospective printers, develop a list of questions. If you
are responsible for getting price estimates from printers, have some specifications
on hand so that you can accurately compare prices. Specs you can gather
include the number of manuals to be printed, estimated page counts, types
of binding, sizes of manuals, and whether the insides are black and white
or color (if color, how many). To find out how many manuals you may need
for a three-month period, for example, look at the trend from the previous
three months.
When you
have these specs in hand, prepare a specific scenario to give the printers
you have selected. (For example: how much would it be to print a manual
that has 100 pages; is perfect bound and black and white; and needs a
print run of 300, 500, and 1,000 copies?)
During the
bidding process, you can start interviewing each printer on the phone
or in person. What is their process for providing proofs for you to review?
Do they require a certain file format? What is their turnaround time?
Can they handle your workload? What kind of quality control do they provide?
Do they outsource any work (which may drive the cost up)? Where are they
located, and will they make pickups?
When you find a printer that seems like a good fit, try to be patient with the first job. It takes time to work out the kinks and get to know each other. As with any relationship, communication and trust are crucial. If you find that it's just not working, move on and start the process again. The best printers will work with you as a team and help you succeed so that you don't have to worry during crunch time.
