Local versus Online Printing: Make Sure You Know When to Use Which

I was reminded of writing this post as I looked at my baby announcements today to file in her baby book. It was delivered to me via online printer with the crop marks still on it. Which brings me to the point of when to choose an online printer versus a local printer.

First, I believe in paying a little extra for a relationship and some common sense, so whenever I can, I will always try to get it done local. I wish it were for morally superior reasons, however, when it comes to complex print jobs (and in the online world, pantone colors can be considered 'complex', so can bleeds).

For example, if I had printed the baby announcements locally and spent $100 more (I know that's not 'just $100' anymore, hence the online printer...but I'm digressing. If done locally, I would have received a proof, or even better, a phone call with a REAL PERSON in prepress asking me to remove the crop marks. PEOPLE know to make this judgement call, COMPUTERS don't. Any good sales rep in my opinion would look at the file and ask me to re-send.

With an online printer, the prices are usually much cheaper for standard items such as business cards, letterheads and postcards. That's why it's so easy to use them, along with the fact that you can upload at 3am and track your delivery. There-in lies the double-edged sword: cheap and easy, yet the lack of the human element makes it a risk in my opinion, a risk that you have to decide if it's worth taking.

Obviously the client and the nature of the piece determine which vendors you will use. For me, if I'm going to send something to an online printer, it has to be coated (gloss) stock, and a standard size item on their website. Anything "custom" to them -- run, run as fast as you can. Trust me.
If it's full color process (CMYK) or 2 pantone colors on coated stock and standard size item, I don't mind online printers.

If there are pantone colors, more than 2, and if any of them are metallic, and/or I'm using uncoated stock (which I LOVE), then I'll want to trust the local printer. They are here to call me if they think something looks off. They are here if they want me to see it on the actual press before they start printing. They are here because they value relationships too. If you have a rep that values your business in the long-term, and a mistake is made, you can usually find a compromise that satisfies both parties. Anything that is complicated to you, as the designer, will definitely be complicated to an online printer.

And I'll leave it at that.