Communications Minute: Print Smart to Save Costs

Printed publications and newsletter are great assets to our organization. Our 2006 telephone survey showed that 79 percent of those surveyed thought newsletters were a very effective or effective way to distribution information. Seventy percent said brochures and reports were very effective or effective.

Also, if you are considering going all-electronic with your communication, consider this: of those surveyed in our survey, 20 percent have never used the computer and 24 percent have never used the Internet. The Web can’t do it all; there is a critical need for printed materials.

So, how can you print smarter and more economically? Here are few suggestions:

First and foremost, use the duplicating center in our Department of Communications. As compared to printing a newsletter in your own office, duplicating can usually print your newsletter faster, for less money, and with higher quality results. They also have designers on-board to make sure the final product looks great. Contact Greg LeValley at 532-5816 to see how Duplicating can help you print smarter.
Condense your newsletter. Look over your design and content and see if your 8-page newsletter can fit on 6 pages. Can you conserve space without losing readability?
Print in black-and-white. Or, if you want or need to print in 2-color, pre-print the color template in bulk to save. Then, you’ll just need to print the black ink portions when it comes time to produce your newsletter.
Plan ahead to avoid “rush job” fees and to keep your printer happy!
Check your paper cost. Is there a cheaper paper available, without sacrificing quality?
Think strategically. Consider the objective and target audience for the printed piece and determine what is the best way to produce the item. Postcards work great for event announcements; newsletters can provide more detailed information.
Take advantage of your publication allocation. You can use this budget feature to pay for printing, as well as stocking your office with the necessarily publications.

For more ideas, check out 10 Ways to Stretch your Printing Budget