No matter what it is you’re selling these days or at what level, it’s never been easier to take care of your own label printing needs in-house. Printers are becoming cheaper by the day and basic sticky paper can be picked up from pretty much anywhere for next to nothing, which is precisely why so many smaller brands are taking their printing into their own hands.
But here’s the thing – as logical as this may all appear on the surface as far as making savings goes, there are in fact a fair few exclusive bonuses that come with taking on a pro printing partner. In fact, there are quite a few cases in which the apparent savings of printing in-house represent false economy and might not be quite as attractive as they appear on the surface.
Flawless Results
For example, the importance of flawless results with each and every label printed cannot be overstated. Regardless of what it is that any brand is trying to sell, the label on the packaging represents the very front-line attack for the brand’s marketing campaign and to a large extent represents the company as a whole. As such, to put out labels that look in any way amateurish is to risk conveying entirely the wrong impression about the business as a whole, not to mention severely limiting the appeal of the product.
Take chances on results and you’re taking a chance with your brand’s reputation.
Printing Volumes
Another bonus of siding with the professional label printing is the way in which much higher printing volumes can be handled at any time and without notice. It may be fair to say that things are just ticking over steadily for any product for the time being, but when and where spikes in demand occur…which of course you hope they will…It’s important to be able to keep up with it. Professional printing partners offer the kind of on-going flexibility to deliver exactly what’s required when it’s required and in the fastest possible time – nothing more and nothing less.
By contrast, to print in-house is to risk facing problems with capacity.
Consistent Quality
What’s just as important as the effectiveness of the label itself is the consistent quality of each and every copy of the label put out. Nothing looks more unprofessional than a bunch of products where 30% have their labels skewed to one side, another 30% are faded and the remaining 40% look as if they were printed while the printer’s ink was running low. It just looks like too much of an amateur affair for anyone to take seriously and the brand’s reputation will suffer as a result.
The bonus of going with a pro printing partner is therefore clear – the rock-solid guarantee of perfectly consistent results every time and labels that never fail to look professional.
Production and Delivery Speeds
Inevitably, those printing their own labels in-house will from time to time run into severe delays due to hardware malfunctions, software issues or a simple inability to source the required materials. At best this will trigger something of an unfortunate bottleneck in the production process, but in other instances could put a real crimp in things and lead to a huge loss in sales and takings.
To choose a third-party label printing partner by contrast is to ensure a consistently reliable output of labels with all possible contingencies already planned for and factored in.
Consultancy
Something else to bear in mind is the way in which taking on an experienced partner means to also benefit from their expert help and guidance when and where needed. Should there be any questions to ask on how to make any given labels more effective, more efficient or generally better suited to their purpose, there’s a seasoned professional on hand to offer 100% impartial advice that could prove invaluable.
Those opting for the DIY approach on the other hand are somewhat on their own when it comes to making all important decisions, unless willing to pay what’s often a high price for dedicated consultancy.
Long-Term Costs
Last but not least, to print labels in-house may appear on the surface to be the cheapest possible option, but in the long-term it doesn’t always work out this way. While it may seem that to draw up a deal with Days Labels for example would cost more than to print labels manually, once all equipment and on-going accessory costs have been factored in it could actually be cheaper to go with the superior option.
What’s more, when printing in-house there’s also manpower to factor in and any other equipment maintenance and/or replacement costs – all of which are ruled out when outsourcing for professional printing.