Gutenberg invented the first printing press over five centuries ago, and since that time paper has enjoyed its dominant position as the medium of transmission and storage of information. Who could have foreseen the slow and steady move toward a paperless society that the age of the computer and the internet has introduced?
Will we ever end up completely paperless? That is debatable, but highly unlikely. Although paper consumption has steadily declined over the past decade, there will always be the need for tangible printed materials.
Decline is not a pleasant word for any industry, but there are ways to push through and prosper. For printers, the answer is to change with the times.
Updating Your Printing Services
Access to the internet has been profitable for marketing companies, desktop publishers, online work groups, and just about anyone with a copy of Photoshop at their disposal. With that in mind, it is more important than ever for you to offer every possible convenience (and possibly a bit of training) to your clients who are in need of full color printing.
As you know, many individuals designing materials are using low resolution images found online and bringing them to you, expecting the impossible. Files created in RGB at 72 dpi might be perfect for a web page, but a nightmare for you, the printer.
So, how can you help your potential clients and save yourself these headaches at the same time? Update your printing services with these two quick fixes.
- Offer a Detailed Tutorial – You’ve been thinking about it, but now is the time to make it happen. Your in-house graphic artist is most likely your best resource for this project since he is the person who deals with the incorrect files on a daily basis. Start by having him keep a list of the major issues. After a week or two you’ll have enough information to create detailed guidelines for your clients.
Issues that should be covered include, file size, layout, bleeds, text, color issues, proper font sizes, image resolution, and file saving. This may sound like quite a project, but without these guidelines you will continue to deal with the same time consuming problems.
- Uploading Projects with Ease – This is a convenience you simply can’t do without. Once your client understands the 300-600 dpi issue, they will quickly realize that this type of resolution creates incredibly large files. In order to get the files to you quickly and conveniently, you will need a ‘customer upload’ feature. My Docs Online has you covered. Customer uploads are made available to all Enterprise and Transcription accounts. Uploads are stored for you in easy to identify subfolders, which streamlines the process for the client as well as the independent printer.
Instructions for this feature are available by visiting our Customer Upload page. There are no file size limitations on uploads and no special IDs or passwords are needed. For added convenience, customer upload links can be posted to your website, your email messages, or anywhere that will make uploading convenient for your client.
Once you’ve updated your services by implementing these two conveniences, you can relax and focus on what you do best…printing.
Sign up for an Enterprise Edition account for as little as $9.95 a month and receive files from your Customer Upload Page in minutes. No contracts to sign. See more pricing options. Sign up for a FREE trial Now for 15 days. Review Branding options.
