While a lot of business and personal maters can be dealt with online via email, websites, instant messaging, social networking and a host of other options available on the internet, there is no getting away from the fact that sometimes you have to have hard copy or printed materials. The question is, how much should you spend on it – and that very much depends on what it’s for.

From a personal point of view the answer is usually not very much. However, if you are having a party and want to make an impression with the invitations, then spending a bit more on the printing and materials is the way to go.

The question becomes more difficult if you run a business. Printed materials are something you can’t avoid and if you’re on a tight budget you need to know where you need to spend a bit more and where you can use cheap printing.

Essential to any business are business cards and business stationery and depending on your type of business you can get away with not spending too much in this area. A great design can be printed fairly cheaply without compromising on quality.

It is important that your design is good, however, it needs to be clean and concise but also stand out. These are the things your customers and potential customers will see the most, remember, and how they look will leave a lasting impression of you and your company.

Cheap printing companies can produce very high quality for little cost these days thanks to improvements in technology and reduced cost of materials. Get your design company to do a good job and you’ll be fine with these print jobs.

When promoting a new product, a new service or an event you’ll need printed marketing materials and this is an area you cannot afford to choose cheap printing. However, as there will be a range of printed materials, you can select how much you spend on each.

Just as with a personal party invitation, for example, your invitations to clients and customers to an event your holding will need to be of truly high quality, so don’t skimp here. If you’re inviting the general public to some kind of event though, then flyers may well suffice and these can be printed cheaply.

Brochures for new products will need to be of higher quality, of course, so again, don’t choose the cheap printing option for these. The same goes for any other marketing materials promoting a product or service.

The type of business you run will also determine your printing costs, as we’ve mentioned. Let’s say you’re in the restaurant business and you need menus.

If you run a restaurant then you’ll want to spend a little more getting your menus designed and printed. If, however, yours is a takeaway and you only want menus to place on your counter and put through people’s doors then you’ll only need cheap printing. Again, design will be the key to you standing out from the crowd, not the quality of the print job.

It’s your business and your decision. A little common sense, always bearing in mind that you’re presenting yourself to your target audience and considering the impression you will give them is all you need to make informed, sensible decisions on whether or not you choose cheap printing or not.

Author Bio: Ian Grainger is writing on behalf of Edge Print, provider of high quality, cheap printing services.

Category: Advice
Keywords: marketing, printing, cheap printing