Best Left to a Portland Printing Professional
Unless you’re old enough to remember it, you might find it difficult to imagine a time when you couldn’t print a document, photo, or lost pet flyer from the comfort of your own home. But while high-tech revolution has put a staggering array of professional-grade tools within reach of the general public, there are still some instances in which it’s best to enlist the services of a pro, and printing is one of them.
Have you ever been handed a business card that was printed on a home printer? You were probably less than impressed. Consumer printers are fine when need to make a hard copy of your bank statement or print up a term paper, but they don’t have what it takes to create professional-grade postcards, booklets, or banners.
To get professional results for your Portland-based business, you need the help of a SE Portland digital print shop with the experience and equipment to get the job done right. Here are some tips to help you evaluate potential candidates in the PDX Area.
Great Portland Customer Service
Big corporate print shops don’t have the best reputation for customer service. In fact, one indie game developer went so far as to create a game parodying the general apathy that constitutes customer service at one popular chain.
When you pay a visit to your local Portland printer, whether it’s in the Southeast or any other part of town, you go there to get things done, and you don’t want to have to deal with inexperienced employees or bad attitudes. You want to be treated like you and your project matter.
You want expert advice from friendly folks who care about building a long-term business relationship with you and your Portland-based business. In short, you want a great customer service experience, from start to finish.
A Solid Reputation
According to the illustrious Mark Twain, past behavior is an excellent predictor of future behavior. But what if you’ve never dealt with a particular Portland digital printing company before? How can you predict what dealing with them will be like? It’s simple: just read some online reviews, and ask around for recommendations. If certain names keep garnering rave reviews, then dealing with the companies behind them is probably a safe bet.
Quick Turnaround
Let’s face it: not everyone is good at planning ahead. When you need a print project done posthaste, it’s good to know that your SE Portland print shop can provide you with speedy turnarounds on rush projects. At East Side Printing Co., we’ll take your job just as seriously as if it were our own — and we pride ourselves on quick-turn jobs like nobody else in the city.
Top-Notch Portland Design Services
You wouldn’t trust your tattoo artist to perform dental work, so why would you trust a your job title to create an effective, eye-catching design for your print marketing materials?
You might be tempted to go the DIY route, and hey – it could turn out great, but there’s a decent chance that it might not, and that you’ll have spent so many hours learning how to use Illustrator that you’ll be too invested in the design to see it.
You’re good at lots of other things, but if design isn’t one of them, then you’d be well-advised to outsource that aspect of your marketing strategy. And if you can find a SE PDX printer that also happens to have a crack design team in-house, it’ll save you time and trouble.
Quality Products
Before you pull the trigger on a new print job, have a look at some of your printer’s previous work. If everything looks great, then you’re probably in the right place. But if the samples aren’t up to your standards, then you may want to keep looking.
Portland-Based Direct Mail Services
Even in this day and age, postcard mailings and direct mail services are still one of the most effective marketing tools available. But why would you go to the trouble of hauling thousands of postcards to the post office when your favorite SE Portland printing company can mail them for you? Sounds like a smart move to us.
Plenty of Options
Even if you only need postcards for now, it pays to choose a printing company that offers a wide array of print services, from brochures to booklets to banners to business cards. That way, if you ever need to expand the print side of your marketing strategy, you can avail yourself of the services of a print shop that’s already familiar with your branding.
Free Delivery
You have plenty of items to check off your to-do list, and heading to the printing company to pick up your new flyers doesn’t need to be one of them. Some SE Portland Printers offer free delivery in the PDX Metro area. How’s that for convenience?
Environmental Stewardship
Print shops go through a lot of paper, so it’s important to choose one that places a premium on environmental stewardship. The Forest Stewardship Council certifies the best print shops. The FSC mark lets you know that your print shop does its best to reduce its environmental impact.
Fresh Prints
If you find yourself in need of the services of a printer in SE Portland, then we hope you’ll consider doing business with East Side Printing Company. But if you still want to do some shopping around with other Portland digital printing companies, we hope these tips are helpful, and would love the opportunity to give you a competitive bid for your project.