The Pros and Cons of Print on Demand Services

This article was sponsored by Printing for Less, a proud supporter of the OfficeArrow community. Curious about online printing services? Order a free sample packet here.

Print on Demand (POD) is a revolutionary new way of printing what you need, when you need it. The service uses digital printing to create everything from rock posters to bestselling novels. Although the service uses the newest technology, can it handle your big AND small print jobs as easily as your local printer? Below we explore the differences between POD services and traditional offset printing.

POD

• Not quite as high quality imprints as Offset Printing
• POD charges a fixed amount per item
• Mistakes are easily fixed
• Allows for flexibility, personalization & customization by customer
• Limited variety of paper sizes and finishing techniques
• Easy to change direction mid-stream
• Good for ongoing small jobs

Offset Printing

• High quality
• Great for large print runs
• Very expensive mistakes
• Lower per-piece cost
• Almost unlimited variety of paper sizes and finishing techniques

On the surface, it would seem that there is no choice other than offset printing. But, let's dive a little deeper to really figure out why POD is even an option.

POD is actually quite flexible in what it can do. If you use a POD company's services, you receive tools to help your business grow. Although these services seem somewhat marketed to retail, you'll be surprised what you can do. A POD company has capabilities including: hosting a gallery of your items, display your designs in their marketplace, handle any orders you receive for products and any exchanges or returns. POD makes it easy to send and receive electronic payments and even offer customer service. It really is a one stop shop.

Print on demand services are typically more expensive due to having to frequently change the presses every time a new design is entered. Although this fact scares some away, consider the ability to print one brochure or 100 business cards with the freedom of changing that design at any time. Tons of authors use POD services to publish their books. It allows them the freedom of printing as few copies as they'd like with the ability to print more as needed, eliminating spending more than necessary.

POD takes the guess work out of all your office publications. While the turnaround times aren't the best, print on demand is making it affordable to print small batches. Turnaround times vary from 1 month to 6 months depending on the company. Orders can be expedited; however, most will charge you more. It's never really a good idea to print in a rush, so take your time, proof your item, and print the minimum.

POD services are similar to your local printer as you should receive quotes from multiple companies as well. Each company will offer different services, different rates, and different shipping times. Do a little research to get the best deal.

So, speaking business; what is POD ideal for in my regular old business? You name it! You can print business cards, brochures, billboards, stationary and envelopes. Pretty much anything you can think of. Just keep in mind that you're ongoing and unchanging printing projects will probably be cheaper at your local printer shop than through POD. Few things are constant in business which is why the flexibility of POD is so great. While it simplifies some services, it's not always the financially wise thing to do. Use both services to utilize their perks to the fullest.