You could choose to use your print media supplier as just a supplier. Or you could use them as a source of ideas, new revenue streams, and technical know-how that could reduce risk, open up opportunities, and boost profits. In this post, we’ll explore how building a real relationship with suppliers can help every print shop owner achieve better outcomes.
For many print businesses, the relationship with a media supplier is simple. Stock runs low, an order is placed, media delivery arrives, and production continues. And in fairness, that’s how it often starts.
It’s a transactional relationship, one where the print shop sees the supplier as an important source of the commodities they use every day, but no more than that. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s a bit like buying the latest iPhone and only using it to make phone calls. It’ll be very good at it, but you’re hardly maximising the potential of the experience.
But in wide-format print, the material is rarely just a consumable. It directly affects print quality, finishing, installation time, reprints, machine stability and ultimately your profits. This means the supplier of the materials matters more than the box it comes in.
Look beyond the basic requirements of swift, reliable delivery of quality materials at good prices (you should expect every print materials supplier to get those right) to consider the value added.
How to store printing media properly
1. Store less and turn stock faster
We’ve written before about the ability of efficient stock control to boost your productivity. The flip side, of course, is that inefficient storage and stock control can damage it.How your print materials supplier can add greater value
1. New ideas in print
Many print businesses rely on a core group of materials that they know well. They’re predictable, profiles are dialled in, installers trust them, and customers are happy with the results. From a production point of view, consistency matters more.
But materials don’t stand still.
Coatings improve, products evolve, construction changes, and sustainable alternatives become viable where they previously weren’t. And sometimes the biggest improvements come from products that solve small everyday frustrations rather than completely changing the product or application.
You may find that a product that didn’t used to have a matte, eco-friendly or scratch-resistant option now does.
The key thing is to ask, because even small improvements in the materials you use in high volume could make a big difference to the quality of what you produce or to the balance sheet.
New ideas in print rarely begin with a new printer. They usually begin with a conversation about whether the material still matches the application.
How to store printing media properly
1. Store less and turn stock faster
We’ve written before about the ability of efficient stock control to boost your productivity. The flip side, of course, is that inefficient storage and stock control can damage it.2. How do I …?
For many print businesses, 95% of the work is about repeat work. The same applications, the same materials, the same production processes, the same tight deadlines, running efficiently every day, day after day.
But every now and again, you’ll get a project that tests a different set of skills. A client who wants something that requires a different approach. Different substrate. Perhaps different print techniques. That’s when you may need a bit of advice about how to proceed.
And that’s when we get a call that usually begins, “I’ve got a customer who’s asked for …” or “How do I print this for this application…?”
Your print supplier is a brilliant source of expertise for jobs and media that may be unfamiliar to you. We can discuss finishing requirements, recycling options, ink settings, and more to help you avoid hours of trial and error and a small fortune in test prints.
A short conversation beforehand can often prevent several hours of frustration. And over time, these conversations also build confidence. The more your supplier understands your equipment, your production environments and the types of work you produce, the easier it becomes to find the right approach when something new comes through the door.
3. Quoting accuracy
Few things affect the profitability of a print business more than the ability to quote accurately. The quote ensures clients understand the specifications they’ll receive. They ensure everyone’s working from the same set of expectations. They ensure you reduce risk and achieve the level of profit you expected from every project.
But that only works if the specifications behind the quote are correct.
Once again, that’s where your print supply partner comes in, making quoting and tending for jobs easier, because they’ll have the level of detail you need. Talk to us about:
- Material weights and construction
- Fire ratings and environmental certifications
- Recycling certification
- Ink compatibility and adhesion performance
- Storage and handling instructions
- Material indoor or outdoor durability
Having access to that information early allows a print business to quote accurately, avoiding unexpected costs and delays, ensuring that the final results perform as expected.
In the long run, accurate quoting doesn’t just protect profit margins. It builds trust with customers and print buyers, because the job delivered matches the job that was promised.
How to store printing media properly
1. Store less and turn stock faster
We’ve written before about the ability of efficient stock control to boost your productivity. The flip side, of course, is that inefficient storage and stock control can damage it.4. New revenue streams
Most print businesses spend most of their time on production. Jobs that need to move through production, deadlines that need to be met and customers expect consistent results.
That leaves very little time to research new applications or explore unfamiliar materials. Yet many new revenue opportunities don’t come through from new equipment. They come through using existing equipment in slightly new and different ways.
For example, a print business producing banners might already have the capability to move into textile graphics. A company specialising in exhibition work may be able to expand into retail graphics. Sometimes, the only difference is the material being used.
- A simple discussion can sometimes reveal:
- Alternative materials suited to your print equipment, you already have
- Sustainable options requested by your customers
- Interior décor applications that are growing in demand
- Display products that require minimal workflow changes
None of these opportunities requires reinventing your production process. Often they simply involve applying existing capabilities to a slightly different market.
For busy print businesses, those small expansions can gradually become valuable additional revenue streams with the risk of major operational changes.
How to get more from your print supplier
It sounds like a cliché, but it’s true: one of the things that drives the success of the highest performing print businesses is the relationship they build with suppliers. They really do see their suppliers not simply as sellers but as partners in solving problems and meeting challenges.
So next time you order from your print media supplier, don’t just place the order …
- Ask questions
- Ask for a monthly call/meeting where you can share client feedback, and discuss the products that are moving fast vs the ones that aren’t; and where your supplier can share information about new products
- If you’re seeking advice, share constraints (e.g. the conditions in which the media will be used, the budget, and the particular client’s needs/likes/red lines)
- Ask for periodic training from your supplier’s reps
Talk to Soyang
Ready to place your next order? Give us a call and let’s have a chat about the ways we could deliver more for you. Talk to us now.
