Online Printing Companies May Soon Replace Traditional Print Shops

According to an Aug. 14 press release, several online print shops across the country are now able to offer Internet savvy consumers easy to navigate menus that allow them to obtain instant quotes, place orders and track the status of their orders - all without ever leaving their desk or making a single phone call.

The big draw, besides convenience, is that the online quote is usually less than half the price of a traditional shop, and some Internet companies can even ship out the order the next day.

Sarah Stone is the Office Manager for OnlinePrintHouse.com. She said their "ordering system really helps to reduce our customer service costs and that helps keep the price low. Many visitors also take advantage of our Live Web Support feature that lets them chat with a customer service rep while they place their order."

Discount Printing and Graphics CEO Rob Pittman said: "The same revolution that took place with airlines and travel agents, is now happening in the printing industry. As customers find out that they can get the same high quality product with a much faster turn around time, they have become more receptive to placing their orders on-line. It's not always about price. Many customers print with us because of our rapid turn around times. If a customer chooses the airline shipping method, it's possible to place an order today and have it in your hand tomorrow. Next day shipping is almost unheard of with local printers who often take a week or more to print a simple postcard."

According to the release, Discount Printing and Graphics only accepts Internet orders and has already processed more than 61,000 orders within the past year.

Almost anything a person can have printed in a traditional shop can be ordered online, including business cards, flyers, posters, postcards, brochures, vinyl banners and magnetic signs.

For customers who aren't good at graphic arts, some online print shops offer graphic arts or design services. For example, one particular company will design and print 2,500 full color business cards for less than $100. A customer can also get 5,000 full color flyers from the same company for $200.

Although these online prices may seem too good to be true and leave a prospective customer wondering if there's a catch, Internet printers are proving themselves and becoming very popular with small businesses precisely because of the low prices. The release says the online printers are able to keep costs low by combining multiple orders onto a single sheet, also known as a "gang-run." The disadvantage of gang runs is that color proofs and exact color matching are unavailable. But for most small business owners, that's not an issue.

If the trend continues and older business owners give way to younger, computer savvy owners, local print shops will continue to feel the pressure and may eventually be few and far between.

Source:

Press release, Internet Based Printing Shops Give Local Print Houses a Run for Their Money; http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/8/prweb546530.htm