Print Management - What the service includes:

• The preparation of a print specification and sending this out to printers to tender. This often involves a meeting to brief printers with visuals and mock-ups and answering any consequent queries from printers.
  
• Chasing quotes from printers.
  
• Comparing quotes and discussing possible savings dependent upon available presses, paper stocks, etc. For example, can the job be run with another being put through at the same time?
  
• The negotiation of prices and commissioning of printers based on cost of origination and print and the speed of turnaround.
  
• Liaising with printers to establish how the artwork should be imposed (dependant upon size of print run and size of press).
  
• Checking the content proofs and implementing any changes.
  
• Supplying production artwork and confirming all order details such as paper, print-run, colour pantone numbers etc. and highlighting any particular points regarding printing,finishing or collating. This often requires a face to face meeting.
  
• Chasing the job to ensure that deadlines are met (sometimes checking the job on press) and organising delivery at minimum cost to client.
  

The above stages are typical for most jobs, ensuring proper planning implementation and control of the printing process to avoid costly mistakes and misunderstandings and to deliver a good job at the right price and on time.

Print management is important for all projects large and small, however the larger the project the more can go wrong and the greater the costs to rectify. Most printing errors come down to a lack of communication between printers and the end-user. At the McAlpine partnership our methodical and rigorous approach minimises the risk and takes away the hassle of managing your print, allowing you to concentrate on running your business.

The projects opposite were for high profile public sector organisations with large print runs.