CHOOSING THE APPROPRIATE PRINT SIZE

September 7, 2014, by Lisa Saville

Nowdays the sky’s the limit, but lets be sensible too – not every job has the budget to make it happen. Here are some simple guidelines to choosing the appropriate print size for a cost effective print run…

The first question to ask yourself is “HOW MANY DO I NEED?”  This will determine whether the job gets done digitally or on a litho press.  Depending on the size of the booklet/brochure, anything up to 500 or 1000 units will probably be best suited to digital printing.  The largest printable area for this is 480mm x 320mm (including bleed) which accommodates all standard formats, from A7 to A3.

So if the quantity required is more than 1000, we recommend printing on a litho press to achieve a lower unit price.  Most litho printers can only print up to A2 oversize but some can handle larger sizes so do check first. An exception to the advice of going litho would be if there is a severe time constraint on your job, so ask yourself “HOW SOON DO I NEED THIS?”.  If the answer is less than five working days, then digital is the only option if you want to meet your deadline.

“DOES THE JOB HAVE STANDARD DIMENSIONS?”.  Bear in mind that irregular sizes, although eye-catching, can sometimes cause unneccessary wastage and thus higher print costs, so do check with us first if you are considering an unusual size product before you design your job.

If you need to print a small run (1 – 200) of POSTERS LARGER THAN A3, it will have to be be done on a large format poster printer. At Hot Ink we can handle posters 1.5m wide by any length which allows plenty of scope for size. However, large format printing is more expensive than laser printing so if your budget is tight keep your posters A3 size or less for the most cost effective solution.  (View our handy size guide here).

If in doubt, give us a shout and we will advise you on the best way forward…

Need Printed T-Shirts? At Hotink we can assist you.

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