What can you print on your printer?

Thursday’s Production Tip for Graphic Designers

We all want to look professional. But constantly having to get your stuff professionally printed can cost you a small fortune.

Another consideration is that the time it takes to do so, may also prove inconvenient for certain projects. You may opt to print certain things yourself on your printer.

Sometimes, it just makes no difference if you print stuff out professionally or if you do it yourself.

How do you decide what you print yourself on your printer:

1. Customized items: If it’s tailored for a specific reason or client, print it yourself.
2. Run: Short runs can be printed on your printer (depending what it is).
3. Paper stock: Home printers may not accept thicker and specialty papers.
4. Limited-time promotions: Time-sensitive offers can be printed off your office printer.
5. Special trims, binds and folds: Anything that requires extra bindery efforts should be done professionally.
6. Lamination or special printing: Again, if you want it laminated, varnished or embossed or anything special should be left to the professionals.
7. How complicated the design is: Something that is black and white and simple can be printed at home. Something with bleeds (depending on the size) will have to be printed professionally.

What’s left? What you can print yourself on your printer:

• Flyers and posters: These typically are professionally printed and are for a short duration. Nobody expects them to be professionally printed. You can even have them photocopied (for B&W stuff).
• Course materials, slides, mind maps, and handouts: These are typically B&W and can be printed or photocopied.
• Invoices: These must be customized for each client, so you can print them on your office printer. Another idea is to design your invoices so they can be printed on your letterhead paper. The proverbial “killing two birds with one stone!“
• Letterheads: I don’t use more than a few a year, so I print them out myself (it doesn’t make any sense for me to print out the minimum 500 most printers require). I did, however, buy a quality paper to print them on.
• Proposals and creative briefs: These are also customized and can be printed off your office printer.
• Labels: You can have professionally printed labels with just your logo and perhaps your address, then you just have to print the addressee’s information yourself. But, I admit, I print the whole thing out myself. Mea culpa, I like the quality of labels that you can buy from your office supply store.
• Memo pads: I print these with my logo for quick notes to clients. I print them on better paper than the regular printer paper though.
• Anything for myself: Anything for my accountant, I’ll print them myself!

C O N C L U S I O N :

I usually evaluate if what I need printed should be done by a professional or if it would be passable for me to print it of my own printer. Ask yourself, does it really make a difference and is it economical?

Those things that require more effort like folding and such and long runs, I’ll just have it done professionally. They’ll never look good if I do it myself.

And finally, those things that are B&W, I get those photocopied.

ONE FINAL TIP: Buy better paper than the than what you use everyday, you’d be amazed at the difference changing your paper makes!

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