Have you ever chosen the more expensive bid for a print job simply because it was convenient to hire your current printer? You can cope with evaluating bids when it comes to complex four-color brochures - the right deal there could save you a ton. But who has time to deal with the drudgery of finding a cheaper option for simple things like letterhead?

It would be easier if you could pick the same printer for each job, wouldn't it?

Now your one-stop shopping option is just a click away. Over the last four years, a number of online services have emerged to help you find printers who are best equipped to handle your different printing jobs - at the best price.

How are online services different from traditional print brokers? For one, they move beyond geography to route you to pre-screened printers who specialize in the kind of job you want. They also help you benefit from economies of scale by ganging your order with another business's. With less wastage of materials, that can mean up to 50 percent savings.

Online services are also able to centralize all your printing orders. With your logo, material designs, and specifications saved in one online database, you can view proofs onscreen, edit past orders, place new orders, or check the status of current jobs across multiple printers.

There are a few different types of online printing services. PrintBid.com, Impresse.com, and noosh.com direct you to printers based on Requests for Proposals (RFPs). They're really useful if you regularly place high-volume printing orders. These sites, however, don't accept direct responsibility if you're not satisfied with a printing job.

Then there are "brokers" like iPrint.com, which automatically place your order with the printer they think provides the best value for that job within their partner network. If you're a small business with straightforward needs, iPrint.com or easiestbiz.com will do - their graphic software lets you design your own materials online or simply upload your existing graphics. Even though iPrint.com outsources its printing - it accepts full responsibility for any order you place.

If you're a mid-sized business and you want to keep print materials consistent among multiple office locations, ImageX.com may be a better option. It can build you a centralized Web page, where authorized employees from various locations can store, edit, and reorder all print materials.

Most online printing services will mail you paper and ink samples at your request and let you view full-scale proofs online, which is usually sufficient for simple jobs. For more complex, higher value purchases like four-color brochures, you can make special requests for physical proofs to be mailed to you at every critical phase.

Worried about printer errors? Don't be. Because the information you submit is often piped directly into the chosen printer's system - reducing prepress time and human error - online printing services claim a reprint error rate up to eight times lower than traditional industry ordering methods. Delivery times are comparable, too.

Tired of settling for the nearest print shop? Looking to simplify the bidding process? Stop the presses - and go online.

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