The more you know about printing, the better you become at getting the job done the way you want. Here are some common buyer mistakes you shouldn't have to make yourself.

Going by price alone
Choosing a printer is not just about money. It's really about service - you want someone who can deliver quality printing that meets your deadlines. Talking to printers you are considering will help them understand your needs and offer suggestions to help you cut costs.

A printer who quotes you a lower price for your job specifications could just be using lower quality materials. Make sure to judge quotes by comparing apples to apples - check the quoted price for a particular weight of paper with the same type of paper, for example.

Not keeping the printer informed
Talk to your printer every stage of the way, including while you're still designing your copy. This will help you see if marginal changes to your design could actually save on printing costs later.

If you're designing your own materials, you may save yourself a lot of aggravation over incompatible electronic file formats and the like if you simply ask the printer what will work for him and what won't. A printer with good service will be happy to take a couple of minutes with you over the phone with this - after all, it saves printers time in the long run too.

Not putting it in writing
Once your project is at the printer's, clearly mark all changes you want to make on the prepress or press proofs. The printer isn't liable for oral instructions, and they're more likely to get lost in the translation anyway. Remember that once you sign off on a proof, you've given your approval - and changes can be costly at a later stage if they're your fault.

Not leaving enough time to check proofs
Don't rush through proofs! They're critical to the accuracy of your printed order. Get at least one more person to read through the proof carefully after you finish checking it. Click here for a list of things to look for in a proof.

Some printers even recommend reading each sentence in the text backwards - if you're not anticipating what the next word in a sentence will look like, you're more likely to catch a misspelled word.