If you’ve ever printed magazines or booklets, you know that over-spending on your budget is very easy to do.
The fact is, many printers will charge you a fortune to print even the most basic full-color glossy magazine. It’s not uncommon to experience “sticker shock” when you receive a price quote for your magazine project.
But if you know what you are doing, it’s easy to identify multiple ways to save money. From the design to printing, to the binding and beyond — you just need to know how.
Here Are 5 Ways to Save Money on Magazine Printing
- Print on a standard 60# glossy paper stock. By using a standard paper stock, your costs will instantly decrease by hundreds if not thousands of dollars. In most cases a 60# gloss paper (similar to pages in Time Magazine, etc) are more than sufficient and make your magazine look great too.
- Don’t pay for a thicker cover. The cover of your magazine doesn’t need to be any thicket than the inside pages. When it comes to magazines, it’s the content — not the paper — that sells. If you have a great design and interesting content, you can skip the expensive magazine cover.
- Pick your page number count. Most printers who specialize in bulk magazine printing operate a commercial-grade web printing press. This is a form of offset printing in which a continuous roll of paper is fed through the printing press. it is very efficient and produces consistent, quality results. But, every printing method has built-in efficiencies. When it comes to web press printing, choose one of the following page counts to get the best rates: 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 40, or 48 (including the front/back cover).
- Don’t go for gimmicks. Some magazines add flashy foils or embossed printing options to draw attention. While these options can look very nice, the cost to implement them when compared to the minimal return they provide, is simply not worth it. Keep it simple and keep your costs down.
- Design on a budget. Hire a local freelance designer or college graphic design major to help you create a compelling magazine. Many magazines spend a fortune on design with firms who do not add any additional value. If you need a basic design, don’t overpay for it. Another great option is to have the printing company you work with handle the design too. Most magazine printing companies offer discounted rates for design services when you buy the printing from them.
So there you have it, five easy ways to save money on your next magazine project. As with most services, there are usually great deals to be found if you know where to look.
But more importantly, knowledge of built-in process efficiencies can give you an edge, and save you big bucks.