After working hard to create a high-quality magazine, newsletter, brochure, or other printed materials, the last thing left to do is print it. For best results, it’s wise to leave that to a professional printing service – but which should you use, online printing services or local, offline printing services?
Depending on where you are, you may have plenty of options for local printing services. You may even assume that’s the way to go. However, there are many excellent reasons to try online printing services instead.
The truth is that local printing services miss the mark in many ways for projects of all sizes. They’re less convenient, have less experience, and tend to cost more. Regardless of why you are printing, you’d probably like to do so as quickly, efficiently, and affordably as possible. If so, going the online printing services route is almost always the best option.
Reasons to Choose Online vs. Offline Printing Services
If you have your printing needs met by a local company, you will face many drawbacks. One glaring example is the lack of options. You will probably only be able to choose from one or two local printing services – and you’ll have to be satisfied with whatever they can offer.
Instead of backing yourself into a corner like that, consider selecting online printer services instead. Many aspects of such services make them vastly superior to those offered by brick-and-mortar locations.
Top Reasons to Choose Online Printing Services
Here are 11 online printing services factors demonstrating why it almost always pays to go online instead of offline:
1 Affordability – Brick-and-mortar printing companies have tons of overhead costs compared to their online counterparts. Typically, they have actual storefronts, customer service counters, and areas where people can come in and print documents themselves.
As a result, they’re open to the public during regular business hours and must pay to keep everything up and running for people who physically stop by to place orders. Naturally, these overhead costs are passed on to customers, making offline printing services more expensive than online printing services. Online printers have minimal overhead costs and can afford faster, more efficient printing equipment, reducing costs even more.
2 Simplicity – When dealing with a local printer, you have to physically visit their store, explain what you want, and place your order. After it’s ready, you have to go back, pick it up, and distribute it. You spend a lot of time running around, reducing your overall productivity and chipping away at your bottom line.
With online printing services, you can manage everything from the comfort of your home or office. All you need is an internet connection and a device like a computer or a smartphone — no vehicle is necessary. Speaking of which, you won’t use any gas when using online printing services, which is a huge consideration in today’s expensive world.
3 Customer Service – Sure, there’s something to be said for old-fashioned face-to-face interactions. However, local printing services deal with limited audiences. As a result, their sphere of expertise is much narrower than those of online printing services.
If you have an unusual situation, a local, offline printer is less likely to know what to do. Meanwhile, online printing services deal with customers countrywide, handling projects of all imaginable sizes and scopes. They’ve seen and done it all, allowing them to deliver a much higher level of customer service. The sheer volume of printing they do makes them true experts in the art of printing materials of all kinds.
4 Intuitive Services – Printing services have been available online for years. The best online printing services offer user-friendly websites that make it a breeze to upload and order printed copies of materials of all kinds. If you’ve held off on trying the online route because you’re not too tech-savvy, don’t worry.
Online printing services have the process down to a science, and they also usually offer online chat support and other resources to make the experience as streamlined and efficient as possible. You’ll see that the Dazzle Printing website is easy for anyone to use, and online support is readily available.
5 Bulk Orders – If you bring a bulk order to a local offline printer, you will have to wait a while for them to get everything in order. You’ll also probably pay a premium for the work. On the other hand, online printers handle massive orders all the time, so they’re ready to spring into action when needed. Since they have greater processing capabilities, they can also offer bulk printing services for much lower prices than local printers.
6 Recurring Orders – You’ll have an easier time managing recurring orders for things like magazines and weekly newsletters with online printing services than with an offline one. For one thing, everything about your order is saved in your online account, so you can easily reorder what you need without jumping through a bunch of hoops. Since everything is online, you can also edit and update it easily, saving time and effort.
7 Short-Run Orders – Another drawback of working with an offline printer is that they often have minimum order requirements, making it difficult to manage short-run orders. Since online printers have more resources and experience, they can better handle short-run printing needs, turning orders around quickly and offering competitive prices.
8 Discounts and Promos – It’s easier to get discounts with online printing services than with offline ones. Brick-and-mortar operations may occasionally hold sales, but you have to hope that one is happening when you’re ready to order. On the other hand, online printers often have promo codes and special discounts that you can use whenever you’re ready. Dazzle Printing regularly holds online sales and offers discounts for first-time customers, making it a breeze to save even more on your printing needs.
9 Resources – Another area where online printers shine is through the many resources they offer via their websites. For example, you can access a wealth of resources through the Dazzle Printing site, including a downloadable guide to using our services.
Our website also has a blog with informative posts, including how-to articles and other guides. You can peruse samples of our work via our website, getting a clear idea about what to expect. We even offer tools like an instant pricing calculator that make it a snap to determine the ballpark cost of your project.
10 Reviews – It’s much easier to check the reputation of an online printing service than a local printer. Since online printers handle much larger volumes of work and many more customers, they tend to have tons of online reviews for you to check.
You can easily find out what others’ experiences have been like before placing an order, making it simpler to avoid low-quality operations. For instance, Dazzle Printing has over 125 5-star Google reviews. Local, brick-and-mortar printers don’t have as many online reviews since they don’t operate online, making it harder to determine whether they’re worth your time.
11 Green Printing Services – Finally, since online printers have access to more resources and deal with way less overhead, they’re more likely to offer green printing services. If you are worried about your impact on the environment, you’ll be pleased to know that Dazzle Printing offers a variety of eco-friendly printing features.
For example, we use eco-friendly paper and toner-based ink from manufacturers with zero-waste facilities. We recycle all office paper, scraps, and other unused paper, keeping waste to a minimum. You’re far less likely to enjoy these environmentally friendly features from offline printing services.
Selecting Online Printing Services
Having materials printed professionally is always the way to go when you need stunning, high-quality results. It’s easy to assume that local printers are the best option, but nothing could be further from the truth. Although they can handle much of the same work, they miss the mark in many crucial ways.
When looking for printing services online, stick with a company with a proven track record. Since you’re not limited by geography, choosing a service that shines in the most important ways is more manageable. To that end, you can’t go wrong by entrusting your printing needs with the experts at Dazzle Printing.
Dazzle Printing: The Leading Choice for Online Printing Services
Dazzle Printing has you covered for all your online printing needs. Our website is intuitive, easy to use, and loaded with helpful resources. We offer competitive prices, fast turnaround times, and unparalleled quality regardless of the size or scope of your project. All of our services are backed up by our unbeatable customer service and 100% satisfaction guarantee, including online chat representatives who can guide you through the process.
When you’re ready to print your next project, we hope you’ll consider using Dazzle Printing. We have tons of different options, including four different binding styles, four types of lamination, and many paper options. You’ll find us easy to do business with. But don’t take our work for it. Check out all of our 5-star reviews to see how our customers like working with us.
