Maybe several large jobs hit the schedule at once, a press goes down at exactly the wrong time, or a longtime customer asks for something outside your normal capabilities, and you would rather find a solution than send them somewhere else.
Knowing when to outsource printing can help your shop manage those situations without overextending your team or compromising the service your customers expect.
A good trade printing partner works behind the scenes as an extension of your production resources, giving you additional capacity and capabilities when you need them.
1. Your Production Schedule Is at Capacity
Busy seasons are good for business, but they can also create difficult production decisions. If accepting another project means pushing deadlines, running equipment beyond a comfortable schedule, or delaying work already promised to another customer, it may be time to consider overflow printing for your print shop.
Outsourcing part of your production can give you room to keep work moving while maintaining the quality and turnaround times your customers expect. That does not necessarily mean moving an entire account or campaign. A trade partner may handle one portion of the project, a specific quantity, or the pieces that make the most sense based on equipment and scheduling.
2. Equipment Downtime Is Putting a Deadline at Risk
Every printer knows equipment problems rarely happen at a convenient time.
When a press or finishing machine is unavailable, the immediate question becomes how to keep scheduled work moving. Having an established trade printing relationship before you need one gives your team another option. Instead of scrambling to find production capacity after a problem occurs, you already know who you can call, what they can produce, and how your teams will communicate.
3. The Project Requires Capabilities You Do Not Have In-House
Sometimes outsourcing makes more sense than investing in equipment that will only be used occasionally. A customer may ask for a project involving:
Large-format signage or displays
Customized product packaging
Variable data printing
Specialty folding or binding
Die cutting
Foil, embossing, or letterpress
UV or aqueous coating
Direct mail production
Unusual substrates or formats
Working with a trade printing partner can allow you to expand the solutions you offer without adding permanent equipment, labor, or production space.
4. A Mailing Project Requires More Coordination Than Your Team Can Take On
Depending on the campaign, the work may include variable data personalization, addressing, tabbing, folding, inserting, mailing list coordination, National Change of Address processing, postal preparation, bulk mail processing, and fulfillment. When several of those steps need to happen together, outsourcing production to a shop that can coordinate them under one roof can simplify the workflow. This can be especially helpful for complicated campaigns where the print schedule, personalized data, finishing, and postal requirements all need to stay aligned.
5. A Project Is Pulling Resources Away From Your Core Work
A job can technically be possible to produce in-house and still be a poor fit for your current schedule. It could involve several manual steps, or the run length may not be ideal for the equipment available. Consider whether producing the job in-house is the best use of your equipment and staff. Outsourcing the right projects can help your team stay focused on the work your shop is best equipped to produce while still giving the customer the finished product they need.
6. You Want to Say Yes Without Sending Your Customer Somewhere Else
For many independent print shops, this is the biggest reason to develop a trade printing relationship. Your customers come to you because they trust your team. You may have worked with some of them for years or even decades. When they need something different, you want to help them find a solution.
A reliable trade partner gives you another resource. Your shop can continue managing the relationship while your production partner provides the additional capacity, equipment, or expertise needed to complete the project.
We’re not here to replace what you’ve built. We’re here to help you protect it.
What Should You Look for in a Trade Printing Partner?
The way another printer works with your team matters just as much as the equipment itself. Look for a partner that understands the realities of trade work, is committed to investing in their team and equipment, and is prepared to collaborate throughout production.
Clear communication about schedules and production requirements
Collaborative estimating and planning
File review and prepress support
Consistent updates while a job is in production
Attention to color and print quality
Reliable finishing and fulfillment
Respect for your customer relationships
Trust becomes especially important when you are putting another printer’s work in front of a customer who associates the finished piece with your shop.
Build the Relationship Before You Need the Capacity
Getting to know another printer before you need them gives you a chance to understand their equipment, capabilities, workflow, communication style, and the kinds of projects that are a good fit. That way, when a customer brings you an unusual request or your schedule suddenly fills up, you already have another print partner ready to step in to help.
At Wooster Color Point, we work with print shops that need everything from occasional overflow production to ongoing support with specialty projects, mailing campaigns, manuals, booklets, event materials, large-format printing, and finishing.
Every print shop operates differently, so we do not expect every partnership to look the same. Heather Henthorne, Owner, works directly with print partners to talk through the project, production requirements, timing, and where our team can be most useful.
If you're looking for additional production capacity or simply want to know what options are available before you need them, contact Heather to start a conversation about trade printing with Wooster Color Point.
