tips Archives

4 Tips for Optimal Large Format Printing

Posted on August 6, 2022February 24, 2023 by Jamie Xuereb

Jamie shares several tips to minimise delays and achieve optimal output from your large format printing.

1) Always Use Vectors Where Possible

When creating / supplying artwork, utilise vectors – these are your best friend! Vectors are images created from shapes based on mathematical formulas. This keeps them sharp no matter how large the artwork needs to be. Don’t worry – you don’t need to know the tech or mathematics behind it all. Your graphic design software should look after that. The reason we (and other printers) recommend vectors is that they are sharper than Rasters. With rasters, there is always a point where the images will pixelate. Rasters are essentially a photo – hence the inability to scale infinitely. In large format printing this is invaluable as it eliminates the possibility of any issues.

Even better, vector images contain the CMYK values of a graphic which leads to more accurate colour output in the finished print.

2) Ensure Fonts Are Converted to Outlines

Fonts are perhaps the most fickle element when it comes to supplied artwork – just ahead of colours. Due to the variety of fonts in existence and the legal / technical limitations of having them stored within a database, you should always convert your text elements to outlines. Without conversion there’s a high chance your printer may not have the font available and it will be automatically substituted by their graphic design software. This is particularly true of bespoke fonts or those in languages that do not use the English alphabet.

There are other processes to workaround these issues – like flattening of an image file – however this can create other issues that need fixes of their own. By simply converting fonts to outlines you can ensure that artwork will print as it is provided, and avoid any delays to printing.

Most trade printers will not undertake proofing and require artwork to be provided in this way. This allows for automation and expedited printing with minimal service requirements. If you want to better understand what is required by your trade printer, and find the right match, we recently discussed the fundamental questions to ask.

3) Flatten Gradients Where Possible

When it comes to gradients (unlike Fonts), flattening is a useful process to ensure an accurate finished product. If you leave gradients as a raster, or simply a selected effect option in a PDF, it may be interpreted differently depending on the Raster Image Processing Software (RIPS) used by the printer. Not all RIPS are made the same, so it is best to standardise your images and eliminate the chance of gradients going awry in your wide format printing.

It’s always safer to flatten your gradients and it doesn’t take long – so what have you got to lose?

4) Utilise CMYK For Large Format Printing

Always create and supply your print artwork in CMYK colour format. Conventional large format printing is done using CMYK inks, so you’ll want to ensure your artwork matches. Whilst it may be tempting to use RGB in this digital age, that colour format is only best for screen / web design. Quite often we find people are surprised by the difference in colour between a digital RGB file and a sample CMYK print output.

By using CMYK from the very beginning you’ll be able to see the actual output throughout the entire processes. This leads to accurate printing, a better idea of the finished product to set expectations, and satisfied customers.

BONUS: Inspect Your Artwork At 100% On Screen

Here’s a bonus tip we’ll throw in for free: make sure you view your PDF Files at 100%!

This simple trick can pay dividends down the line and help you avoid any issues with large format printing quality. By viewing at 100% you will get an idea of the actual quality of images and see any potential pixelation.

For those more technically-inclined here’s what this means from a DPI perspective:

If the file is 10% then make sure to zoom in at 1000% to see the artwork as it will end up.

120 DPI for raster photos at 100% size is what we generally recommended. Going over this is likely overkill and will see diminishing returns.

An example: For banner files at 10% size, ensure that it is set up at 1200 DPI so when blown up it gets to the 120 DPI mark.

Mediapoint Optimal Large Format Printing — Optimal Large Format Printing

Eliminating Errors From Wide Format Printing

So there you have it – our top tips for eliminating any issues when utilising a trade printing partner. We’ve worked thousands of print jobs over the years; by following these recommendations our customers have accelerated their print processes and eliminated the burden of rework / delays.

If you’re a high volume print reseller looking for a trade-only printing partner with a wide range of products speak to us today.

Large Format Printing: A Best Practice Guide

Posted on July 30, 2022February 24, 2023 by Jamie Xuereb

In this article we discuss the best practices for optimal large format printing in this video and accompanying article.

Many of our customers have prior experience with differing forms of printing – offset, small format, merchandising, and screen printing. Large format printing, however, has its own nuances. So getting across these best practices can help you expedite printing, save headaches, and achieve better printing results.

Convert Fonts In Your Large Format Printing Artwork to Outlines

Fonts, like colours, are a particularly tricky element of printing artwork. There are legal / technical limitations when it comes to fonts. You can never be sure the printer will have the font you require available. So to mitigate any issues you should always convert your text elements to outlines. Without conversion it’s likely to be automatically substituted by graphic design software. This is particularly true of custom fonts or those in languages that do not use the English alphabet.

Converting fonts into outlines ensures that artwork will print as it is provided. Quite often we see text elements being the cause of delays to wide format printing. There are other processes that can help, like flattening of an image file but this create other issues.

Most trade printers will not undertake proofing – so double check your work before sending. Conducting conversion of text elements and following the other tips below will set you up for success. If you want to better understand what is required by your trade printer, and find the right match, we recently discussed the fundamental questions to ask.

Use CMYK & Pantone For Accurate Colour Matching

Always setup your artwork files in CMYK and not RGB. Whilst RGB is the go-to for digital design, the finished, printed colours won’t match. Trust us – there is quite the difference in colour between an RGB specification and the CMYK print output.

If you’re after a very specific colour match you’ll want to go a step further. Specify a Pantone C colour to correctly match and achieve your desired output. As colours can change from inkset to inkset, Pantone C colouring specifications keep wide format printing profiles in check.

Aim For 120DPI in Any Photos

Keep to the golden number of 120DPI photos to be printed in a large format. Any lower than this and it’s highly likely pixelation will occur. If you go too high you run the risk of RIP (Raster Image Processing) issues due to massive file sizes.

There really is no need to overdo it on the DPI. Don’t forget: most large format printing is designed to be viewed from a few meters back. You’ll find that there is a larger dot size (compared to small format printing) due to the outdoor durability requirement of the ink. So when it comes to the finished product, whilst it may look odd up close, you’ll get an accurate representation of the image when viewed from the intended distance.

Another thing to keep in mind here is the file size compared to its final scale. If the file is at 10% size, then set your DPI to match so that once blown up the image appears as intended.

For example:

If you’re delivering banner files at 10% size, set them up at 1200DPI. Once blown up to 100% size you’ll be right on that ideal 120DPI mark.

Utilise Vectors For Wide Format Printing

Use vectors wherever possible for any wide format printing. Vectors are incredibly handy for this typoe of printing. Vectors utilise mathematical formulas to create the shapes that make up your image. So no matter how large the artwork needs to be, the image will remain sharp. Industry standard graphic design software will be able to look after the technical side of things for you.

Trade printers recommend vectors due to their better sharpness when compared to rasters. With rasters, there is always a point where the images will pixelate. Rasters are essentially a photo – so they cannot scale infinitely. In wide format printing this ability to scale eliminates the possibility of any pixelation or blurring.

Plus vector images contain the CMYK values. Which takes care of the best practices above and leads to more accurate colour in the finished print.

If you’re a print reseller and outsourcing (or looking to outsource) over 30 jobs a month, we can help. Mediapoint has over 16 years of experience servicing high volume resellers exclusively. Talk to us today.

3 Ways Trade Printing Can Increase Profits

Posted on July 23, 2022February 24, 2023 by Jamie Xuereb

In the video above (and the accompanying article) we discuss how you can increase profits by engaging a trade printer.

Increase Profits by Offering More Products to Your Existing Customers

It’s highly likely the bulk of your revenue comes from existing customers, who already buying from you. You’ve built up a relationship with them and you’re likely to be their go-to supplier. But there’s a finite amount of products and stock you can hold / offer without taking up costly space. Not to mention the compatibility of these materials with your existing equipment.

That’s where an established, large trade printer comes in handy. By engaging a print partner you can offer their range of products and services as your own to existing customers without having to outlay significant cost for new stock, products or specialised printing equipment. You win by growing your product offerings (whilst minimising spend) and they win by not having to go elsewhere.

It’s a no-risk way to add services and products without the need for more floor space, staff, equipment or administration. Under this model you can just focus on the selling; strengthening relationships with clients as you also add profit, thanks to good margins and increased offerings.

Downsizing By Removing Unprofitable Lines

Eliminate the risk and the burden of unprofitable lines by shifting the responsibility to a trade printer. It’s no secret that staff are getting harder to find in Australia, so when we they are available we need them to be utilised effectively. Plus accessing the latest technology or purchasing new equipment is taking longer than ever thanks to supply chain issues. So keeping up with the right equipment or the right setup to match our competitors, and the demands of a growing customer base, is much harder.

To overcome these challenges (particularly during the peak of COVID) we’ve seen printing companies downsizing, moving to leaner models and focusing only on profitable lines. Some have even made the decision to shift entirely from print manufacturing to print reselling or brokering.

Trade printers make this a viable long-term strategy, allowing print business owners to stress less and move to more profitable models over the last couple years.

Increase Profits by Outsourcing Large Volume Orders

If you’re manufacturing predominantly in-house it’s likely that you have entry-level equipment or assets that suit a lower volume of production. This is fine for artisanal, bespoke or custom jobs, but not beneficial if you’re expecting to grow the volume of your print runs. In this scenario the cost per square metre will be much higher when factoring in ink, stock, labour, capital for equipment and the physical space you need for it all.

Of course, you can charge more (out of necessity / perceived value) but should your quantity of orders or volume grow, you’ll be tying up production capacity on low margin orders. Never forget that time is a commodity; any time your machines are running for one job, they aren’t producing for another. You want to be utilising your own equipment for the orders that make the most profit; outsourcing to a reliable partner enables you to do this without sacrificing quality or speed on key accounts.

Using a trade printer you can produce faster, at a higher volume, without the profit-eating capital outlay.

Trade Printing Mediapoint — 3 Ways Trade Printing Can Increase Profits

Which Trade Printers Will Increase Profits

Each trade / wholesale printer will have different offerings when it comes to products, service and pricing.

It’s important to undertake a robust evaluation of your options – whether you’re already in a trade printing partnership or just starting to look into the option. It doesn’t take much to get the answers you need, just a decent investment of focus and time. However, the return on this investment can reap great rewards when it comes to increasing profits. We recently discussed the fundamental questions you should answer in your evaluation when looking to outsource your printing.

Match up with a quality wholesale printer and you’ll be freeing up equipment capacity, labour, time and capital whilst building up the bottom line.

If you’re interested in evaluating Mediapoint services, and joining hundreds of other high volume resellers taking advantage of trade print, sign up to our PrintIQ system today.

Evaluating A Trade Printer

Posted on July 16, 2022October 11, 2022 by Jamie Xuereb

We discuss why evaluating a trade printer, whether you’ve already got one or if you’re just starting to explore the trade printing option, can save you administrative headaches and money. Here we discuss the key ways resellers can evaluate their trade printer to make sure they are getting the best deal.

Evaluating a Trade Printer 101: Are they a good match?

The first thing to ask is, of course, ‘is this trade printer right for me?’ And the answer usually depends on two things: your size and your systems.

If you’re only outsourcing a few jobs a month, or relying on a trade printer on an ad-hoc basis it’s highly likely that you’ll want (and need) a trade printer with a solid front end and the ability to service micro-orders without hassle. By that we mean the ability to provide dedicated, bespoke customer service. This could be a service phone line or live chat, support with artwork correction, perhaps even a dedicated account manager. Whilst this may be useful to you, it also means sacrificing margin. You may even want to consider whether outsourcing is right in the first place, or if you’re better off handling these jobs in-house.

If you are a high volume print reseller or print broker you should be looking for a trade printer that matches your size. Look for partners that have Lean processes: automated quoting / ordering capabilities, routine cutoff times, continuous availability of standard or high-demand products. The trade-off for dedicated personal service here is greater margins, quicker turnaround, and less administration. If you (and your team) have the ability to get jobs print-ready, why pay for services you don’t require?

Shipping process should also be a factor in your evaluation. Where the printer is shipping from and how they are shipping can greatly change costs and timelines. The shipping options available from a wholesale printer may vary by the product you are ordering, the volume and your lead-time requirements.

These are the fundamental tradeoffs that you need to take into account when evaluating a trade printer. In all cases however, pricing will play a major role.

Do You Know The Pricing Model?

As mentioned above, there is a multitude of different trade printing offerings, each with their own specialisation. Even the definition of ‘trade printing’ changes depending on who you ask!

A top tip to get a real sense of where a wholesale printer’s ‘strike zone’ is, is by how pricing changes based on the quantities you are ordering. This combined with any information on lead times can help determine if the wholesale printer is best set up for volume or micro-orders. The longer the lead time the more likely it is that the printer relies on high-volume batch process.

When evaluating a trade printer you need to decide whether these lead times and their pricing work for you, or if you need to shop around. If you’re consistently having to work to meet lead times, or you aren’t benefiting from a discount on the quantity you are ordering – perhaps it’s best to look elsewhere.

The Proof is in the Print Mode

A significant factor in evaluating any printer is the actual printing that they do. You want consistency and so do your clients. There’s nothing worse than under-delivering on your customer’s expectations (particularly if they’ve ordered something similar previously).

This means looking for an organisation that maintains the same print mode to produce consistent quality each and every run. You can get a feel for any deviation by inspecting multiple batches of similar / repeat orders and comparing the items. If you’re noticing abnormalities like banding or a lack of matching colour, there may be reason to believe that different modes have been used.

Finally – don’t be afraid to go ahead and ask the question when enquiring/ Does the printer run only one ‘go-to’ mode when printing? Or does this change depending on the artwork supplied, or even the volume?

At Mediapoint we can answer that, easily. With each piece of equipment our team identify and lock down one mode for our printing to ensure clients get the right balance of speed, quality and consistency when ordering.

Evaluating a Trade Printer Feature Image — How To Evaluate A Trade Printer

Our Definition Of Trade-Only Printing

Trade printing is a service where you outsource your printing to another supplier who then produces the work on your behalf. This leaves you with greater equipment availability for priority, short-run or custom jobs. You can utilise to focus on growing your business and offering bespoke sevices. A quality trade printer (also known as a Wholesale Printer) will deal only with you – not your customer – allowing you to focus on growing relationships and your customer base, without the financial outlay for new equipment.
If you’re looking for a print partner for products such as mesh banners, corrugated plastic boards, stickers and posters, then feel free to register on our pricing page.

Trade Printing VS In-House Production

Posted on July 2, 2022February 24, 2023 by mediapoint_admin

In this video Jamie Xuereb from Mediapoint discussing the benefits of Trade Printing VS In-house Printing

In this article we discuss the various benefits of Trade Printing VS In-house Printing so you can decide which is right for your print business.

What are the benefits of Printing In-House?

When printing in-house, it is likely that jobs will be completed on entry-level equipment with a smaller footprint, and lower volume. You’re likely to achieve a decent quality from these machines – when running at their best these printers have a good output The caveat here is that these machines require longer time and minimal strain.

In-house equipment also gives you the power to print on any stock ad-hoc. Due to the lower volume and accessibility, you can chop and change stocks after each sheet or load. This makes it easy to pump out small orders in a rush and even same day – from the same machine.

On the flip side, you will see that your cost in ink, stock and labour per square meter are much higher. Your pricing then needs to reflect this to be profitable.

Add to that the inability to run multiple, different jobs in tandem and you will hit your equipment’s max availability (and therefore max revenue) earlier in your schedule.

So you then need to determine whether it is worth running your equipment on an overtime shift and paying higher rates for labour outside of your normal operating hours. This is where trade printing becomes the better, more economical option.

What is Trade Printing

Trade printing is a service where you outsource your printing to another supplier who then produces the work on your behalf. This leaves you with higher equipment availability for priority, short-run or custom jobs, and more time to focus on selling / growing your business. A quality trade printer (also known as a Wholesale Printer) will deal only with you – not your customer – allowing you to focus on growing relationships and your customer base, without the financial outlay for new equipment.

What Are the Advantages of a Wholesale Printer?

1. Inventory, Experience, and Equipment

Trade printing partners like Mediapoint have invested in the factory space, high-end equipment, staff, inventory of stock, and processes to deliver quality at much higher volumes.

For example our high-volume Durst printing equipment, means we have the capacity to handle 150+ jobs daily. This is achieved by batching and printing stock once a day alongside multiple production shifts in the schedule. That allows us to offer an ultra-fast 24-hour turnaround time for most jobs do.

2. Lower Costs for Us, Higher Profits for Customers

Our consumable cost per square meter is much lower than entry-level and mid-range printing equipment that you may have in-house.

Since the volumes we are producing for trade print clients are much higher than your average print shop, we tend to buy stock in containers which means we have a lower stock cost.

This means we can focus on printing to a model that gives our reselling partners more margin to work with. We pass the volume savings on – it’s a win-win situation.

When Is A Trade Printer Not Suitable?

Most trade printing models are designed on set products with preset options. That means: set stock, print quality, finishing and packing methods.

If you are looking for anything a little more off the cuff or bespoke then a trade printer might not be suitable. Generally, the trade printers with the best margins are not nimble. In this case, speaking to a general retail printer, or signage company, might be your best bet.

To make the model work, batching and automation is needed as a trade printer. So doing things like same-day / rush orders would not be suitable. However, turnaround times of 24 hours (even on some solid volumes) is still possible.

A trade printer’s number one priority is to give its resellers the most margin. To do this it has heavily invested in its manufacturing capabilities. All other areas of the business including the frontend, prepress and dispatch need to be fairly automated. So if you require personal service on every order, a trade printer is not the optimal choice. You will be directed to an automated system for the aforementioned benefits of speed, efficiency and cost.

Mediapoint is a reliable Australian Trade Printer and this is their Durst Flatbed Printer

Durst 512 Mediapoint — Mediapoint is a reliable Australian Trade Printer and this is their Durst Flatbed Printer

What Can a Trustworthy Trade Printer Like Mediapoint Do For Your Business?

At Mediapoint we believe we are the best trade printers in the market as we allow our resell partners to:

* Add different products to their mix.

* Make more margin from their existing customers without the outlay.

* Downsize whilst becoming more profitable.

* Cut out products that they traditionally produce that are not profitable.

* Focus on the strengths of their business which might be design, selling, or marketing instead of production.

If you have a gap with trade printing products such as mesh banners, corrugated plastic boards, stickers and posters, then feel free to register on our trade pricing page. Mediapoint has been servicing high volume print resellers and brokers exclusively for over 16 years. We have the experience, knowledge and equipment to cater to any requirement.

How To Pick The Right Material For Mesh Fence Panels & Fence Banners

Posted on June 15, 2022February 24, 2023 by mediapoint_admin

We are constantly asked what the best mesh banner stock is for mesh fence panels & fence mesh banners. Being a trade printer and having a lot of knowledge in this area we know that one size does not fit all when it comes to the best type of material for fence banners.

We understand that being tied into one way or one stock is not suitable when it comes to all of the solutions you will need to provide for fence mesh banners. See below for the range of different fence banner materials used and in what scenario they are used in.

PVC Vinyl Fence Banners

This stock is suitable for fence banners needing a more solid construction. As it not perforated the whole image is printed and lands on the material, the whole image is shown. So the benefit here is for anyone who wants the maximum impact of their mesh fence panels as the most punchy print is visible. As it is a heavier stock (we offer a 510gsm), it also means the banner is going to be more durable over time.

On the other hand, as this has a solid construction, it naturally does not allow any wind flow through the banner. Because of this in high wind flow area’s the banner may tear over time or cause temporary fences to fall over. Some companies use wind slits to combat this but in our testing, we have found that this weakens the banner and can cause tearing.

12×12 PVC Mesh Fence Panels

As this is a tight-knit mesh it is often referred to as a ‘premium’ mesh. Because of this more of the image is shown on the print so there is less show through compared to other mesh options. This stock typically comes in a 280gsm weight so it has a solid tensile strength. Because of the above, this stock is used more for smaller fence mesh banners as the better print visibility and strength on a smaller banner is good in most instances. It also has the longest life in outdoor conditions than other mesh options.

On the flip side as this is a closer knit mesh, the compromise comes with the amount of air flow through the fence mesh panels. In high wind loads, this stock can turn into a sail as not all of the wind can flow through the banner. So typically a strong fence or install is needed when installing these banners. As this stock is made of PVC, as the dyne level of the stock drops, UV ink is susceptible to fail on this stock. At Mediapoint we print on latex inks to avoid this issue. And the inks are more environmentally friendlier as an added bonus.

6×6 PVC Fence Mesh Banners

Often considered a more ‘open’ mesh this stock is perfect for longer fence mesh banners. The reason being is the stock is constructed with a 180gsm makeup which allows the most air permeability compared to any other PVC mesh fence panel options. What this means is this stock allows the most wind to flow through it which is suitable in high wind loads where there is a risk of the banner turning into a sail. This can potentially cause the banner to tear or a fence to fall over.

The compromise with this stock though is due to the more open makeup of the stock, less of the print is visible. This really dulls down any colors and you are not able to get any vibrancy on any colors because of this. We also avoid the issue of ink failing on this stock by using latex inks. With UV inks, as the stock ages, there is a risk of the ink coming off. Latex inks do not have this issue and have the added benefits of being more environmentally friendlier as well.

Shade Cloth

Shade Cloth has the benefit of being considered the ‘cheapest’ option of the fence banners range. It is often constructed of cotton or HDPE Mesh depending on the supplier. The print quality is decent as the knits are closer together.

Where the compromise is on this stock comes down to the type of print, finishing, and strength of the product. This type of stock can typically only be printed with less environmentally friendly solvent inks. This is not as safe as the latex inks that we use. This stock also comes pre-finished with buttonhole edging. This is nowhere near as strong as hemming and eyeletting which will cause banners to tear after a bit of wind exposure. As this stock is a closer knit it does not handle wind load like a more open weave mesh to does. This is why it is considered more of a short-term banner mesh panel option. At Mediapoint, we do not offer it because of these factors and recommend our customers to look at a more open weave mesh which is not too different in price point. But it provides a host of added benefits.

Polyester Mesh

As this stock is constructed with polyester, it is often considered as a fabric mesh. Typically it has a 115gsm weight, it is the lightest option out of the mesh fence panels material outlined in this post. This makes transporting this stock the easiest out of all of the options here. Due to the makeup of the threads, a lot of the print can be shown which makes this a fairly punchy print stock. This stock is often used for outdoor events.

As it is a fabric through, it can only be printed with a dye sublimation process. This is great for producing a punchy print but it is also only a short-term outdoor ink solution. Also as this is a fabric it needs to be sewn for the hem which is often a costlier process. Being a fabric as well it naturally will only hold up short-term outdoors.

If you have any queries about which stock is best for your customers mesh fence panels and fence banners, then have a chat to us if the above is not clear. Also don’t forget to checkout our pricing product to get instant online pricing about some of the options we offer from the above.

How To Grow Your Print Business

Posted on May 12, 2022February 24, 2023 by mediapoint_admin

In this article, Jamie discusses his top tips for how to grow your print business.

We are constantly getting feedback from our customers and even our suppliers to how much we are growing. In the current market climate, it is not easy to grow your print business. But our formula over the last 13 years is below.

KNOW YOURSELF

The key thing we found which switched us from being just another print business to really surging, was knowing yourself. Several years ago, we realized our advantage was being a production house and most of our top customers were trade customers. So, we pivoted Mediapoint to be a trade-only printer.

GET LEAN IN THE RIGHT AREAS TO GROW YOUR PRINT BUSINESS

By knowing yourself it will allow you to get lean in 3 key areas which are your processes, people and products. By knowing your target area and your target customers you can tailor your setup towards them. It also allows you to focus and make decisions with a target market in mind.

PROCESSES

One of the biggest issues we see with a lot of our customers is they do not have time as they are working on unprofitable tasks. By knowing yourself you can drill down on your processes and cut anything out which is not relevant to your target market. When someone requests something outside of your processes you can say no to them as they are probably outside of your target market.

PEOPLE

By knowing yourself and having tight processes it makes it easier to bring in a good team. The reason being is your team will be given clear instructions as well as fewer areas to manage. One of the key issues a lot of print businesses face is being spread too thin and expecting a lot of their team.

PRODUCTS

With the above points working in synergy, it is important that the products that you offer, and the specifications reflect this. If you do not do this, your whole system will fall over. Also, by following the above system you can adequately price products knowing all of the true costs.

We use the above formula to cut a lot of waste and save a lot of time so we can give our print partners more margin. That is our distinct advantage. We have been refining the above for 13 years. Also, do you notice how in this post we have not talked about marketing and sales?

WORD OF MOUTH

Retaining your customers and getting customers via word of mouthis the first step you should get right before plastering the market. To grow your print business you need a solid base and reputation or else you will waste a lot of your marketing dollars. A lot of our customers that try to grow waste a lot of their budget in marketing as they do not have the points outlined above solid within their own business.

Our Secret To Hiring Print Staff

Posted on April 14, 2022February 24, 2023 by mediapoint_admin

From what we hear from our trade partners, it seems that hiring print staff is one of the trickiest parts of running a print business. We know this from experience as well. From over 13 years of experience and having plenty of time to learn from each hire, we have developed our own way of doing this.

A bad hire will cost your business thousands of dollars. But a good hire will be worth a lot more to your business.

WE GET OVER 1000 PRODUCTION APPLICANTS A MONTH

Yes, you read that right!

You might think that getting 1000 applicants on Seek is a godsend. In reality it is like finding a needle in a haystack. We like using Seek as it has an in-built questionnaire feature which makes screening print staff more efficient.

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM YOUR PRINT STAFF

Through lessons in the past with staff, we have a tighter view on the characteristics we look for when hiring staff. For us there are some basic screening questions we ask to ensure we are not wasting each other’s time such as:

Proximity & Do they have a license
Will this job be their primary focus or are they studying?
Do they want to work on their feet or behind a desk?

THE MEDIAPOINT PRINT STAFF DIFFERENCE

What makes the Mediapoint process special for hiring print staff is we are also looking for mental aptitude when hiring. We also do psychological testing. The key things we look for in a candidate are:

Can they follow a process?
Can they take instructions?
Do they like working at an efficient pace?

With our testing we can get a general idea of print staff candidates. The key think is we are looking for character over experience. As it leads to the next point…

IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW GOOD A CANDIDATE IS

If you do not have good training and processes behind an employee, they are doomed to fail. To be able to keep our quality and consistency up, we keep our products, equipment and processes simple. We can get a new candidate up to speed in weeks and not years. This allows us to scale quickly and rapidly.

Setting Up Custom Cut Shape, Crease & Scores on your Artwork

Posted on March 15, 2022February 24, 2023 by mediapoint_admin

Please watch the above video on the process for setting up your artwork for custom cut shape, score or creases.

For a PDF version of this guide click HERE

Close Your Artwork With A Thru-Cut & Not a Trim Box

As soon as custom cut finishing steps are added to a job, you are required to close the size with a Thru-cut stroke and note a Trim Box.

For example if you were creating a standee with 2 faces cut out. For the finished size, we would require a Thru-cut stroke as per this image.

Stroke and Custom Cut Names

Please ensure your strokes are Spot colours only or else our flow will not detect them. They also need to be named:

Thru-cut – For custom shape cuts. Please ensure if you are doing any small cut-outs such as holes in the artwork, you also have an outer Thru-cut stroke as the trim box.

Crease – For any creasing on products such as Bollards. Please ensure that your crease does not extend past your outer Thru-cut.

Score – For any face scoring on products such as Toblerone Signs. Please ensure that your Score does not extend past your outer Thru-cut.

Custom Cut and Shape FAQs

Can my stroke be any colour?

Your stroke can be any colour except white, but what is more important to us is that it is a Spot colour and named exactly like the above. The colour the actual Spot Thru-cut stroke is, does not matter to us. Our flow will remove this if it detects it but know where to cut.

Can Mediapoint set up my artwork for me?

No, Mediapoint is 100% trade only. So we expect to get any artwork print ready and to our specs. It is the only way we can stay lean on our front end and give you more margin.

Can I supply the custom cut line in a separate file?

No, your artwork and Thru-cut need to be in the same file and imposed exactly where you want the cut to be.

Can I supply an EPS, AI or another file format?

We only accept PDF files so we will not accept another file format. This process means your file can go straight into our rip and minimize any potential issues.

Stop Competing On Price

Posted on February 15, 2022February 24, 2023 by mediapoint_admin

We often get asked by our customers, how they can convert more quotes on our products such as corflute and banners. Most people initially go down to price. But based on the data and trends we have seen; this is not necessarily the case.

What the Data Tells Us

From our top 20 customers, we have seen that they are all creating value in different ways. By doing this they are creating a more premium product they can charge more for. From the data it also tells us 2 clear things:

That our customers are using our system to get pricing quickly. When their customer requests a quote, they are not waiting on us to get back to them. They are getting the quote accurately through our IQ system and getting back to their customer in minutes.
These customers are in a niche and have developed a high level of trust with their target market. For example, they are in a certain market segment and they only do that sort of work. So, the reviews on their business are from target customers in that demographic. It creates a lot of trust with potential customers which they can charge a little more for.

Think About It on A Larger Scale

Typically, someone who needs print, it is not about the product. It is about solving a problem. They need the product by a certain date, or the print will be rendered useless. If they do not get it in time, then they have wasted the whole price on the spend.

By eliminating any potential stumbling blocks, you can nail the sale and take it outside of price.

What This Means For You

In your setup, it means you need to ensure you have a system which gets pricing out fast. It also means you need to narrow down and focus on your target market so you can be the go-to company in that niche.

If you want to chat and just get some feedback on how this applies to your business, feel free to get in touch.