Printing is defined in the dictionary as the art and process of producing printed material using inked type and a printer press. However in the 21st century most of our business needs are taken care of by the computer. With a computer and a credit card, you can have the latest gadgets delivered to your home in your pajamas. So its now wonder that the traditional printing press was replaced by sophisticated printers and the ink by laser. We got online printing.

Online printing kicked off in the later half of the last century and brought the printing business to our homes. The Internet coupled with direct-to-plate technology and desktop publishing software revolutionized the way people looked at printing.

Definition:

Online printing provides high quality color prints to the end user using the medium of Internet for all business transactions. It essentially provides the print buyer with printing from their desktops.

Broadly it can be used to print any of the following:

• Business cards

• Greetings cards

• Company Brochures

• Calendars

• Notepads

• Labels

• Personalized plastic products

• Photographs

How online printing works:

Generally an online printing establishment has a pre-press department that takes care of the design and layout needs, a processing section that uses direct-to-plate technology to produce the print plate directly from the computer and a color system to electronically send color to the press and a state of the art press. It may also have a bindery department.

As a user, you have the following steps:

Step I: Place the order for a job.

Step II: Upload the artwork to that job.

Step III: Review the online proof and incorporate any custom trimming if required.

Step IV: Send the job to press through Internet.

Step V: Receive the delivery within the promised turnaround.

Benefits:

It is time saving and cost effective. You also eliminate a lot of your worries by placing your order with a competent concern that takes care of your printing needs end-to-end. They help you choose the right template for your print, customize your layout, the paper that suits your budget and all of this from the comfort of your home.

Tips:

Cyberspace is a faceless risky place for business dealings. Following tips will help you ensure that you get your money’s worth:

• Invest time to find the most trustworthy establishments.

• Consult your friends and business partners.

• Refer to samples and customer testimonials.

• Speak to the customer service providers. That will give you an idea how knowledgeable and co-operative their team is.

• Ensure a strong guarantee of color.

• With direct-to-plate technology used in online printing the print image cannot be accurately judged. So ensure that the service provider has a good proof reading stage in place.

• Double-check their delivery record.

Major Companies and Cost:

Printplace.com, Printingforless.com, Printrunner.com are some of the leading service providers in this industry. Their websites are extremely user-friendly with latest tools to give you instant quotes.

For example, a bundle of 250 business cards with simple features and a 10 day turnaround time may cost approximately $30.

As you can see custom printing with online printers is not complicated at all and if you are a first timer you may get a fair discount on your first order! So get going!