How to Save Money on Printing? (Online Printer Shares Trade Secrets)

The quick answer for how to save money on printing? Understand what actually works for you. You need to see your printed materials through your audience's eyes. This will tell you exactly how much to spend and where you can cut costs without losing impact.

The key question you should ask yourself is simple: "Is it effective?"

Here's how to get that answer.

Clarify - Photo by Ethan Robertson on Unsplash

_Clarify_

Know what you want – and make it happen.#

Before you order anything, ask yourself what you're trying to achieve. Whether it's a marketing campaign, sales meeting, or business stationery for staff, clarity saves money. Here's how to think about it:

As a marketer: "I want to inform this specific type of person about X and inspire them to take this particular action."

As a business owner in a sales meeting: "I want to deliver this information to secure the deal."

As an administrator: "I want to foster a certain culture around internal communications."

<AcademyQuote>Know who you're communicating with, what you want to say, where you'll say it, and how you want them to respond. This determines the optimal medium and necessary print collateral – keyword being "necessary".</AcademyQuote>

When you only do what's necessary, you'll spend your money in the right places.

Here are some things to evaluate that'll help you cut costs:

Evaluate - Photo by LinkedIn Sales Navigator on Unsplash

_Evaluate_

Double down on proven methods! What's working? What's worked before?#

Now that you know your objectives, you're closer to determining what actually worked.

For past print materials, you might not have tracking in place. That makes it tricky to measure success. But here's a method you can try: check your existing sales data to find your average lead closure time – that's the time between someone discovering you and making a purchase.

This information lives in your analytics platform (for e-commerce) or CRM system. Once you know your average closure time, you can link sales changes to campaigns launched within that timeframe. This gives you an idea of what works – especially if other marketing stayed consistent during that period.

Don't have that data? No worries. You can start measuring your print campaigns going forward. You just need to set things up properly from the start.

Quick pointers: How to measure the success of your print collateral.#

Want your audience to visit your website? Use specific subdomains, subfolders, or landing pages. Try "buy.companyname.co.za" or "companyname.co.za/buy" that leads to a specific page. The trick is using a unique landing page per print piece that can only be accessed from one source – a unique page for your flyers and another for your pull-up banners.

You can use Unbounce.com to create landing pages. This also keeps the page out of search results, ensuring traffic comes from only one source. Talk to your website manager about creating subdomains or vanity URLs. QR codes make it easier for mobile users too.

Don't have multiple landing pages? Try these alternatives:

Call tracking: Get a unique contact number for each piece of collateral. Services like Call Tracking make this easy.

Coupon codes and vouchers: Send people to the same destination, but the coupon code tells you where they came from.

Just ask: Include a questionnaire on your website, have customer service ask callers, or add the question to post-sales emails.

Create 3 categories of print material – you just need the right data:#

• 1Crucial business stationery – e.g. Business cards, presentation folders and notepads.
• 2Effective promotional items – e.g. Flyers from campaign x and pamphlets from campaign y
• 3Collateral that doesn't work or isn't used – e.g. bumper <a href="https://www.printulu.co.za/product/stickers" class="internal-link text-[#007756] hover:text-[#005d42] underline font-medium">stickers</a>

Each method requires some upfront investment of time and money. But the data you generate will show you exactly how many people responded as intended. Eventually, optimising your print materials will more than pay back that initial cost.

Size - Photo by Nikolai Chernichenko on Unsplash

_Size_

Upsize, downsize – it doesn't matter. Just make sure it's the RIGHT size.#

Ask yourself: what's the most necessary size to get your message across? This depends on where you'll use the material. Think about who you'll be giving or showing it to, where this will happen, and what you want them to do with it. Format changes can drastically affect costs, especially when you multiply by the number of copies.

<AcademyProTip>Before finalising your print size, consider the context. A <a href="https://www.printulu.co.za/product/business-cards" class="internal-link text-[#007756] hover:text-[#005d42] underline font-medium">business card</a> needs to fit in a wallet, while a poster needs to be seen from a distance. Right-sizing saves money and improves effectiveness.</AcademyProTip>

Listen to your gut and choose the right Printer for you.#

Growing up, I noticed money-savvy adults never did all their shopping at one store – even when that store had everything they needed. They'd find the best price-quality match by comparing different retailers across South Africa, often just by reading leaflets in newspapers and magazines.

The #1 lesson for print?#

While it's convenient to source all your printing from one company, shopping around for quotes and samples can help you find the perfect price-quality match for specific jobs. You might discover one printer excels at digital work, another at litho, and another at large formats. Put together detailed quotes and send them to multiple printers – then award the job to the best quote.

Even with a preferred printer, source quotes occasionally. This keeps you confident about fair pricing. With Printulu, you can get quotes instantly on our website – a real time-saver.

Colour - Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash

_Colour_

Choose the Necessary Colour and Finish#

Full colour versus black and white only? Lamination or none?

Some items need full colour and/or lamination. Others don't. Ask for quotes on both options. While it might delay the quote, you'll know exactly where you can reduce costs if needed. You want high-quality goods at an affordable price.

Look out for black-only or full-colour-on-one-side options on our website. For most products, you can choose full colour on both sides or just one. Some products offer black-and-white-only options, like the inner pages of our brochures and PUR bind booklets.

Ask yourself what your audience will respond to and whether extra finishes are necessary to maximise your collateral's impact.

Make sure your design stands out from the crowd.#

Design represents a major part of printing costs, especially for brand-new designs.

We've got a post on minimising your design costs here. The summary:

1. Write a good brief – define the who, what, why and where.
2. Find and build a relationship with the right designer.
3. Use the internet to help find the right designer at the right cost.
4. Do it yourself – if you have no other option.

<AcademyDadJoke>Why don't printers ever get lost? Because they always know where to find their prints!</AcademyDadJoke>

Repurpose - Photo by Vítor Santos on Unsplash

Repurpose

Re-purpose it for your needs.#

You might already have leftover materials from previous campaigns. If these aren't time-sensitive, consider repurposing them in other contexts.

Use them in sales meetings, internal marketing campaigns, store promotions, events, expo stands, or direct mail to prospects. The designs also work perfectly for your website and social media as banners, header images, or downloadable files.

Establish a Proven Process that works for you!#

Make it clear to colleagues that you're managing printing costs. Explain that certain criteria must be met before anything gets approved for print. Discouraging wasteful usage can dramatically reduce your print spend. Use the guidelines above as a checklist for this process.

Minimise

_Minimise_

The Bottom Line.#

Clear objectives. Establishing clear goals determines what needs printing and what doesn't.

Measure. Regular measurement lets you spend on what's working and cut waste.

Size matters. How you'll display or distribute materials determines the right, cost-effective format.

Compare quotes. Even with a preferred supplier, build a database of competitive options for the best quotes.

Colour and finish. Include these only if they'll maximise your print's impact.

Design. A good brief, the right designer, internet resources, and DIY when necessary.

Repurpose. Non-time-sensitive materials can work in multiple contexts.

Establish a process. Create easy guidelines for sales, marketing, and admin teams to order only what's necessary and effective. Use this post as your starting point.

This approach will minimise your printing costs while potentially maximising your print materials' long-term impact.

Related:

1. 4 ways to save money on graphic design
2. Your business stationery checklist
3. [A printer's tips on <a href="https://www.printulu.co.za/product/flyers" class="internal-link text-[#007756] hover:text-[#005d42] underline font-medium">flyer</a> design, printing, and distribution](https://www.printulu.co.za/blog/a-printers-tips-on-flyer-printing-design-and-distribution/)

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