How to get an accurate print quote: the 10 specs every printer needs

Why a vague request gets a vague price

'How much for some brochures?' can honestly be quoted anywhere across a very wide range, because every spec moves the price. The estimator either guesses, sends back ten questions, or quotes three options. All of that costs you a day. A request with the ten specs below gets a firm quote much sooner, and a firm quote is one you can compare.

If you do not know an answer, say so. 'Not sure, recommend something' is a perfectly good spec. A blank is not.

The ten specs

1. Finished size, and flat size if it folds. A tri-fold brochure is 8.5 x 11 flat and about 8.5 x 3.67 folded.
2. Quantity. Give two or three if you are unsure, such as 500, 1,000 and 2,500. Per-piece cost often drops a lot as quantity goes up.
3. Paper. Weight and finish (100 lb gloss text, 14 pt matte card, 24 lb bond), or describe the feel and use and let us suggest.
4. Ink colors, front and back. 4/4 means full color both sides. 4/0 is full color one side only. 1/0 is one ink, one side. Name any Pantone colors.
5. Finishing. Folding (which fold), scoring, cutting, die cutting, drilling, padding, numbering, perforating, binding, coating.
6. Bleed. Does anything print to the edge? If yes, the file needs 0.125 inch of bleed on every side.
7. Proof type. A PDF proof for content, or a hard proof on paper for color or fit.
8. Deadline. The date you need it in hand, not the date you would like to start. Mention any event or mail date it is tied to.
9. Delivery. Pickup, delivery to one address, split to several locations, or into the mail.
10. Files. What program they are in, whether they are print-ready PDFs, or whether you need design help.

Extras that change the quote

Mention these if they apply, because each one changes the job:

• Variable data: names, addresses, numbers or versions that change piece to piece.
• Mailing: list size, mail class, whether you need addressing and presort.
• Multiple versions: the same piece with different text for each location or product.
• Matching an earlier job: send a sample or the old job number.
• Packaging: shrink-wrapped in 50s, boxed by location, kitted with other items.

Send a sample if you have one

A photo or physical sample of a piece you liked does more than a paragraph. 'Like this, but our logo and two inches taller' is a brief an estimator can price in minutes. For forms, an old printed copy shows the size, parts, numbering and fold at once.

A quote request that works

An example in the format we like to receive: 'Tri-fold brochure, 8.5 x 11 flat folding to letter size. 1,000 and 2,500. 100 lb gloss text. 4/4. Tri-fold with scoring. Full bleed. PDF proof. Need in hand by March 14 for a trade show. Pickup in Connersville. Print-ready PDF from InDesign, fonts embedded.'

Two lines, ten answers, no back and forth.

Comparing quotes from different printers

If you get several quotes, send every printer the same specs. Then read what each quote includes: paper, proofs, finishing, packing, delivery, file fixes. Two prices for 'brochures' are only comparable when they describe the same brochure. A low number with a different paper or no scoring is a different job.