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How to Find Great Commercial Printing Services in San Mateo County, CA

Whether you belong to a large corporation or a one-person business, there is a need for marketing. Commercial printers in San Mateo County offer businesses the means produce high-quality business cards, catalogs, brochures, flyers and many other varieties of printed material. If you're considering bulk printing of any of these, The Prime Buyer's Report can help you find an inexpensive, quality printer in San Mateo County. more »

How to Find Great Commercial Printing Services in San Mateo County, CA 

When moving an idea from the conceptual to the print form, there are many variables to consider whether you need a business card or a lengthy catalog. The best offset printers in San Mateo County are mindful of each customer's concerns, using the finest in two- and four-color offset lithography technology, and offering fast turnaround times. The following will help you understand the fine points of commercial printing and the various measures taken by local printers to accommodate individual customers' printing needs.

The Nature of Commercial Printing Services
For the most part, it is the customer with high-volume printing needs that stands to benefit most from commercial printers as opposed to making copies on Xerox or other copying machines. These printers complete most jobs through an offset printing process- a highly mechanized procedure that can efficiently generate a large output of printed material quickly. Magazines, newspapers, and other mass-marketed documents are produced this way. In San Mateo County, many of the local printers offer an entire suite of services with the private business owner in mind. These companies can create customized business forms, business cards, stationary or letterhead, signs, banners and labels. Aside from print production, ancillary services may also be available, including laminating, copying, Velo, perfect or stitch and trim binding, or UV coating. If you're in need of professional services prior to the production phase, many San Mateo County printers also offer graphics and design services and digital and/or print proofing.

The best professional printers will work to accommodate your schedule. For your convenience, most of the printers in San Mateo County can estimate time and materials, accept drafts, and send proofs all via email. They may be able to arrange free pick-up and delivery.

There are Many High-Quality Offset Printers in San Mateo County
Each printer in San Mateo County has different capabilities, from the printing process they employ to the output quantity they can handle. It's a good idea to do research of many local printers to be able to identify the proper printer for your job. To expedite your efforts, The Prime Buyer's Report has listed information about ten of the best printers in San Mateo County, which are the following:

Prima Printing, Pacific Printing & Publication, Royal Fireworks Press, Fastsigns, Copy Copies, Art Rainbow Printing & Copy Co, Pea Press, Degnan Printers Inc, Hatcher Press Inc, SF Offset Printing Co Inc.

Learn About Offset Printing on Your Own
Continue this research on your own by using the internet and any available print media. The commercial printing process is a complex one; you should be aware of the options open to you prior to contacting a San Mateo County printer. To see a list of helpful associations, Web sites, and publications, see the Prime Buyer's Report article, "Key Consumer Resources for Printers in San Mateo County."

 

 

How to Find the Best San Mateo County Printer for Your Needs 

Investigate Multiple San Mateo County Printers
Before you commit to a particular printer, some simple phone research will clarify their ability to accommodate you. Call several of the printers you are considering and ask questions about their services. The following examples will help guide the question and answer process.


What printing methods do you use?

What is your minimum print quantity?

How long should the process, from proof submission to shipment, take to complete?

Do you offer mailing services?

What are your overage policies?

How do you calculate fees (including set-up fees, plate fees, and proofing charges)?

Can you provide digital proofs?

Can you provide samples of work you've completed?

What do you need from me (photos, digital files, copy, etc.) to produce the job?
 

Get estimates for your job from several printers before choosing one. This can be helpful because in addition to getting an idea of what the job will cost, some may, when they hear about your job, offer you a less expensive alternative. Compare the estimates you've gathered and use them as a final determining factor. After deciding on a printer that looks like they could do the job and charges within your budget, carefully prepare your document and send it off to begin the prepress process. Once your proof is returned to you, make sure you review it very closely. After you've approved the proof and the job is printed you need to pay the bill even if you missed a big typo.

 

 

Key Consumer Resources for Printers in San Mateo County 

Associations & Licensing

BBB Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org)
BFMA Business Forms Management Association (www.bfma.org)
CABP California Association of Business Printers (www.cabp.org)
DCA California Department of Consumer Affairs (www.dca.ca.gov)
Diamond Certified (www.diamondcertified.org)
DPC Digital Printing Council (www.digitalprintingcouncil.com)
FTA Flexographic Technical Association (www.flexography.org)
GAA Gravure Association of America (www.gaa.org)
IAPHC International Association of Printing House Craftsmen (www.iaphc.org)
ICC International Color Consortium (www.color.org)
MPA Magazine Publishers of America (www.magazine.org)
NAPL National Association of Printers and Lithographers (www.napl.org)
PINC Printing Industries of Northern California (www.pinc.org)
PPI Pacific Printing and Imaging Association (www.pacprinting.org)
SGIA Screen Printing and Graphic Imaging Association (www.sgia.org)
SPAWN Small Publishers, Artists, and Writers Network (www.spawn.org)

Media & Web Resources

www.gain.net
www.colorburstrip.com
www.colorprintingforum.com
www.graphicdesignforum.com
www.piworld.com
www.prepressforum.com
www.printingnews.com

In-Plant Graphics Magazine
Package Printing Magazine
Printing Impressions
QuickPrinting Magazine

The Prime Buyer's Report provides comprehensive information of the top ten printers in San Mateo County by zip code:

94027, 94002, 94005, 94015, 94010, 94014, 94062, 94404, 94019, 94020, 94021, 94025, 94028, 94030, 94038, 94044, 94060, 94061, 94063, 94065, 94066, 94096, 94098, 94070, 94128, 94074, 94401, 94402, 94403, 94080, 94083, 94064, 94037, 94026, 94018, 94017, 94016 and 94011

The Prime Buyer's Report also provides information on the top ten printers in San Mateo County by city:

San Francisco, Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Broadmoor Vlg, Burlingame, Colma, Daly City, Emerald Hills, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, La Honda, Loma Mar, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Moss Beach, Pacifica, Palomar Park, Pescadero, Portola Valley, Princeton by the Sea, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Gregorio, San Mateo, Sharp Park, South San Francisco, West Menlo Park, Woodside, El Granada and Montara

 

 

Tips for Successful Commercial Printing 

Prepare a Submission with Care
Do your best to avoid any prepress problems by meticulously reviewing files before you submit them. Some internet research can introduce you to the resolutions, publishing software, compatible font styles and layouts that are appropriate for the particular document you wish to print.

Carefully review your proof
Once you approve your proof, you're essentially guaranteeing payment for the mass production of the document. If you don't scrutinize the document you approve, and you miss a large mistake, you have a risk of spending your money for something you can't use. In addition to the obvious spelling and typographical errors, check you're your requests have been met regarding typefaces, perforations, page sizes, color choices, bleeds, and resolution.

The More the Merrier
In Printing, pricing usually become much more affordable per-piece the larger the job gets. If you have multiple projects to print you can reduce the labor of the press, and, of course, the cost.

Know the Specifics of Your Job
Before contacting a printer, you should already have the details in order. This means carefully considering all of your options, such as fonts, colors, document size and amounts to be printed, weather coatings, glossy finishes, and binding (among other things). All of these factors affect cost and timing and not all printers can complete them. Overall, the job, from the initial printer decision to the shipment of the product, will go much smoother if all details are attended to and planned for before you jump in.

Maintain Communication
There is always the chance that complications will develop with your project. So be sure to remain available and, if possible, local, should your printer need to consult you about your printing project.

Seek Out Excellence
Some printers in San Mateo County are more established, do cleaner work, and/or value their customers more than others. There's a good chance that these better companies have been acknowledged accordingly by associations like the Better Business Bureau or Diamond Certified. Follow these indications of quality when you're choosing a San Mateo County printer.

Know Your Rights
As a paying customer, you are always protected by rules and regulations that have been passed in the name of consumer advocacy. There may be subtle variations in these laws by locality, so take a look at the specifics that apply to you at the Web site for the California Department of Consumer Affairs.