BHP Printing Blog

You have worked hard on your direct mail marketing piece. While budgets and costs are important, you should not let price be the deciding factor when it is time to pick your printer. Be sure that your biggest concerns are:

• Printing quality
• Services offered
• Speed
• Customer service
• Price

Things to consider in a direct mail printing company.

When you’re working with a commercial printer, ask certain questions to make sure the printer is a good fit for your direct mail needs as well as your budget.

1.Ask for samples of printed pieces that are similar to yours. Check for printing and paper quality.

2.In addition to printing, what direct mail services does the company offer? Does the printer offer graphic design, or in-house mailing options? Often it is easier to work with printers who can manage the entire project.

3.What is the typical turnaround time for similar jobs?

4.Request references, and call them. It is important to ask what businesses like and don’t like about working with this printer. You can also find out how different printers handle problems.

5.Will you have one point of contact at the printer?  

6.Ask for an itemized cost estimate that outlines the cost of each service or step. This lets you make accurate comparisons.

Selecting the right printer can save you time and money. But printers have done this before, so with good communication and a partnership, you get good advice which can increase your response rate. Contact Blue Hill Press for your direct mail needs.

After you have decided on the layout of your direct mail piece, you then need to decide what kind of paper you want. When it comes to direct mail, the paper you choose can have an impact on the mailing’s cost and effectiveness.

In order to make the right decision, you need to understand the basics of paper. Here are 4 key paper qualities to consider for direct mail pieces:

• Finish is the paper’s surface texture. The finish affects the appearance of the printed piece. Paper is usually either uncoated- dull and unreflective - or coated for a shiny or matte finish.
• Weight refers to the paper’s thickness. Thickness or weight has an impact on the appearance of the printed piece, your mailing’s postage, and the printer’s presses.
• Opacity identifies how much printing will show through on the other side of the sheet. A lighter opacity is preferred for direct mail.
• Brightness refers to the ability to reflect blue light and affects the paper’s readability.

But there are some other factors to consider when deciding on paper. There’s much more to paper selection, and the other things to consider include:

• The paper needs to coincide with your brand, image and personality. You don’t want cheap paper for an upscale product.
• Ask to see printed paper samples to determine if you’ll be satisfied with the quality of your project.
• Sometimes small changes can save you money either on paper or postage. For example, a slightly smaller size direct mail postcard may save you a lot of money in postage.

You should always discuss with your printing company the purpose of your mailer. At Blue Hill Press, we can give you the best advice possible about your direct mail, we have been doing this for a long time.

Being environmentally conscious as a business owner is important today; but ensuring that your are partnering with businesses that are environmentally  conscious is also your responsibility.

Choosing a printing company that has a green policy is important. At Blue Hill Press in Canton, MA we care about the environment. We want to promote a cleaner and greener world, and we are committed to environmentally sound practices.

• We use papers that are recycled, recyclable, and FSC certified
• We use environmentally friendly vegetable based inks (soybean and linseed oil)
• We use solutions that contain very little or no volatile organic compounds
• We recycle ink, paper, cartons, pallets and aluminum
• We utilize computer-to-plate technology to bypass film processing and eliminate silver bearing waste

We also provide opportunities for your business to “go green”. When making printing decisions, keep in mind that there are many earth-friendly options when choosing your paper type and printer inks.  Using paper and inks that are made of alternative materials helps reduce the amount of dangerous and wasteful substances.  And we can print envelopes for you with a "Please Recycle" logo for no extra charge.

We encourage you to go green, and in the spirit of 'reduce, reuse, and recycle,' remember that Catalogs, brochures, newsletters, direct mail, and flyers are prime candidates for recycling. Make greener decisions with recycled paper and add recycling symbols to your printed work.