I've worked for businesses in the past that outsourced the majority of their print jobs to a professional printer. I've also worked with businesses that printed the majority of their projects in-house. Here's what I have found when dealing with professional printers, and why I believe that they are the better option over trying to do-it-yourself.
Professional Printers:
- Saves you time and money - I've found that when doing a project in-house, factoring in the amount of time that it takes to print the project plus the materials, normally comes to the amount it would be to use a professional printer (it's just that much more of a hassle doing it yourself).
- Professional results - The finished project is far superior to any do-it-yourself print job (from the colours, materials and binding features—the quality—is unparalleled).
- Tons of options - From the materials to equipment, your average business does not compare to what a professional printer can offer. The materials and equipment allow you to print your project with features such as bleed (the image printing to the edge of the paper), large-scale projects, business cards, binding, direct mailers and more.
- Quick - Professional printing company's have higher-grade equipment that allows them to get the task at hand done quickly.
- Offers advice - If you're unsure of how to best present a project, you can deal with a professional printer who can lend you free advice by telling you what materials and size would work best for you.
These are the main reasons why I prefer professional printers.