Sometimes, people have a hard time telling the difference between things that they want and things that they really need. And this fact translates to a lot of the choices people make, even in commercial printing. Commercial printers are no help at all, because they only exist to provide you with the things that you do order, so if you want to waste less money and make better use of the prints you order, it is better if you learn to divide the needs from the wants. The following are some examples of commercial printing products that you may order and the commercial printing products that you actually need for the situation.
What you ordered: Flyers. Flyers are mostly meant for distributing information about special occasions, sales, offers, and other seasonal events. This commercial printing product is advisable for newly opened businesses or businesses with some limited-edition offers to make, but stable businesses that have no special events do not have any real need for this. Instead, you should think about
What you really need: Business cards. If the information you wish to disseminate is more or less permanent and your only goal is to keep your contacts on potential customers, flyers will certainly not do the trick. For one thing, flyers are so non-durable that they quickly go to the trash anyways along with any important information you would put in them. Business cards, on the other hand would suit your purposes perfectly because they contain all pertinent information about you or your business while being compact and portable at the same time.
What you ordered: Posters. This one is another matter of how long a piece of information is going to be valid. If you are going to have a week-long sale for example, posters are not the advisable commercial printing product for you. This commercial printing product is more suited for long term projects such as competitions and raffle draws that could span months or even whole years. This way, your payment for durable posters would be justified and well-spent.
What you really need: Flyers. Back to the week-long sale scenario, you would probably be better off buying a few flyers. Again, flyers are for short-term activities so they are perfect for sales and special events that would only last a short time.
What you ordered: Business Cards. If you are looking for something to display in bulk on your counter for customers to get as they please, business cards may not be the best choice. After all, there is not much incentive for taking a piece of card that you would probably not need in the future.
What you really need: Bookmarks. Instead of the business card, opt for some free bookmarks. Not only are they more compelling to take and more useful, they can also function as a special business card with the proper design.
The next time you think of ordering some commercial printing products, think hard and try to determine whether you are ordering what you need or just what you think you need. Your chosen commercial printer cannot decide for you, so it is best to have this skill on hand.