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Offshore Printing: Is the Bargain Worth the Bother?

The globalization explosion hasn’t spared the printing industry. A Google search for “offshore printing deals” returns temptations like “huge potential savings” and “cheap offset printing.” Indeed, a recent PIA/GATF global trends research report, Transitioning to Global Print Markets: Strategic and Competitive Implications for Printers, describes an increasingly global and competitive environment for printers.

What’s a print buyer to do? The unit price for offshore printing is often substantially lower than can be found domestically. However, like any product promoted primarily on base price (think: purchasing a car), it behooves the buyer to consider the cost of the options, the hidden costs, and the actual cost to drive off the lot (or in our case, to have the pallet of finished material at its final destination on time.)

Before pulling the trigger on an offshore printing deal, be sure to consider:

  • Delivery Time— Offshore print production adds an estimated 10 to 12 weeks to total delivery time. Ask yourself, “Which of my (or my client’s) internal processes and schedules will need to change to accommodate this timeframe?”
  • Error Correction— In the real world, errors and mistakes happen. Will you be able to easily contact your offshore printer and negotiate the mistake’s correction? Will they respond as quickly as if they were in the same room as you?
  • Quality Control— Can you effectively convey your expectations (or even your definition) of quality to an offshore printer as easily as a domestic one? Are you comfortable with your printer’s quality control process and personnel?
  • Customer Service— Do you have a close relationship with a representative who understands you and your business, or will you be dealing with a different telephone voice every time? Communication— Is your organization trying to simplify its procurement process? When you deal with offshore printers, you will likely need to navigate different languages, as well as cultural, business, and legal practices that may complicate the buying process.
  • Ancillary Services— Printing today is more than ink on paper. It’s database management, creative design, mailing, file maintenance, inventory management, fulfillment, and distribution. Ask yourself, “am I comfortable separating print procurement from these other services?” Are you willing to sacrifice the control and productivity such integration provides?
  • Social, Environmental and Political Issues— When you deal with a printer in another country, your project is literally at the mercy of their social and political environment. In addition, demand is increasing for “green” printing techniques, and offshore printers may operate in a country where such practices are uncommon—and often shunned—in exchange for lower production costs.

When choosing between domestic and offshore printing, it’s essential that you weigh per-unit savings against the additional costs in freight, transport, turnaround times, and impact to project planning and scheduling (not to mention the hassle factors of social, political, communication, customs and currency issues). The added complexity and extra charges make the actual cost difference of using an offshore printer negligible — or at least not worth the headaches.