subject: How to Judge Printing Samples and Templates [print this page] How to Judge Printing Samples and Templates
When dealing with a printing company, the printing samples and templates are a few of the key things you should review in them. These tools and materials will help you to decide if they a really are good partners in printing. Let me layout for you how to judge these materials. Below is the list of five important criteria in judging the printing samples and printing templates that a printing company might give you. Check all these aspects well and you should have a better idea of the printing company and the usefulness of using those samples and templates.
1. Checking the technical aspects One of the first things that you will want to check with their printing samples is the technical aspects of it. Are their samples and templates in the right dimensions and configurations that you need? Are they in the right file format? Can you really use their templates or are they just glorified promotional tools that have little value?
Be meticulous with your judging and see if those templates match your technical requirements. If you can't judge these yourself, try to have your layout artist or an expert friend to do so for you. This is an important part of checking since this will determine if you can really pull off a good design and a good process for printing. So check the technical aspects of these samples and printing templates precisely.
2. Checking the design aspects The next thing to check for in printing samples are its design aspects. Are those pre-set designs in the samples and the templates adhere to contemporary design principles? Can you manipulate them or add to them easily for a great custom printing design? Can the pre-set design aspects be used for a significant amount of time or do you think they will eventually go "out of style" quickly? It is always good to see if the design aspects of the templates and samples are classic enough or basic enough to be useful. Choose the best one with the most classic and practical design aspects and you should be able to put them to good use for a far longer time.
3. Checking the physical aspects It is also important to check if the printing samples provide the important physical aspects of the design that you need. This of course can only be done by getting an actual physical printing sample for you to look at and feel. Some printing companies will offer sending printing samples and printing templates to you for free. This should let you determine and check if the paper materials and inks are good for your uses. That is why you should always try to get printing companies that do offer these physical checks in their printing. It will mean a lot to your decision making process.
4. Judging the usefulness The usefulness factor is also a big thing when it comes to printing templates. Not only must these samples and template have great pre-set design or layout elements that help you build a design, but they must also have guidelines, printing bleeds and other configuration settings and features that make it extra useful. There are a lot of printing companies that do offer these kinds of high quality templates with great features. Try to always hire the printing companies that do this.
5. Judging the cost and worth - Finally, the cost of a printing sample or templates, should actually be virtually nil. Many printers offer these things for free and it is quite easy to acquire free templates and samples.
If you do see a printing template and sample though that is for sale, try to check first if the template and sample design features makes the payment worth it. If the template has a great pre-set design, and some good guidelines and printing bleeds it might be worth paying a small sum for it. However, if it does not look good or is simply a black document, you are better off looking for the free ones.
So that is how you judge printing samples and printing templates. Hopefully this guide has helped you become wiser in choosing them. Good Luck!
