Print ain’t dead - it’s just different!

In this age of digital media, it might be easy to tag print as an ‘old-school’ way to communicate, but that would be a mistake. Whether it’s annual reports, brochures or program materials, the printed word is alive and well in the nonprofit sector!

Still, the media industry has evolved and printing companies have responded with more sophisticated services to meet more nuanced needs. But not all print suppliers have responded equally. Through our work with clients, Round Table has had the opportunity to work closely with high quality print suppliers in Canada. Whether you need a simple re-order of business cards, postcards, brochures, banners etc. or you’re looking to create a new campaign, we have seen how a good print strategy that includes a strong supplier partner can be invaluable in having your message stand out from the crowd.

Three things to look for in a print supplier:

1. Value-Add Services:
   Creating complementary print and digital assets can help your nonprofit meaningfully engage a broader audience. This “trans-media” approach is considered best practice by marketing experts. But, as with many new ideas: easier said than done. This is where a high-quality print supplier comes in handy. The best suppliers provide design support and other value-add services that can help your team execute a transmedia campaign.


2. Modern Technology:
   Fresh ideas, new finishes and environmentally-friendly options abound! We recommend nonprofits consider suppliers who use modern print technology, inks and paper that will deliver a clean, consistent end product and achieve a high visual impact with low environmental impact. The proliferation of automation technology has also reached the print industry, making service delivery more efficient and more focused on quality.


3. Delivery Options:
   In our whitepaper ‘Shop Smart: Choose Delivery over Drop-in’, we discussed the value of delivery when it comes to purchasing office supplies for nonprofits. The same rings true for print materials. Print suppliers that give you the option of ordering online, by phone or by email, as well as convenient tracking methods, will save you time and money and allow you to focus on serving your community.

Through our work with leaders in the sector, we found that print services is an area ripe with opportunity for improved spending. It’s one of the most common categories of spending amongst nonprofits and it can get expensive. Often we have seen print services take up a bigger portion of the budget than any other purchase categories. This is made worse in the case of small nonprofit organizations who don’t require a large enough total printing volume for suppliers to be able to offer price discounts. We know it’s possible for nonprofits to get better return on their print services spending.

There’s no doubt we live in a digital age but the Print industry has definitely stepped up its game. It’s worthwhile for your organization to reconsider how it uses printing services and the suppliers it partners with to get the job done.