Welcome to the Sparc PM Ltd blog page.
First question is: do you actually know whether your current supplier is an actual print company or offers print management / broker?
So what is the difference? Well printing companies have factories with printing presses and produce their work on site. Brokers will buy your print from a third party and sell it on to you.
At first glance, you would tend to think that buying directly from a print company would be best for many reasons; they are producing your work in their own factory so it can be overseen, quality checked, no added commission on prices to name just a few advantages. However, there are so many different types of printing available, i.e. lithographic, screen, digital, large format, gold foiling, thermography... the list is endless and if you are incorporating all the processes required for producing promotional merchandise such as pens, water bottles, clothing (this is a very long list!) then the likelihood is that print companies are already subcontracting certain items that they can't produce in house.
Sparc PM Ltd is a print broker but just to set the record straight before getting accused of being biased, It hasn't always been. The owners have had factories full of staff and equipment but found brokering was more beneficial to them and more importantly, to their customers.
So why should you use a print broker (that's us!)
Firstly, we have been in this industry for over thirty years. The experience and knowledge lets us offer choice and advice to our clients. Having been a print company in the past, means we know first hand the processes and pitfalls of production and how to avoid them.
We have a wealth of suppliers, each one a specialist in their particular field or product. We always look after our suppliers to with regards to prompt payments. As a result we can offer our customers great products and at great prices. We have someone for everything too, which means customers can order everything they need to run their business, kit out their offices or promote and market themselves. We also have a good understanding of how to manage client expectation. We will advise on every aspect of your project so that you have complete understanding of the production from start to finish. This includes Invoicing and payment details, lead times and delivery options. We can even sort out artwork and design for you so when you get asked for EPS Vectored logo's or PDF files with trims and bleed and you don't know what these are... we are on hand to help.
The wide range of products is really the key advantage of using a print broker. It saves you time and effort by ordering from one place and you will get the advice you need for that peace of mind.