Xiao Wang, who just started his business, ran to several factories with the design draft of 500 leaflets, and the quotations made him hurt: "The small quantity is so expensive? How can this business be done!" Don't panic, small batch orders like Xiao Wang actually hide great wisdom-find the right printing design manufacturer, make good use of "imposition printing", and small money can do great things! Today, let's teach you how to save!

Small batch ≠ high cost, imposition printing to break the situation

Small batch orders (such as hundreds of leaflets, dozens of albums, and small boxes of custom stickers) are expensive, and there are three pain points: uneven startup fees, large material losses, and high proportion of labor costs. Under the traditional practice, the manufacturer turns on the machine, adjusts the color, and cuts the plate for you alone. These fixed costs are all pushed on your small order, and the unit price naturally soars.

However, the "imposition printing" scheme of printing design manufacturers is a good medicine to cure this "small order wealth disease"! Simply put, it is to "spell" different small orders from multiple customers on the same large-format paper and print them together. It is equivalent to everyone's "carpooling", sharing the high "fare" (startup fee, plate making fee, etc.), and the cost is greatly reduced!

Imposition printing, three axes to save money on small orders

"Spell" the advantage of material cost: everyone gathers firewood and the flame is high

Paper is no longer "scraps": print your small list separately, leaving a lot of unused scraps after cutting the big paper, and you have to pay for the wasted money. After imposition, the patterns of different orders are cleverly arranged, like playing advanced puzzles, "eating" the whole piece of paper to the maximum extent. With less waste, your cost will be reduced.

Don't feel distressed when the ink is turned on: once the printing press is started, no matter if 1 sheet or 1,000 sheets are printed, the basic consumption of cleaning the machine, color adjustment and proofing is almost the same. Imposition allows more content to be printed at a time. These fixed costs are diluted by many orders, and the ones spread to your head are very small.

"Spell" process efficiency dividends: get it done at once, saving time, effort and money

Say goodbye to the slowness of "going alone": handle your small orders separately, and manufacturers should arrange the production process, change plates and adjust machines separately. Imposition is to "package" multiple small orders into a slightly larger order for production. The manufacturer's efficiency is higher and the management cost is reduced. This part of the savings will also be reflected in the quotation given to you.

Digital Printing God Assist: For ultra-small quantity (dozens of copies) and strong personalization orders, experienced printing design manufacturers will give priority to imposing with digital printing presses. Digital machine has quick version change and extremely low start-up cost, which is especially suitable for small orders. Its color and accuracy are enough to meet most design needs, so it is a good choice to save money and be flexible.

"Spell" the value of design services: leave professional matters to professional people

Clever design, money-saving and good-looking: How to put orders of different sizes and contents into one plate efficiently and beautifully? This requires professional design capabilities and experience. A reliable printing design manufacturer, the designer will help you optimize the file location, skillfully handle the "bleeding position", avoid the cutting line, and ensure that every small order finished product is perfect after imposition. This service itself helps you save potential errors and rework costs.

Document specifications do not step on pitfalls: imposition has higher requirements for design documents (for example, the color mode must be CMYK, the picture accuracy must be sufficient, and the text must be turned). Responsible manufacturers will provide clear document specification guidelines and pre-inspection services when receiving orders to avoid printing accidents or delays caused by document problems, which saves real money and time costs.

Make good use of imposition, save money on small orders, practical manual

Be flexible, be flexible in size and color：

Size "seeking common ground while reserving differences": Take the initiative to ask the manufacturer about the common paper sizes imposed recently (such as 787 mm × 1092 mm). If your design can be slightly adjusted in size and just "stuffed" into a certain position where it is being imposed, the cost may be reduced immediately! For example, the size of business cards is fine-tuned and the size of leaflets is slightly changed.

Color "Follow the Crowd": Imposition is usually printed with multiple orders sharing a set of CMYK inks. If your design is a special spot color (such as Pantone color), it is likely to have to be powered on separately, and the cost will skyrocket. Try to use CMYK four-color mode design, which saves money and facilitates imposition.

Plan first, time is money：

Avoid the peak period: the end of the year and the eve of large-scale events are the peak printing season, the imposition space is tight, and the price may also rise. Try to plan in advance and print at the wrong peak, which makes it easier to find imposition opportunities and the price is better.

Reserve a reasonable time: Imposition needs to "save orders", and manufacturers need time to collect enough orders that can be put together. Reserve a few more days (such as 3-5 days) than the regular delivery date to give the manufacturer room to operate, which can often be exchanged for a more favorable price. Temporary expedited orders, it is difficult to enjoy the imposition bonus.

Choosing the right partner, a reliable manufacturer is the key：

Ask the "spelling" policy: ask directly: "Can I put this small list? How much is it after imposition? How much is it cheaper than printing alone?" Understand the specific rules of manufacturers' imposition (such as minimum imposition quantity, common paper, imposition cycle).

Look at experience and service: Focus on the manufacturer's experience in handling imposition orders and design docking ability. For a good printing design manufacturer, the designer will actively communicate the possibility of imposition, help you optimize the document to adapt to imposition, provide professional typesetting suggestions, and confirm the effect before printing. This can greatly reduce the risk and avoid the finished product not meeting expectations due to imposition.

Don't just focus on the unit price, look at the comprehensive cost: small batch orders, logistics, packaging and other additional costs also account for a high proportion. Find a manufacturer that can provide reasonable packaging and efficient logistics integration, and the overall cost may be lower.

Real case: Small money can do big things, and the brand image is established

Kobayashi has just opened a specialty dessert shop, and is in urgent need of 200 exquisite menus and 500 opening coupons. The budget is limited, and the price of printing separately is frighteningly high. After finding our print design manufacturer specializing in small batch services, we recommend：

Fine-tune the menu size to fit the commonly used imposition paper.

Coupon design comes in standard sizes.

Both are printed on the same coated paper, the same CMYK four-color.

In the end, we cleverly spelled his menu and coupons together with several other small customers' leaflets and business cards on a large plate to print them. Kobayashi not only saved nearly 40% of the printing cost, but also got the menus and coupons with bright colors and accurate cutting. When it opened, it received high praise from customers, and the brand image of the store was instantly improved!

Small batch orders are by no means the only way to endure high costs. Find the right person who understands you, has the strength, and makes good use of the imposition planPrinting design manufacturer, is the golden key to open the door to "cost reduction and efficiency increase". Through exquisite imposition printing, small businesses and start-up brands can easily have printed matter that does not lose to big brands, efficiently improve visual solutions, spend money wisely, and let every investment help brand grow. Don't let small orders become a burden, let professional printing design manufacturers use imposition wisdom to help you save worry, money and effort!