Outsourcing Print Production: A Game-Changer for Efficiency & Scalability
Is print production eating up your company’s time, money, and resources? From catalogs and lookbooks to flyers and mailers, managing everything in-house can be expensive and overwhelming.
This is why more brands are opting for a smarter solution: outsourcing print production. This approach allows you to keep design in-house, while entrusting the more technical production work to external experts. No need for pricey, unreliable freelancers, building a large in-house team, or back-filling open roles.
It’s a win-win – your team maintains creative control while benefiting from cost-effective, consistent, and round-the-clock production support from an external partner. What’s not to love?
What Types of Print Production Should you Outsource?
- Catalogs: Catalogs are commonly outsourced because they have ongoing production cycles with large, monthly volumes. By outsourcing, you can have the biggest impact on overhead reduction while maintaining high-quality output. You’ll also benefit by having year-round resources who can easily manage 11th-hour updates and expand coverage for seasonal releases or one-off projects.
- Lookbooks: Lookbooks seem to pop up unexpectedly at the busiest times, further stressing already overloaded teams. Outsourcing helps lighten the load during those peak times, letting your team stay focused on core workloads. Plus, an external partner keeps the momentum going by removing the hassle of training new freelancers.
- Flyers, Mailers & Circulars: These marketing materials are often outsourced because they demand quick turnarounds for promotions, events, and campaigns. Outsourcing ensures reliable resources who will deliver each job to the printer, with accuracy and on-time delivery.
How Does Outsourcing Print Production Work?
Outsourcing allows a trusted partner to manage your full production process. At VMG Premedia, we do everything from page designs and layouts to building mechanicals and pre-flighting spreads for your printer. Whether you need help with just a few tasks or want us to take care of the whole shebang, we’ll work with you to craft a workflow that fits your needs.
Think of us as your trusty right-hand assistant. Offload the technical and tedious tasks to us, so you can save time and money while boosting your scalability and efficiency.
Why Outsource Print Production?
- Lower overheads. Maintaining an in-house production team can be pricey when factoring in salaries, benefits, equipment, and space. In fact, production artists can work effectively from anywhere, making outsourcing a smart choice. You could save up to 70% on overhead costs, freeing up your budget to invest in senior, in-house creatives who are essential for in-person collaboration.
- Faster Turnarounds. External production resources thrive on deadlines and fast-paced work. With most based offshore, your creative and marketing teams can log off for the day, letting your vendor pick up the workflow while they sleep. Completed assets will be waiting for your team when they wake up in the morning – efficiency at its finest!
- Scalable. During peak periods, outside teams can scale up fast – no need to scramble for freelancers who can be unreliable, inconsistent, costly, and require training on an impossibly short schedule.
- Focus on what’s Important. Allow your in-house teams to focus on design and strategy, while the more tedious work is handled by dedicated experts who are well-versed in print standards, color management, and technical aspects of production.
- Reliable and Efficient. Established creative service agencies have a track record of delivering projects on time and within scope, reducing the risk of delays, overruns, and costly errors.
The Right Partner Makes All the Difference
While outsourcing your print production can offer huge advantages, it’s crucial to find the right provider to unlock those benefits. Partnering with a trusted outsourcing partner enables you to achieve consistent quality, cut overhead, and focus on what matters most – your brand’s creativity and strategy.
VMG Premedia knows that true value comes from building genuine partnerships with people who are invested in your success. With teams in Chennai, Manila, and New York, we offer a unique combination of highly skilled, cost-effective resources and local industry expertise to deliver offshore pricing with the convenience of in-market support.
Ready to save time and money while streamlining your print production? Get in touch to learn more about how we can help!
