Tune In to Commercial Printing

Quality, not cost, gets the job.

Finding A prime-time spot in the commercial printing industry isn't so much about money. In fact, the attempt to out-bid competitors with low-cost quoting may even shake the confidence of fast-track clients who seek quality, talent and respectability.

"You can't put a price tag on this type of job," said Andrew Duke, co-owner of Metrographics Printing & Computer Services, Fairfield, N.J. "It's all about image and quality as opposed to function and usability of forms. Price is about third on the list of priorities for commercial printing customers."

According to Duke, high quality work and top-notch servicing rank first and second on the priority scale of such clientele. In a market with no predictability and flourishing creativity, there's no room to cut corners, he noted, and cost is usually not a problem—a completely different op-portunity than basic forms production presents.

That is the reason Duke originally sought to acquire commercial jobs, which represent 60 percent of his business. "We were selling typical forms and envelopes and the same people buying those products needed to buy commercial products," he said.

By venturing into the commercial market, Metrographics now rubs shoulders with the likes of Calvin Klein, Donna Karen and Ferrari print buyers. Typical projects include the production of garment posters, catalogs and magazines that require precise multi-color processing, skilled press operators and a passion for details. "In this market you are dealing with highly trained professionals. They know as much as, if not more than, most of the people selling this stuff. You can't fool them, so you better know what you are talking about," said Duke.

Scott Seeley, executive administrator, Whitlock Business Systems, Madison Heights, Mich., couldn't agree more. Most of Whitlock's work was comprised of business forms—until five years ago. "Commercial production is different. Starting from the art and concept of the piece, these jobs are much more labor—and talent—intensive," Seeley said.

About half of the jobs Whitlock receives come with preconceived notions on how a piece should look. The other half, said Seeley, rely on simple ideas and help from the manufacturer's art de-partment. When it comes to press time, he stressed, experience is key. "When doing four-color—versus spot-color work—the talent of the press operator and the individuals in between must be at a higher level because they need to be aware of proper registration and color density."

Landing the Account

Currently, Metrographics obtains most of its jobs through word-of-mouth. "At first our jobs came from account penetrations. We provided common products and moved into the commercial end. With the confidence we've instilled in our customers, we've been able to increase our sales from $7 million to $10 million this year alone," said Duke.

So, how long does it take to land a new commercial printing customer—without the word-of-mouth clout? Duke said that it takes a lot longer for a new client. "Clients have to gain confidence with a new distributor," he said. "I suggest trying to get in there with a small job to get a feel for the customer's reaction. See how they pay and how they work." At first, typical print sales average a couple thousand dollars, he added, but it is not uncommon to do $50,000 and $100,000 jobs as well.

Tony Kegowicz, corporate vice president, The Graphics Solutions Group, Glenview, Ill., (a division of North American Corporation of Illinois), concurred that the time it takes to land a commercial job can be "anywhere from a few weeks to a year or longer," he noted. The key lies in a manufacturer's reliability when it comes to quality. According to Kegowicz the overall services, design, quality control, fulfillment and value-added consultation in the creative process deems this type of sale.

For more than 15 years, The Graphics Solutions Group has been engaged in commercial print sales, including such accounts as Hyatt Hotels and Sofitel. That is just scratching the surface, however. Said Kegowicz, "Commercial print continues to grow and comprises approximately 50 percent of our total volume."

Data gathered by the Printing Economic Re-search Center for the National Association for Printing Leadership supports Kegowicz's experience. The organization reports that commercial printing industry sales were up 5.7 percent through October and will be up 5.5 percent to 6 percent for all of 2000—a growth spurt well above last year's 3.4 percent advance.

In order to stay on top of this bursting market, Kegowicz said that in addition to maintaining some of its strong manufacturer relationships, the company continues to look for the best technology available for delivering the highest quality at a competitive cost. Kegowicz added that paper grades, film work and specific equipment needs are potential pitfalls. Distributors should pay strict attention to them when specifying commercial printing projects.