How to Print Union Documents
The best way to print union documents is to find a professional print shop that specializes in working with unions and place an order through them.
However, if you’re unsure where to even begin, follow the 6-step guide below for tips on everything from research to planning for future orders:
JH French is a professional Hamilton-based print shop that serves unions across Canada, helping them print union documents from newsletters to promotional material.
Contact JH French today for any printing information you might need.
With some planning, you could begin your own union newspaper.
Print Union Documents - Step by Step
1. What’s Your Goal?
If you’re at the very start of the shopping process, the first thing to do is to define what your goals are.
Ask yourself these questions to get an idea of what you’re trying to accomplish:
What are you trying to communicate?
What impression do you want to send about your union?
Answering these questions will help you determine why you’re ordering print products in the first place.
The goal of your order will allow you to make an informed decision when you’re choosing what style of product to order, and how to format the graphical and textual contents of those products.
2. Research Print Shops
The next few steps involve research.
You can do your research in any order you like, but we recommend researching print shops first because once you’ve found a few print shops you like, you can ask for their input or suggestions when it comes to deciding on the right print products and methods for you.
JH French has been open and operating for over 100 years.
When researching a print shop that’s the best to print union documents, consider the following factors:
Long History - Look for a shop that’s been open for 10+ years. If a print shop can survive that long, it likely has a dedicated clientele, a refined process, and the experience needed to make jobs go smoothly.
Union-Friendly - Different print shops can specialize in different industries. Some may mostly print materials for special occasions like birthdays or holidays, some may focus on academic material, and some specialize in working with unions.
Detailed Website - While less important than the first two points, a detailed website helps you learn what products the shop offers and asses their competence.
If in doubt about the services or capabilities of a given shop, a quick call or email will allow them to answer your questions.
3. Research Products
There are several different types of print products.
If you’ve already found a trustworthy print shop to work with, they can give you suggestions on which types of products you may want in order to achieve your goal.
Different products are better for different things. Here’s an example of what popular product styles are often used for:
Brochures/Pamphlets - Used to advertise or quickly educate.
Notebooks - Handed out to members or used in offices.
Flyers - Great for promoting events.
Decals - High-quality vinyl decals can be applied to vehicles or hard hats.
Forms/Stationery - Most organizations need a supply of membership forms, instructional documentation, or receipts.
Many product styles are flexible. For example, even though flyers are usually used for promotion, there’s no reason why they couldn’t be used for something practical like showing contact information instead.
4. Research Print Methods
After defining your goal, finding a print shop and choosing the right print product, you’ll need to choose between all the different printing methods available.
Offset printing is the best for large orders.
This is a summary of the three most popular printing methods and what they’re best used for:
Letterpress Printing - This is how printing was done in Ancient China or by the original German printing press. Even though it’s still around today, it’s an expensive, slow process, best suited for gifts or premium products.
Offset Printing - This method works by transferring ink to rollers and pressing the printing surface (usually paper), through those rollers. It can take a while to set up, and isn’t easy to adjust, but it can print large amounts of the same thing very fast and it’s very affordable.
Digital Printing - Digital printing takes a digital file and recreates it through thousands of tiny CMYK dots placed on the printing surface. It’s faster to set up than offset printing, and prints faster, but can be more expensive.
If you’re going the digital printing route, ask about VDP (Variable Data Printing). VDP allows you to print many of the same types of items but with different details on each. For example, you could print a thousand postcards that are identical except they all have unique addresses on them.
5. Iron Out the Details
After completing your research and making conclusions about what you want to order, there are a few final details you need to finalize before proceeding with your order:
Price - The biggest contributing factor to price is volume. When you print union documents, orders in the thousands can be up to half as expensive per unit as orders in the hundreds.
Timeline - Be clear about when you need the order to be completed. A typical print job will only take 1-2 weeks at most, but timelines can vary.
Mailing & Shipping - Some print shops will mail your order for you to a location of your choice. For example, even though JH French is located in Hamilton, Ontario, they are set up to ship print orders across Canada.
Shop websites can often give you an idea of the different products and services a shop offers. When in doubt about a specific detail, ask them directly for clarification.
6. Plan a Schedule
Plan out a consistent schedule to make future orders easier.
This step can wait until you’ve completed your first order, so you can first make sure you’re satisfied with the result.
Work out a schedule with the print shop so you never run out.
After doing the research, finding a print shop, and settling on a product, you’ve done a lot of work to get your desired items.
Instead of doing the whole process again, ask the print shop if they can accommodate regularly scheduled orders. This is especially helpful if your union has predictable events like annual meetings or social events.
Smaller print shops may not have unlimited space for orders, so if you find a shop you like, ask about setting future orders up as soon as you can.
Print Union Documents With JH French
For insightful advice, decades of experience, and renowned customer service, get in touch with the print experts at JH French to help you print union documents.
We offer a wide selection of products and services to meet every need.
To learn more about the printing industry, check out our blog or call us directly.
“I was recently connected with Glen and everyone at JH French and I couldn’t be happier with the reference. Personal, friendly and professional. When I received my prints I couldn’t have been happier with the results. Real pros who know how to get it done.”