When looking for ways to save on your next print project, choosing a cheap paper may seem like the easiest avenue. However, opting for a low-quality sheet will end up costing you in the long run.
Cheap paper can create issues that will not only increase spend and waste but could hurt your brand’s image. Choosing a premium sheet the first time around lets you avoid these issues and increase your overall print ROI.
By choosing the right sheet of paper, you can create a cost-effective product without sacrificing quality.
Before even considering poor-quality paper’s effect on your finished product, we need to break down its negative impact on the printing process itself. Cheap paper is more likely to jam, which slows down the entire job.
Thin or poorly cut paper sheets can feed into the press unevenly. Low-quality sheets will also often stick together. This can create errors in the feed process, misalignment and unwanted double-sided printing in some cases.
Not only are you wasting the paper that jams or misprints, you’re also wasting consumables like ink and precious printing time clearing those jams. That is time that could be used toward completing the job quickly and efficiently. Premium paper is much less likely to jam, saving you time, materials and labor.
Even if cheap paper avoids any errors during the printing process, it can present additional issues once it gets to the finishing stage.
Finishings like embossing, foil and specialty die cuts greatly increase print pieces' ability to stand out and impress. Without premium paper, these finishings may not pan out. On a cheap sheet, embossing can create tears, adding foil can lead to warping and die cuts can come out jagged and uneven.
Premium paper will stand up better to these finishings for a polished final product. You don’t want to get through the print process and end up compromising the piece when finishing goes wrong. You also don’t want to limit the project’s creativity and effectiveness by having to omit the finishing you had planned.
If errors and inconsistencies in your print job are severe enough, you may even have to reprint the entire project. This can significantly increase your overall printing cost.
Reprinting means more labor, more machine time and more materials used. Aside from obviously using more paper, reprinting also means using more ink or toner. This tacks on extra spend that could have easily been avoided by choosing a premium paper from the start.
Reprinting your project in turn also creates a huge amount of waste. Wasting paper doesn’t only have a negative impact on your project, it has a negative impact on the environment. The result of a reprint is cheap paper getting tossed before it ever even serves a purpose.
Even if the printing process is accomplished with minimal setbacks, cheap paper can create poor finished results. Ink and toner do not stick as well to low-quality paper. This leads to uneven coverage, smudges, fading and ink bleedthrough. Cheap paper generally has a lower opacity and may have significant showthrough if you’re doing double-sided printing. This impacts not only quality but the clarity of the information.
While small printing errors could seem like a small deal on the page, they make the overall product look sloppy and unprofessional.
Everything you produce is a direct reflection of your brand, its values and capabilities. To customers, low quality is synonymous with low effort. Poor print quality can create a negative opinion of your brand off the bat. If your print materials are substandard, what does that say about your services?
Interacting with a printed product is also a very tactile experience. The difference between premium and subpar paper is evident the second the sheet hits someone's hands. Cheap paper can look dull and feel rough to the touch. Premium paper is smooth and bright.
While texture may seem like a small factor, it has a serious impact on the quality of your brand’s impression. It's the difference between a customer picking up your product once and them coming back to it again and again.
Even if your print piece left the shop intact, if you’re sending it out via mail its quality can be compromised in transit. Cheap paper is less durable and could be damaged by mail sorting equipment. You don’t want to invest in direct mail only to have the piece’s integrity and appearance sacrificed before it gets to the consumer, so it's wise to be selective with your paper choice.
Quality builds trust with consumers. Premium paper gives your audience the confidence that you will not only get the job done, but you’ll get it done right.
Choosing a premium paper doesn’t always have to mean choosing an expensive paper. There are affordable options on the market that lower cost without sacrificing quality.
Accent Opaque offers premium paper at a competitive price. With text, cover, heavyweight, inkjet treated, indigo treated and recycled paper, Accent has an affordable alternative for every print job.
Don’t sacrifice time, money and your brand’s reputation by using cheap paper. Select a premium paper and get the print job done right the first time around.