how to buy print - guidelines for the procurement of print services

How to buy print - guidelines for theprocurement of print services

Introduction 2The print market-place 2Describing the job 2Printing processes 5Production sequence of printing operations 11How to choose printers: a strategy 12Prices 13Quality 13Building relationships with printers 13Contract termsGlossarySources of information

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IntroductionEvery organisation, no matter how large or small andirrespective of the sector in which it operates, has aneed at some time for print. It is important that print isprocured professionally and effectively not just fromthe commercial point of view, but also because theimage which a printed product conveys about yourcompany will influence how your suppliers andcustomers view your organisation. This handbook isintended to guide you through the process ofprocuring print and to give some insight into thetechnical nature of print buying. It is intended to be astarting-point for the effective procurement of print andshould be supported with further research and trainingfor those people who are new to this area ofpurchasing.

The print market-placeThe printing industry was historically structured aroundgeneral printing firms (so-called 'flat-shops') andnewspaper publishing. Since the 1960s, the cost andrapid obsolescence of 'new technology', coupled withclient and consumer expectations, have pushed anever-increasing number of general printers into productspecialisation. Like other businesses, printersunderstand the benefits of economies of scale, theconcentration of resources and skills and theadvantages of the green-field site. The essentialmessage to you as a buyer is to:• discover whether or not, or more likely how many,printers specialise in the work you are seeking tocontract

• not confine yourself to your own locality; researchthe national & international provision

• it is unlikely that you will be asked to publish abook, a mail-order catalogue, a national or regionalnewspaper, or a consumer periodical, and so thesectors most likely to be of interest are:

• general printing (business stationery, house journalsand specialist magazines, advertising literature andsales brochures and so on)

• posters and point-of-sale material

• packaging (cartons and flexible)• labels• security (cheques, vouchers)• transactional (bills and statements)• timetables and directories• direct mail• calendars and greeting cards

For information about these sectors you may refer, asappropriate, to one of the following bodies (foraddresses, see the final section of this handbook):• BPIF Cartons• British Printing Industries Federation• PAFA (Packaging and Films Association)• Greeting Card Association• IoP: The Packaging Society• PIRA - Printing Industries Research Association• Digital & Screen Printing Association

An important sector of the industry, used by mostprinters, comprises trade services, for example reprohouses (which convert customers' copy into films forplatemaking) and design studios. For those new tobuying print, it would be prudent to allow the printerto take responsibility for such services initially, untilmore experience is gained. These trade services shouldthen be included as part of the tender.

The print industry has come a long way in the past 10years as both production speeds and quality haveincreased significantly, whilst the level of manningneeded to operate the process has decreasedsignificantly.

Describing the jobThe print job must be specified accurately and withsufficient detail to ensure that there is no uncertaintyabout your requirements. The following are examplesof incomplete print specifications:• 5,000 of letter headings on A4 paper, printed in twocolours

How to buy print - guidelines for theprocurement of print servicesIntroduction

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• 10,000 of corporate brochures in full colour onshiny paper

• 5,000 of full colour B2 point-of-sale showcards• 300 of promotional T-shirts• 200 of 4pp A4 leaflets in full colour• 50,000 of 16pp A4 leaflets in full colour

In order to write a more informative job specificationyou must become familiar with a number of areas:• paper sizes; paper types and substances;• colour specifications• typefaces and type sizes

• Paper sizesPrinters, designers and publishers do not restrictthemselves to standard paper sizes - the customerchooses the size. But for convenience and economy,there is the ISO classification system which consistsof three series: the 'A series' for stationery andgeneral printing, the 'B series' for posters and chartsand the 'C series' for envelopes and folders. The keysize in each series is designated by the suffix 0 andeach subdivision of it is numbered progressively. Forexample A1 is half of A0, A2 is half of A1 and so on.All dimensions are given as trimmed sizes, that is.the final size of your job. However, for most types ofwork, printers need to buy larger sheets and so thesystem describes RA and SRA sizes, which allow fortrimming. In addition to the ISO series, there are'preferred book sizes'. Ask a paper merchant for achart of the standard sizes to keep as a reference.

• Paper types and substancesThere are literally thousands of papers and boardsto choose from, but the range of print you arebuying will limit that choice. For example, forgeneral print the first decision is likely to involvechoosing between coated and uncoated stock atgiven weights. Paper is essentially sold by weight.Substance is always defined as grams per squaremetre or g/m_. Do not guess at substances and donot equate substance with thickness. Do obtainsamples - paper merchants are always pleased to

supply them. As sustainability increases inimportance as an issue for organisations, the sourceof the paper becomes a consideration, as does theissue of recycling.

Many organisations now look to whether the papercarries the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) tick orProgramme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification(PEFC) logo. There is now a wide range of papers witha recycled content ranging from 20% to 100%.Information and guidance on the use of recycled paperis produced by the Waste & Resources ActionProgramme (WRAP) and can be found atwww.wrap.org.uk/advocacy. Advice should also besought from paper producers and printers as to thesuitability of the various recycled papers for yourspecific application and their processes.

Paper may well constitute 50 per cent of your finalinvoice and so it is worth researching the optionsavailable.• How to specify colourIf you have a sample of the colours you require,then cross-reference them to a matching system (forexample Pantone) used by your printer. Rememberthat coloured inks are greatly affected by the colourand reflectivity of the surface on to which they areprinted. Thus, ideally, when you are supplied with acontract proof, it should be on material which is thesame as, or similar to, that which is to be used forthe actual job. Reproduction of colouredphotographs is normally done using four BritishStandard process colours: magenta, yellow, cyan andblack (abbreviated CMYK). Additional solid linecolours are sometimes added to enhance the finishand to differentiate brands. Use of solid line coloursnormally adds extra stations to the print process andadds costs.

How to buy print - guidelines for theprocurement of print servicesDescribing the job

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How to buy print - guidelines for theprocurement of print servicesDescribing the job


• Typefaces and type sizesWord processing and desk-top publishing softwarehave demystified the subject of typefaces and typesizes, but the corporate buyer is advised to considerarguing for rationalisation, in other words developinga 'house style', particularly in terms of the way copyand instructions are presented by colleagues. Discusscopy preparation and house style with your printeror typesetter. The primary outcomes of a well-developed house style are clarity and accuracy. Inthe light of the foregoing, the descriptions which webegan with could be rewritten. For example, the firsttwo might read like this:

• 5,000 of A4 letter headings, printed text only, inblack and Pantone blue 313U as indicated onmarked-up copy. (Mark-up will indicate typefacesand sizes, position and division of colours. A colourpatch (swatch) would normally be attached.)

• 10,000 of corporate brochures, each 64pp, includingcover. Final trimmed size 198mm x 210mm, printed4-colour process on 125 g/m_ white, gloss-coatedstock. Design artwork and transparencies supplied.(Note that the trimmed size 198mm x 210mm istwo-thirds of A4. Artwork, which is the product of agraphic design studio - original illustrative copy -, isdiscussed further in design.)

Printing processes• Different types of printing processIn describing the printing market-place we looked atthe sectors in terms of products. Clearly there is agood deal of overlap between suppliers. The same istrue of the different processes and equipmentinvolved in the printing industry. In order to makean informed choice of printer, you must know aboutthe main printing processes. These are as follows:

• Offset lithographyOffset lithography (litho) is by far the commonest,produces the bulk of print we consume, and wouldbe associated to a greater or lesser degree with all ofthe sectors described previously. However, it may notbe best suited, in terms of cost or quality, for all of the

jobs specified earlier, or for the job you have in mind.Furthermore, even if lithography is the best choice,another decision to be made is whether it is to beproduced on small sheet-fed presses, as you wouldfind in instant-print shops, larger sheet-fed presses, orweb-fed presses. (Web-offset presses print from a reelof paper, thus permitting higher printing speeds andin-line finishing operations such as folding.)

• FlexographyFlexography is especially suited to labels andpackaging, particularly on plastic and metallic foils,and envelopes.

• GravureGravure is used to produce long runs of magazines,mail-order catalogues, packaging and postagestamps. The quality of illustrations that can beachieved on lightweight papers and non-absorbentmaterials is very high, but the cost of preparingprinting cylinders is also very high, making longruns a common prerequisite for placing work withgravure printers.

• Screen processScreen process (formerly known as silk-screenprinting) is used for printing on almost any surface:flat, prefabricated, rigid, flexible, non-absorbent andabsorbent materials. In this respect, it can claim tobe the most versatile of the processes and iscommonly used to print textiles, glass bottles, metaland plastic decals, corporate promotional gifts suchas pens and ring binders, as well as posters andpoint-of-sale material.

• Digital printingDigital printing is often the choice for short-runprocess colour work, particularly large format, point-of-sale material. Digital is also appropriate for jobswhich require changes from sheet to sheet, forexample ‘variable data’. The facility to includevariable data makes possible ‘print on demand’, forexample collated reports. Another feature of theprocess is that image length is not restricted byplate cylinder diameters or stencil dimensions, thusmaking it ideal for producing banners and the like.

How to buy print - guidelines for theprocurement of print servicesPrinting processes


Before choosing paper for digital printing it isparticularly important to discuss options with theprinter as different print engines have differing paperrequirements.• Appropriateness of the processes for different

types of jobs We can now explore theappropriateness of the processes described above inthe context of the jobs specified earlier.• 5,000, two-colour letterheads: this is the kind ofjob that could be competently handled by anyprinter with small offset presses. However, if theorder was for 50,000 it would be advisable toseek a quote from a printer with a two-colour, A2press. The job could then be printed four at atime ('4-up') in one pass through the press. Ineither case, the process would be litho. The mostimportant thing the corporate buyer can do ifhandling this type of work is to review his/herorganisation's overall stationery needs, includingre-ordering practices, for example quantities andfrequency. The buyer might also consider, forexample, the viability of combining elements,such as compliment slips and letterheads, on oneplate. If the total requirements warrant it, youshould seek advice and alternative quotationsfrom printers specialising in business stationery.

• 10,000 corporate brochures: these wouldcertainly be placed with a printer with sheet-fedlitho presses. The presses would be of at leastthe two-colour variety (requiring two passesthrough the press to produce process work), butmore probably four-colour. As this is a 64-pagejob, the presses would also need to be capable ofhandling a sheet size of at least SRA2.

• 5,000 B2 showcards: if these were to be printedonto rigid board, screen process would be theobvious choice. A similar job on paper, say apoint-of-sale poster to be clipped in a frame,would warrant the buyer obtaining competitivequotes from litho and process and digitalprinters.

• 300 T-shirts: this is definitely a screen processjob.

• 200, 4pp, four-colour, A4 leaflets: this is certainlythe kind of job for which competitive quotesshould be obtained from a litho printer and adigital printer, the justification for consideringdigital printing being that the greatest proportionof costs will be at the pre-press stage and thesmall quantity required would not permit theunit-cost savings associated with running the jobon a conventional litho press.

• 50,000, 16pp, full colour A4 leaflets: this is a lithojob without doubt, but the run length suggeststhat the buyer should obtain competitive quotesfrom both web-offset printers and sheet-fedprinters.

To summarise, therefore, the primary variables whenconsidering process and equipment suitability are:• quantities (number of pages times run length)• substrata (base material)• page/sheet size• finishing processes• number of colours• quality• product end usage

Print technologies are continually advancing and it isimportant that purchasing & supply managementprofessionals regularly update their knowledge of theprocesses and their relative merits. For example, lithoused to be cost effective only on larger print runs anddigital had become the cost effective option for shortrun colour work. However, with recent advances inpre-press technologies reducing the cost of pre-presswork, litho is becoming increasingly cost effective forshorter runs. It is suggested that quotes are obtainedfor both litho and digital to ascertain the best option.



Production sequence of printing operationsIn general terms, printing operations follow a fairlystandard sequence. This is outlined below.• DesignGraphic designers agree a brief with their client, thenorganise, produce or commission all the visual materialand present it in a format ready for the printer, thefinal product being artwork or camera-ready artworkwhich may incorporate:• photographic prints and transparencies• commercial artists' drawings• typeset matter• colour and materials specification• other technical instructions(If generated on a computer, the digital artwork isforwarded on disk.)

• ReproductionReproduction (known as repro) is the stage atwhich the artwork (or disk) is converted into thefilms necessary for platemaking. Scanner operatorsand film-planners are employed and photo-mechanical proofs (for example Chromalins™ orMatchprint™ proofs) are produced.

Repro houses are significant investors in digitaltechnology and should be able to offer advice onthe suitability of digital photography and digitalproofing for the job you have in hand.

Increasingly, printers have normal office printersmatched to the production that give a high degreeof accuracy and avoid the need for costly wetproofs.

• PlatemakingAt the platemaking stage, wet proofs can be pulled.For screen process printing this stage is moreaccurately described as stencil making.

• Production pressworkFor some jobs printed on web-offset presses,production presswork may be the final stage,because finishing operations such as 'in-linefinishing' are completed on the production press.

However, as most work comes off the press in flatsheets, print-finishing operations are done quiteseparately.

• Print finishingThe final stage is print finishing, in which flat sheetsare converted into the finished product. Commonly,the processes include: cutting, folding, trimming,securing (for example wire stitching) and packaging.

How to choose printers: a strategyWhen compiling a list of print suppliers you shouldadopt the following strategy:• Seek information by referring to various printedsources, such as:• Printing Trades Directory, published by CMPInformation Services

• British Print Directory (CD-Rom and bookformat), published by Ingram Publishing Ltd.

• Print Buyers Guide, published by British PrintingIndustries Federation

• Contact the trade associations.• Speak to buyers in other organisations.• Write to printers requesting details of their plant andequipment, examples of their work and client lists.

• Visit some printers.• Based on your research and your company's needs,draft your vendor questionnaire.

• Check printing industry awards (for example thoseawarded by Printweek).

Prices• How much should I pay for my printing?You will appreciate that this is rather like askinghow much you should spend on a wardrobe full ofnew outfits. However, one good benchmark is thePrint Price Guide (published by Ingram PublishingLtd.), but arguably there is no substitute forcompetitive tendering, particularly if your printingjob differs from the examples given in the guide.



• Invitation to tender or quoteWhen requesting suppliers to tender or quote forjobs you should, beforehand, attempt to find out asmuch as possible from your customer about the jobspecification so that you can convey this informationto the printer. Your relationship with the printer willdeteriorate if he is asked to expend time on jobsthat continually change during the pre-orderprocess.

• What should the tender contain?The tender should set out the following information:• Job title or number• Tender/quote return date• Size of job (for example A4/A5 etc.)• Details of job: number of pages, layout style,colours

• Paper specification (type, weight, quality andwhether it is to be free)

• For brochures/books(a) cover details(b) board type for cover (as paper specification)(c) method of binding/finishing

• Packaging instructions• Date artwork available if not part of the job• Date for proof delivery• Date for job completion• Price(a) number of copies(b) plus run-on in batch size of xxx

• Terms and conditions applicable to contract

QualityThe following points should be considered in respectof quality.• Make sure that the communication between you andthe printer is unambiguous - an independentgraphic designer can be of considerable help, in thesame way that architects facilitate accuratecommunication with builders.

• If you are supplying original illustrations, ensurethat they are of a professional standard.

• Make sure that the contract proof supplied allowsyou to assess the materials on which the job is to beprinted.

• Learn about 'colour bars' and buy yourself amagnifier (called 'linen testers' by printers).

• Request advance copies of any long runs and viewthem in good daylight.

• Consider viewing and approving first-offs on thepress.

• If you are supplying materials or requesting thatcertain materials are used, ensure that they areappropriate and allow the printer to produce goodquality.

• Make your printer your friend.

Building relationships with printersYou should follow these guidelines in buildingrelationships with printers.• The relationship should be non-adversarial.Building this relationship may be difficult, especiallyif the supplier is used to an adversarial approach.

• You should acquire a sound knowledge of theprinter's capability. The fact that you have acquireda knowledge of your printer's capacity andcapability should help, in that you will not bewasting time asking him to help with work that heis not capable of doing. Moreover, he will becomeaware that if he spends time on your quotations, heis likely to have a chance of obtaining some returnfor his effort as you only pass suitable work to him.

• Your need for prompt and effective response toyour problems. The biggest problems you are likelyto encounter when buying print are last-minuterequests and poor specification. It is essential tohave a group of suppliers that you are able to relyupon to help solve such problems.

Contract termsYour standard terms and conditions may not be entirelysuitable for certain aspects of printing work. It may benecessary to augment them with some extra clauses.Remember that you should always seek the advice of



your legal experts before adding to or amending yourterms and conditions. The printing industry has its ownset of terms and conditions, produced by the BritishPrinting Federation. However, it is not necessarily wisefor the buyer to accept these, as they are biasedtowards the printer. Always remember to check thatyour terms apply in the battle of the forms; check allpaperwork received and contact the supplier if thereare any deviations or inaccuracies. The following list ofadditional terms and conditions is by no meansexhaustive.• Additional terms and conditions to be

considered• ConfidentialityThe order and any related information shall beconfidential and shall not be disclosed by theSupplier to any third party for any purposewithout the prior written consent of theCompany (which shall not be unreasonablywithheld).

• QualityIn the absence of a specification referred to onthe purchase order or sample all goods suppliedshall be of satisfactory quality and fit for theirpurpose.

• Quantity(a) Under-deliveries will not be accepted unlessagreed in writing prior to the commencement ofthe job. Any shortages will be made good at theSupplier's expense.(b) Over-deliveries will not be accepted unlessagreed in writing prior to the commencement ofthe job. Any over-deliveries received will remainthe property of the Supplier and will be heldready for collection for a period of 30 days afterwhich they will be returned to the Supplier attheir expense.

• Rejection and defectsIn the case of goods delivered by the Seller notconforming with the Contract whether by reasonof being of quality or in a quantity measurementnot stipulated or being unfit for the purpose for

which they are required where such purpose hasbeen made known in writing to the Seller, theBuyer shall have the right to reject such goodswithin a reasonable time of their delivery and topurchase elsewhere as near as practicable to thesame Contract specifications and conditions ascircumstances shall permit but without prejudiceto any other right which the Buyer might haveagainst the Seller. The making of payment shallnot prejudice the Buyer's right of rejection.Before exercising the said right to purchaseelsewhere the Buyer shall give the Sellerreasonable opportunity to replace rejected goodswith goods which conform to the Contract.

• Specification deviation/changesAny requests for changes to or deviation fromthe specification shall be submitted in writing forapproval prior to the commencement of anywork.

• Packaging(a) The goods shall be packed suitably inquantities of xxx unless thisexceeds the applicable health and safetylegislation; if so, it isincumbent upon the Supplier to adjust thequantity accordingly and advise the Buyer of thenew quantity.(b) All packages should be clearly marked withthe quantity and contents.(c) The packaging should be suitable for thestorage and future handling of the product.

• SubcontractorsThe Contract shall not be assigned by the Sellernor sub-let as a whole. The Seller shall not sub-let any part of the work without the Buyer'swritten consent, but the restriction contained inthis clause shall not apply to subcontracts formaterials, for minor details, or for any part ofwhich the makers are named in the Contract.The Seller shall be responsible for all work doneand goods supplied by all subcontractors.

• ProofsProofs of all work shall be submitted for writtenapproval prior to commencement of the job. Anycosts incurred prior to approval, due to error in theproofs, shall be the liability of the Supplier. Suchcorrections should be carried out by the Supplierand approval received in writing.• Free issue materials/artworkWhere the Buyer, for the purposes of the Contract,issues materials free of charge to the Seller suchmaterials shall be and remain the property of theBuyer. The Seller shall maintain all such materials ingood order and condition subject, in the case ofartwork, patterns and the like, to fair wear and tear.The Seller shall use such materials solely inconnection with the Contract. Any surplus materialsshall be disposed of at the Buyer's discretion. Wasteof such materials arising from bad workmanship ornegligence of the Seller shall be made good at theSeller's expense. Without prejudice to any other ofthe rights of the Buyer, the Seller shall deliver upsuch materials, whether further processed or not, tothe Buyer on demand.• Intellectual property rights(a) The Seller will indemnify the Buyer against anyclaim for infringement of patents, designs orregistered designs, trademark or copyright by theuse or sale of any article or materials supplied bythe Seller to the Buyer and against all costs anddamages (including legal fees) which the Buyer mayincur in any action for such infringement or forwhich the Buyer may become liable in such action.Provided always that this indemnity shall not applyto any infringement which is due to the Sellerhaving followed a design or instruction furnished orgiven by the Buyer or to the use of such article ormaterial in a manner or for a purpose or in aforeign country not specified by or disclosed to theSeller, or to any infringement which is due to theuse of such article or material in association orcombination with any other article or material notsupplied by the Seller. Provided also that this

indemnity is conditional on the Buyer giving to theSeller the earliest possible notice in writing of anyclaim being made or action threatened or broughtagainst the Buyer.(b) All intellectual property rights in works, goodsor materials produced for the Buyer by the Seller orspecifically commissioned by the Seller from theBuyer shall vest in the Buyer, and the Sellerundertakes to execute all documents required toensure such ownership.• Time is of the essenceThe date of delivery of any goods or rights, and theperformance of any services, will be of the essenceof this contract.

Corporate Social ResponsibilityCorporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now firmlyestablished on the corporate agenda. Buyers shouldtake into account their organisation’s CSR policy whenbuying print to ensure that their own actions and thatof their print supply chain comply with the policy.Information and guidance on CSR issues can be foundin CIPS Practice Guide: Corporate Social Responsibilityand CIPS Knowledge Work: CSR Principles.

GlossaryThe following are terms with which you shouldbecome familiar, in addition to those discussed earlierin this handbook.Acid-free papers. Papers formulated to enhancelongevity.Antique papers. A group of uncoated papers with arough surface, good opacity and good bulk, ideallysuited for the reproduction of reading matter.Art papers. The family of papers coated in china clayto give a smooth surface with either a matt or glossfinish, ideally suited to the reproduction of fine screenand colour work.Bromides. Photographs on white photographic paper,providing reflective copy for reproduction.BS 4666. British standard for lithographic processinks, namely, cyan, magenta, yellow and black.



Blanket cylinder. The offset cylinder on an offsetlitho printing press, which receives inked images fromthe plate and presses them on to paper.Bled page. Pages without one or more margins. Theseare very popular for illustrated magazines where thepicture 'bleeds off' all edges of the page.Boards. Usually paper stock weighing more than200g/m_ although some mills market paper with aweight of 180 g/m_ as board.CMYK. Shorthand for the lithographic process inks,cyan, magenta, yellow and black.Colour matching systems. Two commercial systemswidely used in the UK are Pantone™ and Focoltone™.Colour separation. The use of filters to separatecoloured pictures into the four elements (CMYK)necessary for their reproduction using process inks.Computer to plate (filmless platemaking). Making aprinting plate directly from digital signals originated bycomputer software. The plate is exposed directly by abeam of laser light, rather than ultra-violet light beingtransmitted through the transparent parts of aphotographic film.Contone. A contraction of continuous tone.Continuous tone. Original photographs ortransparencies for printing are described as continuoustone to distinguish them from halftone films or prints.Digital artwork. Text and pictures assembled on acomputer and stored on disk.Digital presses. Printing presses in variousconfigurations and employing a number oftechnologies to print images upon paper, but which allgenerate digital images from a computer.Digital proofing systems. Systems which provideproofs without the need for film or printing plate.DPI. Short for 'dots per inch', as applied, for example,to the resolution of a computer monitor. Not to beconfused with LPI.Furnish. The ingredients of paper. Of principalinterest is usually the fibre content, hence phrases suchas wood-free furnish.Halftone. A picture comprised of dots of differingsizes proportional to the tone in the original picture.

Halftones films are created by exposing film to theoriginal picture through a screen and allowing theintensity of the light reflected from the original todetermine the dot size.ISDN. Stands for Integrated Services Digital Networkand is a digital network of telecommunications lineslinking computers. It is used by printers and theirclients to send and receive copy of pictures and text(an integrated copy).Letterpress. Printing from raised (in relief) metalimages. This was, commercially, the major printingprocess until the 1960s, but is now a minor one.LPI. Stands for lines per inch and is used to describethe resolution of halftone screens and prints. (LPC linesper centimetre is an acceptable alternative.)LWC. Lightweight coated papers weighing less than60g/m_.OCR. Optical Character Recognition. Electronicreading of typescript into a computer file.Perfecting. Printing of the second side of a sheet, thatis 'backing up'.Photo mechanical proofs. Proofs created fromcolour-separated films before the platemaking stage.Generally accepted as contract proofs for colour work.Examples include Chromalin™ and Matchprint™.Planning. Originally this referred to final-filmplanning that is the planning of film elements on to atransparent sheet of plastic foil in preparation for plate-making. Increasingly that function is being carried outby a planner on a computer.Proof. A pre-production print. Different types are useddepending on what is to be checked, for example. aphotocopy is sufficient to check for literals.Relief printing. Term embracing both letterpress andflexography.Saddle stitching. A method of securing pages ofbooklets and magazines by the insertion of stitches(usually wire) through the spine.Scanners. These are used to electronically convertcoloured images, usually bromides or trannies, intocolour-separated, halftone images.

How to buy print - guidelines for theprocurement of print servicesGlossary


Screen ruling. The resolution of halftones measuredin lines per inch.Trannies. A corruption of transparencies. In everydayparlance, photographic transparencies are referred to asslides.

Sources of informationOrganisations which can be contacted for furtherinformation:

British Printing Industries FederationFarringdon Point29-35 Farringdon RoadLondon EC1M 3JFTelephone: 0870 240 4085Website: www.britishprint.com

The Association of Print & Packaging BuyersBucks Hill HouseBucks HillKings Langley, Herts WD4 9ALTelephone: 01923 260419

IoP: The Packaging SocietyInstitute of Materials, Minerals and MiningSpringfield HouseSpringfield Business ParkGranthamLincolnshireNG31 7BGTelephone: 01476 514590Website: www.iop.co.uk

BPIF CartonsFarringdon Point29-35 Farringdon RoadLondon EC1M 3JFTelephone 020 7915 8334Website: www.britishprint.com

PAFA (Packaging and Films Association)3rd Floor Gothic HouseBarker GateNottingham NG1 1JUTelephone: 0115 959 8389Website: www.pifa.co.uk

Greeting Card AssociationUnited HouseNorth RoadLondon N7 9DPTelephone: 020 7619 0396Website: www.greetingcardassociation.org.uk

Ingram Publishing LtdIngram HouseHigh StreetTattenhall, Cheshire CH3 9PXTelephone: 01829 771880Website: www.ingrampublishing.com

National Association of Paper MerchantsPO Box 2850Nottingham NG5 2WWTelephone: 0 115 8412129Website: www.napm.org.uk

PIRA - Printing Industries Research AssociationRandalls RoadLeatherheadSurrey KT22 7RUTelephone: 01372 802080Website: www.piranet.com

Publishers Association29b Montague StreetLondon WC1B 5BHTelephone: 020 7691 9191Website: www.publishers.org.uk

How to buy print - guidelines for theprocurement of print servicesGlossary


Digital & Screen Printing Association7a West StreetReigateSurrey RH2 9BLTelephone: 01737 240792Website: www.spauk.co.uk

Forest Stewardship Councilwww.fsc.org

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification(PEFC)www.pefc.org

Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP)The Old Academy21 Horse FairBanbury OX16 0AH.Telephone: 01295 819 900Helpline: 0808 100 2040www.wrap.org.uk

Books

Printing Trades DirectoryCMP Information ServicesISBN 0-86382-302-5

The Print & Packaging Buying HandbookAlan JamiesonBlueprintISBN 1-85713-030-8

Buying Print Cost EffectivelyTony Hart and Peter Kirby GowerISBN 0-566-02589-2

The Print Managers Handbook 2007UnityISBN 978-0-9549049-2-0

CIPS publications, available @ www.cips.org:

Practice Guide: Corporate Social Responsibility

Knowledge Works: CSR Principles

CIPS Training Course

How to Buy PrintAn essential addition to the skills of the purchasingprofessional who has, or is going to have, responsibilityfor the purchase of print.

Suppliers of directories mentioned in text

CMP Information ServicesRiverbank HouseAngel LaneTonbridgeKent TN9 1SETelephone +44(0) 1732 377591

Ingram Publishing LtdIngram HouseHigh StreetTattenhallCheshire CH3 9PXTelephone +44(0) 1829 771880

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply

How to buy print - guidelines for theprocurement of print servicesSources of information


how to buy print - guidelines for the procurement of print services

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