10 important factors
If you have a new project or you are simply wondering if you can better results or lower costs with your current product, here are 10 quick considerations to help make you with your selection process:
1. Know when size is important
Like all industries, product decorators come in all sizes and matching their capacity to your particular needs will help you achieve the best outcomes in terms of quality, pricing and lead times. It’s also an easy place to start to narrow down your list for potential product decorating partners.
- If you have a large project (more than 10,000 pieces) that you would like to have printed all at once, explore larger decorators to identify if there are services that specialize in your particular product and have more equipment and capacity to better address your volume. Larger, specialized capacity is often needed for consumer products such as bottles and other containers, or medical products where printing in a clean room environment is required.
- If you have a smaller project (less than 10,000 pieces), or a larger project that can be spread over a longer period of time, a medium to small sized decorator may be able to offer you greater service, and faster results since they often have more flexibility in their production schedules.
2. Capabilities vs specialization
Choosing a product decorator with a wide range of capabilities is wise to ensure you can test and apply the best print methods. One capability does not fit all projects. Yet choosing a decorator that specializes in your type of product is also important. For example, you may have a project that requires printing on a large quantity of plastic bottles where the type of specialized printing equipment will be key. Find yourself a proven specialist in printing on large quantities of plastic bottles. Or you may have a project that requires marking on a medical product where adherence to strict clean room protocols will be required or necessary. Choosing a printer with a range of capabilities which can be used for decorating medical equipment and that specializes in medical equipment with clean room decorating experience will go a long way toward guaranteeing quality, durability, financial and aesthetic success of your project.
3. Responsiveness
One of the first really good indicators of how much any company values your business is how quickly they respond, not only to your initial inquiry, but also to any ongoing questions or concerns. In manufacturing we live in a constant demand for the speed at which we can get products designed, built and billed. Vendors who are thrilled to do what they do and truly value addressing customer needs will respond quickly, partner to create the best results, and keep the lines of communication open before, during and after a project is complete. And most importantly, will continue to engage, partner and communicate well when a problem arises!
4. Experience
product decorating is one of those fields where almost every project will require a unique combination of materials and processes in order to achieve the desired durability and graphic appeal. Choosing a product decorator that has not only been in business long enough to achieve enough knowledge (10+ years) but has also successfully dealt with a wide range of project challenges is critical for ensuring the success of your project. Especially if you need decoration of products used in a medical, industrial or consumer applications, be sure the decorator you choose has broad knowledge in those areas.
5. Quality and its indicators
This one seems a bit obvious since no one goes out looking for a vendor who will give them a poor- quality product but an organizations commitment to high quality final results becomes more obvious if your decorator establishes a process designed to encourage successful collaboration. Because collaboration and cooperation are absolutely required across all parties for high quality results, and lack of it is often cause for details, followed by quality, to fall through the cracks. Here’s some signs of attention to quality.
- Has your decorator suggested that you partner to test print methods and results for new products? (Testing as early in the product development process as possible is best, especially important with plastics.)
- Have you explored whether your components or finished products for decorating have any contaminates that might interfere with ink adhesion?
- Are expectations being set and agreed to regarding durability with considerations for the product material being printed and its final use?
- Is sharing of clear product specifications and acceptable design format for clear artwork images being communicated?
- Does your decorator offer an environment that strictly minimizes any opportunity for contamination before and after printing? Does your decorator offer a tour?
- Does your decorator discuss your product packing and shipping needs? (Avoiding damage before and after, in addition to during printing, can be equally important for success)
- Ask upfront, what are your typical lead times?How do you handle requests for expedited processing?
6. Transparency
When discussing a new project with a potential decorator don’t be afraid to ask about any of the items listed above as well as requesting referrals or testimonials from existing clients. Ask them too about recent projects they have run that are similar to yours and even consider asking for a tour of their production facility. Most reputable decorators will be happy to have the opportunity to show off what they do, and a clean, well-organized production floor can be a great indicator of how much they value quality and conformity to industry standards. If their printing area looks more like someone’s messy garage, it might be an indication that you should move on.
7. Service
How well a company walks their talk when it comes to service will often be apparent in the early stages of communication but really becomes critical at other times like when your project needs to be expedited or the project is under way and for whatever reason hits an unforeseen “snag”. Decorators who understand that their customers may sometimes need special consideration, and the importance of being able to respond to those requests, are vital to keeping productivity up and stress levels down!
8. Certifications
There are some less known specific process related certifications within the printing industry, but the most well-known, common, and generally helpful certification is ISO 9001. While this certification will not guarantee you receive the greatest service, expertise or quality, it does show that the decorator you are considering values and adheres to proven standards for how jobs move through their organization and how the work is documented. As with any type of manufacturing, operating in a controlled environment where everyone understands the bigger picture in terms of processes and quality will help ensure all important steps are taken, communications are flowing, and projects meet expectations.
9. Proximity
Depending on the size and quantity of your product, proximity may or may not be an important factor, but it should at least be considered. If you are sending products to be decorated and then bringing them back for assembly or other secondary operations, shipping costs can really start to add up especially in this era of increased fuel prices and driver shortages. Another advantage of using a nearby decorator is the ability to visit them for in-person discussions about new projects and the opportunity to see their operating environment first-hand. If sample parts are going to be run and approved prior to full production this can often be done on-site while the presses are still set up which can save both time and money. If your project involves something like relatively simple labels or large quantities of small, lightweight parts, proximity will not be as much of an issue; and you should be able to find reliable decorators throughout the United States. In that case referrals, samples, certifications and an honest discussion about capacity and capabilities certainly with lay a strong foundation for consideration.
10. Pricing
I left pricing for last not because it is necessarily the least important consideration, but because if all other considerations above are addressed, then pricing should fall into place. The classic Priority Triangle (Price – Quality – Speed) is certainly applicable to product decorating and while you may find a vendor who can consistently achieves all three, more commonly you will need to decide which two of these three qualities are most important for each of your projects.
For example, your product decorating project today might be for a product part which requires very simple markings that will only be referenced during the assembly stage of the product’s life and won’t be needed after that. In this case, long-term adhesion of the ink may be less important than project speed or price (speed and price over quality). Unlike another project for a component used in a medical application which may be subjected to repeated sterilizations and therefore may require pre-treating as well as multiple hits of specialized ink followed by oven curing. In this case the price and quality can be expected to be higher, and an allowance will likely need to be made for a longer delivery time (quality over speed and price). Or you, may have another project with parts that can be printed at higher speeds and accommodated with bulk packaging and less consideration for surface contaminants, which can result in optimizing speed and price.
