In your printing business, you produce a lot of print production jobs and use printing production software. These programs alone won't run your entire business. You also need printing management software and different print systems.
You can supply some of the software your print production jobs will require by using the Internet. This will save you time and gas by allowing you to set up the major sources your printing store will need from your home or office. There are three initial software packages you will need to buy to set up your printing store.
1. In order to track and manage your printing orders, you will need print management software.
2. To create all of your print jobs, you will need printing production software.
3. To estimate and quote prices on all of your printing jobs, you will need print broker software.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Use print management software
Whether you have a large or small printing business, print management software can help you track and manage your orders, do your billing and keep all of your information secure.
I recommend: RocketWorkflow allows you to securely access your data from any computer with an Internet connection, and doesn't require any additional software.
CZ Solution's CZ Print Job Tracker 4.0 gathers all of your printing job information, keeps records of your printing jobs and can set up the billing for your printing jobs. You can download a free 30-day trial at their website.
Use printing production software
Your print production software is the center of your printing business. This is where the print production jobs will be implemented, managed and routed to the printers. You want to make sure that you are using high-quality print production programs to handle your print production.
I recommend: MarketingPilot offers a range of features that takes you from pre-production to printing and distribution. Download a brochure at their website.
Xerox Freeflow Makeready 6.0 allows you to view your documents, set up page layout, edit documents and proof your document before you print them.
Use print broker software
Keeping track of printing jobs and producing them are not the only task your printing business will need to provide. You will need to provide your customers with up-front quotes on what their printing jobs will cost. You can use print broker software to estimate and quote all of your incoming printing jobs.
I recommend: SmartQuotes is easy-to-use software for any printing job, and it can also produce invoices.
Print-Quotes provides a link you can add to your web page for customers to get estimates on their print jobs.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- You may want to add a budgeted hourly rates software package to your shopping list to keep track of your employee's hours and the production hours used on each printing job.
The official source of Printing Production Software is
the Printing Production Software page at Business.com
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