Printing postcards and framing (Bristol)

LongLensPhotography

LongLensPhotography

Th..th..that's all folks!
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LongLensPhotography
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I am looking for an affordable good quality postcard printer. I am looking to make a trial order first, and then decide / adjust the collection based on the market response.
It could be a local supplier around Bristol, or an on-line solution. I checked DSCL and they don't seem to print postcards.

Then comes framing. I was referred to Framing Bristol but I wonder if there are better deals? I would be looking at roughly A4 to A3 sizes or larger if there is demand.
 
Are you looking for 4 colour litho or short run digital?

If the former you would be looking at a 2000 minimum print run to make it economic, I think. I can recommend Abacus Colour Printers (01229) 885361.

If you need more info, let me know. I've been doing it for 24 years!
 
Perhaps I would want to start with about 50-100x each, about 8 different designs.

Also what would be a reasonable price for framing 12x18" prints? I have a quote of around £36 for a single frame, and *probably some discount (they are not even sure about it yet) for larger orders*.
 
To have them printed commercially you need to take the plunge straight away with an order of 2000 of each roughly! To keep the cost down you would need to have multiple designs as well.

The typical mark-up for postcards is 100% + VAT. So if you sell to a shop for 15p, they will sell for 30p + VAT = 35p. Now you know who makes all the money in those gift shops.....

To be honest I wouldn't know how to go about getting short runs like you are hoping to do. It definitely wouldn't be economic to go to a 4-colour litho company. The price of printed products is ALL in the set-up cost. Once the machines are running all you're paying for really is the card and the ink.

The problem with a trial would be that your commercial product may not then be the same as your trial product. But it might work. Just think carefully about the commitment you are making to sell loads of stuff over a period of years, and whether you've got the confidence to market it. It's a risky business.

From what I know about framing, the price you've been quoted looks about right. If you were able to go to a framer with an order for, say, 20 frames of identical dimensions that would probably bring the price down to about £25 each, roughly. Have you thought about IKEA for frames? You'd then have to mount the photos yourself, and you could save money that way, although cleaning glass is a job I'd rather leave someone else to do!

Good luck!
 
hi mate

re postcards.....when i had some done i couldnt find anyone to do any amount less than 100 i tried to find a price for that but forgot who did them......not a big seller anyway

if you where closer i could help you with frames next time i put an order in,(which is soon) trade price for a nice 2 inch wide black is around £15 plus vat and thats a 20x16 for an a3 print.....mount +£2.. as an example
these are from a trade framer i know

Gary
 
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