Three quotes, none of them comparable
You send the same email to three printers. The quotes come back at 1,200, 2,400 and 3,100 dollars. Procurement wants to take the cheapest. Everyone assumes the expensive one is padding.
Typically, none of this is accurate. The three suppliers have quoted for three distinct jobs because the project brief did not specify the factors that influence pricing. One supplier assumed the job would be digital, while another assumed it would be offset. One supplier quoted for uncoated stock, while another quoted for coated stock. One supplier included delivery costs in their quote, while another did not. This disparity is not due to profit margins; it arises from ambiguity in the project brief, resulting in three distinctly priced quotes.
A print request for quotation (RFQ) is typically a concise document. It serves to fill in the information gaps that a supplier might otherwise have to guess at. Here is what should be included in it.
The specification that eliminates guesswork
Six factors determine almost every price. Exclude any of them, and you invite suppliers to make assumptions, which vary from one supplier to another.
| Specify | Why it changes the price |
|---|---|
| Exact finished size | Standard sizes fit the sheet efficiently, while odd sizes waste it. |
| Page count, including cover | It drives the imposition, binding, and overall functionality. |
| Quantity, and any alternates | The cost curve is not linear |
| Stock: weight, coated or not | Material cost and press behaviour |
| Colours: both sides or one | Two passes cost more than one |
| Finishing: fold, bind, laminate | Each step involves a separate machine and handling process. |
Note the wording in the second row. The phrase "24 pages" is ambiguous: does it include the cover or not? In a saddle-stitched booklet, this ambiguity can represent a difference of four pages. To avoid any misinterpretation, specify the details clearly: "24pp text plus 4pp cover.
Ask for quantity breaks
Never ask for one quantity. Ask for three: what you think you need, half of it, and double. Printing cost per unit falls as the run grows, because setup is fixed and paper is not. Seeing 500, 1,000 and 2,000 side by side tells you where the curve flattens, and it frequently shows that 2,000 costs barely more than 1,000. That is a business decision that only appears if you asked. This is the same arithmetic covered in our note on volume pricing and reorder scheduling.
The things people leave out
The specification above covers the obvious half. The less glamorous part is where the quotes actually differ.
- Delivery involves multiple addresses. Specifically, twelve offices would constitute twelve separate deliveries, not one.
- Packing can be done either loosely in a box or shrink-wrapped in sets of fifty. Someone has to handle this task.
- Proofing: a PDF, or a physical proof? A physical proof adds cost and days.
- Deadline: This refers to the date by which something must be handed in, not the date it is shipped.
- What is the current status of the artwork? Is it final, or is it still in the design process?
- Who approves, and how fast?
Packing can be a hidden cost. If your 5,000 flyers need to arrive bundled in hundreds for distribution to branches, that manual labor may not be included in a printer's quote for loose boxes. The printer may absorb the cost or come back with a revised quote. However, adjustments at the invoice stage are not ideal.
Delivery to multiple addresses is the other option. A single drop represents one courier movement. Twelve drops equate to twelve separate deliveries, and the cost of these deliveries can sometimes exceed the cost of printing on a small job.
Ask for the price to be broken down
Request the quote itemized rather than as a single figure. Include setup, materials, printing, finishing, and delivery costs. This approach accomplishes two things.
It allows for easy comparison of quotes. If one supplier is 40 percent more expensive, the breakdown will show whether the difference is due to stock, finishing, or delivery costs. Often, this reveals that the supplier quoted a higher quality product than was initially requested.
It also highlights where to negotiate. If setup costs dominate, a longer run can serve as your leverage. If material costs dominate, changing stock can be effective. If delivery costs dominate, consolidating shipments can help. A single number does not provide insight into which question to ask.
Ask what would make it cheaper
The most valuable question in a print request for quotation (RFQ) is rarely asked: "If this were 5 mm smaller, or printed on a different stock, would it cost less?
Print production often involves significant cost reductions with specific sizes and materials. Using a standard sheet size that fits perfectly without waste is considerably cheaper than using a size that requires an additional sheet per piece.
Judge on more than the number
Two quotes at the same price do not constitute the same offer. Prior to awarding the contract, it is important to know:
- Are they printing it themselves, or brokering it out to others? Both options are legitimate, and they change the level of accountability.
- What if it is incorrect? Would there be a reprint, a credit, or an argument?
- What is their proof process, and who signs off on it?
- Can they hold the stock and release it in batches?
- Have they done this kind of job before, or is this yours the first time?
The reprint question is worth asking in writing. It is uncomfortable, and it is the one that matters when something goes wrong at 4pm before an event. Suppliers with a clear answer have thought about it. Suppliers who deflect have also revealed something about themselves.
The cheapest quote is sometimes a misunderstanding.
If one quote is significantly lower than the others, avoid assuming you've found a bargain. Review what they have quoted. Often, it includes lighter stock, digital printing instead of offset for runs where the quality gap becomes evident, or excludes delivery. Sometimes, they may have misread the quantity. Accepting this quote means discovering the discrepancy at the time of delivery, which is the worst possible moment.
Please send us the ambiguity along with the spec.
The most useful RFQs we receive provide specific details about what the printed item needs to accomplish, rather than just describing what it is. For example, an RFQ stating, "A brochure handed to clients at a launch must feel substantial and be needed in hand by the 12th," helps us determine where money is well spent and where it is not.
We will provide a detailed, itemized quote. We will highlight areas where a minor adjustment can result in significant savings. Additionally, if your deadline is not feasible, we will inform you during the quotation process rather than upon delivery.
If you print regularly, a standing account removes most of this repetition, and our note on setting up a corporate print account covers how that works. You can see the range under custom online printing, or send your requirement through the contact page. Send the deadline first. It shapes every other answer.
