Print-On-Demand FAQ

What is On-Demand Printing?

On-Demand Printing, essentially means being able to print very small quantities, quickly and cost-effectively. Traditionally, printing involved an enormous amount of setup time, which resulted in it only being used for large print runs, particularly for color work. Today, the technology has advanced to the point where true on-demand printing is a reality.

---

What is the main benefit of On-Demand Printing?

The main advantage of on-demand printing is being able to print what you need when you need it. This eliminates the costs associated with inventorying large amounts of printed material. It also ensures that your printed materials are always current-the idea of sending out obsolete materials becomes...well, obsolete! This also translates into a cash-flow benefit. Since you only print the amount that you actually need, you can spread your printing costs out over time, rather than paying for large prints runs all at once.

---

What are some other benefits of On-Demand Printing?

1. Think about how much space you'll save by not having to inventory your printed materials. How much is inventory storage space costing you?
   
   
2. If you need to make changes, you can send us your revisions via the Internet, modem, or on disk whichever is easiest for you. There's no film involved, no plates, none of the headaches of conventional printing.
   
   
3. Since your document is stored digitally , we can personalize each copy, with the name, address, and other information specific to the person or company that it's being sent to. And, since each address can be printed directly on the document, this eliminates the cost and time or printing separate mailing labels. If you like, we can even handle the entire mailing for you.
   
   
4. Our standard turnaround time is 72-hours for DocuTech and DocuColor printing. If you need faster service, we also offer next-day and same-day turnaround options.
   
   
5. We can store all your materials digitally at our facility. When you need more printed, or if you need to make a change, we simply plug in your latest revisions and begin printing immediately-no wasted time.

---

What technology do you use?

We use Xerox DocuColor 2060 for full-color on-demand printing, and Xerox DocuTech 6135 for B&W on-demand printing. Both of these machines are the state-of-the-art in on-demand print technology.

---

Does this technology require plates and/or film?

No. This is a completely digital process. By eliminating prepress, platemaking, make-readies, etc... we are able to produce smaller quantities much more cost effectively and much faster than would normally be possible with conventional offset printing. Keep in mind, however, that fastcolor.com also offers conventional 4/color offset printing. We use whichever technology is most appropriate for each order we print, depending upon run length, turnaround requirements, and quality expectations.

---

Can you print double-sided?

Yes, on weights up to 80# cover.

---

Can you reproduce full-color originals, like color copying?

YES!

---

How does the quality of On-Demand printing compare with offset printing?

While on-demand printing yields excellent quality, suitable for many applications, it still falls short of the quality of conventional offset. Most short-run applications are not as quality-critical as longer print runs. However, if your piece requires super-high quality printing, we can print as few as 50 pieces using conventional offset printing.

---

Which run lengths are most appropriate for On-Demand printing?

We suggest using on-demand printing for quantities of 50 - 500 pieces. Beyond 500 pieces, conventional offset starts to become more cost effective than on-demand for static documents. However, since the turnaround time with on-demand is so much faster, there may be circumstances where you'd want to use it for 1,000 or more pieces.

---

What are the turnaround options?

Our standard turnaround for on-demand print orders is 72-hours. We also offer 48-hour turnaround for a 25% premium and 24-hour turnaround for a 100% premium. This compares with a standard turnaround of eight working days for conventional offset printing.

---

What is the maximum image area?

We can print up to 11 X 17 with a full-bleed. Keep in mind, however, that bleeds require us to run oversize stock and need to be trimmed down to the final size. For this reason, we charge extra for bleeds.

---

What type of paper can you print on?

We can print on coated and uncoated stocks, including regular text-weight stocks, as well as card stocks. Gloss stocks are limited to DocuColor.