CHOOSING AND USING PAPER (I)

DESIGNING BY PAPER SIZE is the key to holding paper costs to a minimum. The idea is to impose as many pages or layouts on one sheet as possible so that you are not paying for paper that's running through the press without having anything printed on it. Unprinted paper = paper wasted = money thrown away. Whenever possible, products should be designed to fit the available paper size. It's usually a mistake to design the piece first and then select the paper it will be printed on.

SPECIFYING AND BUYING PAPER are tasks that can be left up to the printer, or, if the quantity is large enough, handled by customers who want to be sure they are getting the best price. High-volume users like publishing companies often will insist on doing the buying themselves by dealing directly with the source.

The "source" generally will be a paper distributor or paper merchant, since papers mills seldom sell direct to printers and end- users. Distributors often employ design and production consultants who can help printers and their customers choose the right stocks for the job. They may also have customer-service reps to mediate disputes between mills and end-users.

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