Before Hiring a Lawn Sign Printer, Here’s What You Should Know First
If you’re looking for a sign printing company, you likely have a specific need in mind, like indoor or outdoor advertising for your business or as part of your political campaign. When you search for yard signs online, you’ll be given dozens, if not hundreds, of sign printing businesses to choose from, and that’s just here in the U.S.A. So how do you narrow down your choice to the ideal company for your needs? Continue reading for six things to look for when hiring a sign printing company.
1. Type of Lawn Sign You Need
Finding out whether the company of your choice is right for you hinges on whether or not they produce the signs you need for your company or campaign. While this feels obvious, you might also want to ensure your signs are being produced in-house rather than being outsourced. Outsourcing raises costs for your company or campaign and increases the lead time on your sign production.
Here at Promote Signs, your yard signs are produced in-house from start to finish, which means our lead time is often as little as 1-3 days, depending on the size of your wholesale sign order. In-house sign production also means a lower cost to your company or campaign. We know your time is valuable so we strive to make your sign ordering process as quick and efficient as possible, while also keeping your costs low.
2. Production Time
We understand that you’re busy. Whether you’re working on a political campaign or managing a tree trimming business, you likely don’t have a lot of spare time to carve out of your week to go back and forth with a lawn sign company. So when you’re seeking your ideal yard sign printer, consider the following:
- How quickly are you connecting to a real person? Here at Promote Signs, we have a dedicated sales staff, and you won’t have to navigate an automated answering service. While you may occasionally get a voicemail inbox, we return calls and emails as quickly as possible. You won’t be left hanging for a day or two to get your order taken or questions answered and you’ll generally work with the same salesperson from start to finish with your order.
- Turn-around times- How quickly can you expect your signs to arrive at your doorstep? Our production volume changes throughout the year, but our lead times rarely rise above 3 days for regular-priced lawn signs (signs printed at special pricing may take up to 5 days for production). We can also give you an estimate of UPS shipping times to your door. You can always see how long our current lead time is by checking our website home page.
3. Experience & Equipment
How long has your sign printer been in business? How well are their employees trained? And what kind of machinery is being used for your signs? Chain printers, like Kinko’s or an office supply box store, generally employ lower-quality printers and less-experienced staff. Our printing staff are well-trained on top-of-the-line machines, with years of experience producing screen printed and digitally printed signs and products. Our sign printing staff are skilled at spotting and fixing issues and imperfections so your final product arrives at your doorstep in the highest quality possible. We have 66 years of experience in the printing industry, with most of our staff boasting over a decade with our company. This also means our sales staff has the experience and training to help you troubleshoot and find the best solution for your company or campaign.
4. Pricing & Material Quality
Chances are good that you are looking for the best deal on wholesale lawn signs that you can find. But it’s important to keep in mind that the cheapest rarely equals the best. You’ll want to ask about the quality of the sign material being utilized for your product as some companies skimp on this aspect to help reduce the final cost. Inferior lawn sign materials can mean a shorter lifespan for your final products. Low-quality ink and plastic corrugate won’t stand up to inclement weather and direct sunlight long-term. When you choose a printing company that offers high-quality sign materials and ink, you can rest assured that your wholesale lawn sign investment will hold up for the long term (ask your sales representative for information on the durability of different sign types).
That said, plenty of companies will take advantage of someone who hasn’t previously purchased custom printed lawn signs by overcharging while producing subpar signs. We recommend finding a company that meets your needs for quality and price.
5. Reputation
How can you truly ensure you aren’t throwing money down the drain? Check reviews and their standing with the Better Business Bureau. Reviews not only tell you the experiences other customers have had with the company in question, but serve as proof that the company you’re looking into is a legitimate business with a legitimate website.
6. Design Services
If you know you need signs but don’t know where to begin designing the best sign for your business or campaign, look for a sign printer with templates available online to help spark your creativity and ask if they have an in-house designer to help you create professional, eye-catching lawn signs. Make sure to also ask if design and setup fees are included to ensure your final cost won’t be higher than you were quoted or anticipated.
Here at Political Lawn Signs/Promote Signs, we offer up to three free proofs before printing your business/campaign signs with an order placed, and we never charge a setup fee. In fact, we keep your design on file so when you’re ready for another order of signs, we can pull up your previous design to reprint or redesign.
Ready to order some lawn signs for your business/campaign?
Give one of our friendly and knowledgeable sales staff a call and get started today!