Printers, of course, walk those shadows regularly. They know the locations of all the potential hazards and, because these challenges are so obvious to them, often don’t understand why they aren’t so apparent to print buyers.

“Often the knowledge the buyer has is really basic, yet they do this as a job so they should have taken the time to get more clued up,” says one disgruntled printer in the North West who wished to remain anonymous.

And yet, for many print buyers the buying of print is only one part of their job. Over the past five years, as tough economic conditions have reduced headcounts across all kinds of businesses, the person buying the print is likely to be fulfilling several other roles, and won’t be the pure print specialist of old.

However, rather than regarding it as a hindrance, Julian Marsh, consultant at Harrier LLC, says we should actually see this lack of expertise as an opportunity to forge stronger relationships with buyers, by providing guidance when needed. He stresses that there are plenty of really good and expert buyers still out there, but also thinks that if you offer a helping hand to those who need it, they’re more likely to come back with more work as a result.

“We generally have a very good relationship with print buyers. Maybe that is the secret to our success,” he says.

Of course, not everyone has the time to talk every client through the process of buying print – the adage ‘time is money’ is as true in print as it is in any other sector – so some printers simply refuse to take on clients who aren’t au fait with the options.

“I don’t work with them and never will. We have plenty of other sources of work,” says one digital printer in the south west   of England.

Yet few printers can afford to turn work away. Instead, the majority will try and find a way of making the relationships work. Unfortunately, raising many of the issues printers would like to address could prompt awkward discussions with buyers – sometimes the truth hurts – and future work will be directed to printers who try and work around the issues without bothering the client. And so nothing changes.

This is not good for the industry, or for either party, so with the promise of anonymity PrintWeek asked a broad selection of printers what they would like print buyers to know and do to make this integral relationship work. Here’s what they said.

1 Do your homework

Many of the printers asked admitted that expecting a print buyer to be an expert was a little unfair, but they did stress that a basic knowledge was integral if you wanted to get the most out of the relationship. “If you don’t have a clue what I am talking about when I ask if you want it digital or litho – and that has happened by the way – it’s unlikely you are going to get what you had in mind when the parcel of print arrives at your door,” says a printer on the South Coast. Another, a printer in the Midlands, adds that if you buy a similar product every time, it is useful to do your homework about the options within that product. “For example burst binding, perfect binding and PUR binding are three different processes that need careful consideration.” Getting clued up can also mean you take advantage of innovations. “Talk to your printers about developments and innovation and you will be able to find value rather than demand it!” says a commercial printer in the South East.

2 Value relationships

“Build a small network of decent print companies rather than a large network of mediocre ones, and speak to them and engage with them regularly,” says the commercial printer in the South East. Doing this will enable you to know each company properly and place the work with the right printer. “Understand what your suppliers offer. Pair the correct supplier with the correct job specification for the best prices and service levels,” says a digital printer in the South West.

3 Value the work being done (price is not everything)

Price was a sore point for most printers questioned, with a feeling that the buyer was willing to pay for rubbish if it was just a little cheaper or that they did not see the long-term dangers of paying under for a quality product. “Stop chasing the cheapest printers around the UK,” implores one printer. “Each and every time one of these goes bust, it’s like a who’s who of companies buying badly who are left trying desperately to find new suppliers.” Another added: “Buy on quality and service and not just price.” Finally, one printer urges buyers to acquire a little self-awareness: “Don’t quibble over tiny amounts of money.   Asking for £5 off a £1,000 job just makes you look silly!”

4 Learn how to supply an accurate brief

Surprisingly, a more common complaint than price was the lack of a proper brief. It seems very few printers get a brief that fully explains what the client wants and that causes time delays, cost increases and damage to the relationship. “We’re not mind readers, so lay out exactly what you want in the tiniest detail, we won’t feel patronised or offended, we want to do the best job we can. We can’t do that with vague directions,” says the printer in the Midlands. Sometime, what you have in mind just isn’t feasible, but giving the printer the clearest possible idea of what you want will enable them to direct you to offer viable alternatives. “If we know exactly what you are after, we can then advise alternatives if that original vision is not possible,” says one respondent.

5 Trust that the printer is not trying to rip you off

“You get these random requests like ‘We must use this particular brand of paper’ and you say ‘Okay, but you know this is exactly the same but half the price?’ and they look at you as if you are trying to rip them off!” reveals a printer in the South East. “Buyers need to trust that we are giving advice for their benefit.” This mistrust can sometimes mean buyers treat printers like criminals and that does not help build a good working relationship. “Remember your suppliers are humans, treat them as such and they will return the compliment,” says the printer on the South Coast. And if you are rude to your printer, remember that the industry is very close – your reputation will spread quickly.

6 Be realistic with deadlines

The age of instant gratification is upon us and it seems expectations about how quickly a job can be turned around tend to be very wide of the mark. “The expectation is that you are sitting around waiting for them to call, that the presses are primed for their job only, and that print is an instantaneous process,” says the Midlands printer. Printers stress that longer lead times are for the client’s benefit as much as the printer’s. “Allow sensible lead times whenever possible. Don’t rush a job for the sake of rushing. We’ll all have a better product if we have the time to get it right,” says the South Coast printer.

7 Proofs are sent for a reason

High on the irritation list for many printers was the fact that proofs are merely glanced at if they are even looked at all. “Check quotes, order acknowledgements and proofs for accuracy carefully. That’s why we send them,” says the printer in the North West. You can’t complain if you missed an error yourselves, which takes us to point 8…

8 Don’t shoot the messenger

Things sometimes go wrong no matter how well-planned the job is or professional the print outfit you have commissioned. If the fault is with the printer, then most of those we spoke to understand if future jobs go elsewhere, but when the fault lies elsewhere blaming the printer is a source of much rage. “Twice we have had jobs that have just not worked for design reasons and both times we raised concerns at the start, yet both times the customers blamed us and said we were not up to it and never placed work with us again,” says a printer in Wales. “If you work with us we can help you find a solution rather than you going to the next printer and having exactly the same issue.”

9 Be wary of fads

You may well have just heard of an exciting new paper option from South America or a print process in its earliest stages, but printers say you have to be realistic about how accessible either of those things is going to be. Moreover, you have to realise they are probably more smoke than fire. “I had one client select some random material they were convinced was a new and exciting product unlike anything else ever, yet when it came in it was almost identical to a standard white silk….” says the printer in the Midlands.

10 Give feedback

Printers are a hardy bunch and they can take criticism when it is justified, so talk to them about how they are doing, tell them why they did not get a job, congratulate them if they have done a decent job. “The only way we are going to better meet the client’s specifications is if they tell us where we hit the mark and where we do not,” says the printer on the South Coast. “If we are able to have a sensible grown up conversation then we will all benefit.”