Most print quotes that go wrong do not go wrong at the press. They go wrong at the brief. A vague request such as “price for 10,000 brochures” leaves every supplier to fill the gaps with their own assumptions, so you end up with quotes that cannot be compared, a price that changes once artwork arrives, and a delivery date that slips because nobody asked where the job was going. A good print brief removes those gaps before anyone picks up a calculator.
Start With the Purpose, Not the Specification
Before listing paper weights and sizes, say what the piece is for. A catalogue that has to survive a month on a coffee table needs a different specification from a leaflet that only has to be read once. A direct mail pack that is going through Royal Mail needs to be designed around postage, not just around how it looks. Telling your print partner the job’s purpose lets them suggest a specification that does the work for less money, rather than simply pricing what you happened to ask for.
The Core Details Every Brief Needs
- Quantity — and, ideally, a couple of alternative quantities. Unit cost falls steeply as runs get longer, and seeing 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 side by side often changes the decision.
- Finished size — A4, A5, DL or a custom size, and whether it is portrait or landscape.
- Page count and format — for anything bound, the number of pages including the cover, and the binding method (saddle-stitched, perfect bound, wiro).
- Paper stock — weight (gsm) and finish (gloss, silk, uncoated) for both text pages and cover. If you are not sure, describe the feel you want and ask for a recommendation.
- Colours — full colour throughout, or any spot colours that need to be matched exactly.
- Finishing — lamination, spot UV, folding, perforation, die-cutting or anything else applied after printing.
Artwork and Proofing
State who is supplying artwork, in what format, and when. Print-ready PDFs with bleed and embedded fonts are the norm, but if your designer works differently, say so up front. Agree how proofs will be handled — a PDF proof is quicker; a hard-copy or wet proof matters when colour accuracy is critical. Building proof time into the schedule is one of the simplest ways to protect a delivery date.
Delivery Is Part of the Job
Where the printed pieces are going affects both price and schedule. One delivery to your office is very different from split deliveries to fifty branches, or a mailing that goes straight into the Royal Mail network. If the job is going to consumers, include the data, the mailing format and the target drop date in the brief, so print, enclosing and postage can be planned together rather than as three separate jobs. This is exactly where print management earns its keep: one partner sees the whole route from press to doormat.
Deadlines: Give the Real One
Say when the piece needs to land, not just when it needs to be printed. Working back from an in-home date lets your print partner allow for proofing, production, finishing, enclosing and postal handover. If there is a hard date — an event, a sale launch, a regulatory deadline — flag it clearly.
A Simple Brief Template
If you only remember one thing, cover these lines in every request:
- What the piece is and what it needs to achieve
- Quantity (plus one or two alternatives)
- Finished size, page count and binding
- Paper stock and finish for text and cover
- Colours and any finishing
- Artwork format, supply date and proofing method
- Delivery addresses, or mailing data and postage requirements
- The in-home or on-site deadline
Why It Pays Off
A complete brief makes quotes comparable, so you choose on value rather than on whoever guessed lowest. It cuts the back-and-forth that eats into schedules. And it gives your supplier the room to suggest savings — a slightly smaller format that fits a cheaper postage band, or a stock that looks the same for less. If you would like help turning a rough idea into a workable specification, our print management team is happy to take a look, or you can get in touch.