When Diana “accidentally” landed a position as a print production manager, she knew she had finally found her calling. It was the perfect job for someone with creative sense and an incredibly organized and detail-oriented brain. Says Diana, “You get to produce creative work, but you don’t have to go to Art Center! You just have to be organized and resourceful enough to take a creative idea and make it real.” Diana really likes to see what happens when you put ink on paper. Whether it be an ad for publication, or going on-press for a brochure, or seeing a huge billboard come to life - she loves the process. Diana has been a print production manager for 9 years and worked with numerous vendors. Most recently, her print budget was about $750,000 a year. She is currently between employers, but we asked her to share thoughts about buying print. She is clearly qualified!

Diana, when it comes to getting multiple quotes from print vendors, what advice can you offer?

Always double-check your estimates - ask your vendors any questions that you have about their quote, and don't be afraid to add every disclaimer you can think of to the estimate. You never want to be left vulnerable in any regard, but especially where money is concerned. Ask your vendors for help and advice. The good ones know quite a bit and are more than happy to help.

You have purchased millions of dollars of print. How do you balance the “price” factor and “relationship” factor?

I enjoy working with vendors who I consider my friends. I enjoy spending time with them and I know that they will do everything possible to help me with the crisis-du -jour. The most important thing to remember when dealing with people is mutual respect and it's a very give-and-take relationship. I don't ask for everything "right now" and for the lowest cost all the time. I give them as much time as I can to do what they need to do, and when I have a project budget that will accommodate, I don't negotiate the price to death. Sometimes they need to make a few bucks here so they can do you a favor down the road a bit. It is important to be realistic in your expectations. Always say please and thank you and keep a smile on your face. Being nice will get you very far.

In return, I get the service I need, the job gets done properly and on-time and we have some fun doing it.

If I were a print rep, what steps would I need to take to land your business?

I usually have 2 main vendors - a printer and a color separator, but deal with another handful that I keep very close ties with. Tips for getting me to use a vendor?

Do not cold call me. I won't take the call.

Send me a few samples of your work with a letter. Then follow up a week or two later.

When we meet for the first time, show me more samples of your shop's work. For pre-press, the best samples show the "before and after" retouching. Showing me the final image is nice, but showing me what you started from speaks volumes.

Don't be all about business. Let's also get to know each other a bit.

Follow up about once a month. If you harass me more often than that, I tune out.

And what should I do to keep your business?

Three things -

Deliver a quality product on-time and on-budget. Never promise me something that you can't deliver.

Have fun.

Be responsive to all the crazy changes while in production and let me know immediately if anything will effect the cost or the delivery date. If you don't tell me about a cost increase or a late delivery until it's "too late", that will be the last project you do for me.

It sounds pretty basic, but performing is certainly a team effort. Give us an example where a company did not meet your expectations.

About 6 years ago, I had a printing project that was due on a Tuesday and when I made some color corrections on Friday, I was told that they wouldn't make the changes over the weekend to make our Monday press date. When I told them that I had to have the project on time, they refused to help me, so I pulled the job from them Friday afternoon, had another vendor do the changes over the weekend, print on Monday and deliver Tuesday.

I'll never work with that company or that rep again, but the guy who saved my project is still one of my favorite vendors and good friend.

Has the web replaced any print work you have done?

I think that some of the "junkier" printing is being replaced by web sites, so there isn't as much as a need for that volume, but the quality pieces still require printing. A computer screen can't take the place of having a beautiful brochure in your hands that you can take with you wherever you go - or an ad in a magazine that you can read on your couch.

You mentioned that a prepress firm was a key vendor for the jobs you have done. Do you review proofs with the rep only?

On complicated retouching jobs, I find it best to review proofs together with the art director/designer and my vendor sales rep. We talk about what needs to happen and I write instructions on the proof. I then confirm with my rep that my instructions clearly convey what we all discussed. You can never be too clear about what you need.

Diana, Great work and we really appreciate your time. Thanks very much!