We don’t live in a perfect world, and in the world of printing this is a fact of doing business. A print job doesn’t always come out right. In the printing process there are many areas where errors can occur, starting with the designer and ending in the bindery. But when a job does go awry, what do you as the customer do? And what responsibilities does the print shop have to you?
Let’s start with the design. Plain and simple, if your design is wrong, the printer has no obligations to you. Almost every printer will take your file and provide back to you a proof of what the printed piece will look like. Your job as the customer is to carefully review the proof and sign it, stating that the proof is accuarate and ready for print. At that point you are committed to the art you have provided. But let’s say that even after carefully reviewing and signing off on the proof, you find a typo on your completed piece. The printer isn’t responsible at that point for fixing or re-printing your job. If it is an error that must be fixed, talk to the printer about running the job again at a discounted price. A good print shop will want to see you as a long term customer and will most likely work with you to get you project printed correctly.
Beyond the art, there are areas where the printer can make a mistake and it is not your fault. If your printed piece is printed in blue, when is was supposed to be red, or it was folded or cut incorrectly, the printer has a responsibility to make the job right. A good print shop will admit to the error and reprint the job at no cost to you, and as quickly as possible to stay close to your deadline.
There are certainly numerous grey areas where a combination of art, timing, communication and other factors make placing fault more difficult. These are the times when negotiation comes into play. A print shop that values their long term customer relationships will often make a deal on fixing problems at reduced rates to keep the client satisfied. Customers who are willing to take some responsibility in the problems that may arise are often seen as great clients, and are often rewarded with better pricing on all of their printed work.