Because of my limited experience in supply and demand I think the only place I’ve heard the word “broker” is connected to shady deals on movies (type casting like films do with therapists, haha). So when I was referred to a print broker, I didn’t like the idea. So I decided to do a little research.
Whelp, sorry to disappoint, but they aren’t scary. Print brokers, or print managers, are a go-between with the publisher and printing houses. They are the most effective when dealing with very large orders, over 10,000 is the number that Paul Dombrowski suggests from this article on creativepro.com. This isn’t a money saving enterprise, you will be paying for their services and that can make sense in the long run if your printing is especially complicated.
Printing houses usually have a limited type of printing and they will use a trade broker to keep themselves busy and to “broker” types of printing they don’t do themselves to another printing house.
So it sounds like my projects won’t need a print broker as they are simple, but it is nice to know this service exists. And just like any service, you need to research your broker and their partner companies to make sure their goals align with yours (find one who will represent you well and has a fair cost point). That is where the scary scary comes in. Just like with therapy, this is a position of trust so you need to find yourself a good one. Don’t choose the guy who is rubbing his hands together and cackling. Just saying.
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