There are plenty of services available on the Web these days which let you print high-quality prints remotely and then they ship you your prints. I’ve tried many of these services and have found a few that worked best. I’ll try to detail the pros and cons of each here.
PsPrint
PsPrint is based in Oakland, CA and are the heavyweights of the online printing world. They have state of the art facilities and have great operations that let you get your order in and back with high quality prints at reasonable cost. I ordered 500 business cards as well as some digital photo prints from PsPrint in my test.
Print quality: 9 out of 10: They use state of the art printing technology and have brand new facilities for printing high quality prints. They use high quality paper stock and their colors come out very nicely.
Ease of use: 7 out of 10: The ordering process is very simple. First, you choose a product that you wish to purchase. Specify the quantity, the turnaround time and your location for the delivery details. Then you review your shopping cart and finally, you complete the billing and shipping form. At the end of the process you can upload your files so that the business cards or other products that you will order can be customized accordingly.My only complaint is that the upload process for your images sometimes makes you lose the image you uploaded last, so you have to redo the process.
Overall: 8 out of 10: Weighing in the costs, the print quality, and printing and paper options
PsPrint.com is a great choice. The user-friendliness of their online designing system and the ability to download your own PDF mockups to the ability to preview both the front and back of the business card or any other product willare top notch.
U-Printing
I tried U-Printing in September of 2008 for business cards and brochures and was very happy with the results. The quality of prints was not quite as good at PsPrint, but I was still reasonably happy.
Print quality: 8 out of 10: The colors were sharp, although not quite as bright and vibrant as I might have hoped. I do hope that their print quality increases over time. Paper stock was excellent.
Ease of use: 8 out of 10: The process for uploading a PDF proof and previewing the design then printing was easy and seamless. The website is very clean and easy on the eyes.
Overall: 8 out of 10: The only drawback was a slight dullness in color compared to other printing services, but overall I was very happy with the experience. The delivery was timely, and the prices are very reasonable.
PrintingForLess
PrintingForLess is based in Portland Oregon and has been in business since 1996. They offer a full range of printing services from business cards to stationery to catalogues. The company has an a+ rating from the BBB, which is an important metric in my eyes, I’ve always had good experience with companies that pay attention to their BBB rating. What makes PrintingForLess unique is their combination of low price and customer service. It is very easy to reach someone on the phone when you have a problem or question. I was unable to upload one of my PDF files and was able to get a rep on the phone within minutes to help me figure out I had an incorrectly formatted file. That kind of service matters. Their prices are lower than the competition, usually by about 10-20%. I purchased 500 business cards on premium stock for around $40.
Print quality: 7 out of 10: While the prints are good, they are not at the level of some of the premium providers in the market. I would recommend then for business cards and stationery, but perhaps not for full catalogues.
Ease of use: 7 out of 10: The website is fine, easy to use, although not as nicely designed and efficient as U-Printing. However, the task of uploading my images and getting my order completed was easy enough.
Overall: 8 out of 10: PrintingForLess’ outstanding customer service and reasonable price weigh in heavily here. Hope these reviews help, please leave me a message with your own experiences!
