What's Worth Printing Yourself

  • Small runs of up to 300-500 copies.
  • Documents needed today, not in three days.
  • Personalized materials: contracts, badges, named invitations.
  • Anything that might change at the last moment.

What's Cheaper to Outsource

  • Runs of 1,000+ copies — offset printing is an order of magnitude cheaper.
  • Printing on heavy stock that an office device can't handle.
  • Complex finishing: lamination, embossing, die-cutting, block stitching.

How to Calculate

Take your cost per page, multiply it by the number of sheets in the item and the run size, and add employee time spent collating and binding. Compare it to the print shop's quote — it often turns out that "printing it ourselves for free" actually costs more.

A Middle-Ground Option

Order covers and complex elements from a print shop, and print the inner block yourself as needed. This way you won't have to write off an outdated print run.