reason #3546576 why I dont like farmimg work out!!!!

[gabagoo]

OK, I get in a pinch and this customer wants 100 mini banners 22" x 28" for his customers to be hung in windows. I wanted to print them myself, but the time was short and I am to busy, so I send it out to a company with a 10' printer and a low price.
I told them that I wanted a good resolution as they were small. I send the file and then about 2 hours later I called to verify 2 of the colours that print OK on my printer but just wanted to make sure they were in the ballpark on theirs. She says they are on the machine and printing and they look GREAT!!!

I also asked for them to lay them flat and I would transport them that way.

Picked them up this morning and yes there they were all rolled up like I didn't ask.

Get back here and give them to my girl and tell her to get the holes punched and then she comes up and says you better look at these.

Printed at low res...was that what I asked? 80% are blurry looking like there is overspray on a simple blue helvetica bold copy.

These were the banners that looked great they said.

I can understand if they were large and going on a building, sure run low res, but these are going to be practically in someones face!!!

Now I look like the bad guy when I call disapointed, and again the girl says, I thought they looked great. I told her to go see an eye doctor jokingly and told her I would have to send them out this way as I have no time to print them myself.

So there you go..... sent it out and got %$%# once again.

NO not any merchant member from this board so relax. Local company.

OH the horror!!!

 

[parrott]

We have never farmed anything out until the last year or so. Its not something that we do a lot, but having a company that your comfortable with is key. We got burned once (infuriating) and learned from our mistakes. We now have a company that we trust, is close by and gets stuff done. Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

 

[Letterbox Mike]

This is a perfect example of why it's important to understand what equipment your vendor uses and what that equipment's capabilities are. If the company you outsourced to is primarily a billboard printer that still runs Nur Blueboards for example, what may look amazing to them may not meet your standards.

Do research on your outsourced vendors, understand their business, ask questions, and make an educated decision on who you use when your reputation is on the line. Outsourcing is great but you have to know what you're buying before you buy it.

 

[k.a.s.]

I love farming, but HATE to farm stuff out!!!! I want to have the control.


Kevin

 

[jiarby]

at least you got your money's worth!

 

[Tim Aucoin]

I feel your pain... there is always a risk when farming out work unless you have a very reliable supplier! Next time, send em' to me and I'll be sure to deliver an excellent job!! Dohhh I can't say that... I'm not a merchant member!!

 

[FatCat]

Yup, I used several different sources when I used to farm out my printing. One place did yard signs, but no banners. Another did my banners, but their quality sucked on the yard signs, etc.

You have to know what kind of work each place does, and what to expect. Otherwise it will bite you squarely on the butt.

 

[Marlene]

I have a few trusted companies that I use and have always been happy when I sub out things. the trick is not trying anyone new once you get a good source. we get all kinds of offers for cheaper or better but have stuck with our sources. it totally rots to go pick something up that was suppose to look "Great" only to find it is awful. sorry to hear that this happened to you.

 

[gabagoo]

The point is I asked for them to be printed in a higher resolution and was willing to pay more if need be. It is npt a company that does billboards specifically and also does die sub. I am disapointed naturally, but not at myself as I did everything I felt was necessary to make them understand. I have used them before for die sub and everything was fine so I had no reason to suspect anything.

when you set them up and walk 10 feet plus away they look fine and thats really how they will work, but the customer gets to see them up close...thats the part I worry about.

 

[CL Graphics]

exactly why i try to do as much as possible in house. funny how one persons idea of "looks great" is another persons "looks like sh!t"

 

[gbarker]

Another inexpensive wholesaler making the rest of us look bad. Sorry you had such a bad experience.

 

[scarface]

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

I know i am very picky and i only use a handful of outsourced shops that i know have a great rep on the forums

 

[Typestries]

Another inexpensive wholesaler making the rest of us look bad. Sorry you had such a bad experience.

Amen to that my friend!!!!!!

-Rick

 

[CanuckSigns]

The owner of this company wasn't named Kurt by any chance was he?

 

[anotherdog]

I think we must have used the same guy (like there aren't dozens of identical ones). That incredible low price per square foot, almost as low as my cost. We have sent out banners and never been happy.

If these guys did a good job, I wouldn't need to keep a printer, but at $1.99 a foot...

pay peanuts, get monkeys.

 

[UFB Fabrication]

I am a wholesaler. We dont have a printer and likely never will. You asked for Hi res correct? Did you specify a DPI ? maybe this in comparison is high res to what they normally do. We have sign of sheets to be sure every detail is spelled out and is signed off be the customer. Paint it red does not cut it, I want a color number and if its gloss satin or mat and on and on. Nobody is perfect but communication is key. Lastly when stuff is really cheap there is a reason.

 

[gabagoo]

I know they have the capability to do the job correctly. If I saw this type of print coming out of my printer the emergency stop function goes into action and I correct the problem for this exact reason..... sub standard work.

I guess I just should have told the customer they would have to wait longer and do it myself, although they never would have got the price I quoted.

whats done is done and out they go!!

 

[anotherdog]

Would you care to post a name on here or send me the name?
We are in the same area, if there is another bad supplier I would like to avoid stepping in that one too.

You can stand there and say "the good banner material" and "your highest resolution", they will nod eagerly then go print crap.

 

[royster13]

It sounds like there was not a meeting of the minds as far as what was expected by both parties... "Good resolution" is not a specification, it is an opinion.....And obviously both parties had a different opinion....

 

[gabagoo]

It sounds like there was not a meeting of the minds as far as what was expected by both parties... "Good resolution" is not a specification, it is an opinion.....And obviously both parties had a different opinion....

say what you want but lets face it......if something is coming off your printer blurry, then you have a problem. Fix it, toss the garbage and reprint it... naturally.
When I think how picky I get on my own prints, and how many times I have killed a print , dumped it and start again... I guess thats why my customers keep coming back.