Even in a world increasingly driven by digital technology, commercial print is far from obsolete. For large organizations, printed items remain a cornerstone of brand expression, customer engagement and operational efficiency. In fact, the U.S. commercial printing market was valued at $74 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow, driven by rising demand for custom printing, packaging and print-on-demand services.
These commercial printers use various technologies — offset, flexographic, gravure, screen and digital printing — to meet the quality, volume and turnaround requirements of their customers. However, if the organizations utilizing commercial print services want to maximize their ROI, print procurement must be treated as a strategic supply chain issue, not a transactional task.
This blog will explore the topics of commercial print and print procurement, explaining how organizations can obtain high-quality print services in a cost-effective manner. Specifically, we will focus on corporate printing solutions from five vantage points:
- What is commercial print?
- What is print procurement?
- How does print procurement work?
- What is outsourced printing?
- Is it cheaper to outsource printing?
What is commercial print?
Commercial print refers to the production of high-quality printed materials for business, government or institutional use. Unlike desktop or office printing, commercial printing is performed by specialized vendors using high-capacity equipment and professional-grade processes. These services span a wide range of applications:
- Marketing Collateral: Brochures, flyers, catalogs, direct mail, signage
- Transactional Documents: Statements, invoices, checks, secure forms
- Packaging: Labels, cartons, shrink sleeves, inserts
- Promotional Marketing Items: Branded apparel, event giveaways, rewards and recognition
- Government & Legal Documents: Vehicle titles, tax forms, compliance materials
What is print procurement?
Print procurement is the process by which organizations manage their print supply chain to source, manage and purchase commercial print services. It involves selecting vendors, negotiating contracts, managing specifications and ensuring quality and compliance. For large enterprises, print procurement is often part of a broader category management strategy that involves collaboration between marketing operations, supply chain and IT teams.
The key goals of print procurement include:
- Cost-Effective Sourcing: Reducing spend through competitive bidding, volume discounts and efficient workflows
- Quality Assurance: Ensuring brand consistency, color accuracy and high-quality material standards
- Compliance: Meeting regulatory requirements (e.g., HIPAA)
- Speed & Scalability: Supporting fast turnarounds and high-volume campaigns
- Sustainability: Sourcing environmentally responsible materials and reducing waste
Organizations may manage print procurement internally or through third-party platforms, print brokers or managed print service providers. The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO), for example, offers streamlined procurement vehicles for federal agencies to acquire printing services from certified vendors.
How does print procurement work?
The print procurement process varies by organization but typically follows a structured workflow designed to balance cost, quality and operational efficiency. As explained in our prior blog on the topic of print management outsourcing, it’s important to consider a variety of topics when working with print procurement companies.
Step 1: Needs Assessment
- Determine what needs to be printed (e.g., brochures, signage, secure forms)
- Determine specifications such as quantities, sizes, paper types, finishing details and delivery dates
- Identify the internal stakeholders such as marketing, procurement, compliance, IT
Step 2: Vendor Selection
- Issue RFPs or RFQs to qualified print procurement companies
- Evaluate those print procurement companies based on capabilities, certifications, pricing and turnaround
- Consider specialized needs (e.g., secure printing, variable data, fulfillment)
Step 3: Contracting
- Negotiate pricing, SLAs, and terms (e.g., term contracts, simplified purchase agreements)
- Establish quality control protocols, proofing processes and escalation paths
- Validate an appropriate match between print projects and printing press technology (e.g., offset printing for large runs, digital printing for shorter runs)
Step 4: Production & Fulfillment
- Submit artwork and specifications
- Approve proofs and press checks
- Monitor production timelines and delivery logistics
Step 5: Quality Assurance & Reporting
- Inspect final output for color fidelity, finishing and accuracy
- Track spend, vendor performance and campaign ROI
- Conduct post-mortems and continuous improvement reviews
What is outsourced printing?
Commercial print outsourcing services — the act of partnering with external vendors who deliver corporate printing solutions — has emerged as a print procurement alternative to maintaining an in-house print shop. Such print center outsourcing can be project-based (e.g., a one-time brochure run) or part of a long-term managed print services agreement, where the vendor becomes an extension of the organization’s print operations.
Of course, choosing between in-house and outsourced printing isn’t a binary decision — it’s a strategic one. The key is aligning print strategy with business goals, operational capacity and budget realities.
In-House Print Shops
An in-house print shop is a dedicated facility operated by the organization itself, equipped with printers, finishing equipment and staff to manage production. This model offers direct control over scheduling, quality assurance and security, which can be valuable for sensitive or proprietary materials.
However, in-house print shops come with significant overhead: equipment maintenance, staffing, training, inventory management and space allocation. Scaling up for seasonal campaigns or specialized formats can be costly and time-consuming. Additionally, keeping pace with evolving print technologies often requires capital investment that may not align with broader business priorities. The typical “cons” of in-house print shops are as follows:
- High capital investment in printing equipment and maintenance
- Limited scalability and specialization
- Staffing and training requirements
- Risk of asset underutilization or obsolescence
Outsourced Commercial Print Services
Outsourced print management is a print procurement model in which a third-party provider oversees and executes an organization’s entire print lifecycle. Rather than simply outsourcing individual jobs, this approach typically centralizes print operations under a strategic partner who manages vendor relationships, enforces brand standards and leverages print portal technology to streamline workflows. The procuring organization retains visibility and control through dashboards and SLAs, while the outsourced print provider handles execution across a distributed print network.
This print procurement model eliminates the need for internal infrastructure and staffing, shifting operational complexity to the vendor. It also introduces scalability, allowing businesses to ramp up campaigns or change print formats without investing in new equipment or retraining teams. Outsourced print procurement companies bring deep expertise, negotiated pricing and access to specialized capabilities that would be cost-prohibitive to replicate in-house.
For organizations seeking efficiency, consistency and agility, the outsourced print procurement model offers a compelling alternative to the in-house print center. Completing the comparison with in-house print centers above, the typical “pros” of outsourced managed print services are as follows:
- Scalable access to diverse capabilities, such as the latest digital printing presses
- Reduced overhead and capital investment
- Expertise in vendor management and print technologies
- Streamlined workflows via centralized platforms
Is it cheaper to outsource printing?
The question of whether print outsourcing services are less expensive than in-house print shops is often raised. It’s of particular relevance in the healthcare industry as many health systems nationwide grapple with the choice between legacy in-house print centers and a print outsourcing service model. Though the ultimate answer depends on several factors including print volume, project complexity and turnaround speed, outsourced print services are generally more cost-effective for:
- Variable data print jobs (e.g., personalized direct mail)
- Specialty finishing (e.g., foil stamping, embossing)
- Large-scale campaigns with tight deadlines
- Secure or regulated documents requiring compliance expertise
However, as suggested above, print procurement via print outsourcing services has an even greater positive impact on an organization’s balance sheet than its income statement. Maintaining a self-contained print production operation requires massive ongoing investments in people, equipment and facilities.
- Press operators, production managers and more are necessary to manage an in-house print center.
- Specialized digital printing presses, inserters and finishing equipment must be purchased and maintained to enable accurate, efficient production.
- There is also the matter of the production facilities themselves. Print, warehousing and fulfillment operations typically require thousands of square feet of space.
When an outsourced print procurement model is adopted, all of these investments go away and resources can instead be redirected to activities generating a far greater return to the business.
Taylor: Corporate printing solutions and print outsourcing services
Taylor is a leading provider of corporate printing solutions to organizations throughout North America. From commercial printing and document management services to packaging and labeling, signs and graphics, promotional marketing and everything in between, Taylor provides state-of-the-art printing, marketing communications and branding solutions to leading brands nationwide. Furthermore, as a print procurement company specializing in the types of outsourced managed print services described above, we are uniquely positioned to deliver high-quality print services through a cost-effective, outsourced print procurement model.
Looking for a better way to procure commercial print services for your organization? Contact Taylor to learn about our expertise with print outsourcing services.
