Printer Colourhouse
The postcards I ordered arrived today! I'm sort of on a crusade to find good cheap printers and eventually compile some sort of database for other artists. Haven't worked out a rating system yet but these guys are probably, like, a 5/10?
Ordered from Colourhouse at $50 for 100 cards and prices go downwards from there. Their site would like you to think they are based in Australia but even the samples I requested a while ago came from China so that explains the low prices and such. :P Proofing is only available as a PDF (a fairly accurate one, admittedly, the colour discrepancy was pretty true and I just didn't bother to make them fix it) and uploading files to them is a bitch. They're *trying* to do the whole customer service thing but given the distance, dodgy website and language barrier it's actually pretty hard to communicate with them. It doesn't help that they have some crazy email system whereby the listed emails don't actually work (save for one NZ one?), and the on-site message system is hella buggy.
They're about the quality that I expected so I'm not disappointed. Actual printing quality is kinda low considering the printing facilities the printer apparently has but the cardstock is decent (whether it is actually 350gsm I'm not sure yet). No printing errors (besides some colour inaccuracy that I was too lazy to upload a new file to correct), no cutting errors, no markings from grubby hands or ink spills, etc. Probably going to use them as promo items or inserts. :D
And here's the back:
Yeah, 50c per card for full colour both sides. That's an okay price for such a small quantity. Slightly bent corner there is my bad, been manhandling this one. The rest are safe in the package though. Coooouuuuld have been packed better - the external package was quite beat up and there was no bubble wrap or scrap paper protecting the block of cards.
My one unexpected annoyance is that there's a laminate finish on both sides. Who laminates the back side of a postcard? lol. Still write-able on with a pen though so w/e.
Conclusion:
Despite the hilariously engrish-y website and free shipping mostlikely won't use these guys again. The only thing I might consider them for would be cheap business cards or more promo material (simple images will give best results, probably. Something to keep in mind) and I reckon I'll run across a better (local!) printer with similar prices sooner or later...
Ordered from Colourhouse at $50 for 100 cards and prices go downwards from there. Their site would like you to think they are based in Australia but even the samples I requested a while ago came from China so that explains the low prices and such. :P Proofing is only available as a PDF (a fairly accurate one, admittedly, the colour discrepancy was pretty true and I just didn't bother to make them fix it) and uploading files to them is a bitch. They're *trying* to do the whole customer service thing but given the distance, dodgy website and language barrier it's actually pretty hard to communicate with them. It doesn't help that they have some crazy email system whereby the listed emails don't actually work (save for one NZ one?), and the on-site message system is hella buggy.
They're about the quality that I expected so I'm not disappointed. Actual printing quality is kinda low considering the printing facilities the printer apparently has but the cardstock is decent (whether it is actually 350gsm I'm not sure yet). No printing errors (besides some colour inaccuracy that I was too lazy to upload a new file to correct), no cutting errors, no markings from grubby hands or ink spills, etc. Probably going to use them as promo items or inserts. :D
And here's the back:
Yeah, 50c per card for full colour both sides. That's an okay price for such a small quantity. Slightly bent corner there is my bad, been manhandling this one. The rest are safe in the package though. Coooouuuuld have been packed better - the external package was quite beat up and there was no bubble wrap or scrap paper protecting the block of cards.
My one unexpected annoyance is that there's a laminate finish on both sides. Who laminates the back side of a postcard? lol. Still write-able on with a pen though so w/e.
Conclusion:
Despite the hilariously engrish-y website and free shipping mostlikely won't use these guys again. The only thing I might consider them for would be cheap business cards or more promo material (simple images will give best results, probably. Something to keep in mind) and I reckon I'll run across a better (local!) printer with similar prices sooner or later...