In these days of intense competition, ideas on how to do things better, smarter, faster and with greater impact are wonderful career-advancing things. In our most recent ebook, we share 25 ways to use print on demand. Some of these ideas we have tried…some have been tried by others… and some are simply ideas.
While there are specific ideas for fundraisers and for commercial marketers, we suggest you read the whole book or all three blog posts because with a little tweaking, many of the ideas will cross over nicely.
Here are the last four:
- Our salespeople wanted sheets customized with their contact information including color photos. Since we have offices in other countries, we needed versions in eight languages. No one wanted to wait until we had an order that was big enough to go back on a traditional press. Our first solution was to print more, but that was wasteful and expensive. We printed the initial order on a traditional press and created files for color digital imagers. Then, we arranged to run weekly orders when needed, even when there were only small batches. It worked so well that we took it one step further and set up an automatic ordering system. The salespeople could go online, look at the files, make changes as needed (within limits, of course) and place the order. That practically eliminated administrative time and resulted in a reduction in errors and recycle bin food, all while optimizing the marketing supply chain.
- The marketing department was running a big TV campaign offering catalogs. There were three commercials, each one featuring a different product. In the past, we had simply taken a one-size-fits-all approach and mailed the same version to everyone, labeled with no personalization. But we wanted to make a bigger impression on our responders. One idea was better targeting, and another was more color. We combined both. Once again, we hybridized. The insides of the catalog were printed on a traditional press and had pages, trimmed, collated and ready to go. The personalized, customized color cover featured the specific product model the prospect had seen on the commercial, identified by a response code. The inside and back covers featured more customized details including a personalized letter and a list of local retailers. We were able to get these catalogs in the mail almost as quickly as if we had labeled and mailed.
- Human resources departments can make employee benefit books attractive, current and personalized by using print on demand. This is a great solution for companies who have facilities in several locations, with different employment practices and benefits. It’s easy to make changes quickly when needed and leverages the investment in employee benefits.
- Converting documents that are needed only in small quantities to print on demand can save thousands of dollars. We have found storing and distribution costs can double the original print cost. Just-in-time printing is possible with print on demand.

