Practical insights for buyers and suppliers
Real-world thinking on sourcing, supplying, and trading directly - without commissions or middlemen. Fresh articles published daily.
C2B Print Buying: How Individuals and Sole Traders Commission Short-Run Print Without Overpaying
How individuals, sole traders and startups can commission short-run print at fair trade prices without getting stung by web-to-print mark-ups or middlemen.
How Standalone Trade Finishers Can Win Foiling And Die-Cutting Work Without A Press Room
A practical guide for trade finishers on selling foiling, embossing and die-cutting as a standalone service — direct to print shops, without commission cuts.
Replacing the Little Black Book of Print Suppliers With a Live RFQ Feed
Your trusted list of printers is powerful — until it isn't. Here's how a live RFQ feed extends your supplier base without losing the trust you've built.
Promotional Product Fulfilment: Keeping Every Pound Of Margin On Branded Merch Runs
Branded merch is a margin business. Here's how print suppliers can fulfil promotional product orders directly, without commission middlemen eating the profit.
Sourcing Print in a Specific Region When the Job Can't Cross Borders
How to source printers in a specific region when the job is geographically sensitive — without cold-calling every trade press in the county.
Bypassing Fiverr And 99designs: Sending Print-Ready Artwork Straight To A Trade Printer
Freelance designers lose margin and quality routing print jobs through gig platforms. Here's how to send print-ready artwork straight to a trade printer.
Making Short-Run Digital Print Pay Off Whether You're a Business or a One-Off Buyer
How to procure short-run digital print profitably in 2024, whether you're a broker chasing margin or an individual ordering a one-off job.
How To Sell Pantone-Matched Print Specials When Marketplaces Only List CMYK
Most print marketplaces flatten every job to CMYK. Here's how to package, price and sell Pantone-matched specials directly to buyers who care.
Transparency in Print Procurement: Why Public RFQs Beat Gated Instant Quotes
Gated instant quote engines hide mark-ups and lock you into one supplier. Public RFQs put transparency back into print buying.