“I Need It Printed. And Fast.” The Challenges in University Printing

If you’ve worked in Higher Ed at any point in your career, you’re familiar with the challenges related to printing any public-facing materials.  Do you use the on-campus copy shop or work with an outside printing company?  Depending on the college or university governance, the answer may not be so clear.

The Challenge

Even the smallest colleges have substantial printing needs—everything from flyer printing to course handouts, to brand pieces such as catalogs and welcome packets.  This need increases as the number of departments, clubs, and associations are affiliated with the college, turning any on-site printing services into a 24/7 operation.

In a past life, I worked for a university with no less than 5 colleges on campus, dozens of associations and clubs, and a dedicated internal agency operating as the “brand police” and air traffic control for design & print fulfillment requests.  While not all requests required brand attention, they needed to be fulfilled and invoiced accurately.

Furthermore, sometimes the project requirements, such as an alumni letter or invitation, exceed the finishing capabilities of the on-campus copy shop.  Whether it’s binding, folding & gluing, die cutting, or spot coating, most campus printers do not have the facilities or equipment to provide these more nuanced services that make a printed piece stand out.

A University Printing Solution

While required printing and binding services for a college or university can easily exceed capacity of on-site printing centers, it’s key to partner with a commercial printer who understands the complexity of college printing and billing requirements.  Many colleges and universities work with local printers to create structured pricing and billing practices and include them as a preferred vendor for departmental needs.  We’ve handled both individual and organization-wide printing requests, including the most visible marketing material sent to prospects.

College Printing Made Simple

At MidAmerican Printing Systems, we provide printing, binding, and fulfillment requests for individual departments and partner with colleges as a preferred vendor in order to best serve the needs of the departmental unit and the university or college as a whole.  We offer design, printing, finishing, binding, and even mail fulfillment, helping even the smallest departments make a big splash.  You can request a free project quote online, or talk to a representative at (312) 663-4720.