I’ve not seen an infographic that is nearly as direct to the point and true as this one by Colin Harman. While Colin created the graphic to represent graphic design, I think it can easily be applied to printing as well.

I’m not calling any certain printing companies out by name, I will let you assign names accordingly, but it is very true that if you want your printing free and fast, you are probably going to get trash, and, if you want it fast, cheap and great, that is going to be impossible. Here at pritningHQ, we strive to provide the highest quality products in the most efficient and affordable manner, so I guess you could infer that as a company we would fall in the great area, pretty close to (just below) the “Impossible Utopia” area.

At some point you have to decide which is the most important factor for your needs, and communicate that to your designer/printer. Once you’ve determined what that is, stick with it and be okay with the compromises/sacrifices that will have to be made to ensure the most important factor required is fulfilled. If you want free, then be okay with what you get from free. If you want fast… just know that it may come at an increased price, or not be as high in quality as it could have been if you had a little extra time.

I would love to hear your thoughts and insight on this infographic, so please leave a comment.