Online Print Store

Action Mail is launching an online print store. This online print store allows you to place orders for printing directly online. Of coarse you can always request a custom estimate or sending your specifications and artwork to us via email but if you prefer to purchase printing online feel free to use the portal.

The print portal allows you to easily order printing of postcards, booklets, envelopes, catalogs and more online. All print orders can be held for local pickup with no shipping charge for anything that will be picked up or mailed by us. If you are looking for a faster turnaround or more competitive pricing especially on larger orders please contact us for a custom quote. Unfortunately all mailing is still custom quoted due to all the variables involved, but please contact us for a quote.

If you have any questions with the online print portal or please do not hesitate to contact us.

Online Printing

There are tons of online printers available but we at Action Mail prefer to quote and print each job individually to get you the best price and ensure that the printing meets your needs.

Below are some of the reasons to consider using Action Mail as opposed to an online printer

Quality: With online printers sometimes you do not know the quality of the printing you will receive. Action Mail has high quality printers and can select the right technology to use to meet your needs and budget. Action Mail also has an extensive QAQC protocol to check your piece for quality as well as to try to identify any tipos or errors.

Batch Printing: To get the lowest price many online printers will gang up your print job. This means that they will run it alongside other similar jobs to increase efficiency and reduce costs. The issue with this is that in increasing efficiency sometimes quality control is lacking and not enough attention is paid to your specific job

Navigating the Printing Process: Printing is complicated. Depending on the quantity, art, and desired look there are different technologies, paper stocks, and sizes to select from. Having a person to guide you through this process can help save money and make sure the outcome you are looking for is achieved

Shipping: Many times online printers offer low prices but their shipping costs are expensive, as shipping paper products is costly and many times these prices are marked up.

Mailing Requirements: Especially if your printed materials will be mailed it is important at the minimum to have a mailing expert review the specs. The USPS has complicated mailing requirements which if your piece is printed incorrectly (too light paper stock, incorrect orientation, etc) this could be very costly.

Pricing: At the end of the day online printing pricing can be more expensive especially with shipping. Action Mail can usually match any online printing pricing. Action Mail can also help review your needs and select the most cost effective printing option for your project.

Next Day Flyers, Vista Print, and Other Online Printers

There are many online printers to select from but online printing can often be more expensive and of lower quality.  Working with a local print and mail house like Action Mail is a much difference process than submitting files online and hoping they come out as you wished.  Below are a few advantages of using a printer like Action Mail.

Price: Often times online printers are more expensive than printers like Action Mail.  There are costs like additional services (4 color printing on both sides, paper quality), shipping, etc that increase the advertised cost on many websites

Turnaround: Action Mail can many times have faster turnaround times than online printers.  Especially if the printing is being mailed, Action Mail can help you avoid delays and costs associated with shipping.  Action Mail's printing turnaround is typicall 3-6 days depending on the quantity and piece, but we also have the ability to expedite printing if needed.

File Review: Many online printers will print files as they come, whereas Action Mail will review your files to make sure files are setup to print correctly and we will even have a quick review of the content to see if we can identify any errors like spelling errors, etc prior to going to print.  This is very important especially for direct mail printing, as Action Mail will ensure that your printing meets USPS standards to get you the best postage rates

Support:  Many online printers do not have support that you can easily contact to ask questions.  At Action Mail you can always contact one of our sales representatives for help with your printing and mailing needs.  Action Mail can also provide advice on the best stocks to use for your specific job and ways to reduce your print costs.

Should I print online?

Online printing (web to print) can be a viable option but it is often better to discuss your printing in detail with a print shop or mail house and have them print the piece for you.  Many times online printing is more expensive than working with a local print shop and printing online can lead to expensive errors.  When you print through a direct mail and print shop they can review the piece to ensure that the design meets all the postal regulations and that the artwork is properly formatted.  Additionally print and mail shops can offer alternative ways of printing which can save time and money. A small error in the paper thickness, print orientation, or folding can lead to thousands of dollars in additional postage.

Printing is quite complicated and it is helpful to have an expert guide you through each step of the process.  Having someone to guide you on the paper type, finishing, paper weight, paper size, print type can be helpful to get exactly what you want.  Often times printers can make recommendations like adjusting the size slightly in order to get better pricing and faster turn around times.  Additionally variable data printing is very complicated and should not be printed online, as the files need to be setup correctly to ensure the mail merge is run accurately and the formatting is consistent. Printing at a mail house also eliminates shipping costs and increases efficiency.

Sometimes it is much easier to print online, but doing so may lead to crucial pitfalls that could affect the look, feel, and price of your print job.