How Much Will My Printing Costs Decrease When I Reprint?

By Greenleaf Team - Apr 28 , 2007

By Chris McRay

Going back to press? You may find your printing costs to be higher than you expected. Typically, reprinting is more cost-effective than first print runs, but as many publishers are finding out, rising printing costs have been outweighing the discounts. Why is this?

Several market changes have affected the printing industry this year. The first change has to do with basic supply and demand. The demand for book printing has increased, taking printing costs with it. In fact, 2005 was the best year for U.S. printers in a long while. The lower demand for book printing in preceding years kept competition fierce and margins small among U.S. printers. Now that demand has increased, the phenomena of a “buyer’s market” has diminished for publishers going to press. As long as demand remains high, the costs associated with book printing will probably be a little higher than they were a couple of years ago.

Additionally, gasoline and postal service rate increases have drastically affected freight costs. Meanwhile, several major domestic paper mills have been on strike in recent months, lowering inventory levels at many presses and driving up prices for some of the most sought-after papers. The industry sector most affected by the strikes is uncoated offset paper, commonly used for standard hardcover and trade paperback books. The weakened U.S. dollar has made paper imports unfeasible for printers, meaning that the publishing industry will need to tough it out until domestic conditions change.

Higher printing prices shouldn’t necessarily keep you from going back to press, however. As it turns out, consumer spending is on the rise as well. You may be able to sell more books than usual in upcoming months. Don’t miss out on increased sales just to hold out for better printing prices. As always, make sure you have enough books in the warehouse to meet consumer demand. It may be the right time to go back to press after all.