Coordination of your printing needs with external printers is a service provided through the Office of Marketing and Communications. The office does not coordinate on-campus printing services done through the copy center. The college utilizes several different printing vendors on a regular basis. These vendors have proven that they can provide the level of quality expected of a Penn State Harrisburg publication.
If you wish to have the Office of Marketing and Communications arrange to have your piece printed, please contact the office. A staff member will have you complete the appropriate documentation to ensure an understanding of your printing needs. Please have available the following information:
- Number of printed pieces required.
- Size of piece, including estimated number of pages. The exact number may change once the piece is designed.
- Number of colors. Remember: black is one color and an additional color is two colors, etc. Full-color photographs are considered four color and black and white photographs are considered "half-tones," which may increase the cost of printing your piece.
- Budget to be charged and total budget/grant allocation for project.
- Deadline for delivery of printed publication. Please indicate if the publication is tied to an event or other program for which a date has been set.
- Delivery destination. Unless otherwise requested, printed items will be delivered to the Office of Marketing and Communications. We will log the piece in and check the quality. We will notify you that the piece has arrived so that you may make arrangements to pick it up. Pick up from the marketing office is your responsibility.
Once the complete print specifications are available—usually during the design process—the office will contact one or more of the printers we deem appropriate for the job to obtain a price estimate. The price quote will be compared with the budgeted amount you have provided on the Printed Materials request form. If there is a large discrepancy between your budgeted amount and the quote, other options will be recommended.
If you choose to use a vendor other than the one chosen by the Office of Marketing and Communications, you may do so. However, you will be asked to manage these projects. The Office of Marketing and Communications will provide you with printing specifications but ask you to assume responsibility for all contact with that printer, including delivery. If you have a printer that you would like the office to consider, please contact the office to set up a meeting.
Printing times range from one week to one month, depending upon the size and complexity of the job. Please consider printing times when figuring the amount of time for the entire project.
The Office of Marketing and Communications will make every attempt to produce your publication within the time frame that you have specified. However, client delays and major changes to the original material will delay receipt of the printed publication.
Marketing and Communications cannot bump scheduled projects for rush projects. The office will let you know immediately if your publication cannot be produced within your requested time frame so that other arrangements can be made.
Please plan ahead. Initiate your publications as far in advance as possible by contacting the office as soon as you know that you will need a printed publication and have some idea of what those needs are.
By working together in advance, we can produce timely, high quality publications for Penn State Harrisburg.