NCR Trade Print FAQ
What is Trade Printing?
Trade printing is when printers supply other printers, graphic designers, print managers, etc, ie they print for the trade.
This is a widespread practice in the printing industry and it is how printers handle things like machine breakdowns without letting their customers down.
Trade printers are typically specialists who charge lower prices within the trade because they have lower costs per sale.
Caralan have been providers trade only NCR printing services since 1986.
(If you are not a print reseller see our retail site here)
Do you print digitally?
No. We are Litho only because litho is most suited to the type of trade printing work that we do and the run lengths we handle.
Modern litho presses are highly automated, cheap in production and deliver unbeatable quality.
Plus, most of our customers handle their own digital work themselves anyway.
I prefer dealing with people. Do I have to order online?
No. Most of our customers don't order online.
We provide our online price calculators so you don't have to keep asking us for quotes for standard jobs.
You can order online or not. It's your choice.
What turnaround times can I expect?
Usually we despatch between 4 to 8 working days from a job becoming "live". However this can vary depending on factors like the complexity of your job and the processes involved.
If you have the need for speed please contact us as we do have the ability to fast-track jobs in emergencies and we do not charge extra for this. Though obviously we cannot fast-track every job.
What level of quality can I expect?
At least up to the normal professional standards prevailing throughout the printing industry.
We don't supply a "bargain basement" product. We don't use clearance materials or economise by reducing the weight or quality.
Additionally, our quality control is very good and so customer complaints are almost unheard of.
Do you check my files?
All files are thoroughly checked for suitability prior to print.
We always check for the common (and many uncommon) problems. For example, wrong colour space, missing fonts,
transparency issues, unprintable lines, etc.
We don't check your editorial content but we often spot typos, etc., before printing and when we do we will always refer to you before proceeding.
Can I expect confidentiality?
Yes. A fundamental principle of being a trade printer is that we never contact your customer in any way unless you tell us to.
We despatch under "white label", ie there is no identification on packaging or labels.
We can use your labelling and documentation if you wish.
Will you update me on job progress?
Yes. Our workflow system will automatically update you by email and optional SMS as your job progresses through the stages of production
You will also be automatically informed on despatch and given a tracking number.
Your customer will not be informed.
I can't find what I want on your website.
It's likely that we can produce what you need but if we can't we probably know another supplier who can.
Failing that we can probably make useful suggestions and seek a workaround.
We have 35 years of experience. Talk to us, we are here to help.
What are your website system requirements.
On Windows and Linux our website should work fine with any modern browser.
On MAC any OS older than Catalina will have limited functionality.
Can I open a credit account?
No, we do not operate credit accounts.
Providing credit facilities forces our costs up.
All of our customers would then have to pay for some of our bigger customers to have credit facilities.
Plus everyone then has to pay to cover the bad payers.
