Top notch design companies commit the same high level of knowledge and expertise to the end of a project as to its initial stages. This dedication means being staffed with professionals who are:

• Specially trained and skilled in the art of printing and production
• Capable of advising the design team about what is feasible to produce and what is not, thereby sidestepping the pitfall of presenting great, but unrealistic or costly ideas
• Current on technology, allowing your materials to be created efficiently and minimizing expensive “corrective” time by the printer
• Working closely with the printer at every step of the production process to avoid unpleasant surprises

A project's biggest expense usually comes at the end, when the product or message is printed. Although everyone is focused on containing costs, it need not be at the sacrifice of that all-important first impression. If, one month after a project is completed, no one remembers your job, then no one will care how much money you saved.

Costs can be well-controlled, and even reduced from the stratospheric levels you assume are the norm, by hiring the right people. The small incremental time and expense required to ensure a well-produced job more than pays for itself in results that deliver. Make sure your design consultants have the full range of talent to supervise the execution of that critical final phase, because “it ain't over till it's over.”