If your design firm buys your printing, you may be paying more than necessary for the most expensive part of the job. A good design firm will, and should, supervise all aspects of printing because, after all, that's part of what you pay them for. But why pay a markup on the biggest portion of the project's costs? Buy from the printer directly and save substantial amounts of money.

The best design firms base their fees on the value of their services. They do not hide additional fees, unbeknownst to you, in the markups to the printing they broker on your behalf. If you want your consultant to buy printing, then a clear and predetermined charge is agreed to cover handling costs. But because good stewards of your funds work hard to keep your total costs as low as possible, they will advise you of ways to save money, not just spend it.

It's simply good business practice to:

• Ask your consultant to itemize all components in the budget -- fees, expenses, and printing -- then you'll know exactly what you're paying for each step.
  
  
• Have your design firm get competitive printing costs and submit them for your review. It keeps everyone's pencils sharp, and broad discrepancies are immediately evident.
  
  
• Have your design firm review the printer's invoices. They should advise you of legitimate cost add-ons, for things such as last-minute text changes, as well as question and negotiate any charge that seems unreasonable.

Although being actively involved in the printing process requires more involvement on your part, the returns are well worth the effort. In this case, the old adage rings true -- it's not what you expect, it's what you inspect!