Even in this digital era, print marketing can be a great tactic for reaching potential customers in your area, creating brand awareness, or just trying a different marketing angle. It’s even better if you can get someone to do the heavy lifting of printing and mailing your materials. That’s what a direct mail service provider like PsPrint can do for you with its wide array of products and templates.
PsPrint: The Good and the Bad
PsPrint gives you access to a vast selection of marketing and sales materials, from business cards and brochures to stickers, menus, and coasters. But it may leave you wanting more in terms of true DIY customization. Let’s dive into its virtues and flaws.
What PsPrint Is Good At
There’s a lot to like about PsPrint. It’s simple to navigate the site to find what you need, and ordering prints is intuitive and transparent thanks to real-time pricing. We were impressed that it focuses on doing one thing and doing it masterfully: printing and quickly shipping high-quality business collateral.
Design and print almost anything
We were amazed by the incredible range of products PsPrint can create. When it comes to professional, customized print marketing materials, this provider has you covered from head to toe.
Of course, PsPrint handles all the essentials. Business cards, brochures, postcards, banners, flyers, posters—name a traditional piece of printed marketing material and PsPrint has a range of options for you.
This provider also supplies its customers with unique items you won’t find with other direct mail and print services.
Tap into PsPrint’s selection of greeting cards, table tents, event tickets, and beverage coasters for your business event. Equip your sales teams with custom-branded sales sheets, booklets, and ID badges. Set up your office with letterheads, envelopes, memo pads, and labels tailored to your organization.
Most impressive might be PsPrint’s expertise in large-format, specialty printing. From yard signs and oversized banners to trade show graphics and giant posters, PsPrint can bring your biggest creative ideas to life.
With over 100 different printed product types and over 30 years of experience, PsPrint delivers quality materials no matter how large or small your needs are. Whether you need a 10-page product catalog or a 10-foot expo banner, PsPrint has the technical know-how and equipment to print it flawlessly.
High-quality printed materials
In operation since 1990, PsPrint has been around long enough to marry modern digital wisdom with its wealth of experience in large and small-format printing. This shows in the quality of materials it delivers and the standards it holds its output to.
PsPrint operates state-of-the-art Komori, HP, and Heidelberg presses that are calibrated daily for superb color reproduction. PsPrint is also a G7-qualified Master Printer, meaning it upholds the printing industry’s most stringent standards and techniques for color consistency and quality control, further ensured by the knowledgeable and experienced staff.
A dedicated prepress team reviews all print request submissions using a thorough 20-point checklist. This covers everything from image resolution and orientation to borders, colors, and more, in order to catch potential issues before anything is printed and shipped.
On top of that, PsPrint’s commitment to quality allows customers to opt for higher-end materials for some products. For example, choose from one of seven different paper stock options for standard postcards, or jump up to ultra postcards to utilize thicker luxury paper stock.
With its meticulous quality assurance, advanced equipment, and paper selections, PsPrint routinely produces slick, high-gloss printed materials that your brand can distribute with confidence.
Tweakable templates
Beyond the selection of 100 different printed product types, PsPrint offers an excellent selection of templates to kickstart your printed projects. These clean, elegant designs give you a great starting point to iterate upon and adjust to match your brand identity.
Just select a product type and PsPrint will present you with a gallery of starting points that you can alter the color, size, alignment, cut, and content of.
PsPrint offers templates for the following product types:
- Business cards (standard and ultra)
- Postcards (standard and ultra)
- Brochures
- Envelopes
- Letterhead
- Stickers
- Greeting cards
- Invitation cards
- Magnets
You’ll get solid design flexibility and unique custom options. For example, opt for rounded corners on your business cards or select a color for your postcards that really pops, like pearlescent gold.
Thanks to these high-quality templates providing the foundation, all you need to do is plug in your details and images to bring these printed materials to life.
Want to take it a step further? Jump into PsPrint’s canvas tool to get more intricate control over the placement and size of elements and elevate any template into something that’s one-of-a-kind.
The editor is easy on users, even if they’ve never played around with design tools before. Just choose a product, size, and layout, then add your own images, logo, text, and colors with drag-and-drop simplicity. You can even start with blank templates to maximize your creativity.
Once your design is complete, you can generate a free PDF version of the mockup to get your team’s feedback before printing.
In-house design team
While most PsPrint users opt to create their own designs, you can also commission fully custom pieces using unique materials, formats, or techniques, like die-cut and foil stamping. Let talented graphic artists craft designs that perfectly convey your brand.
For any project, big or small, PsPrint’s expert design team has the skills to conceptualize and execute creative concepts that pop. They know how to make printed pieces stand out.
Provide the PsPrint team with your vision, industry, target audience, and any existing brand assets. The designers will work closely with you through every step, from the initial quote and brainstorming to providing design proofs for feedback before finalization.
You can get a polished concept in just one to three business days. That’s a quick turnaround time. You can also utilize rounds of revisions with the pros at PsPrint to refine the design until it’s pixel perfect.
We love this option to let PsPrint’s designers do the heavy lifting of bringing ideas to life. You can skip the struggles of DIY designing and focus on other aspects of growing your business. Plus, their years of specialized print marketing expertise will give you greater confidence that your printed materials will impress.
Speed
Rapid turnaround times are one of the biggest differentiators between PsPrint and other print service and direct mail providers. Multiple production facilities enable quick fulfillment. When you need prints fast, PsPrint delivers.
For most standard products, like postcards, flyers, and brochures, PsPrint can fulfill orders in a range of one to five business days. Thanks to printing facilities in Chicago and New Jersey, your order is produced at the location closest to you to minimize shipping time after print.
Even larger or more complex products like booklets and banners move swiftly, with custom designs completed in two to three days on average. When every day counts in your project launch or campaign rollout, PsPrint gives you the speed and reliability you need.
Direct mail services
PsPrint offers a streamlined process for creating and mailing custom print campaigns. Whether you have an existing list or need to build one, its experts handle everything from printing to delivery.
You can easily upload your own contacts or generate targeted mailing lists based on demographics like age, income, and geography in just 15 minutes.
Take care of it all on the PsPrint website—design print-ready artwork and connect it with your contact list for swiftly spinning up a direct mail campaign. PsPrint can print and mail postcards, brochures, greeting cards, booklets, and even oversize items. The production team manages the printing, labeling, bundling, and delivery, so your pieces arrive quickly and accurately.
For convenient, end-to-end direct mail campaign management, PsPrint simplifies the process.
Free samples
We love that PsPrint makes it simple to order a free sample kit so you can see and feel the exceptional quality of its offerings firsthand before even starting a design.
With just a few clicks, you can request physical print samples showcasing top PsPrint products in different paper stocks and techniques. PsPrint ships them straight to your door, with no pressure to complete an order.
The free kit contains a variety of some of the most popular printed pieces, like postcards, brochures, and presentation folders. You also get a helpful paper sample guide explaining specs like weight, coating, texture, and best uses.
We appreciate how the tactile experience of handling real samples builds confidence in PsPrint’s printing expertise. Comparing paper thicknesses and finishes helps you make the perfect choice for your business and clientele.
Excellent UX
PsPrint’s website is incredibly easy to navigate, and you can go from nothing to a finished design with just a few minutes of clicking around.
Beyond simple navigation, the experience of creating designs on the website is a breeze thanks to a couple really helpful features.
First, when you’re mulling over options for your printed materials, PsPrint provides detailed explanations of the differences between paper stocks and coating options right on the order page so you can make informed decisions. Helpful tooltips and recommendations for ensuring print quality or understanding your options provide a wonderful layer of support for new users.
Product pages let you dive deeper into the specs for each option before adding items to your cart.
Another great detail of the PsPrint experience is transparency about pricing. The site interface automatically updates order quotes as you configure specs, so you’re able to browse options while staying mindful of your budget.
Adjust specifications like quantity, paper type, or finishing options and see what the actual cost is. No hidden fees or surprises waiting for you here.
You’re never left in the dark about what print options mean or how each one will affect the bill due at checkout. PsPrint’s clean and transparent user experience is a major plus.
Attentive customer service
PsPrint’s team is there for you at every step of the printing process, with representatives that really seem to care about customer satisfaction.
If you need to contact PsPrint, reaching the team of knowledgeable reps is easy. Ask for help, updates, or anything else by phone, email, or online chat.
When we tested it out while researching for this article, we always connected immediately to someone who could assist us and we received quick responses to our questions.
PsPrint also provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re ever unhappy with quality or service, its team will make it right.
Beyond direct support, this provider also offers educational resources to set your printing projects up for success. From layout guidelines to design inspiration, the materials on the PsPrint website help you maximize results.
DIY designers can tap into PsPrint’s comprehensive help documentation on topics like image resolution, bleeds, color modes, and file formats. These tips ensure you always submit print-ready files so the results are exactly what you dreamed they would be.
Or, browse the ideas section for best practices for marketing materials and examples for creative mail campaigns. PsPrint also shares layout templates, how-to articles, and video tutorials to simplify the design process.
We appreciate how much information and assistance PsPrint provides, so customers can empower themselves and have a direct line to the professionals to ensure quality prints, every time.
PsPrint’s Potential Drawbacks
There’s a lot to like about the selection PsPrint provides and the ease of going through the process of ordering and designing printed items. However, there are some restrictions to be mindful of.
Limited customization
While PsPrint offers a wide selection of product options and templates, the ability to truly tailor them to your brand is a bit constrained.
When customizing one of PsPrint’s templates, you’re generally restricted to modifying the color scheme, changing the paper edges or orientation, selecting size, and determining the number of printed sides. There aren’t many additional modification options beyond these basics.
Taking a template into the online design tool opens up a bit more flexibility, but the functionality remains pretty basic. You can add text or swap in images. There are no advanced controls for detailed image editing, grids, fonts, complex alignments, and the like.
While handy for minor tweaks, it lacks robust features for truly designing pieces from scratch.
If you need a high degree of personalization or truly custom graphics, fonts, or multi-page layouts, PsPrint’s DIY tools are too limiting. The bespoke services from design experts that it offers can help, but at an added cost.
Minimum order requirements
Some of PsPrint’s products require you to meet a certain count threshold. Depending on what you need, you may have to purchase higher quantities than you expected to place an order.
Minimum order requirements vary based on the specific product and service. By and large, the lowest quantity you can order is 50 pieces, but some items—like envelopes and posters—have lower thresholds of 25.
These requirements are understandable. You’re not going to find a print-on-demand or direct mail service that will just make one or 10 items to order. But it may be a constraint on some organizations that have very limited needs. For example, you may only want to print off 10 calendars as a giveaway item for an event, but PsPrint’s minimum order quantity is 25.
That being said, PsPrint is awfully flexible in terms of order quantities. You can order anywhere between 25 and 10,000 business cards at checkout. If you need only a handful of printed items, though, it might be wiser to look to a local print shop in your area.
Outdated online presence
Though having been around for over 30 years, PsPrint has kept its services and products up-to-date with these digital times. However, that doesn’t extend to its social media and other online properties.
For a company of its scale, the relatively dormant social media profiles and blog feel like a missed opportunity. The Facebook page hasn’t had a new post since 2020 despite having over 12,000 followers.
Similarly, the printing blog—which seems like it could be a great companion to the rest of its knowledge base—hasn’t seen a new article in over three years. Fresh print-focused content would provide users with helpful insights and position PsPrint as a true authority in this space.
For followers and site visitors seeking the latest from PsPrint, a dormant social presence doesn’t convey market leadership. Routinely publishing engaging posts and articles would remedy this issue.
PsPrint Plans and Pricing
At first, PsPrint’s pricing may seem complex. But this is because of the wide variety of options to suit the needs of any customer. The possible price combinations are vast, but you can utilize the instant quotes generated as you play around with PsPrint designs to get clarity on the actual cost. Let’s get into some of the basics of what PsPrint may charge you for its various services.
Print Services
PsPrint’s core offering doesn’t have cut-and-dry pricing. Costs vary based on the specifications of each unique order.
Factors like order quantity, product type, size, paper choices, finishing options, and turnaround time all influence the final price.
PsPrint’s online quoting tool allows you to input your order specifications and see the exact price updated as you change parameters.
Here’s a sample of some common order types and what they cost at the time of this writing:
- 250 standard double-sided business cards in 14 pt. gloss: $31.29
- 1,000 sheets of letterhead in standard 70 lb. white: $147.70
- 50 8.5” x 11” flyers in 100 lb. gloss text paper: $58.34
- 1,000 standard No. 10 window envelopes: $259.81
Other aspects beyond the typical options can affect the price, such as getting a standard or rushed hardcopy proof. Shipping and handling is generally free unless you request expedited fulfillment.
While this means it can take a while in order to get the full picture of what you’ll owe at checkout, PsPrint is always transparent with the actual cost. You won’t get surprised by hidden upcharges or any requirements to sign up for a monthly plan in order to use PsPrint.
Design Services
If you’re not feeling comfortable with the DIY design aspect of PsPrint, the provider can handle the conceptualization and mockup of items for you.
Just choose the product you want and select one of three service tiers:
- Standard: One design concept and up to two rounds of revisions
- Premium: Two design concepts and up to three rounds of revisions
- Deluxe: Three design concepts and up to four rounds of revisions
The actual cost, of course, depends on the product you’re looking to get designed for you. For example, postcards range from around $99 for the Standard package to $249 for Deluxe.
We appreciate how you can view your total design investment upfront, no contact with sales reps needed. Simply select the level of service and effort that aligns with your budget and design needs.
With tiered packages tailored to any project scope, PsPrint makes getting professional design services accessible. Just pick your preferred balance of proofs and revisions.
Direct Mail Services
To use PsPrint’s mailing services, simply email a PDF of your print-ready design and confirm that it meets mailing standards. After that, you’ll get an instant quote on what it costs to send them out to your contact list via either UPS Presorted Standard or First Class.
The quote includes true postage costs plus all aspects of preparation: list processing, deduplication, CASS certification, inkjet addressing, packing trays, and delivery itself.
PsPrint’s upfront pricing provides total transparency. You’ll know your exact investment for both printing and mailing before completing your order. And it makes it easy to compare pricing for mailing 500 postcards, 10,000 brochures, or any quantity and mailer type in between.
Die Cutting and Foil Stamping
Need extra flair in your designs? Tap into PsPrint’s speciality services like foil stamping and die cut shaping.
Foil stamping costs a $100 one-time fee for coverage of up to seven square inches, plus $5 for each additional square inch over that. You’ll also pay an extra $30 per 1,000 printed pieces for standard foil application up to seven inches.
Larger foil sizes or specialty foil requires getting a custom quote from PsPrint to align pricing to your specific needs.
Die cuts start with a $40 setup fee, plus $20 per 1,000 printed pieces. Again, the more intricate the details and special considerations of your project, the more likely you’ll need a tailored quote from PsPrint versus relying on the stated base pricing.
Discounts and deals
A great section of the PsPrint website is where discounted products and sale items are clearly listed for site visitors. Often, you can find some options that make the already-affordable products even moreso.
It’s common to find sitewide sales on specific materials that take anywhere from 5% to 15% off the typical pricing. Keep an eye out for category-specific promotions, too—when we were browsing the website, we spotted special 10% off promotions for banners and signs, among other discounts.
According to customer reviews, PsPrint runs special offers quite frequently. Shopping holidays like Cyber Monday often extend these savings site-wide or across many different products.
We recommend signing up for the PsPrint email list to receive notifications about upcoming sales and limited-time deals. Taking advantage of these promotions can lead to serious savings, especially if you’re buying large quantities.
Final Thoughts
PsPrint offers direct mail and high-quality printing services, plus professional design services, die cutting, and foil stamping. You get access to a lot of options, and all come at competitive prices. You’ll also be able to count on PsPrint’s speedy turnaround times and intense commitment to quality.
This is a great option for individuals, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and large corporations alike that seek professional-looking marketing materials, sales collateral, event items, and more. Get started by browsing PsPrint’s vast library of templates and products.
