| Overseas Printing Service Provider Comparison Chart |
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U.S. Domestic Printer |
U.S.-based Broker |
China-based Broker |
China Printer (factory direct) |
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| China Export Experience |
EXCELLENT |
None |
Low |
Good |
Good |
| As various provinces and municipalities may have their own rules on exporting printed matters, one must have the necessary know-how and experience to get the cargo through the Chinese customs in a timely manner. Without this, the job will be delayed and possible additional cost will be tagged onto the customer. |
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| U.S. Import Experience |
EXCELLENT |
None |
Fair |
Low |
None |
| Getting your shipment imported into the U.S. is not as simple as it may sound. Without the proper documentation and conformation to the various import regulations, your shipment may get stuck at customs for an extended period of time causing delay and possible financial loss. |
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| China Logistics |
EXCELLENT |
None |
Low |
Excellent |
Good |
| For those who has the needs to ship the printed matter to various destination within China, we have the complete resources to make domestic deliveries in China. May it be a tradeshow, a factory, or a local office, we have the means to make the delivery. |
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| U.S. Logistics |
EXCELLENT |
Good |
Good |
None |
None |
| We have the ability to delivery anything to anywhere in the U.S. through common carriers such as FedEx and UPS or via truck deliveries. |
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| Paper Conversion Knowledge |
EXCELLENT |
None |
Fair |
Fair |
Fair |
| Available and comparable paper stock in Asia is very different from what our U.S. customers are used to. Knowing the right paper stock to use to quote and produce your job makes all the difference in end-quality. |
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| Chinese Language & Culture |
YES |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Getting a point of contact in China is not enough to sustain a lasting relationship; we speak the Chinese language and understand the Chinese culture. This is an indispensable tool to have when working with Chinese printers and the Chinese government to ensure that every print job gets done promptly and with quality. |
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U.S. Domestic Printer |
U.S.-based Broker |
China-based Broker |
China Printer (factory direct) |
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| American Language & Culture |
YES |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
| The ability to communicate in the language of our customers is essential in order to produce a job within the customer’s expectation. We’ve been working in the U.S. for over 25 years and understand what the natives are looking for when it comes to printing. |
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| U.S.-based Company |
YES |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
| We are an U.S.-based company; therefore, we answer and work under the same laws and ethic standards as our customers. We are also accountable to our customers under the very same laws that govern every businesses in the U.S. |
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| Presence in China |
YES |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| We have branch office in China to oversee our production, quality control, sourcing, and export process. This is a great advantage to our customers as their jobs are not entirely in the hands of people who they’ll never have a direct face-to-face working relationship. |
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| In-House Prepress Service |
YES |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Our ability to do prepress work in-house ensures that all jobs are within printing specifications before they land on the factory floor. This will ensure a prompt production and punctual delivery schedule. |
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| Prepress in U.S. |
YES |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
| Doing prepress in the U.S. has the distinct advantage of being able to make the necessary corrections to a job to avoid unnecessary delays. This also gives our customer the flexibility to make changes/corrections quickly by working with our prepress staff who are used to the American printing standards. |
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| Mom & Pop Shop |
NO |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| We are a real company with real employees. Many of our competitors are mom-and-pop shops that are usually “not home” to answer your questions. We do not have complicated voice mail system designed to block your call, or do we always hide behind the computer to communicate with customers by emails only. We have friendly and professional staff ready to answer any questions you may have regarding your printing job. |
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U.S. Domestic Printer |
U.S.-based Broker |
China-based Broker |
China Printer (factory direct) |
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| U.S. Quality |
YES |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Quality standards in the U.S. and Asia are very different. To understand the difference in how each culture perceives something as “high quality” takes more than just words. Our background in both the U.S. and Chinese culture, and our extensive printing experience, provide us with a clear understanding of the quality that is acceptable in the U.S. |
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| Payment in U.S. |
YES |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Making your payment in the U.S. give you the security of existing federal banking laws. You don’t need to wire your money overseas or involve yourself in the hassles of international banking system. |
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| On-Line Job Tracking |
YES |
Maybe |
No |
No |
No |
| We provide a 24/7 web site dedicated to provide you with the up-to-date progress of your job. This web site also features other aspects of details on your job as well. |
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| On-Line File Preflight Report |
YES |
No |
No |
No |
No |
| A complete and detailed report of the conditions of the files submitted by customer is always available and retrievable from our web site. This function offers our customer the ability to make the necessary corrections to the files in question in order to ensure a proper and expected printing result. |
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| Accept Credit Cards |
YES |
Maybe |
No |
No |
No |
| For your convenience in making payments, we accept credit cards over the fax or on-line. |
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| On-Line Payment |
YES |
Maybe |
No |
No |
No |
| We offer the convenience of making payments on our secured payment site to avoid unnecessary delays to your job. |
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U.S. Domestic Printer |
U.S.-based Broker |
China-based Broker |
China Printer (factory direct) |
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| Net Term Payments* |
Optional |
Maybe |
No |
No |
No |
| Existing customers with consistent new jobs that meet both our credit and sales criterion can apply for net terms of payment. Unavailable from most of our competitors, this feature makes the procurement process much simpler for many corporate buyers. |
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| Mailing & Distribution |
YES |
Maybe |
No |
No |
No |
| With optional mailing and distribution services available, you can save on the cost of shipping from a west coast port to your mailing house/distribution center and possibly storage fees. |
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Member of BBB
(Better Business Bureau) |
YES |
Maybe |
No |
No |
No |
| We are a proud member of the BBB (Better Business Bureau) with a AA rating. |
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Member of PIA
(Printing Industry Association) |
YES |
Maybe |
No |
No |
No |
| We are a member of the Printing Industry Association (Southern California chapter) and conforms to the ethics and standards as set forth by PIA. |
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| Adobe Authorized Print Service Provider |
YES |
Maybe |
No |
No |
No |
| We are an Authorized Print Service Provider of the Adobe Solutions Network (ASN). |
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| Turn-Around** |
4-6 Weeks |
1-2 Weeks |
4-6 Weeks |
4-6 Weeks |
4-6 Weeks |
| Our turn-around time is as good as our competitors. Since turn-around time of overseas printing is limited by many and various factors, an honest company should not make the claim that a turn-around time of less than four (4) weeks can be achieved. |
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U.S. Domestic Printer |
U.S.-based Broker |
China-based Broker |
China Printer (factory direct) |
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| Advanced Copy |
YES |
N/A |
Maybe |
Maybe |
Maybe |
| Instead of waiting weeks for the job to arrive, upon finishing the job, you will always get an advanced copy sent to you. |
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| Partial Delivery |
YES |
Yes |
Maybe |
Maybe |
Maybe |
| We offer optional partial delivery via air cargo for jobs that have immediate deadline. This is a complete “to-door” service that makes getting a portion of your job in-hand quickly in a hassle-free way. |
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| Door-to-Door Delivery*** |
YES |
Yes |
Maybe |
Maybe |
Maybe |
| We offer door-to-door delivery service so that you don’t have to worry about the various multimodal transport and the hassles associated with clearing through customs. |
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| Standardized Packaging Upgrades* |
YES |
Maybe |
No |
No |
No |
| Unlike our competitors who just ship your print job in standard shipping cartons, we offer optional packaging upgrades to beef-up the protection of your precious printing job against many of the possible transportation hazards that might cause damage. |
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| Price-Lock Protection* |
YES |
No |
No |
No |
No |
| This is an exclusive offer in our industry! Whenever you place an order online based on the quote we sent you, you have the choice of signing-up for our exclusive Price-Lock Protection that protects your jobs from rising cost in paper, transportation, customs, and foreign exchange rates. |
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* Please contact us for detailed information on these programs.
** Based on average job. Actual turn-around time may vary depending on final destination and job specifications.
*** Available for continental U.S. states.
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