Have you ever had the unfortunate accident of hiring a bad printing company? You may have entered into a business transaction for overnight or online printing only to have your products delivered in a bad state? This is a common problem with publishing. A may have a great website that offer good deals or the best quality, but once you engage in business with them, all you encounter are problems and lackluster service. You will probably just waste valuable time and money with them without producing any positive result for your business. That is why you need to watch out for these bad printing companies. Speaking from experience, we have collected a few key characteristics of bad printing companies. Watch for this key properties and try to spare yourself the horror of engaging in business with them.

1. The monopolists ? One of the worst printing companies we have encountered are what we call the ?monopolists?. These are the printing companies that think you have no where else to go for a printing service but them. This is typical if you are working in a small town or community where there are only a few select printing services to choose from. Usually these kinds of printing services have higher printing rates since they think that people will still do business with them because there is no other alternative.

But there is. If you find yourself in this situation, you don't have to put up with their higher prices. You can just have your design printed online. There are a lot of companies out there that you can hire. Most have delivery capabilities that span the whole continent. So you don't have to worry about that monopolizing printing company down the street. Order your prints online and be done with their control.

2. Lackluster customer service ? Another thing that most people don't like about a is bad customer service. It should be a standard business practice to treat your customers in a fast and friendly manner. Apparently though some printing companies don't follow standard business practices. If the printing company's customer service representative is rude or clueless, or if your emails are taking forever to be replied to, this is the sign of a bad printing company which you should avoid. Companies that don't take the time in improving customer relations can hardly be worth your time or your money.

3. Old sample prints ? Another mark of a bad printing company is they don't update their sample prints. Try and always look at the sample work of all the printing companies that you are browsing through. See if they look new through the design and its material condition. If the company doesn't update its sample prints, using the same one year after year then you should think twice about hiring them. Sample prints should always show the best and newest work of a printer. If they don't take the time to update them, then maybe they won't take the time checking and updating your prints as well. So stay away from them if you can.

4. Cheap prices - In terms of prices, cheap does not equate to best. Sometimes printing companies advertise printing prices that seem to good to be true. Well, this may probably mean there is a catch. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you encounter cheap printing prices, try and researching more into the printing company before doing business with them Chances are that the cheap prices they are offering come at a cost. Their overall printing process might not be that good, their delivery service might be horrible, or their customer service might be totally non-existent. You may be able save money on printing with them, but it might cost you more if your printed materials arrive late, in a horrible condition with you not being able to contact their custom support. So don't be caught by cheap prices alone. Research.

5. Infamy ? The final characteristic that a bad printing company can have is its own bad reputation. With the advent of the Internet, it is easy enough to research the opinions of past customers of a printing company. Typically most people place comments or write blogs when they are upset about a printing service. So search for the name of the printing company you are eyeing and see if there are any negative reviews. The more bad reviews you see, the more you should think about switching to another printing company. Respect the wisdom of others and save yourself the trouble.

So remember these characteristics well, and the tips on how to spot them. Identifying the bad printers early can save you time and money. Be wise and look for the best companies through proper research and judgment. Good Luck!