Saving Money on Printing and Reproduction. ERIC Fact Sheet No. 2.

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4

Teachers; Practitioners

Comparative Analysis; Copyrights; Cost Effectiveness; Cost Estimates; Photocomposition; Printing; Production Techniques; Reprography; Unit Costs

Presented in question-and-answer format, the fact sheet provides educators with general information on photocopying and offset printing processes and offers specific tips for saving money on printing and reproduction. The first section addresses the use of photocopying, describes instances when photocopying is most economic, and discusses limitations and disadvantages of the photocopying process. General guidelines for photocopying are offered, with attention given to planning the finished product, obtaining samples before proceeding, and attending to copyright laws. The second section of the paper addresses the cost-effectiveness and techniques used in offset printing. A description of two basic types of offset presses (web-fed and sheet-fed) is followed by an explanation of the jobs for which each press is best suited. Suggestions for choosing a good printer, minimizing offset printing costs, and obtaining accurate cost estimates are also offered. Suggestions for reducing printing costs are based on the generalization that the per-unit cost of photocopying remains the same regardless of the number of copies printed, while the per-unit cost of offset printing goes down as the number of copies goes up. The importance of matching the job to the most appropriate equipment and then designing the job to make the most efficient use of that equipment is the central theme throughout the paper. (LH)

1984

ED233924