Artisan Print: A Profitable Market Opportunity

Many printing companies are struggling to find the profitable work they are looking for

There is a growing number of companies where print is an integral part of their business, whether they know it or not. The right printed presentation can make all the difference to the perceived goods and services that they are selling.

Imagine two bottles of hand lotion. One is in a plain plastic bottle. The other has a beautiful label and is shown off in an attractive presentation box. Which one will many people choose? Which one will many people pay substantially more for? Print can make a huge difference to the perceived value of a product or service. I call this type of work artisan print.

What is artisan print?

Artisan print is high end print that allows companies to sell goods or services at a higher price. It usually involves excellent design and unusual substrates. It also often involves extra colors or extra finishes.

Typically, this sort of print is associated with artisan makers of craft items and food and drink. Traditionally printers haven’t looked at these prospects closely because they are often one person businesses with small print runs. However, one independent chocolate maker I know spends in the region of $12,500 per year on print and packaging. Having a few of these accounts would certainly make a difference to many print companies.

Many larger companies are now also aiming to tap into this market. This applies particularly in the e-commerce sector where companies are keen to differentiate themselves from the competition.

Why sell artisan print?

I’m going to cover this in more detail in my next article. But they key reason is that the profit margins are much higher in this segment. You also typically win a much more loyal customer. Artisan print is not for everyone: If you are focused purely on high efficiency output, it is probably not a good fit. But for many printing companies, artisan print can make a big difference to profit levels.

What do you do if you want to expand into artisan print?

• Look out for my next three articles where I explain more
• Start looking for products that use artisan print
• Start looking for companies that do not use artisan print but could benefit from it

Don’t struggle with the search for profitable print

Review the potential of artisan print today.

Selling any type of print requires the right message

Learn how to make sales messages that stop the price conversation, based on the TPD Principle. Check out my book How To Stop Print Buyers Choosing On Price which outlines a simple three-step process that creates sales messages that help prospects with their big business problems and make them more likely to buy from you without arguing about price. It’s perfect for people selling artisan print.

PS Test out how effective your sales people are at selling print sales

Download my free e-book “Ten Common Print Selling Errors and What To Do About Them” right now at https://profitableprintrelationships.com/e-book/ You’ll also receive my regular “Views from the print buyer” bulletin, full of ideas on how to sell print effectively. It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time.