For many who are new to dealing with commercial printers, the idea of overs and unders can be a strange one. It is easy to ask – How can a company deliver more or less than what was ordered? Today we take a look at what overs and unders are, and what they mean when you order print.
What are overs and unders?
Simply put, overs and unders are an amount either more than or less than the requested quantity of an item. It is part of a contract for printing (or another manufactured product) that allows for an order to be considered complete if the final amount of an item is over or under the agreed upon amount.
For example, you place an order for 100,000 catalogs to help market your new product. The contract with your printer says that he or she can deliver +/- 10% of the order. So, when your order arrives, you could receive between 90,000 to 110,000 catalogs. The printer would call this order complete, and adjust your price accordingly.
What? How does this even happen?
Many customers who deal with manufacturers are familiar with the process of overs and unders. But, in a world of click button retail, this can sound very strange to many.
The idea behind overs and unders has to do with commercial print being a manufacturing process. Printing isn’t simply pulling an existing item off a shelf, or pushing a button. On any day machines can break, a material won’t perform as expected, or any other thing could go wrong. On the other hand, the process could go very smoothly, or even better than expected.
Overs and unders are used by many manufacturers (not just printers) to help protect themselves from the normal issues that can occur in manufacturing. This is especially true when a manufacturer is making something that is specific to one customer.
The custom nature of a product means that much of the cost for a printer or manufacturer is in the set-up of the job. If a job was, for example to be damaged during shipping, then the printer could be in trouble. He or she would have to once again take on the bulk of their costs just to complete an order.
By creating overs, the printer avoids this. They protect themselves from having to restart the job from scratch. And they protect themselves from the potential financial loss of having to restart a custom project from the beginning.
Does cutpasteandprint use overs and unders?
The short answer here is no. We take pride in providing our customers with exactly what they order. No more and no less. This is more simple for us, since we mostly deal with smaller quantities. Most of the big jobs we do are far less than the 100,000 catalog example above. We also have a good handle on our equipment and the processes we use.
We’re not alone in this. Many printers avoid using overs and unders for smaller quantity production. Advances in equipment, processes, and shipping reliability make this possible.
But of course, there is always a long answer. The more complex a product is, and the greater the quantities involved means that more steps have to be taken in the manufacturing process. Along with that, more steps have to be taken to insure a quality product can be delivered. So, the long answer is that we treat every customer and every product individually, doing what we need to do to make sure everyone gets what they want.
As we always say, if you have questions about your print project, it’s important to talk with us early and often. Together we can come up with a plan that will satisfy you and your business’ needs. Of course, if you are dealing with other manufacturers, it is important to do the same with them too.
cutpasteandprint Printing, graphic design, binding, and promotional product specialists in Huntingdon Valley, PA. We proudly serve the Bucks and Montgomery County areas with superior quality, great customer service, and a commitment to getting you and your the best possible printed materials. Our services include: Digital Printing, Offset Printing, Graphic Design, Promotional Items, Bindery, and Copying.
estimating@cutpasteandprint.com • 215.364.3898
