Many printers out there may be unaware of the process that their products go through before they end up at their ends. Usually deliveries are made by cargo ships from China to Europe. Despite having been going on for centuries, this is a process that has not received as much discussion as it deserves.

Choosing a printer can be a tricky process these days. Where do you make the bulk of your products? China, or Europe? We’ve compiled this list of reasons to print in …

Product life cycle 

Printings come from China back to Europe, everything has its way. The goods go through many hands and stages. The only things that can stop the deliveries are error or delay. Those who deal with such a huge amount of parcels know that errors happen in everyday work. Parcels get damaged, delayed, or lost.

We’re living in a fast world where nothing seems to last forever, even the “evergreen” products have shorter lifecycles. The speed of change is increasing exponentially as is the speed of business. This forces us to move quicker and consider more drastic changes to remain relevant. It also leaves little room for error as we realise that change can happen so quickly that it can kill even the largest and most established brands. Printing in Europe ensures you a quick turnaround time if your product gets damaged or you don’t like it.

Shipping times & economy 

The epidemic of coronavirus seriously harmed the global economy and us worldwide. For practically all nations worldwide, shipping is a primary business that is part of the delivery chain for most businesses. And shipping is completely dependent on producing production in order to secure printings. The average shipping time from China used to be around 4 weeks. Things have gotten worse because of the current pandemic. Still, even in the era of modern logistics and courier services, it takes more than 60-90 days to bring in products to the market.

You need to wait for weeks before you can receive your order from China. You also need to deal with the headaches of return shipping. That’s why ordering printings from Europe is a way to go.

Moreover, the price of a 40-foot container has reached 7,800 euros from 1,500 euros. Marine insurance companies report that it is already very difficult to make the business because the return on the investment funds is too small after the rise in oil prices.

Print development in China 

Two major reasons why printing development in China can be hard to achieve are demand uncertainty and regulatory demand, which lose a lot of money and hampers innovation. “High-risk” products are products that have high costs, but at the same time may lead to losses or failures if the product is expensive. Resources used in high-risk products are utilities for their functions, a specific innovation that has not yet been demonstrated on the market, or desire and necessity for a new field with high potential. These additional costs make the cost higher than a normal product, making it more difficult to reach or exceed customer expectations and profitability.

From the perspective of customer service, Chinese people, especially the rich and middle class are becoming more and more attentive to consumption. They have higher requirements for the quality and variety of imported brands. At the same time, they are well aware of their own demands and consumer rights.

When it comes to exporting in China, nothing is more important than printing export in China quality. You can have the most brilliant ideas for your China products, but no one will take you seriously until you can professionally present them. An attractive design combined with well-made printings will impress any potential clients and help you get ahead of your competitors. But finding a reliable printing company in China that both meets your quality standards and produces at a low cost isn’t as easy as it seems.

Conclusion 

For years, China has been the go-to country for great deals on printed products. The truth is that European countries have a drastically different approach to printing. Printing in China can look like a good idea on first sight. There will be many discrepancies in China regarding, for instance, labor costs, social security payments or just the general level of corporate regulations. However, after you’ve considered all the points mentioned above throughout reading this article, you will most probably find out that it is not beneficial to let your work print in China. And if you’re already set on going through this process anyway, there are still some considerations you may want to take care of beforehand.