The Office Admin's Checklist for Ordering Custom Printed Materials (Without the Headaches)

Office administrator for a 150-person professional services firm. I manage all office supplies and printed materials ordering—roughly $15,000 annually across 8 vendors. I report to both operations and finance. If you've ever had a box of business cards arrive with the wrong color or a letterhead order that blows the department budget, you know the frustration. Honestly, ordering print shouldn't be complicated, but it often is.

This checklist is for anyone who needs to order custom printed items—business cards, letterhead, presentation folders, you name it—and wants to get it right the first time. I've processed 60-80 of these orders annually for the last five years. I'll walk you through the exact steps I use, from spec'ing the job to checking the final delivery. There are 5 key steps, and I'll warn you now: most people mess up Step 3.

When to Use This Checklist

Pull this out when you need to order anything custom-printed for your company. It works for one-off projects (like new hire business cards) and for refreshing standard materials (annual letterhead reorder). It's basically a trade-off between using your time upfront to save massive headaches later. I still kick myself for not being this thorough on a 2022 order for branded notebooks. The color was so off-brand it was embarrassing. If I'd followed my own checklist, I'd have caught it before production.

The 5-Step Ordering Checklist

Step 1: Lock Down the *Exact* Specifications (Before Getting a Quote)

This seems obvious, but it's where vague requests turn into expensive mistakes. Don't just say "business cards." You need every detail written down.

Your spec sheet must include:

• Quantity: Exactly how many? (Pro tip: Ordering more usually lowers the per-unit cost, but don't over-order obsolete items.)
• Dimensions: US Standard business cards are 3.5 × 2 inches. Is that what you want?
• Paper Stock: This is huge. Don't just say "thick." Use industry terms. For business cards, 80 lb cover or 100 lb cover are common. 80 lb cover is about 216 gsm—a good, standard weight. 100 lb cover (approx. 270 gsm) feels more premium. For letterhead, 24 lb bond (90 gsm) is a nice upgrade over standard 20 lb copy paper.
• Finishing: Any special touches? Rounded corners? Spot gloss (a shiny coating on just the logo)?
• Colors: This is critical. Is it full-color photos (CMYK printing), or specific brand colors? If it's brand colors, you must provide the Pantone (PMS) numbers. According to Pantone Color Matching System guidelines, industry standard color tolerance is Delta E < 2 for brand-critical colors. A Delta E of 2-4 is noticeable to trained observers; above 4 is visible to most people. Giving a vendor a Pantone number is the only way to get consistent color.
• File Format & Resolution: You must supply print-ready artwork. The rule is 300 DPI at the final print size. So, for a 3.5" x 2" business card, your logo file needs to be at least 1050 x 600 pixels. I've had vendors accept low-res files and then blame the poor print quality on me. Not anymore.

Put another way: the more specific you are, the more accurate the quotes will be, and the less room there is for the final product to be "not what you imagined."

Step 2: Get 3 Quotes (But Know What You're Comparing)

The conventional wisdom is to always get three quotes. My experience with 200+ orders suggests that relationship consistency often beats marginal cost savings, but you still need to benchmark. Send your identical spec sheet from Step 1 to three vendors.

When the quotes come back, compare line by line. A surprisingly low quote often means they're assuming a cheaper paper stock or skipping a proof. Ask directly: "Is this price based on the exact 100 lb cover stock I specified? Does it include a physical proof?"

One of my biggest regrets: not asking about shipping costs upfront. A vendor quoted $150 for 1000 folders, which was great. Then shipping was $85 (ugh). Now my first question is, "Is shipping included, and if not, what's the estimated cost to ZIP code [your code]?"

I have mixed feelings about online mega-printers vs. local shops. On one hand, the big online guys are fast and cheap for simple jobs. On the other, when I needed a rush on complex, double-thick presentation folders for a board meeting, the local printer I'd built a relationship with moved mountains for me. I compromise with a primary online vendor for standard items and a local backup for complex or rush jobs.

Step 3: Demand & Inspect a Physical Proof (The Step Everyone Skips)

This is the non-negotiable step that most people think they can skip to save time or money. Don't. An emailed PDF "proof" shows you layout, but it tells you nothing about actual color, paper feel, or trimming accuracy.

You need a physical proof—a single copy printed on the actual paper stock, using the actual printing method. It might cost $25-$50. Pay it. This is your only chance to catch errors before they're multiplied by a thousand.

How to inspect a physical proof:

• Color: Hold it under good, neutral light (not yellow office lighting). Compare it to your existing brand materials or a Pantone swatch book if you have one.
• Spelling & Text: Read every word, every phone number, every email address. Out loud. Twice. (Note to self: I really should make someone else do this as a second pair of eyes.)
• Bleed & Trim: If your design goes to the edge of the card, make sure the color extends past the trim line (the "bleed"). The proof should have crop marks showing where it will be cut.
• Paper: Does the stock feel right? Is it the thickness and texture you expected?

In 2023, we ordered new letterhead. The digital proof looked fine. The physical proof showed our gray logo had a slight green tint on that specific paper. We approved it with a color correction note, avoiding 10,000 sheets of weird greenish-gray paper. That $35 proof saved us $450 and a lot of embarrassment.

Step 4: Review the Final Invoice (Before Paying)

The job is done, the box has arrived. Your instinct is to process the payment. Slow down. First, match the invoice to the quote you approved.

Check for:

• Price matches the quoted price.
• No unexpected line items ("file processing fee," "rush fee"—unless you authorized a rush).
• Correct tax calculation.
• Proper company name and address for your records (this matters at audit time).

I learned this the hard way. In 2021, I found a great price from a new vendor—$200 cheaper than our regular supplier for 5000 brochures. They couldn't provide a proper invoice, just a handwritten receipt. Finance rejected the expense report. I had to eat the cost out of the department budget. Now I verify invoicing capability before I even request a quote.

Step 5: Do a Quality Check on Delivery (The 2-Minute Unpacking Audit)

When you open the box, don't just stash it in the supply closet. Grab 5-10 pieces from the top, middle, and bottom of the stack.

Quick audit checklist:

• Count: Is the quantity roughly right? (They're usually accurate, but I've been shorted 50 cards before.)
• Consistency: Do all the samples look the same? No color shifts from one batch to another?
• Damage: Any nicks, scratches, or dents from shipping?
• Trim: Are the cuts clean and straight? For business cards, do they stack evenly?

If something's wrong, take photos immediately and contact the vendor. Reputable vendors will make it right. Finding a problem six months later when you open the box for a new hire? You have no recourse.

Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Mistake #1: Using RGB or web images. Your screen uses RGB light; printers use CMYK ink. Colors will shift, usually looking duller. Always convert files to CMYK color mode before sending.

Mistake #2: Not budgeting for "extras." The base price rarely includes design time (if you need it), physical proofs, or special shipping. Build in a 15-20% buffer over the base quote for these incidentals.

Mistake #3: Choosing a vendor who "does everything." I've become wary of the "one-stop shop" that prints banners, embroiders hats, and makes mugs. The vendor who said "business cards aren't our specialty, we outsource those" actually earned more of my trust for their core products. I'd rather work with a specialist who knows their limits than a generalist who overpromises. For critical brand materials, find a vendor whose primary business is commercial printing.

Following these steps takes a little more time on the front end. But it saves you from the stress of wrong orders, difficult conversations with your boss about budget overruns, and the hassle of redoing work. Basically, it makes you look like you know what you're doing—because you do.

Prices and processes mentioned are based on my experience as of early 2025; always verify current details with your chosen vendor.