Printing in China is cheap -- and, I mean dirt cheap compared to printing in the U.S. or anywhere else for that matter. For a long time Mexico was the place for inexpensive in independent book printing, but now like in so many other manufacturing areas, China has taken over.
The benefit: those of us with smaller projects like my book with the Santa Barbara Zoo can actually exist. The downside -- well, there are many. 1) You don't really know what you are getting, 2) Prices tend to vary wildly even if you're getting the same specs quoted and 3) English as a second language always presents communication issues.
I've been going through the headache of quoting my project. Working with some Chinese business folk is akin to working with a New York celebrity agent on a bad day -- lots of yelling, threats, rudeness...you get the idea. It is no work for the faint of heart.
I've gotten a lot of things printed in Asia for corporate jobs (as well as worked with my fair share of NY agents for celebrity bookings) and it's tough, but if you don't have the budget, you don't have it.
So, if you're planning on going to China to get something printed here are some tips, and hey, I'm learning as I'm going too.
1) Be very specific with your specifications. And, I mean specific, e.g., size, thickness of pages, rounded corners, 4-color, etc.
2) Ask for a sample. If they don't have one they are willing to give you outright, ask if you can have one that you can mail back to them.
3) Ask for references. Get the name of one or two of their clients, preferably for jobs that are similar to yours so you can talk with them to see how satisfied they were with the quality of the product.
4) Google them. Do a little homework on the company you're dealing with to see if anyone has said anything good and/or bad about them.
5) Get a proof. Make sure you get a proof of your book, brochure, etc. before they go to print on the entire job.
6) Do as much as possible in writing. Leave a long and arduous paper trail if you can.
