How Much Should I Be Paying To Have Business Cards Printed?

[SiangDeeMahk]

I'd like to know what the normal range of price is (not Farang-inflated prices, but typical Thai prices), for getting 100 2-sided glossy Business Cards (also known locally as "Name Cards") printed in Bangkok.. either at a large printshop in MBK, or a small one at the bottom of the stairs at a Carre-Four.

Anyone have any recent experiences with this task?

The point of my post is to try to not get the "Farang-Price" shafting that we are often subjected to, because contrary to what many Thais seem to think, not all of us are RICH overseas tourists (just greedily acting like Cheap Charlies); Some of us are just not that well-to-do, and are trying to live reasonably on a budget, and don't want to be ripped off anymore, while living as polite, considerate, gracious guests in the LOS.

Edited March 1, 2010 by SiangDeeMahk

[lovelomsak]

I donot know about 2 sided but i get one side business cards done for 150 baht for 100. Just about any print shop will do them in about 1 to 2 hours.

[nakachalet]

do you need lamination too?

that would cost a little more and it commands much better attention grabbing.... when laminated.

the price is around 4-5 baht per.... is that about right for your budget....?

[jazzy]

You also have to consider quality and quantities. For low quantities (and lower quality) inkjet printing at places like MBK are the cheapest and easiest for 100 to 500 cards and should cost between 1.5 baht to 5 baht depending on card stock, colors, finishing etc (lamination). For 'proper' printing using offset-litho (where plates have to be made), it's far more expensive here in Thailand and costs will range from 5 baht upwards (usually in the range of 8 or 9 baht each for 4 color 2 sides) and it's not cost-effective really for anything less than 500 off.

[SiangDeeMahk]

You also have to consider quality and quantities. For low quantities (and lower quality) inkjet printing at places like MBK are the cheapest and easiest for 100 to 500 cards and should cost between 1.5 baht to 5 baht depending on card stock, colors, finishing etc (lamination). For 'proper' printing using offset-litho (where plates have to be made), it's far more expensive here in Thailand and costs will range from 5 baht upwards (usually in the range of 8 or 9 baht each for 4 color 2 sides) and it's not cost-effective really for anything less than 500 off.

These are all great answers.. thanx. I think this will become a valuable thread.

Is there such a thing as lamination, for inkjet printing processes? Hmmm.. and if you know it's going to be printed on inkjet, would you reccomend RGB colorspace, or CMYK for the file you give to them? Or does that depend on the printer they're using? Some RIP engines (even for inkjet printers that have CMKY inks) still are very happy to accept RGB files. So would RGB files be the best choice? (especially with more advanced "CMKY" inkjet printers which have a bunch of extra specialized "inbetween" colored inks, for a wider printable color gamut?)

Anyone else have some ideas about the best way (and the best costs) for getting business cards printed?

Any opinions on whether to trust the print shop to prepare "camera-ready" artwork themselves from a single submitted image (of your card design), or should you prepare your own 2 column x 5 row matrixed page, complete with bleed, cutmarks, etc?

[Naam]

These are all great answers.. thanx. I think this will become a valuable thread.

extremely valuable! i will check now several times a day for additional valuable information.

[tewjere]

After getting screwed on my first order of 2-sided laminated cards from a "reputable" supplier here in Phuket I found a better way. Google "Phuket Post business cards" and read the article written on Feb 9th....very informative and EXACLTY what I did in January. Everything worked out perfectly and I bought several thousand cards for the same price 500 cost here. If you would like to see an example of the exceptional quality my office is in Rawai...shoot me a PM and I'll give details.

[SiangDeeMahk]

These are all great answers.. thanx. I think this will become a valuable thread.

extremely valuable! i will check now several times a day for additional valuable information.

Well now.

Sincere words, with a very sarcastic emoticon. Hard to make out which is the true thrust of your post.

If it's the latter, then honestly, why? Why "sour up" a perfectly innocent, and correctly-placed thread, aimed at letting foreigners share a little man-on-the-street info about trying to get a professional presentation of themselves into order? Is there something inherently wrong with trying to do that? Isn't that precisely what a BBS service is for?? A sharing of ideas and information?

Not every thread on TV has to be about Taksin, Coups, Bargirl arrests on the beach, or Sinsod, does it?

There's room for lots of valid topics, (that are also a part of life, spent in Thailand), and if this one isn't interesting to you, there's really NO NEED to castigate it, just to show your ability to spew sarcasm.

Now of course, if it was the former, and you're genuinely interested in following the thread, then that's great, but I suggest you review your choice of emoticons... perhaps the sarcastic "tuneless whistle while rolling eyes" emoticon wasn't the best choice? Cause it sure threw me off.

And I'm not, by even the wildest stretch of the imagination, new to netiquette.. and even more confusing: clearly, neither are you, Sir.

[pkrv]

I used the print shop 5th (I think) floor in Siam Discovery, near the loos.

Excellent service double sided cards (map on the back) and they assist you in designing them and checked the Thai spelling of our address - worth the money/trouble. And it wasn't that much

When they say laminated it means a sort of waxy finish to the cards - also worth it because the first set of cards I had made, they sort of stuck in my wallet, because the ink melted in the heat! The laminated cards are fine.

Sorry I can't remember the price paid.

[SiangDeeMahk]

I used the print shop 5th (I think) floor in Siam Discovery, near the loos.

Excellent service double sided cards (map on the back) and they assist you in designing them and checked the Thai spelling of our address - worth the money/trouble. And it wasn't that much

When they say laminated it means a sort of waxy finish to the cards - also worth it because the first set of cards I had made, they sort of stuck in my wallet, because the ink melted in the heat! The laminated cards are fine.

Sorry I can't remember the price paid.

Good to know. Theoretically, in addition to preventing ink scratching and stickyness, lamination should greatly help the tropical climate "card-curling due to humidity" that you have probably seen with uncoated cards, before. So I also would think it would be worth the extra cost, especially here in Thailand.

[pkrv]

I used the print shop 5th (I think) floor in Siam Discovery, near the loos.

Excellent service double sided cards (map on the back) and they assist you in designing them and checked the Thai spelling of our address - worth the money/trouble. And it wasn't that much

When they say laminated it means a sort of waxy finish to the cards - also worth it because the first set of cards I had made, they sort of stuck in my wallet, because the ink melted in the heat! The laminated cards are fine.

Sorry I can't remember the price paid.

Good to know. Theoretically, in addition to preventing ink scratching and stickyness, lamination should greatly help the tropical climate "card-curling due to humidity" that you have probably seen with uncoated cards, before. So I also would think it would be worth the extra cost, especially here in Thailand.

I would agree on the curling bit - I have scanned in the back of my card to show you what these guys can do (it may be the 7th/top? floor I really can't remember)

Edited March 2, 2010 by pkrv

[SiangDeeMahk]

I used the print shop 5th (I think) floor in Siam Discovery, near the loos.

Excellent service double sided cards (map on the back) and they assist you in designing them and checked the Thai spelling of our address - worth the money/trouble. And it wasn't that much

When they say laminated it means a sort of waxy finish to the cards - also worth it because the first set of cards I had made, they sort of stuck in my wallet, because the ink melted in the heat! The laminated cards are fine.

Sorry I can't remember the price paid.

Good to know. Theoretically, in addition to preventing ink scratching and stickyness, lamination should greatly help the tropical climate "card-curling due to humidity" that you have probably seen with uncoated cards, before. So I also would think it would be worth the extra cost, especially here in Thailand.

I would agree on the curling bit - I have scanned in the back of my card to show you what these guys can do (it may be the 7th/top? floor I really can't remember)

errr.. maybe you should have grabbed their business card..??

But seriously, did they generate (create) the map graphic on the back of the card, for you?

[pkrv]

I did get a card but it is in Bangkok and (unfortunately) I am in the UK

Yes they did generate the map - but obviously I drew on web material plus scans of my swipe card for my condominium - Basically it was 'putting it all together'.

You then proof read a simple printout and agree. And yes they were that good!

[elcent]

I used the print shop 5th (I think) floor in Siam Discovery, near the loos.

Excellent service double sided cards (map on the back) and they assist you in designing them and checked the Thai spelling of our address - worth the money/trouble. And it wasn't that much

When they say laminated it means a sort of waxy finish to the cards - also worth it because the first set of cards I had made, they sort of stuck in my wallet, because the ink melted in the heat! The laminated cards are fine.

Sorry I can't remember the price paid.

Good to know. Theoretically, in addition to preventing ink scratching and stickyness, lamination should greatly help the tropical climate "card-curling due to humidity" that you have probably seen with uncoated cards, before. So I also would think it would be worth the extra cost, especially here in Thailand.

I would agree on the curling bit - I have scanned in the back of my card to show you what these guys can do (it may be the 7th/top? floor I really can't remember)

why not take a cut from google map and print it on the card. This one doesn't look good at all.

[pkrv]

I used the print shop 5th (I think) floor in Siam Discovery, near the loos.

Excellent service double sided cards (map on the back) and they assist you in designing them and checked the Thai spelling of our address - worth the money/trouble. And it wasn't that much

When they say laminated it means a sort of waxy finish to the cards - also worth it because the first set of cards I had made, they sort of stuck in my wallet, because the ink melted in the heat! The laminated cards are fine.

Sorry I can't remember the price paid.

Good to know. Theoretically, in addition to preventing ink scratching and stickyness, lamination should greatly help the tropical climate "card-curling due to humidity" that you have probably seen with uncoated cards, before. So I also would think it would be worth the extra cost, especially here in Thailand.

I would agree on the curling bit - I have scanned in the back of my card to show you what these guys can do (it may be the 7th/top? floor I really can't remember)

why not take a cut from google map and print it on the card. This one doesn't look good at all.

Does that show the BTS or Central symbol(s) or other key landmarks? Perhaps you have not visited London and seen a tube map?

Or perhaps show me what you have done - I can always adapt, if necessary.

Edited March 2, 2010 by pkrv

[SiangDeeMahk]

why not take a cut from google map and print it on the card. This one doesn't look good at all.

You know.. Thais are nortoriously bad map-readers.. I had to teach my TGF how to read a map (which she fought against learning, until I demonstrated how helpfull it was when driving in places that you'd never been before, and how much more accurate it was, than the (3 times wrong) verbal directions we were stopping and asking people on the side of the road for). She saw the light, and finally stopped whining, and now "gets" the whole "squigly colored lines represent the actual land and roads beneith your feet and car tires" bit.

But many Thais dont really get that, so in my opinion, the most simplistic squarely drawn street diagram with a few landmarks and pictures (which is closer to how Thais give verbal directions, instead of using maps) works just fine here in Thailand.

[pkrv]

why not take a cut from google map and print it on the card. This one doesn't look good at all.

You know.. Thais are nortoriously bad map-readers.. I had to teach my TGF how to read a map (which she fought against learning, until I demonstrated how helpfull it was when driving in places that you'd never been before, and how much more accurate it was, than the (3 times wrong) verbal directions we were stopping and asking people on the side of the road for). She saw the light, and finally stopped whining, and now "gets" the whole "squigly colored lines represent the actual land and roads beneith your feet and car tires" bit.

But many Thais dont really get that, so in my opinion, the most simplistic squarely drawn street diagram with a few landmarks and pictures (which is closer to how Thais give verbal directions, instead of using maps) works just fine here in Thailand.

Succinct

[GiantFan]

Hi All,

Good info. I have a regular need for quite large quantities of business card and have had a difficult time finding reasonable prices. Details below:

Size: 56 x 90 mm (or Thai standard size not that important)

Wt: 260 gsm

Colour: 4 colour / offset

Printing: Double sided / no lamination

I think the problem is that I can't seem to get through to these guys that this will be ongoing business (4 - 6 times / year). Each time I purchase 40,000 - 50,000 pcs.

Anyone know of a company that might be interested?

[Naam]

Hi All,

Good info. I have a regular need for quite large quantities of business card and have had a difficult time finding reasonable prices. Details below:

Size: 56 x 90 mm (or Thai standard size not that important)

Wt: 260 gsm

Colour: 4 colour / offset

Printing: Double sided / no lamination

I think the problem is that I can't seem to get through to these guys that this will be ongoing business (4 - 6 times / year). Each time I purchase 40,000 - 50,000 pcs.

Anyone know of a company that might be interested?

you are handing out nearly a thousand cards per working day?