This can be a matter that's surfaced many times within the course of my career. Frankly, I always have hated to hear it because I understood the writer asking it'd be doubtful in my own answer. I think its pretty safe to say that most every one knows that printers generate income if they supply paper to their customers. The amount varies by printer as some perspective paper as a supply of additional profits among others just want to pay their associated costs of handling and acquisition. Does it matter howmuch a printer is currently making on the newspaper they are supplying for you? No! , it willn't; but that's just provided their rates are market-competitive AND you are getting what you are paying for. The enormous AND is because I've worked with a magazine writer recently where the newspaper that they were actually getting was at least 2 inches lower than that which they were paying for. They had no idea before I brought it to their attention and it have been happening for a long time. To make things worse, these were over paying by something similar to $10.00/cwt (presuming they were getting the quality they were paying for, which they certainly weren't ).

Anyway, as a result of this fiasco, this publisher asked me that my thoughts on buying their paper. Again, I have now been asked this questions numerous times within the course of my livelihood, mostly during very soft markets when newspaper merchants are outside actively attempting to remove extra paper. Regardless of whether this question was asked 20 years ago or is being asked today, my answer remains the same:

If you're a small trade and special interest magazine publisher with 1-5 names (and without knowing your precise circumstances) the general answer would be no, you must not. The next is my support for this answer:

A user of newspaper has 3 potential alternatives for buying paper - a) throughout the printer b) from a newspaper broker or c) mill direct. Regarding most trade and special attention magazine publishers, you are going to become too small to buy mill direct therefore I won't incorporate the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative. Therefore lets check the other two:

Printer Supplied Paper

First, there is truly only one perceived"con" to buying your newspaper through your printer and that is that typically you're paying a markup. Again, the percentage varies from printer-to-printer. Now, this gets significantly complicated because, even though you may be paying a mark-up, it willn't automatically indicate that you're paying more for the own paper. Its like anything else, it only depends on what you're comparing it too! Simply don't assume that if there is a markup being implemented that you're overpaying. The bottom line pricing is that you simply have to compare the quoted price to some thing of specs to get a determination on a neutral price.

Let's look at what it is that you are getting for the mark-up that is employed to paper supplied with your printer because, I am letting you know, in the end, it's worth every cent!

1) Administration. Trust in me, government is a nuisance. Keep in mind, when you supply your paper it's your responsibility to make sure there is certainly enough paper on the floor to finish your job. This requires coordination involving you, your printer and your own broker. It may seem simple enough however it is time that most don't possess these days. And it's equally essential that you manage your inventory in order to don't need an excessive amount of paper sitting on the floor costing you money when it isn't used. Whenever your printer supplies the newspaper, this really becomes their problem and they understand just how to manage it effortlessly!

As a magazine publisher the chances are you never make many major last minute changes in page count or amounts. Butif you do, will your broker get ready and able to respond? Andif they can, at what cost? Again, printer supplied paper create this their problem, none.

3) Quality. Buying paper throughout your printer guarantees quality. At a soft newspaper market, brokers are typically able to furnish high quality, A-grade newspaper because it is easily available. But as soon as a market tightens, many times what agents have open for these are"moments" or mill/printer denied newspaper. I recall an incident when a writer supplied their particular paper into your printing company and also we found that it have been paper that we had received directly from the mill and had rejected it to quality factors. The bottom-line - it didn't run! Giroform CFB to the publisher, for that 1 problem, was a lot more than the projected joint yearly savings that will have been attained by supplying their newspaper for us. We functioned to provide some relief for this particular customer nevertheless they instantly went back into"printer supplied" paper.

Again, even when the sector is soft, accessibility is generally no problem. However, when the market pops up fast, it can suddenly become one. I had a customer who insisted on supplying his own newspaper. There came an issue, for reasons that I don't remember, where these were unexpectedly unable to get their paper to us punctually. Consequently, these were pleading with us to help them out and find them the paper they required. The situation was that individuals only did not have it to give them. We were ultimately able to see them the newspaper they had however it came in a cost so great that it far surpassed the combined yearly savings which they had planned to comprehend by providing their newspaper to people.

5) Carrying Costs. Whenever you purchase paper from a broker, you may on average have 1 month from time of delivery to make payment (although there are some brokers who will charge upon usage rather than delivery). With printer supplied newspaper you will have routinely have 30 days (or all of the credits terms could be) after shipping of this magazine to pay your print bill, which includes paper. Evidently, if you're not working with a broker who will bill up on usage as opposed to shipping, then this ties up your hard earned money prematurely.

6) Printer Handling Fees. No matter which end of this range you consider, the percent the amount represents of one's entire savings per CWT for buying through a broker is significant. Printers who would like to discourage customer supplied paper will soon be at the higher end of the spectrum while printers who don't mind customer supplied paper will probably soon be at the end.

This brings up yet another point worth mentioning:

There are some more compact printers who simply do not need the volume to obtain paper cost effectively and economically as they must purchase paper from brokers rather than mill direct. I worked for a printer in my past that just could not guarantee my client that their newspaper could be consistently of the identical mill, brand and quality unless the customer used a burden and caliber of newspaper that they (the printer) specified. These sorts of printers (on average not magazine certain printers) have zero issue with their customers supplying their own newspaper. It's quite important that you utilize a printer that can, and will, get you the paper you want rather than what they can get. Again, when you need to furnish your own paper as your printer cannot get you exactly what you want/need, then you might be with the incorrect printer.

Broker/Merchant Supplied Paper

Regrettably there are few advantages of a small trade and special interest magazine writer, in my estimation, to purchasing paper by the broker/merchant. There can become an amount advantage under certain circumstances but again, do not only assume this.


In all honesty, I just have never been a fan of smaller publishers buying their own newspaper. While there could be a few minor savings to be realized, the risks involved are much great. I have seen too many publishers experience disasters and also the associated costs have been nearly lethal with their own businesses.

Do your homework! Retain the services of an expert that is able to supply you with unbiased advice.

There are some exceptional ways in which possibly to realize the very best of both worlds. Again, the help of a professional consultant who knows magazines and who knows magazines as related to paper, distribution and print can supply you with a standard picture and ensure that you are receiving the best bargain available and are distributing and producing your publication as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.