Guides
Moving a Used Press Across the US-Canada Border: Broker, Bond and Paperwork
Step-by-step guide to moving a used press across the US-Canada border: Incoterms, AES filing, CBSA B3-3, customs bond, rigging, and the paperwork sequence.
Desk
Guides Desk
Complete walkthroughs of paper imprint machinery, written to be followed rather than skimmed.
Guides
Paper Folder Maintenance Log: What US Print Shops Should Record Weekly
Weekly paper folder maintenance log for US print shops: roller and belt checks, humidity readings, service history and the records buyers and inspectors ask for.
Guides
Print shop trends: test demand shifts in your market
Seven print shop trends to test locally: job quantities, lead times, prepress hours, reorders, bundled work, paper deliveries and environmental inquiries.
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California Print Shop Solvent Ink Rules: AQMD Compliance for Small Shops
California print shop solvent ink rules come from CARB and local districts; South Coast AQMD Rules 1130 and 1171 set ink, fountain and cleaner limits.
Guides
Canadian Print Shop Chemical Inventory Reporting: Scope
Canadian print shop chemical inventory reporting separates WHMIS product records from provincial waste manifests in Ontario, BC and Quebec.
Guides
GST HST on Printed Materials: Zero-Rated vs Taxable in Canada
GST HST on printed materials varies by supply type. Canadian print shops must know which goods are zero-rated, which are taxable, and invoice rules.
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Print shop quality control: four gates and a reprint log
Print shop quality control starts at file arrival and continues through finishing, with four checkpoints, a reprint log, and measures owners can act on.
Guides
Ontario Print Shop Safety Inspections: What Officers Check on a Walk-Through
Ontario print shop safety inspections turn on OHSA, machine guarding and WHMIS labels. This guide names what officers check on a walk-through.
Guides
Paper Weight lb to GSM: A Print Shop Reference for Customers
Paper weight lb to gsm conversion is the first step in any paper spec. Here is how US print shops convert basis weight to GSM and catch the errors that follow.
Guides
Buying a printing press in Canada: CBSA duty and GST/HST
Buying a printing press in Canada from the US means CBSA duty assessment, GST/HST at the border and brokerage fees all land on your invoice.
Guides
California screen printing waste rules for Los Angeles print shops
California screen printing waste rules: how Los Angeles shops handle ink and solvent waste, air district permits, manifests, and CalRecycle duties.
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OSHA and EPA compliance for small US print shops, explained plainly
Two federal agencies set the safety and environmental rules for a small US print shop. Here is what each one inspects and how to stay ready.
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How paper storage and humidity control differ in Phoenix and Seattle
Phoenix shops fight static in dry air while Seattle shops fight mold in damp air, so each city needs its own humidity targets and conditioning times.
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Print shop equipment: brands and what they are known for
Heidelberg, Komori, HP Indigo, Bobst and Duplo lead the shortlist, and each brand is known for specific strengths in presses, bindery gear and finishing.
Guides
Print shop startup costs by payment stage
Print shop startup costs are organized by when cash leaves, with illustrative press, paper, lease, fit-out and installation figures, plus a reserve method.
Guides
Local SEO checklist for print shop owners owners for new owners
Local search for a print shop: what buyers actually type, why the listing does most of the work, and the pages worth writing for a printing business.
Guides
Getting print shop suppliers right the first time
Print shop suppliers assessed on terms rather than reputation: fifteen questions to settle before an account opens, and what each answer changes in the shop.
Guides
The best print shop software and how each was judged
Print shop software ranked by what each does best, from estimating to scheduling, with the judging criteria that put each option on the list.
Guides
Packaging print shop services for four buyer types: the 8 elements to fix
Four buyer types, what stops each one, the eight specification elements a package must fix, how to write the boundaries and price it without giving away margin.
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6 things to understand about print shop equipment
Print shop equipment as a set of commitments: what each press obliges you to run, why finishing is the constraint that bites, and how to lay out the floor.
Guides
Print shop expansion: four routes and when each fits
Print shop expansion starts with the production constraint, then four routes: change the sales mix, partner, add hours, or add machines, space or a site.
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Print shop operations and workflow: what the experienced already know
Print shop workflow from order to dock: the eight handoffs a job passes through, the two constraints that set delivery dates, and where work actually waits.
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8 parts of print shop startup, explained
Reading a print market before committing: who still buys print locally, how to count them, and the four demand patterns that decide what shop to build.
Guides
Print shop license requirements for first-year owners
Print shop license requirements are mostly local: check zoning, occupancy, business registration, sales tax, and air and waste rules before the presses arrive.