Take the stress out of online printing

Managing your print project from start to finish so that it’s done right the first time.

Raise your hand

If you've been confused by or frustrated with:

Product Specs

Wondering alone if you selected the best options for your product.

File Requirements

Stressing over upload errors because the file is not setup correctly for production.

Proofing

The overwhelming feeling of not knowing what to look for and praying for the best outcome.

Turnaround

Expecting fast turnaround times for products that cannot be expedited or getting hit with crazy shipping fees to meet a deadline.

Customer Service

Trying to resolve a printer error, product defect, or missing delivery among all your other responsibilities.

Tired of costly and disappointing print errors?

You must be a brand champion

You may have wondered…

How can I take advantage of multiple print vendors without worrying about artwork issues or choosing the wrong specifications?

I remember those days when I was anxious taking delivery of a project for fear of a printing error.

I was excited to see the finished project — a spot UV business card or wide-format graphic.

The problem was that quality varied between vendors resulting in an expectation mismatch.

Maybe you can relate.

Your colors may have printed differently from what you expected.

Or the standard paper stock was too thin to be professional.

Or the print quality was low resolution when you know you had a high-resolution file.

And I heard it often from clients “I’ve got a digital file.”

#printernightmare

But, let me ask you this:

Is your time and money worth the expense, hassle, and stress of a potentially costly mistake during the printing process?

During my career I’ve debunked some myths:

Myth 1

BUDGET — “I don’t have a huge budget to pay someone to manage production.”

Myth 2

SIMPLICITY — “Online ordering is easy. Just upload and send to print.”

Myth 3

PROOFING — “Approving proofs is just like reviewing any other file.”

Myth 4

PRINT-READY — “I’ve got print-ready files. There won’t be any issues.”

Can you relate?

Take the stress out of online printing

Experience seamless print management with our comprehensive project oversight from start to finish, ensuring your projects are executed flawlessly the first time.

Let's get your project started!

What we do…

We work with you to identify your goals, budget, and timeline for the order. We provide quotes, preflight and upload artwork, review proofs and ensure that you’re happy with the delivered product.

What it is not…

It's not next-day or 2-day service.

Quotes can take a few days to a week to prepare, followed by production and shipping. To ensure quality and avoid delays, we recommend planning 2-4 weeks or more ahead. This allows us to meticulously manage every detail and deliver results that meet your expectations.

It’s not economy printing.

Your target audience judges your marketing materials, and by extension your brand, so we work with quality vendors we trust. This ensures that every piece we produce reflects the high standards and professionalism your brand represents.

It's not our primary service.

While our passion for print is strong, our primary focus is on branding and design. Prepress and production can be daunting, even with print-ready files. That's why we eliminate guesswork and costly errors for our clients.

“

Working with Wagging Labs has been an absolute game-changer for our hospice business. Janel is incredibly easy to work with, always elevating our message with exceptional design and ensuring our projects are done right the first time.

Whether it's our unique square business cards, team-building t-shirts, or our custom desktop calendars, her experience in print design ensures our marketing products are a step above the rest. I can't recommend Wagging Labs enough—between her skill as a designer and print management services she's truly taken the hassle out of our printing needs, allowing us to focus on what matters most: providing compassionate care to our patients.

Russ Krengel

Kindful Health

Benefits of Print Management

Expertise

Access to a wealth of knowledge and experience in handling various print projects efficiently.

Quality Assurance

High-quality results by working with trusted vendors and guidance through every step of the process.

Time Efficiency

We're able to streamline the process, reducing the likelihood of delays and ensuring timely delivery.

Cost Savings

We help you avoid costly errors and reprints by getting the project done right the first time.

Vendor Relationships

Our experience with print vendors ensures high-quality results for any printing or promotional product, providing tailored solutions to meet your needs.

Consistency

Consistent quality marketing materials elevate your brand, fostering trust and presenting your logo accurately to maintain brand integrity and recognition.

Reduced Stress

We handle the complexities of prepress and production, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business.

Problem Solving

We work with vendors to address any issues that arise, preventing potential setbacks.

How it Works

Requirements Gathering

Purpose
Budget
Quantity
Due date
Shipping and point of contact
Media/inks
Review supplied files or provide fees for design

Quotes

Provide quotes based on project specifications with estimated shipping costs. Multiple quotes can be prepared to evaluate volume pricing. Quotes include a separate line item for print management services and any design fees.

Artwork

Preflight supplied artwork to ensure it meets print requirements
Provide one or more designs for the project for feedback and approval

Approval + Production

Provide final quote with exact specifications, shipping address, and final artwork for approval via electronic signature.
Invoice sent to client; payment due upon receipt.
Wagging Labs submits to production and manages online proofing.
Tracking data provided to Client

FAQ

We manage everything from business cards to exhibit graphics and promotional products. Here's a sampling of projects we've managed for clients:

Traditional print marketing

Business cards, stationery
Presentation folders, 3-ring binders
Binder tab dividers
Flyers, brochures, postcards
Booklets, catalogs
Calendars: hanging and desk pads
Stickers, labels

Large format graphics

Posters
Wall graphics
Banners
Step and repeat walls
Fabric walls
Exhibit displays
Retractable banners (pop-ups)
Table covers and runners

Promotional products

Embroidery and screen printing: shirts, hats, bags
Lanyards and ID tags
Drinkware: mugs, tumblers, coasters
Pens, magnets, stress balls
Outdoor signage
Vehicle wraps

We ensure the quality of our print products by choosing vendors we have worked with previously and trust. Our established relationships with these vendors allow us to consistently deliver high-quality results, as we are confident in their capabilities and reliability.

If we have not worked with a particular vendor previously, we review their production capabilities and evaluate the quality of the stock/media/product. If time allows, we request samples of the product or similar printed pieces.

In one project, we decided to cancel an order because the client chose a lower-cost vendor who provided a low-quality proof. The color shifted greatly from our file and the text was blurry.

We weren't confident that this vendor could meet our expectations. The client paid a small fee for the work incurred, and we placed the order with a trusted vendor instead.

Quotes can take 2-5 business days depending on the product.

Please provide a print-ready (or approved and final) file of the item to be printed when requesting a quote. We'll evaluate the artwork and most-likely setup a call to evaluate requirements and specifications.

Production turnaround varies based on the product.

Business cards, flyers, brochures, and most flat products without binding or special finishing can take 4-7 business days.

Apparel vendors often provide their lowest unit cost when taking delivery 9–12 business days from order date. The price increases for a guaranteed delivery date and every day that's turnaround is shortened.

Specialized products requiring multiple rounds of finishing, such as custom binder tabs or desk pad calendars, can take 4 weeks for production, plus shipping.

Shipping is generally another 3-7 days for UPS/FedEx. Freight can take longer.

All products are drop-shipped to you directly from the production facility. Some vendors offer free ground shipping and the option to expedite. Shipping fees for heavy or oversized products can increase greatly.

We preflight all files using Adobe Acrobat Pro which automatically checks for common printing issues. Some common issues can be resolved during the preflight process.

Other issues may need to be manually addressed. If you worked with another designer, we'll work with you and them to obtain a print-ready file. If they are not available, we'll provide an estimate to correct the issue.

Common preflight issues include:

Missing fonts
Low-resolution images
Incorrect color mode (RGB vs CMYK or spot colors)
Bleed and trim issues (not setup to the template)
Overprint settings
Transparency issues
Incorrect file formats
Layer problems
Missing linked images
Spelling or grammar errors

We can guarantee product quality with our chosen vendors.

We will manage projects with a vendor you select but cannot guarantee quality.

You will always be responsible for signing your approval of the design and content prior to production. This includes:

Spelling and grammar: Ensuring all text is free from spelling and grammatical errors.
Content accuracy: Verifying the accuracy of all information, including dates, names, and addresses.
Contact information: Ensuring all contact details, such as phone numbers, email addresses, and websites, are accurate.
Layout and formatting: Checking that the layout aligns with their expectations and all elements are correctly placed.
Images and graphics: Confirming that all images and graphics are correct.
Design approval: Providing final approval for the design before it goes to print, confirming that you are satisfied with every aspect of the proof.

Errors are uncommon but can happen. If you encounter any of the following production errors, please take a photo of the issue and forward it to us via email.

We will contact the vendor for the following issues:

Color inconsistencies: If the color shifts noticeably from one print to the next due to poor color management (i.e. from red to purple or dark to light).
Duplicate or missing prints: This can happen for short/small orders when the order is for one print of each file.
Missing delivery: If the package returned to the vendor because it failed to be delivered, either because of an incorrect or incomplete address, we'll work with them to have it re-shipped. An additional fee will be charged to reroute the shipment.
It may be easier and more economical to pick up the package and the local distribution center. Whomever the package is addressed to will need to bring their ID to pick up the package.
Apparel counts shorted: The simplest course is to take a refund of the item missing. A reprint may be possible at no charge, but the product may not match the original order (i.e. the shirt may come from a different manufacturer and the color can vary.)

Issues that will be investigated, without guarantees:

Low resolution images: If a file was approved using a high-resolution image and the print appears low-resolution, we will contact the vendor and do our best to resolve the issue satisfactorily.
Trim and bleed issues: Assuming the file was setup correctly, there are a limited number of products/scenarios where the production method can encounter an issue. For example, posters are printed without a bleed and cut directly on the edge. If the cut is wide, then you may see a sliver of unprinted paper. This is not cause for a reprint.

Issues that we will not be responsible for:

Files approved with low resolution images: We will highlight any image that is below the recommended resolution or appears low-quality. If you choose not to replace the image for whatever reason, you are responsible for the product.
Spelling, grammar, or content mistakes: If you approve the file with an incorrect phone number, email address, or copy error or omission—even if we typeset the document, you are responsible for the product.

Whenever possible, get multiple eyes on a proof and review it in the morning when you're fresh. Don't be like the person who approved his business card without his name.

Try us! We'd love to hear about your unique project.

Oftentimes, a client's budget dictates the viability of a project. Caviar dreams on a beer budget, right? 😉

Thanks to our extensive experience sometimes we can advise you on ballpark costs based on our initial conversation. Say you want a custom sales tool that's two circular pieces joined together by a grommet in the middle. I know that 30 pieces will easily run $20+ each and that's if you cut them by hand.

Ooh, a planner! We love consulting on these projects at our hourly rate.

If you have an in-house designer or want to find the best way to approach an upcoming project, we will collaborate with you to provide insights and suggestions to maximize your budget.

The benefits of considering your print method and costs prior to designing are:

Cost efficiency: Select the most cost-effective production methods, materials, and processes, ensuring the project stays within budget.
Design feasibility: Ensures the design is compatible with the chosen production method, avoiding costly redesigns and adjustments.
Quality control: Allows for better control over the quality of the final product by aligning design specifications with production capabilities.
Time savings: Streamlines the production process by preventing delays caused by design modifications or incompatibilities.
Material selection: Enables informed decisions about materials, finishes, and special effects, enhancing the overall impact of the final product.

Aside from the clear advantages, sometimes having a limited budget sparks creative solutions.

Remember the original interior design show from TLC, Trading Spaces? Participants would choose a room in their house for their neighbor and an interior designer to makeover with a budget of just $1,000.

Some of these transformations were truly impressive! However, for the unlucky ones who ended up with painted carpet or worse, it taught us a valuable lesson — sometimes you either need to limit the scope, increase your budget, or hire a new designer.

About me

I'm Janel Simms. Wife and dog mom. A bookworm, MINI enthusiast, and type geek.

I'm a designer. Logos, print, web, interiors, painting — I love it all. I'm also the owner of Wagging Labs, where I get to work with amazing clients and bring their brands to life.

I've always known I'd be in the art world. I discovered my alma mater, SCAD, way back in 1994 — years before my acceptance as a freshman. My first job out of school was heading up the design department for a digital printer on Cape Cod. Ok, it was just me, but I still did everything from contracts and design to production work, including outsourcing products that we didn’t produce in-house.

Despite the shift towards digital marketing, the demand for print marketing and cross-promotion remains strong in many industries. However, businesses often struggle with managing the complexities of specialized online printing services, leading to poor outcomes and squandered resources. I faced the same struggles early in my career that you face now, but thanks to years in the business, I'm able to offer you an easier way.