Depending on where you have your catalogs printed, the quality, speed and cost of it will vary. If you want a tighter control over these things, you have to decide for yourself.

In my experience, I have tried three common techniques. Printing at the office, going to a local printer, and online catalog printing. Below are my reviews for each to help you choose the right one for you.

• Printing at home or at the office - Doing your printing at the office will be the one with the most work for you. You will have to design everything on your own, buy the necessary materials and then fold and bind the output yourself. Therefore, if you are lazy or you do not know a thing or two about computers and printing, you will not like this method.

The best thing about this method though is that it is cheap. If you only need 20-50 pieces, then this is the cheapest option for catalog printing. Formal orders need a minimum of 100-250, and you will have limited control over the expense of the quotation. With home printing, you basically dictate what paper and binding tools to use. Everything will be in your control. So if you like to decide all the things on your own, try to choose this method.

• Printing with a local printer - If you require that professional touch, then going to a local printer should do nicely. I like that most printers have all you need in terms of options. You just specify to them what you need, from paper stocks, bindings, colors, chemical coatings etc. Afterward, you just leave them be and wait for the orders to finish. Once you get them, you will be impressed with the quality of the output by local printers. This is because they usually use the best offset printers in the business.

The only bad thing about local printers is that you have to be precisely in their office to place the order, specify things etc. Moreover, some firms might even have you pick up your prints in their office once it is done. It is a time consuming process that might hamper your busy schedule. So choose this option if print quality is your primary issue.

• Online catalog printing - This process is a cross between home printing and printing with a local printer. Having your advertising tool printed online is a cinch to do. You just need to send your design, place your order, enter the important details, pay for it then have the color catalogs delivered once done. It will have the same quality as traditional printers, but you created it at home in a comfortable environment. Therefore, if you are busy and still want to have a quality output, this is definitely the recommended choice.

Great! I hope these reviews can come a long way into helping you decide on how to print your catalogs. Good Luck!

Katie Marcus writes about the catalog printing technologies used by businesses for their marketing and advertising campaigns.