Most people start with a price. I start with a spec.
This checklist is for anyone ordering printed paper products, packaging, or presentation materials from a large supplier like International Paper. It is the routine I have used for the last six years while managing a roughly $180,000 annual print and packaging budget. It works for business cards, foam board mounting, tote bags, and short-run custom packaging. And it catches the hidden costs before they become invoice math.
The 6-Step Pre-Order Checklist
Step 1: Define the physical product and its end use
Before you think about paper or price, write down exactly what you are buying. For business cards, that means size, quantity, and how they will be used. An esthetician business card handed out after a facial has a different life than a construction manager's card sitting in a toolbox. One calls for a soft-touch laminate and rounded corners. The other calls for a tough coated cover. If you do not define this, every other step is guesswork.
What is foam board mounting? It is mounting a printed image onto a rigid foam board, usually with adhesive and a laminate overlay. The board thickness, typically 1/8 inch or 3/16 inch, changes the price, and so does double-sided mounting. If you don't specify those details, the quote is a guess.
Step 2: Specify the substrate, never just say "paper"
Large suppliers sell dozens of grades. "Recycled paper" or "cardstock" is not a specification. You need basis weight, finish, and sometimes the exact trade name. If you are buying a corrugated box, specify flute profile (E, B, or C), basis weight, and whether it needs a coating.
- Business cards: 80 lb cover (216 gsm) is acceptable. 100 lb cover (270 gsm) feels substantial. Most online printers default to one or the other; make it explicit.
- Posters and signs: 100 lb text (150 gsm) is a standard brochure weight. For photo display, a 10-12 pt cover is more durable.
- Foam board: choose the thickness and whether you need adhesive mounting or mechanical fasteners.
- Tote bags: fabric or film substrate matters as much as basis weight. A Kavu tote bag with its rope handles and waxed canvas is a different product from a polypropylene tote, and the print surface changes the artwork approach.
Quick reference: 20 lb bond = 75 gsm, 80 lb cover = 216 gsm, 100 lb cover = 270 gsm. Those are approximate, but they help compare quotes. If one printer quotes "14 pt card" and another quotes "80 lb cover," they are not necessarily the same thing. Make them show the equivalent.
Step 3: Put color and resolution in writing
Photocopying your logo and saying "make it match" is not a color specification. If you have a brand color, ask for a Pantone reference. The Pantone Matching System is the industry standard. For brand-critical colors, the accepted tolerance is Delta E below 2. Delta E of 2 to 4 is noticeable to trained observers; above 4 is visible to most people. If you don't ask for this, the printer will use a CMYK conversion, and "reasonable" may not be your color.
Images for print should be 300 DPI at final size. The maximum print size is pixel dimensions divided by DPI. A 3000 by 2000 pixel image at 300 DPI is 10 by 6.67 inches. At 150 DPI, it can be 20 by 13.33 inches, but the detail looks softer. For a large poster viewed from distance, 150 DPI is acceptable. For a business card or brochure, don't go below 300 DPI.
Step 4: Get an all-in quote and calculate total cost
Per-unit price is the most misleading number in print. In Q2 2024, I compared three vendors for a 5,000-card order. Vendor A quoted $180. Vendor B quoted $145. I almost went with B until I checked the fine print: $60 setup, $25 proof, $40 shipping. Vendor B's total was $270. Vendor A's $180 included everything. That's a 50% difference hidden in line items.
Ask for every line item before you approve: setup, proofs, revisions, laminate, die cutting, shipping, and tax. Then calculate total cost of ownership, not just unit price. Compare like-for-like. I once saw a $500 spread on a foam board sign run because one vendor assumed lamination and another didn't. One missing word caused the gap.
Step 5: Ask about delivery guarantees, not just speed
This is the step most buyers skip. Ask for a guaranteed delivery date in writing. In March 2024, I paid $400 extra for rush foam board mounting. The alternative was missing a $15,000 event. That $400 bought certainty, not just speed. If the vendor is late, the guarantee should cover the cost of the redo, not just a refund for shipping.
Fast is not the same as reliable. A lesson I learned the hard way. A vendor who says "three to five days" and a vendor who says "guaranteed by Tuesday at 10 a.m." are not the same product. After getting burned twice by "probably on time" promises, I now budget for guaranteed delivery when the date matters. The guaranteed option is more expensive because it includes a risk transfer. In an emergency, uncertain cheap is more expensive than certain expensive.
Step 6: Require a proof and do a physical mockup
Always request a PDF proof before full production. PDF proofs catch typos and layout errors, but they don't show color. If color is critical, ask for a printed proof or a Pantone drawdown. For foam board mounting, ask for one mounted sample before approving a run of fifty boards. It costs a little and prevents a run of crooked work.
If the order includes printed tote bags, get a physical sample of the fabric and print. A Kavu tote bag with waxed canvas will not show the ink the same way a smooth paper proof will.
Common Mistakes That Inflate the Price
Most buyers focus on per-unit price and completely miss setup fees, revision costs, and shipping that can add 30-50% to the total. The question everyone asks is "what's your best price?" The question they should ask is "what's included in that price?"
People think expensive vendors deliver better quality. Actually, vendors who deliver quality can charge more. The causation runs the other way.
One more thing about portals. If you are looking for the International Paper login to check an order, use the customer portal. If your search was "my IP login paystub International Paper," that is the employee self-service system, not the purchasing system. The two are separate. Logging into the wrong one wastes the same 20 minutes that a missing spec wastes.
Prices and standard references cited here are as of January 2025. Verify current rates before you place an order.
