Guide to Web-to-Print Solutions for Trade Printers

Quick Summary: The printing industry is growing exponentially. Thats why the demand for trade printing and reselling of print products is skyrocketing. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide you with an in-depth understanding about trade printing solutions for a successful trade printing business. Keep reading!

In the rapidly evolving printing industry, trade printers face unique challenges like global competition, shorter run lengths, cost management, data privacy and others, that require a smarter way of tackling it. The global printers market size is valued at USD 55.63 billion in 2025 and is anticipated to reach USD 78.64 billion by the year 2033.

As trade printers seek efficient, scalable, and cost-effective print innovations to overcome these challenges, innovative web-to-print technology can prove to be a game-changer.

If you are a trade printer looking to streamline your print operations and centralize order management for a smooth workflow, this guide provides a comprehensive overview of how new-age trade print solutions can transform your printing business in no time.

In this article, we will delve into all the necessary information you must know including key benefits, essential features, and practical steps for implementing W2P solutions to achieve heightened success in the trade printing industry. Let’s begin.

What is Trade Printing?

Trade printing is a B2B model where print businesses provide wholesale printing services to resellers such as graphic designers, marketing agencies, and print brokers. These resellers then sell the print products to their customers at retail prices. This creates a win-win situation for everyone involved in the printing process, including the trade printers, resellers and customers, ensuring profitability and satisfaction.

In this model, wholesale trade printers don’t have to be directly in contact with the end-customers. Instead, the reseller manages the order intake from the customers and pushes it to the trade printer for production. This arrangement allows print resellers to focus on customer-facing aspects of the business without investing in expensive printing equipment or maintaining inventory.

Key Difference between Trade Printing and Retail Printing

Trade printing businesses target resellers who require bulk orders with wholesale pricing, focusing on B2B relationships and large-scale production. Retail printing caters directly to end consumers, offering smaller, customized orders at retail prices with a B2C focus.

Watch this quick video of how trade printers can grow their reseller network effectively.

Key Challenges Faced by Trade Printing Service Providers

Trade printing service providers face numerous challenges that hinder the productivity and competitiveness in the print market. Let’s discuss them one by one.

1. Economic Pressure and Poor Cost Management

With the rising cost of materials such as ink and paper, it becomes difficult to manage profit margins and force trade printers to reduce their prices.

2. Disruptions in the Supply Chain Management

Shortages of raw materials can cause delays in production and shipments, affecting delivery times and reliability on the trade printer.

3. Requirement of Faster Turnaround Times

The increasing demand for personalized products and short-run print jobs makes it challenging to meet the customer expectations in less time.

4. Concerns of Customer Data Security

Trade printers need to ensure that the sensitive information and intellectual property of customers, such as designs, are safeguarded from unauthorized usage.

5. Quality Control with Reduced Errors

Printers need to maintain high standards of print quality and consistency across all print jobs with minimized costs, errors and wastage of precious raw materials.

6. Shipping and Logistic Complexities

Due to the rising shipping costs, the inability to track orders and delays in delivery, trade printers find it challenging to handle bulk shipments for multiple resellers at different locations.

7. Market Competition at a Global Level

With global competitors adapting to new technology and having reduced production costs, it becomes challenging for trade printers to compete with them and stand out from the crowd.

How Web-to-Print Solutions are Helping Trade Printers Grow their Business?

Just like the saying goes ‘modern problems require modern solutions’, web-to-print solutions solve the unique challenges of the new-age trade printers with its next-generation advancements in today’s world. Let’s look at how it makes this possible.

1. Streamlining Order Management for Trade Printers and Resellers

Web to print solutions for trade printers streamline order management by automating the entire ordering process, from initial order intake to production, reducing manual intervention, minimizing errors, and speeding up turnaround times. Moreover, W2P driven print order management capabilities help trade printers to efficiently handle multiple orders from two or more resellers, improving the entire order workflow and productivity.

2. Competitive Advantage for Both the Parties

It offers trade printers with a competitive advantage by offering advanced customization options and the ability to quickly adapt to market demands. With this solution, trade printers can attract a wider range of clients and stand out in a crowded market by enabling resellers to create new-age b2c storefronts and offer personalized products.

3. Enhancing Customer Experience with High-Tech Features

This trade printer solution enhances the customer experience by providing an intuitive, user-friendly platform for placing and managing orders. Customers can create designs with ease using pre-defined templates, proof their products by seamlessly collaborating with designers, and get real-time order updates, ensuring satisfaction with the final output.

4. Increase Efficiency and Reducing Overall Costs of Printing

Modern print workflow automation capabilities significantly increases operational efficiency and reduces costs, allowing trade printers to offer competitive pricing while maintaining high-quality printing standards. Automated workflows eliminate repetitive tasks, reduce labor costs, and decrease the likelihood of manual errors, ultimately boosting profitability.

5. Highly Scalable and Adaptability with Changing Market Demands

W2P solutions offer high scalability, allowing trade printers to adapt with market changes and grow their printing business without the need for any additional investment. As the demand for products increases, the system can handle higher order volumes, integrate new resellers, and expand product offerings seamlessly.

Key Features to Look for in a Web to Print Solution for Trade Printers

Below given are the key features to seek in a web to print solution for trade printers. Let’s discuss them one-by-one.

1. Configuring an Online Store with Storefronts for Resellers

A trade printer-centric web to print solution allows trade printers to set up unique and customizable progressive b2b storefronts for each reseller, ensuring they can offer tailored product catalogs, pricing, and promotions to the end customers. With a centralized order management system, trade printers can efficiently process and fulfil orders from multiple resellers, enabling resellers to offer a personalized shopping experience to their end customers.

2. Shipping and Delivery of Products to End Customers

An ideal web to print software solution for trade printer offers flexible shipping options, including direct shipping to resellers and blind shipping to end users on behalf of resellers, ensuring timely delivery. Consider capabilities like support for multiple shipping speeds and production timelines to meet diverse client needs, as well as comprehensive job tracking and role-based access for staying updated with order and delivery statuses.

3. Flexible Pricing Options for Resellers

It supports flexible pricing structures based on order quantities and job volumes, mass product pricing, quote request workflow, providing competitive rates to resellers. The print reseller solution should enable trade printers to configure various pricing models, including reseller-specific commissions and product-specific pricing, allowing resellers to adjust their prices for end customers and enhancing their market adaptability.

4. Support for Third Party Integrations for Better Control

A robust web-to-print solution offers pre-integration with third-party applications such as CRM, accounting applications, ERP systems, API like 4over and sinalite, by enhancing efficiency and providing better control over the entire online trade printing process. This integration helps trade printers expand their product line and streamline their operations by managing all aspects of their business from a single interface, reducing the need for multiple systems.

5. Timely Updates and Notifications of Orders

An effective web to print solution for trade print providers includes a comprehensive notification system to keep everyone informed throughout the order lifecycle. This system should send automatic alerts for order confirmations, shipping updates, and production status changes to both resellers and end customers, preventing miscommunication and ensuring a smooth workflow from order placement to delivery.

Top Benefits of Implementing a Web to Print Solution for Trade Printers

In today’s printing world, web-to-print solutions can be a transformative force for print businesses to earn more profits and increase productivity. Let’s uncover the multifaceted benefits of implementing advanced W2P solutions for trade printers.

1. Convenience of Online Ordering for Customers

Implementing a web to print solution for trade print providers allows them to offer their resellers and end customers the convenience of placing orders online at any time. This accessibility simplifies the print ordering process, enabling resellers to efficiently manage their print orders, leading to faster turnaround times and improved customer satisfaction.

2. Diverse Range of Customizable Print Products

A web to print designing capabilities enables trade printers to offer their end customer a wide variety of customizable products with design personalization capabilities using pre-loaded templates and layouts. This versatility helps trade printers attract a broader customer base, allowing resellers to cater to the unique demands of customers.

3. Real-Time Design Proofing and Approval Process

With real-time design proofing and approval capabilities, a W2P solution allows customers to review and approve their designs instantly before finalizing the order. The quick feedback loop speeds up the production process and minimizes the likelihood of costly reprints, reducing errors and ensuring that the final product meets the customer’s expectations.

4. Easy Reordering of Previous Print Jobs for End Customers

A web to print system streamlines the order management process by enabling the reordering of previous print jobs for end customers, saving time for both resellers and trade printers. It provides customers with the convenience to quickly access their order history and reorder with just a few clicks, ensuring consistency in repeat orders and customer loyalty.

5. Cost Savings and Minimized Manual Errors

Due to the automation of various aspects involved in the print ordering and production processes, implementing a web-to-print solution can lead to significant cost savings. It eliminates manual intervention, minimizes errors, and reduces operational costs, enabling trade printers to offer competitive pricing to their resellers.

6. Streamlines Print Workflow from Order Intake to Production

Web to print solutions can transform print business operations for trade printers by streamlining the entire print workflow from order intake to production, ensuring a smooth and efficient process. It integrates critical tasks like order management, design proofing, payment processing, and production scheduling into a centralized platform, reducing bottlenecks and enhances the overall efficiency of the printing processes.

7. 24/7 Accessibility of Storefront for Placing Orders

A storefront that is available 24/7 and can be accessed from anywhere - provides flexibility for end customers to place orders at their convenience. This capability helps businesses in meeting the needs of a global customer base and increases order volumes, ensuring the trade printers can intake orders at any time, boosting overall business growth.

Implementing Web-to-Print Solution for Trade Printers

Here comes the most important part of the article – the ‘detailed implementation strategy’ that involves the step-by-step approach for trade printers to choose and get started with the best web-to-print solution partner. Let’s dive in.

1. Planning and Preparation

The first step in implementing a web-to-print solution is thorough planning and preparation. Trade printers need to assess their current workflow, identify specific needs, and set clear objectives for the new system. This phase involves selecting the right web to print solutions partner, defining the project scope, and allocating resources to ensure a smooth transition.

2. Software Installation and Setup

Once the planning phase is complete, the next step is the installation and setup of the chosen web-to-print software. This includes configuring the system to align with the printer's specific requirements, integrating it with existing systems (like CRM, ERP, and accounting software), and setting up customizable storefronts for resellers. Proper setup ensures that the software functions seamlessly within the existing infrastructure.

3. Training and Assistance

After the software is installed, comprehensive training and assistance are crucial for successful implementation. Staff and resellers need to be trained on how to use the new system effectively, including order management, design proofing, and customer communication. Providing ongoing support and assistance helps address any issues that arise and ensures that all users are comfortable with the new system.

4. Ongoing Management and Optimization

Post-implementation, the focus shifts to ongoing management and optimization of the web-to-print solution. This involves regular monitoring of system performance, updating software as needed, and continuously refining workflows to enhance efficiency. Trade printers should also gather feedback from users to make necessary adjustments and improvements, ensuring the system evolves to meet changing business needs.

The BottomlineIncorporating a robust web-to-print solution can be a transformative approach for new-age trade printers seeking to streamline their print operations, boost customer experience, and remain competitive in the evolving printing industry. By automating print workflows, enhancing scalability, and providing a user-friendly platform for trade print providers, resellers and end customers, this high-tech solution addresses the unique challenges faced by modern printers.By choosing a web-to-print enabled trade printing solution like the ones offered by OnPrintShop, that follows a structured implementation strategy and focuses on continuous optimization, trade printers can harness the full potential of the solution to achieve long-term success.Schedule a demo with OnPrintShop today to experience how to maximize the efficiency of your trade printing business with advanced web to print solutions.