Choosing a printing service is a big deal for your brand. The printing service you use can significantly affect the quality of your business cards, logos, and banners, which can make or break your marketing image.
Below we compare two websites, Gold Level Print and Vistaprint, to help you find the best printing service for your business.
Website Overviews
Gold Level Print
Gold Level Print is located in Phoenix. It is a printing service company that offers premium quality materials for small and big businesses alike.
Initially, Gold Level Media, its parent company, only provided printing services to their clientele, exclusively. However, due to the rising demand for printing services in the US, Gold Level Print was born.
Gold Level Print’s services are up-to-date, expertly designed, and professionally executed.
Vistaprint
Vistaprint is a household name in the printing service world. Founded in 1995 by Robert Keane, the Cimpress company offers online business card printing services and numerous customizable marketing products to businesses.
Comparison Criteria
Overall, most printing websites offer the same services. However, they tend to defer in terms of quality, price, flexibility, and customer support.
Here a list of the criteria we used to compare the two printing services:
· Print quality: Color accuracy, image quality, fine lines, and trimming consistency
· Pricing: Package prices, initial prices, and discounts
· Templates and customization: Premade templates and add-on features like finishes and shapes.
· Customer service: Customer support, email service, live chat, and phone calls
· Digital proof: Preview designs
· Web interface: Usability, design process, and site navigation
1. Print Quality
Gold Level Print
Gold Level Print produces first-rate, double-sided, fully inked, and elegantly trimmed business cards. They come with either matte or high gloss UV finish and have a lined, delicate texture. You can either purchase a custom template design or upload your own.
The service also offers an eco-friendly stock of Kraft business cards. Kraft paper is made from 100 percent recycled natural fibers and, thus, provides an organic look and feel. These light brown business cards are unique, homegrown, and professional.
Gold Level Print prints larger marketing materials and single-sided flyer designs on 100lb gloss book stock. The prints are available in vertical and horizontal orientations, each with a high gloss UV coating.
Vistaprint
Vistaprint orders, on the other hand, are sharp, full color, and straightforward designs. They retain relatively accurate trimmings and use a small readable typeface. Although mostly accurate, the colors on Vistaprint cards are sometimes a tad dark.
Some cards in the batch may also have slightly noticeable rough edges. However, Vistaprint cards are an excellent option for companies that prefer unicolor or white cards without borders.
Compared to Vistaprint, Gold Level Print business cards, flyers, and banners have a higher base quality.
2. Pricing
GLP
GLP prints a wide variety of print materials. They print 250 postcards at $65. GLP business cards are printed on 16 pt stock with a high matte or gloss UV finish. Product pricings include:
Premium quality, double-sided, fully inked business cards, at $36
High-quality print cards, at $75 for 1, 000 pieces
Larger 8.5×11 single-sided flyers, at $35
Pop up banners 33”x81” with retractable stands and carrying cases, at $175
Large 8 feet x 10 feet banners, at $247
Custom designs, extra $40
Gold Level Print prices include no tax and free shipping.
Vistaprint
You don’t need to open an account to start designing your card in Vistaprint. The minimum order is 100 cards for $15 for 100, though there are frequent discounts. Other standard orders are:
· Premium cards made with linen and recycled matte, at $24 for a set of 100
· Textured or colored cardstocks, at $32 per pack of 100
· Ultra-thick and folded cards, at $40 for 100
· Addition of backside printing, extra $7
· Rounded corners, an extra $15
Both Vistaprint and GLP charge relatively considerable prices. However, Vistaprint charges an additional $6 to print colors on the back of business cards. This surcharge doesn’t present itself until you are already designing.
In contrast, Gold Level Print offers straightforward pricing. You won’t encounter any add on charges when checking out.
3. Templates and Customization
GLP
Gold Level Print gives you or your company the option to upload your design or purchase a custom one. Additionally, you can buy a logo design package if you need a logo.
The basic logo package costs $250 and includes logo mock-up, 2 logo concepts, and to 5 revisions. The premium logo design package comes with logo mock-up, 3 logo concepts, and up to 8 revisions.
GLP also offers a premium graphic design package that includes the social media kit. With this package, you can upload social media profiles and two Facebook covers.
Vistaprint
Vistaprint provides up to 8,830 premade templates categorized by industry, theme, style, or other features.
You can also pick a template for cards, a logo, or a retractable banner designed for add-ons like metallic finishes.
Vistaprint offers a broader pool of models to choose from than GLP. Nevertheless, GLP has a wide variety of customization features and packages.
Customer Service
Both Gold Level Print and Vistaprint have incredibly reliable customer service. The representatives are efficient, courteous, and responsive. They are available through email, live chat, or direct phone calls during business hours.
GLP customer service evaluates customer’s complaints separately and offers a personalized solution. You can find both company’s contact information on their websites.
Digital Proof
Digital proof is essential, especially when purchasing items online. It allows you to see how your product will look when you receive it. Vistaprint and Gold Level Print offer amazing visual tools to review your card design.
You can view how dd on features like metallic finishes and spot gloss affect the look and feel of your cards on their websites.
Web Interface
Overall, the Gold Level Print interface has a better feel, look, and usability than Vistaprint. Its design process flows intuitively and involves few steps that don’t redirect you to different pages.
You start by choosing a card template and features to include, then filling out order details and finishes.
Final Thoughts
Gold Level Print stands out from most printing companies in more ways than one. It creates high-quality prints and provides marketable banners for your brand at highly affordable prices.
GLP is the best option for anyone looking for a premier printing website to print business cards, logos, or banners for their company.