Designing your own publications

Choosing a platform
Fonts
Selecting software
Images
Ink
Paper
Rules for ordering printing
Writing specifications for print bids
Preparing files for a commercial printer
Additional resources

University rules for ordering printing

To get started, you need an estimate

The rules you must follow depend on the amount you'll pay for printing. If you are starting a job from scratch (as opposed to reprinting a brochure), you can contact the Facilities & Services Printing Department (F&S Printing) to get a ballpark estimate of what it will cost to print your publication.

If the estimate is less than $500

You can send the job directly to F&S Printing or request an estimate from an off-campus printer and send the job there.

Remember that any printer hired by a university department must sign two contracts on every job: the "prevailing wage statement" and the "soybean oil-based ink statement." Signed copies of both must be attached to the signed requisition or P-Card record.

If the estimate is between $500 and $ 30,500

You can bid the job to three off-campus printers and F&S Printing, or you can send it directly to F&S Printing without bidding.

If you choose to bid the job, it must be awarded to the lowest quote that meets all specifications.

The F&S Printing print bidding department (333-9163) can facilitate the bid requests for you. Unless you send out bid requests on a daily basis, they can save you a lot of time and questions from printers, by going over your bid carefully and contacting all the printers for you.

Again, if the winning vendor is not F&S Printing, they will need to sign the prevailing wage and soybean oil ink statements. Many commercial printers in the state of Illinois already have a copy on file with the Purchasing Department. Ask your printer if they've already taken care of this paperwork. If not, these forms and a copy of all bids would go to Purchasing, along with your requisition-for-purchase order. 

At any time during this process, feel free to call the Facilities & Services Printing Department at 333-9350 for assistance.

If the estimate is more than $30,500

You must go through the Purchasing Department's sealed bid process. This is a somewhat lengthy process in which the Purchasing Department advertises the project on the Illinois Public Higher Education Procurement Bulletin web site for a minimum of fifteen days, so be sure to leave yourself plenty of lead time. It is important to note that departments can skip the sealed bid process if they choose F&S Printing to provide their printing and/or mailing services.

For more information

See Business and Financial Services' printing and typesetting page.  

 

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