The most successful graphics and print providers distinguish themselves by offering the benefits of total finishing solutions to their customers. They can provide these services by either bringing equipment in house or by outsourcing.

Deciding how to provide these services can be difficult, and there are advantages to both options. When equipment is brought in house, it provides better control over quality and consistency, more timely production, the opportunity to capture additional revenue streams and the chance to be as price-competitive as possible in the marketplace.

On the other hand, outsourcing finishing offers benefits as well. It’s a way to add a core competency, provide finishing processes that are less common, utilize more technologically advanced equipment and help with overflow when your shop is at maximum capacity.

Cost, volume and return on investment are some of the more black-and-white factors that essentially boil down to mathematical calculations. Other considerations, however, are much more nuanced and require experienced judgment and a thorough understanding of the business space. In the final analysis, there’s no secret or magic formula that helps you make the proper decision. Much may depend on a company’s predisposition for risk, the degree to which it understands its customer base and how it envisions its future role in the ever-evolving world of print finishing.