If you run a sign or print business, one decision shapes your margins more than almost any other: do you print in-house, or outsource to a trade printer? Both models work, and most successful shops end up using both. This guide compares the real costs and trade-offs, so you can decide which work belongs on your own machines and which belongs with a trade partner.
Want to compare against real trade prices? Mediapoint shows live trade pricing and production dates for every product in our portal. Open a trade account to price your own jobs.
In-house printing vs trade printing at a glance
| In-house printing | Trade printing | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Equipment purchase or finance, installation, floor space | None |
| Cost per square metre | Higher on entry and mid-range machines (ink, stock, labour) | Lower: high-volume equipment and bulk stock buying |
| Fixed overheads | Lease, maintenance contracts, operator wages, whether busy or quiet | Pay per job |
| Capacity | Capped by one machine and one shift | Scales with your orders |
| Product range | Limited to what your machines can do | Corflute®, banners, mesh, pull-ups, labels, stickers, rigid boards and more |
| Flexibility | High: same-day, bespoke and odd stocks | Standard products and options, fixed cut-off times |
| Turnaround | Same day is possible when the machine is free | Next day on many products, with real production dates shown at order |
| Risk | Breakdowns, idle months, staff turnover | Sits with the printer |
The case for printing in-house
In-house printing usually runs on entry-level or mid-range equipment with a smaller footprint. Its big advantage is flexibility: you can change stock between loads, turn small jobs around quickly and produce same-day work. For a business built on bespoke, urgent or highly varied jobs, that's valuable.
The hidden costs of in-house production
Cost per square metre. On smaller machines, ink, stock and labour cost significantly more per square metre than on high-volume equipment. Your prices have to cover that, which makes volume work hard to win.
The capacity ceiling. One machine runs one job at a time. Once it's booked, your options are to turn work away or pay overtime.
Fixed costs in quiet months. The lease, maintenance contract and operator are paid whether the machine is busy or not.
Breakdowns. If your only printer is down for two weeks, so is that part of your business.
For the full picture of what drives these costs, see the costs of wide-format printing explained.
What a trade printer brings
A trade printer has already invested in the factory, high-volume equipment, trained operators, stock and processes. At Mediapoint, high-volume Durst equipment and batched production across shifts keep our cost per square metre far below what most in-house machines achieve, and we buy stock in bulk. Those savings come through as trade pricing that leaves you room for margin.
You keep the client and the brand. A genuine trade printer deals only with you, and ships blind with no printer branding.
When a trade printer isn't the right fit
Trade printing is built on standard products with preset options: set stocks, finishes and packing. If you regularly need something truly bespoke or same-day, a trade printer won't suit that work. The model relies on batching and automation, so rush and same-day orders usually aren't possible, although next-day production on many products is.
A trade printer also keeps the front end lean: online ordering, print-ready files and fixed cut-off times. If you need hands-on help on every order, you'll pay for it elsewhere. The trade printer guide covers how to choose one.
The model most shops land on: both
Most profitable shops split the work:
- Keep in-house: same-day jobs, bespoke and one-off work, anything where your skill or speed is the product.
- Send to a trade printer: volume and repeat products such as Corflute® signs, PVC banners, mesh, pull-ups and labels, plus anything your machines can't do and overflow in busy periods.
That frees your own equipment for the work that earns the most, lets you add products without buying machines, and lets you drop in-house products that aren't profitable.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to print in-house or use a trade printer?
For volume and repeat work, a trade printer is almost always cheaper per unit. For low-volume, bespoke or same-day work, in-house can make more sense.
When should I keep printing in-house?
When the work is low volume, highly varied, bespoke or needs same-day turnaround.
Can I use both?
Yes, and most shops do: in-house for fast and bespoke work, a trade printer for volume, overflow and products you can't make.
Will a trade printer contact my customers?
A genuine trade-only printer never does. It deals only with you and ships blind.
What does a new printer really cost?
More than the purchase price: add installation, floor space, maintenance, consumables and operator time. See the costs of wide-format printing.
Key takeaways
- In-house wins on flexibility and same-day work; trade printing wins on cost per square metre, capacity and range.
- In-house carries fixed costs and breakdown risk whether you're busy or not.
- Most shops use both: bespoke in-house, volume and repeat work with a trade printer.
- A genuine trade printer never contacts your client and ships blind.
See trade pricing
Mediapoint has supplied resellers exclusively for around 20 years. Register for a trade account to see live trade pricing and real production dates, and we'll send you a sample pack.
