Planning for Fall Printing: Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Start
Summer has a way of flying by.
Every year, organizations tell themselves there’s plenty of time before their fall print and mailing projects need to be ready. Then September arrives.
Suddenly, fundraising appeals need to be mailed, schools are ordering printed materials, trade show displays need to be produced, and holiday marketing campaigns are already filling up the calendar.
The good news? A few simple steps now can make your busiest season much easier to manage.
Here’s how to get ahead so your fall print and mailing projects stay on track.
Why Start Now?
It’s easy to think of your print campaigns as the final step in a project, but long before your trade show banners arrive or your direct mail campaign lands in mailboxes, dozens of small decisions have already been made. Those decisions often determine whether a project runs smoothly or becomes a last-minute scramble.
Planning ahead gives you time to make more strategic decisions:
- Refine your messaging instead of rushing to meet a deadline.
- Gather photos, graphics, and supporting content without searching through old folders at the last minute.
- Coordinate approvals from multiple departments or stakeholders.
- Review proofs carefully and make changes before production begins.
- Choose the right printing method, paper, finishing, and mailing options.
- Schedule delivery dates that work with your event or campaign.
Planning ahead also gives you flexibility. If attendance at this year’s event is higher than expected, your donor mailing list has grown, or your school’s enrollment numbers have changed, adjustments to your campaign are easier and far less stressful to make.
The alternative is something many organizations know all too well:
- Rushed approvals
- Outdated mailing lists
- Incorrect quantities
Delayed shipments
| Planning Ahead | Waiting Until the Last Minute |
|---|---|
| Time to review and improve messaging | Rushed copy and approvals |
| Flexible production schedules | Limited scheduling options |
| Accurate mailing lists | Outdated or duplicate addresses |
| Better coordination between departments | Last-minute scrambling |
| Time to review proofs carefully | Greater chance of costly errors |
| Less stress for everyone involved | Tight deadlines and unnecessary pressure |
Pro Tip: Work backward from the date your materials need to be in someone’s hands, not the date you want to print them. Be sure to leave time for design revisions, internal approvals, proofing, production, mailing, shipping, and unexpected changes. Building a little extra flexibility into your schedule now can help you avoid unnecessary pressure later.
Collect & Organize
One of the most common reasons projects get delayed has nothing to do with printing. It’s missing information.
If your logo is outdated, your mailing list hasn’t been updated, or someone is still waiting for final approval, your project may get delayed.
One of the simplest ways to keep your project moving is to organize everything before design and production begin. Rather than searching through email chains or shared drives, create one central project folder that contains everything your team and your printer will need.
Before design begins, make sure everyone involved is working from the same information. Your folder might include:
- Current logos and brand guidelines
- Approved photography and graphics
- Final copy and messaging
- Mailing lists or recipient data
- Product information
- Event details
- Statistics or financial information
- Previous versions for reference
- A list of who is responsible for approvals
Having everything in one place helps reduce confusion, minimizes version control issues, and makes collaboration much easier. It also allows designers, marketers, and printers to spend more time improving the project instead of tracking down missing pieces.
The better organized you are before production begins, the smoother the rest of your project becomes.
Industry Planning Tips
For Nonprofits:
Before writing your fundraising appeal, gather impact stories, recent photos, testimonials, and updated statistics. Having those materials ready makes it easier to create a compelling message that connects with donors.
Want to learn more about how to bring your non-profit annual report to the next level? Read 5 Ways to Turn Your Nonprofit Annual Report Into a Storytelling Tool today.
For Schools & Universities:
Confirm enrollment numbers, orientation schedules, and program changes before ordering welcome packets, handbooks, or student materials. Minor changes can affect quantities and production timelines.
For Municipalities:
Public communications often require multiple rounds of review. Build additional time into your schedule for approvals from departments, committees, or elected officials before materials are finalized.
For Businesses:
If you’re preparing for a fall trade show, product launch, or seasonal marketing campaign, think about every printed piece you’ll need, not just the booth display.
Brochures, business cards, promotional products, signage, and sales materials often have different production schedules but need to arrive together.
Preparing Files
By the time your project reaches the production stage, most of the big decisions should already be made. Your messaging is finalized, your content is approved, and everyone agrees on what needs to be produced.
Now it’s time to make sure your files are ready for production.
Preparing files means more than simply exporting a PDF and sending it to your printer. This is one of the most important quality control steps in the entire process.
Before sending your files to print, take a few minutes to verify these commonly overlooked details:
- Phone numbers
- Website URLs
- Email addresses
- QR codes
- Event dates and times
- Physical addresses
- Product pricing (if applicable)
- Names and titles
- Quantities
- High-resolution images
- The correct version of every file
If your project includes personalized pieces or direct mail, verify that your mailing list has been updated and that recipient information has been reviewed before production begins.
Avoid These 5 Common Fall Campaign Printing Mistakes
Every fall, we see organizations facing many of the same challenges. Fortunately, most of them can be avoided with a little planning.
1. Waiting Too Long to Contact Your Printer
Many people assume they should wait until every detail is finalized before involving their printer, but the reality is that bringing your printing partner into the conversation early often leads to:
- More options and recommendations
- Efficient production schedules
- Fewer surprises later on
A short planning conversation can answer questions about paper options, mailing requirements, finishing methods, quantities, and timelines before design is complete.
2. Reordering Last Year’s Quantities Without Reviewing Your Needs
It can be tempting to simply reorder what you printed last year, but before you do, ask yourself:
- Has your audience changed?
- Will attendance increase?
- Does your mailing list need updating?
- Do you still have inventory remaining?
Taking a few minutes to review your actual needs can help reduce waste while ensuring you have enough of the right print marketing materials when you need them.
3. Waiting Until the Last Minute for Approvals
Internal approvals often take longer than expected.
Marketing may approve the design quickly, while another department is still reviewing content. Leadership may have changes after everyone else has already signed off.
Building approval time into your schedule helps prevent unnecessary delays once production is ready to begin.
4. Forgetting to Review Mailing Lists
Even the best-designed direct mail campaign depends on accurate delivery information.
Removing duplicate records, updating addresses, and verifying contact information before production begins can improve deliverability while helping control postage costs.
Pro Tip: A successful direct mail campaign starts with a clean mailing list. If your list needs updating or you’re not sure where to start R.C. Brayshaw can help source qualified mailing lists, process NCOA updates, verify addresses, remove duplicate records, and prepare your data for mailing. Save time, reduce errors, and keep your projects moving smoothly.
5. Underestimating Shipping and Delivery Time
Printing is only one part of the process. Print marketing materials will still need to be finished, packaged, shipped, or mailed before they reach their destination.
Whether you’re preparing for a fundraising campaign, welcoming students, or exhibiting at a trade show, planning enough time for delivery is just as important as planning enough time for production.
Planning a Fall Campaign?
Whether you’re part of a nonprofit organization, school, municipality, manufacturer, or local business, fall brings a wide variety of communication and marketing opportunities.
Your organization may already be planning:
- Fall fundraising appeals
- Holiday direct mail campaigns
- Annual reports
- School handbooks
- Student welcome packets
- Alumni communications
- Trade show displays
- Event signage
- Product catalogs
- Municipal newsletters
- Employee communications
- Promotional products
- Sales and marketing collateral
Ready to start your next project?
For more than 40 years, organizations throughout New Hampshire and New England have trusted R.C. Brayshaw with their print and mailing projects.
Contact us today to get started.
