There are plenty of good print companies to use when you need a large order of business cards/postcards and things, but it’s really tough to find a great deal when you only need a small print job done. As illustrators starting out, our mailing lists rarely reach the thousands, and all those extra postcards just seem like a waste. Even if your list is bigger, maybe you’d like postcards in a few different designs to target them to specific companies.
I’ve been using Overnightprints.com for ages now as my go-to site for small orders of just about everything. Besides being really nice quality, they always have a TON of coupons to use. If anyone is thinking about using them, I thought I’d give a quick review and some of my favorite codes.
Quality
The cardstock with matte coating ONP uses is the nicest I have seen from anywhere I have ordered. The standard cardstock is thicker than I’ve used elsewhere without paying any extra for it, and the matte coating is really silky and great to touch. You have to be careful with the colors and the darkness– they do not color match or use Pantone colors so you have to work on the files yourself to make sure they will look nice in CMYK. This is true for any of the budget printers. I recommend making your files a bit lighter than you want them, as they can come out dark in print. They offer both value (digital) and premium (offset) cards. For the value cards, I noticed that small text gets a little grainy, but it’s been just fine for small orders. Larger orders automatically use the Premium printing.
Below is a scan of a card I ordered during a 500 free business card deal for a craft fair:
UPDATE: I recently received an order that was completely inaccurate, color-wise. I was quickly offered a reprint/refund of my order, but this is still something to consider if you are on a tight deadline. When using a budget printer, orders are gang printed with other products on the same sheet which can cause shifts in color and inaccuracies. This is just how it is when choosing any of the ultra low-cost printing solutions– and it’s something to always keep in mind when thinking about your project’s requirements!
Options
Overnight Prints offers the standard options: gloss, matte, rounded corners, etc., and they are affordable even in small quantities. You can add on rounded corners for $2.00 per 100 cards. I am bummed they don’t offer custom sizes, or at least more size options, but since they focus on being affordable this is pretty standard. For shipping, you can choose from a wide variety of print/ship times. I’ve found that the budget shipping has so far always arrived before the estimate.
My favorite thing about Overnight Prints is that you can order as few as 25 business cards or postcards! I’ve used this to mix and match a variety of works of art on my business cards, and to order postcards as note cards and packaging in a ton of designs. The pricing is great. Without ANY coupons, you can get:
- 25 Single-sided business cards: $1.95
- 25 Single-sides postcards: $5.95
…but the best part is that there are ALWAYS coupons. Read on…
Coupons!
This is why I always go to Overnight Prints for my small orders. There are always AWESOME coupons. Once you get into the higher quantities, OP becomes less of a deal, but nobody can beat them for orders of 100 or less! Here are a few of my current favorites, and nice ways to use them.
- BC100 – This coupon is ALWAYS available. It gives $10 off ANYTHING (not including shipping). For example, you can order 50 postcards or 4 sets of 25 single-sided business cards with different art on each one, for exactly $0 plus shipping. (Shipping is around $5.) Neat!
- POSTCARDSALE – I’ve never seen this one expire, either. If you just need postcards, perhaps for your next illustration mailer, this one is great. Discounts ALL postcards varying amounts. 100 double-sided postcards for $12, or 25 for $5. Send a variety of designs, or use them as note cards, packaging, whatever you want! Bookmarks count as postcards, too, which are great as freebies.
- AZBCDEALCS – This one gives you 250 free single-sided business cards. I just saw this one pop up, so I’m not yet sure if it will be an ongoing deal! (Works as of July 1, 2010)
There are plenty more coupon codes if you search for them on Google, but I use these three all the time. When you have a small order, you can usually get it cheap or free!
If you decide to try them out, feel free to use my link (I’ll get credit) when you order: Check out Overnight Prints here! If you hate using referral links, just type in Overnightprints.com ;) (I only suggest companies I really use and love.)
Now go get started!
Nice review! I’ve been using vistaprint myself, a while back i used overnightprints. They both seem very high quality and affordable too.
Thank you so much for the review, Jade! I love your reviews because you really cover just about everything anyone would want to know. :)
Do you use ONP to print your notecards? Like the value print cards? I’m planning on getting up an etsy shop…sometime…soon and as such have been looking at different places for printing cards. I usually use Got Print for mailers since you can get 100 for a decent price (last time they actually sent me a little more than I ordered, which was nice), but 100 is too much for one kind of notecard. I’d like to get the 25 card quantities because then I can mix and match card sets. I’m just interested in knowing about the quality of the value vs. “premium” since digital press and offset press don’t really tell me what I need to know.
@Anna Glad you found the review helpful! Yes I use ONP value cards for my note cards. They always come out fine! My first ones came out a little dark, but this was the fault of my monitor calibration. I’ve always received comments that the cards look and feel really nice– the matte coating ONP uses always gets compliments! I don’t think you’ll have any problem using them for your note cards. If you order black and white back or anything though, keep in mind that it really IS just black ink, so the grays come out all pixelly.
Next time you need to order something from GotPrint, feel free to get in touch– I was accepted into their broker program (you need a business license etc.) and I can order them for you through my account and have them drop shipped to you for much cheaper than their regular rates. I’m supposed to make at least an order a month to remain in the program, so it’s helpful to both of us. :)
Also let me know if you ever wanna chat about Etsy! I’ve done lots of research on places to get packaging and things. I can’t wait to see your shop!!!!
We just wanted to say thank you for the positive review. Not too many customers take the time to express their satisfaction with their order or our services. If you ever need assistance with placing your order or have general questions do not hesitate to contact us. We appreciate your business and hope you choose Overnight Prints in the future for all your printing needs.
Kandace
Overnight Prints
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Hi buddy, great informative blog post! Please continue this great work..
thanks for posting this review. It is very helpful and thorough!
This article is great, and something I would have written just last year, too! After all, I used OvernightPrints for years, because they used to be a great company. This has changed. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. Their customer service is sadly lacking, as is their insistence that EVERY problem is a customer problem. I’ve been designing postcards and business cards for years, and I can say that the worst thing a printer can be is unwilling to accept their mistakes. As a designer, I say again, do not use this company. As a small business owner, I say again, do not use this company. The price isn’t worth it!