When people hear the word ‘reprographics’, they usually think about a law firm’s photocopier working overtime, or an architect's office printing out floor plans. However, in reality, a professional reprographics service covers a much wider range of work. In this guide, we will look at the full range of what reprographics services can handle, and why that matters if you’re choosing a provider.
When Reprographics is Done Properly
Reprographics is the process of reproducing documents on a large scale using advanced digital systems to manage, print, and prepare files for a range of industries, such as legal, corporate, architectural, and professional firms.
What makes it different from simply ‘printing a lot of pages’ is everything that happens around the printing itself:
• Checking if files are usable
• Organising them logically
• Formatting them consistently
• Finishing them to a professional standard
Reprographics can include a range of document types and industries, which is why organisations rely on this service.
The Range of Documents Reprographics Can Handle
Small-Format Documents
This usually includes A4 and A5 standard office documents such as contracts, reports, manuals, and correspondence. Even here, volume and consistency matter. If hundreds or thousands of pages are needed, they are needed accurately and in the right order, with the right formatting, which can be a different challenge when simply copying in the office.
Large-Format Drawings and Plans
At the other end of the scale, there are the large-format documents. These usually include technical drawings, architectural plans, blueprints, and engineering schematics that are usually created in CAD (computer-aided design) software. These can range right up to an A0 size and require specialist printing equipment from a professional reprographics company. This ensures large sheets are handled without losing any detail and precision.
Court Bundles and Legal Documents
Legal work brings its own set of needs. They often need to be paginated, indexed, Bates-numbered and assembled with complete accuracy. Missing or misordered pages in a court bundle can have massive consequences – and you don’t want to be caught off guard when it matters the most. Reprographics helps by carrying out de-duplication, chronological ordering, and page-by-page accuracy, as well as quality control.
Bound and Finished Documents
As well as raw printing, reprographics also covers things like binding, lamination, tab creation, and bespoke covers in order to turn a stack of printed paper into a polished, professional document for law firms, corporate businesses, and more. This makes outsourced reprographics perfect for manuals, tabbed reference sets, or client-facing reports.
Digital and Electronic Outputs
Not everything to do with reprographics ends up on paper. It also covers digital outputs, such as scanning physical documents into searchable electronic formats such as eBibles. This refers to a compiled range of indexed digital files such as CDs, DVDs, USB drives, and other media rather than printed copies. These are especially handy in court cases where the need to search by keyword, date, or format is important in the moment.
What Reprographics Services Should Include
If you’re choosing a reprographics provider, it’s important to check they can cover the full range of work. This includes:
• Format range – from A5 right up to A0, it’s important they are able to handle the entire spectrum of your needs now and in the future.
• File compatibility – make sure they have the ability to process documents from a wide range of sources and formats.
• Preparation – ensure your reprographics provider checks for corrupted, password-protected, or unusable files before they cause delays. De-duplication is also necessary in many instances.
• Finishing options – binding, lamination, tabbing, bespoke covers, and pagination or Bates numbering are essential for many document types and industries.
• Secure handling and destruction – confidential and sensitive material should be handled securely throughout, with secure destruction of paper waste and obsolete electronic media once it’s no longer needed.
• Turnaround flexibility – your provider should have the capacity to handle both routine, planned print runs as well as urgent, time-critical requests.
How SOS Systems Can Help
At SOS Systems, we provide reprographic services covering the full range of document types, including fully paginated documents that are finished and bound where needed.
Our team processes electronic files of virtually any format, carries out thorough pre-print checks, and offers a complete range of finishing options including binding, lamination, tabbing, and bespoke covers. We also produce digital outputs, including searchable eBibles, for organisations that need fast, indexed access to their documents alongside or instead of physical copies.
If you need reprographic services for your business, we can help no matter the mix of document types your organisation works with. Contact us today for more information.
