multiple shots of printing in china factories

Top 10 Reasons to Print in China & South East Asia

Imago has over 40 years of experience working with suppliers throughout China and South East Asia.

We have our own production offices in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Malaysia. These teams comprising 50 people, are your eyes and ears in the factory, negotiating the best price, monitoring the quality and ensuring everything goes smoothly.

Worried about Printing in China?

Printing in China allows you to bring your project to market in the most economical way. However, buying direct can be a daunting prospect – how can you be sure of the factory you are using? What if something goes wrong?

Why Print with us in China?

With our own offices in China and South East Asia acting on your behalf and your own contact based in the UK, we are able to offer the best points of printing in China to our clients, whilst using our experience to navigate some of the trickier aspects.

  1. Price – Generally speaking printing in China and South East Asia is more economical than printing in Europe, even once freight costs are added
  2. Choice – The range of materials, finishes and products on offer is extensive. From bath books to sound books, plush toys to tins, Imago have specialist suppliers for a wide range of books and other products
  3. Quality – We work with factories who deliver the best quality and we have our own team of QC inspectors
  4. Customisation & Handwork – Everything can be made to your exact requirements (as long as it’s physically possible) and many of our suppliers offer handwork as a specialism
  5. No Restrictions – Having access to suppliers throughout the Far East means topics that might be sensitive in China can be handled without issue by printers in other regions
  6. Own Merchandising Team – Keeping all your enquiries in one place, Imago offers its own team of merchandisers, complementing our estimating teams
  7. Press Checking – We will send our team of experts in to check your titles on press, ensuring the best quality at all times
  8. Third Party Inspection – Occasionally it’s also good to have an independent eye cast over your titles, be it on press, during binding, or post-production. We can offer our own Imago Quality Control or provide independent specialists, as per your needs
  9. Pre-press consultants – With links to the very best in the industry, we make sure your titles look their best even before they are printed
  10. In-house Estimating – Our teams of in-house experts have an unprecedented knowledge of the industry, of up-to-date trends and costs, and connections to the best suppliers for all your needs

Printing notebooks in china

Printing in China – FAQ’s

When printing for the first time in China or South East Asia, there are often a lot of questions! Imago are always here to help.

Is my contact with the Imago team?

You will always have a point of contact based with the Imago team. We find it our clients enjoy being able to speak to someone in the same timezone with a full understanding of their job and their needs. We will assign 1 contact to handle your job in China also so everyone involved in your project is aware of the details.

How long does it take to print in China?

We usually say around 3 months from files received to books delivered to a US warehouse. This can depend on the product and time of year but it is a reasonable guide. Shipping is 5-6 weeks but even the printing process takes much longer than we are used to seeing across Europe.

What types of project would most suit printing in China?

Generally speaking most books in high quantities will be cheaper to print in China. Anything that involves handwork is also far better to produce in China – from boxes and card sets to board games and pop up books. There are a whole host of different materials and finishes so anything slightly complex often will be easier and cheaper to produce in China. Cloth books and bath books we are still producing exclusively in China.

How will I manage the quality in China?

Some of the highest quality books you see when browsing the bookshelves in your local book store will have been printed in China. The factories, equipment and access to materials are all second to none.  We have our own in house QC team and our suppliers all have standards they are required to adhere to in order to work with us. Plus, of course, our own team on the ground in China are there to help with any problems.

Contact Us

If you are looking to have your project printed in China or South East Asia, please fill out the contact form below and a member of the team will get back to you.