The Benefits of Using a Single Supplier for All Your Print Needs

27 Jan

example of a customised web to print storefront — Web to print is just one tool that single source print service providers such as Clarkeprint use to support clients.

For procurement managers balancing budgets, supplier relationships and operational efficiency, print can be one of the most fragmented categories in the business. Different teams often order from different suppliers, pricing varies wildly, and ensuring brand consistency across stationery, marketing collateral, apparel, signage and merchandise can feel like an Olympic sport.

Choosing a single print supplier can transform this complexity into clarity. Whether you are sourcing business cards, brochures, direct mail campaigns, promotional merchandise or large‑format exhibition graphics, consolidating your print needs with one trusted UK partner brings measurable advantages.

This guide explores the benefits of using a single print supplier in the UK, especially for organisations across the West Midlands and wider Midlands region, and highlights how this approach can support efficiency, quality and long‑term cost savings.

Why Procurement Managers Are Turning to Single‑Supplier Print Partnerships

example of a new customer welcome box with merch and print collateral — Choose a print service provider who offers creative suggestions to your marketing and communication challenges, and can provide a full suite of services.

Procurement has changed dramatically in recent years. Rising material costs, supply chain disruption and an increased focus on sustainability mean organisations need partners who can offer stability and consistency. By consolidating print requirements, procurement managers gain greater visibility, stronger negotiation power and a more streamlined process.

Below, we explore the key benefits in detail.

1. Cost Savings and Better Pricing Structures

One of the most compelling reasons procurement managers opt for a single print supplier is cost efficiency. When multiple departments order separately from various vendors, businesses lose economies of scale.

How consolidation reduces print spend

Bulk buying benefits
A single supplier can forecast and plan your printing needs across the business, allowing them to offer more favourable pricing for higher total volumes.

Multi‑service discounts
Suppliers offering litho printing, digital printing, garment printing, promotional merchandise and large‑format print can bundle products and services into competitive packages.

Reduced delivery charges
Instead of paying multiple delivery fees, print arrives together, often through consolidated shipments or scheduled drop‑offs.

Lower administration costs
Your accounts and procurement teams spend less time processing multiple invoices, performing supplier audits and managing individual relationships.

Price stability through ongoing partnership
A long‑term relationship gives suppliers room to work strategically with you, securing material allocations and maintaining pricing even when markets fluctuate.

2. Greater Efficiency Across Your Organisation

Print procurement is often more time‑consuming than teams realise. When marketing, HR, events and operations all use different suppliers, the inefficiencies multiply.

The efficiency benefits of a single print supplier

One point of contact
You no longer need to chase different vendors. A single dedicated account manager understands your organisation, brand, preferences and challenges.

Faster turnaround times
A supplier with in‑house digital, litho and large‑format print capabilities can coordinate jobs more effectively, reducing downtime between production stages.

Streamlined order management
A single supplier often provides a Web‑to‑Print portal, allowing staff to order pre‑approved templates for business cards, flyers, brochures, banners and merchandise. This reduces bottlenecks and prevents rogue design variations.

Simplified invoicing
One monthly consolidated invoice makes budgeting and reconciliation far easier.

Easier repeat ordering
Templates, artwork, order histories and brand assets are securely stored in one place, cutting the time spent searching for files or rebriefing suppliers.

3. Consistency and Brand Control Across All Print

Brand consistency is vital for credibility, reputation and professionalism. Unfortunately, using multiple suppliers can lead to mismatched colours, inaccurate logos and variations in print quality.

A single supplier ensures:

Colour accuracy
Professional printers use colour‑managed workflows, ensuring your brand colours match perfectly across business cards, brochures, exhibition graphics and merchandise.

Material and finish consistency
Whether you prefer silk, gloss or uncoated stocks, or certain finishes like foiling or embossing, a single supplier ensures your preferences are applied every time.

Approved templates and artwork control
Using a Web‑to‑Print system, organisations maintain strict control over the assets being used, preventing brand drift.

Better control during campaigns
When producing multi‑channel campaigns that include direct mail, posters, leaflets and display stands, a single supplier ensures all components align perfectly.

4. Improved Quality and Reliability

Working with multiple suppliers often means varying standards. With one trusted UK print partner, you gain confidence in consistency, reliability and professional output.

Benefits include:

Guaranteed quality control
A reputable supplier with in‑house print technology performs stringent quality checks across every product.

Predictable lead times
Their knowledge of your requirements allows them to anticipate peaks, stock key materials and forecast job cycles.

Technical expertise across all print formats
From complex litho runs to bespoke exhibition systems, a single supplier with breadth of service can deliver high‑quality results every time.

Reduced risk of miscommunication
Less back and forth means fewer errors, fewer delays and fewer surprises.

5. Environmental Benefits and Sustainability Reporting

Sustainability is now a core part of procurement decisions. Working with a single supplier supports greener, more traceable workflows.

Sustainability advantages include:

Reduced delivery mileage
Fewer shipments mean fewer carbon emissions.

Better material planning
Your supplier can prioritise FSC‑certified papers, recyclable substrates and eco‑friendly inks across all jobs.

Accurate sustainability reporting
A single partner can provide consolidated carbon data, waste figures and material usage, making ESG reporting easier.

Responsible waste management
By overseeing all printing, the supplier can adopt consistent recycling and waste‑reduction practices.

6. Better Stock Control, Warehousing and Distribution

Clarkeprint's central birmingham warehouse and pick and pack distribution centre — Comprehensive warehousing and distribution options are a huge asset for a PSP such as Clarkeprint.

Large organisations often need storage for brochures, leaflets, point‑of‑sale materials and merchandise. Managing this internally can drain resources.

Advantages of using one supplier offering warehousing include:

Centralised stock management
Inventory is stored and monitored by the supplier, reducing waste and preventing over-ordering.

On‑demand distribution
Materials can be sent to multiple branches, event locations or sales teams quickly and accurately.

Cost reduction
Companies save on internal storage space and staffing.

Improved forecasting
Your supplier can notify you when stock runs low and help forecast future needs.

7. Access to a Full Suite of Print Services

Partnering with a single supplier offering a wide service range means your organisation enjoys better consistency and efficiency across every print category.

A strong UK-based supplier should offer:

Digital Printing

Perfect for short runs, personalised print, invitations, business cards and variable data projects.

Litho Printing

Ideal for high-volume brochures, catalogues, magazines and premium collateral.

Large Format & Exhibition Graphics

Including roller banners, vinyl banners, Foamex boards, exhibition stands and window graphics.

Garment Printing

Branded t‑shirts, hoodies, uniforms and staff apparel.

Direct Mail & Transactional Mail

From design and data processing to fulfilment and postage.

Promotional Merchandise

Pens, mugs, notebooks, lanyards, bags, branded gifts and onboarding packs.

Web‑to‑Print Portals

Ensuring staff order only approved, brand‑compliant materials.

Warehousing & Distribution

Centralised stock control with fast national delivery.

Having all these under one roof means procurement managers benefit from consolidated reporting, greater control and reduced risk.

8. Stronger, More Strategic Supplier Relationships

A single supplier becomes more than just a vendor. They become a trusted extension of your team.

This relationship brings:

Better advice and consultancy
Your supplier can make proactive suggestions about materials, formats and cost savings.

Improved responsiveness
Because they understand your organisation, they respond faster to urgent jobs and last-minute changes.

More strategic planning
You can work together on annual print budgets, long-term campaigns and sustainability goals.

Easier innovation
Testing new print techniques, personalised direct mail or interactive formats is more efficient with one partner managing the process.

9. Reduced Risk and Stronger Compliance

Procurement often carries compliance obligations, particularly in regulated sectors.

A single supplier helps ensure:

GDPR compliance across personalised print and mailings
consistent quality and safety standards
traceability of all printed materials
fewer supplier audits
reduced contract management risk

10. Better Support for Regional and National Teams

Organisations with multiple branches or regional teams rely on fast, consistent and reliable print support.

A single print partner ensures:

unified brand application across all sites
efficient distribution
centralised ordering systems
consistent training and guidance
simplified communication

This is especially valuable for Midlands‑based businesses that need rapid turnaround for events, campaigns and operational materials.

When Should a Business Consider Moving to a Single Print Supplier?

Look for the following signs:

Teams are ordering independently from multiple vendors
Print costs are unpredictable
There are inconsistencies in branding
Staff spend time searching for artwork or managing suppliers
Delivery and storage costs are increasing
Multiple invoices create admin burden
Lead times are unreliable
Print quality varies between suppliers

If these sound familiar, consolidation is likely to deliver immediate improvements.

Why Midlands and UK Organisations Benefit Even More

Businesses in Birmingham and the West Midlands often run fast-paced operations, marketing campaigns and manufacturing schedules. Working with a local supplier offers benefits such as:

quicker delivery
same‑day or next‑day turnaround on urgent jobs
in‑person consultations
reduced transport costs
lower environmental impact

A regional supplier with national capability delivers the best of both worlds.

Conclusion: A Single Print Supplier Is a Procurement Advantage

From cost savings and efficiency gains to better sustainability reporting and improved brand consistency, moving to a single print supplier offers significant strategic value. Procurement managers benefit from simpler workflows, reduced admin and a more reliable, predictable and scalable print infrastructure.

If your organisation wants to improve print efficiency, control costs and achieve consistent quality across the board, working with one trusted UK print partner is an excellent place to start.

Q&A

What is a single print supplier?

A single print supplier is a printing partner that handles all your organisation’s printing needs, from business stationery and brochures to merchandise, exhibitions, garments and direct mail.

Why should procurement managers use a single print supplier in the UK?

It reduces costs, improves efficiency, ensures brand consistency and simplifies supplier management by consolidating all print requirements under one partner.

Does using one supplier improve print quality?

Yes. With one partner, you receive consistent colour management, standardised materials and aligned production processes across all printed products.

Can a single supplier handle both small and large print jobs?

Yes. A full‑service supplier offers digital, litho and large-format printing, meaning they can accommodate everything from small personalised runs to large campaigns.