{"id":897,"date":"2025-05-22T09:18:23","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T13:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/?p=897"},"modified":"2025-07-24T08:51:55","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T12:51:55","slug":"what-is-trade-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/what-is-trade-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Trade Printing? Who Needs It?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Welcome to the amazing world of the print industry! A trade printer is a printing business that offers wholesale print materials to resellers. These resellers typically need to be employed in the printing industry or a related field. As one of the leading large-format trade printers in Canada, we at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ButterflyGP<\/a> are here to explain what trade printing is all about and why it&#8217;s so important in the print world. We&#8217;re committed to helping you understand this concept more clearly and how it can help grow your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>How Trade Printing Works<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trade printing is a term used within the printing community to define a business model where print companies or print brokers, not normally engaged in printing, outsource print jobs to other print businesses. This relationship is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/what-does-b2b-mean\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B2B (business-to-business)<\/a>, meaning the services are provided to other businesses, not to consumers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the trade printing system, two print industry businesses cooperate to fulfill a job. The printing company (trade printer) prints materials requested by another print industry business (print broker or print reseller), which then sells them to an end customer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A significant characteristic of trade printing is that the trade printer does not deal directly with the final consumer. Instead, they work behind the scenes, providing their services in a white-label manner. This feature means that the print broker or print reseller can sell the final printed goods to their customers under their brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>The Importance of Trade Printing<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trade printing carries significant importance in the print industry, and its influence cannot be understated. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, it allows print brokers or resellers to take on any job, regardless of their in-house capabilities or workload. This advantage helps maintain workflow consistency, leading to customer loyalty due to prompt and high-quality services. Secondly, it allows smaller companies to compete in the market, even when they lack certain printing technologies, giving them access to a wider service range.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From a print marketing perspective, trade printing is beneficial because it enables a company to offer its customers extensive printing services without incurring the costs of owning and maintaining a print facility. As a result, these companies can focus more on marketing their services and customer relations\u2014elements quite vital in developing a successful business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Who Needs Trade Printing?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several business players stand to benefit from trade printing. They include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Print Brokers and Resellers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic Designers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advertising Agencies<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small Print Shops<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Corporations and Large Businesses<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artists<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Photographers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Event Planners<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>1. Print Brokers and Resellers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>A print broker acts like the middleman in the print industry. They connect customers who need printed items with print service providers who provide printed items. Much like a friend who introduces you to someone who can help you get a job done.<br \/>\nOn the other side, we have print resellers. They are kind of like the bargain hunters of the print industry. They purchase printed products in bulk at a better price. They then sell these products to their customers, typically at a higher price to make a profit.<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In both these business types\u2014print brokers and print resellers\u2014none of them do any printing. They don&#8217;t have the big, expensive machines needed for printing. That&#8217;s where trade printing comes in. These businesses hire trade printers to do the printing for them.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Graphic Designers and Advertising Agencies<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic designers or advertisers often have ideas that need to be turned into beautiful printed products, such as posters, brochures, or even large-format banners. But buying and running a big printing machine is expensive and requires a lot of knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is where trade printing comes to the rescue. By joining forces with a trade printer, they can get all sorts of items printed without having to buy their own machinery. So, they can focus on what they love doing\u2014coming up with amazing, creative ideas\u2014and leave the printing to the experts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-974 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Graphic-Designers-and-Advertising-Agencies.jpg\" alt=\"Graphic Designers and Advertising Agencies\" width=\"750\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Graphic-Designers-and-Advertising-Agencies.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Graphic-Designers-and-Advertising-Agencies-300x140.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Small Print Shops<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A local print shop may do well with regular printing but might struggle with big, complicated jobs because they don&#8217;t have enough machines or people or might lack specific expertise. But they also don&#8217;t want to disappoint any customers who ask for such jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A solution? They can partner with trade printers, who have a larger capacity and special knowledge. It&#8217;s like getting a more muscular friend to help move a heavy sofa. By doing this, small print shops can still satisfy their customers, fulfilling all sorts of requests without having to deny or decline them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/top-10-priorities-when-choosing-a-printing-partner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button style=\"text-transform: none;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 Tips for Choosing the Right Printing Partner <\/span><\/button><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-971 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Small-Print-Shops.jpg\" alt=\"Small Print Shops\" width=\"750\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Small-Print-Shops.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Small-Print-Shops-300x140.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Corporations and Large Businesses<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A large company needs a lot of printing. It could range from marketing booklets and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/en\/large-format-posters-butterfly-gp\/product\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">large-format posters<\/a> to everyday office items like notepads or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/en\/business-cards-butterfly-gp\/categories\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">business cards<\/a>. It&#8217;s a huge demand to manage. Trade printing can be their saviour here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They can manage all these varied and large-scale printing needs efficiently. So, the business doesn&#8217;t have to worry about the process because they can simply get all of their printed materials in one sitting. Indeed, trade printing can be a big help for large firms aiming for smooth and successful operations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-975 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Corporates-and-Large-Businesses.jpg\" alt=\"Corporations and Large Businesses\" width=\"750\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Corporates-and-Large-Businesses.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Corporates-and-Large-Businesses-300x140.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>5. Artists<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artists often need to create high-quality reproductions of their original artwork for sale or display, especially in exhibitions or galleries. Trade printers can provide these services, enabling artists to sell multiple copies of their art pieces at a lower cost than the original.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to the cutting-edge printing technology available to trade printers, artists can share their work with a larger audience without sacrificing print quality, colours, or details. It also allows artists to focus on creating art rather than managing printing processes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-973 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Artists-1.jpg\" alt=\"Artists\" width=\"750\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Artists-1.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Artists-1-300x140.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>6. Photographers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the photography business, trade printing can be a game-changer. Professional photographers often need to provide physical copies of their work to clients. Whether it&#8217;s wedding photography, portrait photography, or event photography, high-quality prints are a significant part of the job.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trade printers often have access to premium paper stocks and large-format printing capabilities. So, photographers can provide their clients superior-quality prints, albums, or even customized photo products. Once more, this lets photographers concentrate on what they do best, leaving the intricate printing process to the experts in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-977 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Photographers.jpg\" alt=\"Photographers\" width=\"750\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Photographers.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Photographers-300x140.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>7. Event Planners<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Event planners often require a wide range of printed materials, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/en\/banners-butterfly-gp\/categories\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">banners<\/a>, flyers, invitations, menu cards, and table-setting cards, to name a few. Sourcing each of these elements from different providers can be exhausting and time-consuming.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With trade printing, event planners can get all their printing needs under one roof. This arrangement can significantly simplify the resource acquisition aspect of event planning. Also, trade printers&#8217; extensive range of print capabilities enables event planners to offer their clients innovative and customized solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-976 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Event-Planners.jpg\" alt=\"Event Planners\" width=\"750\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Event-Planners.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BGP-Blog-Event-Planners-300x140.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trade printing is a transformative force in the printing industry, allowing businesses to deliver top-notch services and expand their offerings. It is beneficial for businesses of all sizes and types, such as small print shops, graphic design firms, and corporations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>By working with a print partner such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ButterflyGP<\/a>, you can easily take advantage of trade printing&#8217;s benefits. We place a high priority on client satisfaction, prompt delivery, and reasonably priced, superior products. We help businesses take advantage of the significant potential of trade printing by providing them with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/en\/about-us.html#our-equipment-title\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cutting-edge equipment<\/a> and a dedication to excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-left kksr-valign-bottom\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;897&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;3&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;Rate this post&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;5\\\/5 - (3 votes)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;What is Trade Printing? Who Needs It?&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;142.5&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 142.5px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                \n\n<div class=\"kksr-legend\" style=\"font-size: 19.2px;\">\n            5\/5 - (3 votes)    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to the amazing world of the print industry! A trade printer is a printing business that offers wholesale print materials to resellers. These resellers typically need to be employed in the printing industry or a related field. As one of the leading large-format trade printers in Canada, we at ButterflyGP are here to explain [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-branding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=897"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1387,"href":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/897\/revisions\/1387"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.butterflygp.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}