Productivity Portfolio

When you think of printing companies, FedEx Kinko’s is at the top of the list. As a local printer, they’ve been great and I’ve always been pleased with the output. The question was whether their online printing would be as good.

My second choice was a company called Print(fu). The service was mentioned by Robin Good in one of his MasterNewMedia newsletters. You might think this is a David vs. Goliath match up. And yes, the little guy gets my vote.

Determining the Printing Cost

The first thing I wanted to know was how much the print job would cost. I was making a trade-off between time and money. Perhaps, I’m naïve but I figured all services would have an online cost calculator.

Print(fu) did have a cost calculator on the home page that only needed the page count. While you can get your printing costs, the shipping charges aren’t displayed.

Finding the cost at Kinko’s/FedEx website was disappointing. When I couldn’t see any reference to cost, I decided to call the toll free number. I got voicemail. I sent off an email to support which sent the following reply:

Because products, services, pricing and turnaround times do vary from
location to location, we do not post this information on the internet or
give it out through e-mail. We ask you to contact your nearest location,
so that you can get the most accurate information.

The Online Ordering Process

I found the Print(fu) ordering process a snap since you don’t have many options. It would make Henry Ford proud. You can have any color print so long as it’s black. You just upload your PDF file; select your cover and shipping method.

In contrast, I had problems with Kinko’s site. There were too many services being offered such as Package/Envelope Services and I wasn’t sure where to focus first. I started with the “Online Printing” tab. It had two options with similar names that seemed like what I was looking for:

• Print to a FedEx Kinko’s
• File, Print FedEx Kinko’s

I don’t know how they expect a new user to distinguish between those two items, but I started at the top option. The first page option provided a link to their virtual printing program called “File, Print FedEx Kinko’s”. The program installed the desktop icon and toolbar, but no print driver. I had to call technical support.

I was given instructions for adding the print driver, but the software still didn’t work. The support person suggested I try another product called DocStore. She also forwarded me to another technician who thought the toolbar was automatically installed with Microsoft Word. After he couldn’t resolve my problem he said a senior technician would get back to me.

I tried the URL the first rep gave for DocStore. Midway through the process, I got a feeling this wasn’t what I needed. I called my local store and they confirmed that wasn’t the product to use. They suggested I send an email with the file and my options so they could give me a quote. Ironically, no one suggested I try:

https://print2.kinkos.com/p2k/upload/UploadDocument.jsp

The link above takes you through a 5 step process where you submit the document and can review your costs before confirming the job. The process was clearly explained and provided info on all the options.

The Turnaround Times

As I expected, FedEx Kinko’s finished the file the same day. Since my store within 5 miles, it was easy to pick up the print job while doing other errands. I could’ve requested delivery through FedEx, but no local mail options were provided.

Print(fu) took longer to finish the print job. The home page can show if they are getting “slammed” with orders. They are good about sending emails during each step so you know about how long it will take. My 290 page file took several days to go through the printing and binding process. Essentially your print job is rotated in during non-peak periods so as not to compete with their commercial customers.

The Print Quality

The test books were comparable. The difference was Print(fu) printed the cover on a heavy stock paper and FedEx Kinko’s had a clear vinyl cover. The paper color, size, weight and binding were very similar.

Customer Support

In a previous life, I ran a support department for a technology division. I know the experience people have with support can make or break a product. Except for the local employees at my FedEx Kinko’s stores, the company failed.

Since my first FedEx Kinko’s experience wasn’t stellar, I thought I should try them again. This time I used the link I referenced above. I sent my file and went out to do some errands. On returning, I had an email and phone call stating the job was done. Everything was fine except my job was at the wrong store. As before, the local store employee was excellent and offered to reroute my job. I declined since I didn’t want to waste paper. After all, paper waste was one of the issues that got me on this quest.

What hurt FedEx Kinko’s was their follow up email with the following text:

Thank you for choosing FedEx Kinko's! Your comments are important to us. Feedback from customers like you helps us to continually improve our products and services. Please take a minute to send an e-mail with your comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call us toll-free 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1.800.254.6567.

I sent a response outlining my dissatisfaction and how I was evaluating the service in prep for this article. I waited two weeks figuring that was enough time for an organization who values comments to address my points. I also never heard back from the senior technician on my software problem.

Conclusion

Both online printers produce great PDF manuals. It’s a question of whether you want speed, savings, or other options. FedEx Kinko’s can print other file formats aside from PDF. The speed factor also varies based on whether you have a local FedEx Kinko’s store.

If speed is the main factor, you should use FedEx Kinko’s since you can pickup the print job. You will be paying a premium for this speed or some of the more complicated printing options. I can not recommend the File, Print FedEx Kinko printing tool for the simple reason I couldn’t get it installed and there was no support follow up.

If you’re looking for savings, go with Print(fu). The process is easy and economical. You don’t have to think to use their website. It’s clear they only do one thing and they do it exceptionally well. One pointer is I would stay away from using USPS Media Mail which is the cheapest shipping option. It’s just too unpredictable.

For comparison purposes, a 101 page PDF file with 2-3 day mailing options with shipping would cost:

Print(fu) $17.38
FedEx Kinko’s $21.26

The difference in delivery between the two vendors was about 3 days based on shipping location and the elapsed print time. The Print(fu) job took longer to print and was shipped from Carmel, Indiana. Your delivery times would probably be shorter since I’m on the West Coast.

I’m glad I went through this process as I know the strengths and weaknesses of each vendor. Trying to duplex print large PDF manuals was too much. I have better things to do than babysitting a printer. Besides these companies can add a coil or comb binding which makes the document more useful.

Referenced Links:

Print(fu) : http://www.printfu.org/

FedEx Kinko’s Online Ordering: https://print2.kinkos.com/p2k/upload/UploadDocument.jsp