Everybody wants to print what you like. The problem is that “what you like” is rarely one thing. Sometimes it’s “this has to feel expensive in someone’s hand.” Sometimes it’s “i need 500 by Friday.” Sometimes it’s “please don’t make me open Illustrator ever again.” And those are three totally different printer problems.
That’s why PrintReviewer doesn’t do the usual “here’s one winner, good luck” routine. We score printers across the metrics that actually change your experience, then group them by use case so you can pick the shop that fits your needs. With the right info, you don’t have to compromise your design, your budget, or your sanity. You just choose the printer that matches the thing you care about most.
The whole point: stop shopping like it’s one-size-fits-all
Most “best printer” lists collapse everything into one vague idea of “good.” But printing has tradeoffs:
- The shop with the best templates might not have the best stocks.
- The fastest shop might not be the cheapest.
- The “paper nerd” boutique might be incredible, but not when you need simple cards tomorrow.
So we categorize and score printers across six practical metrics, each on a 1–5 scale relative to the group. A “1” doesn’t mean “awful,” it means “weakest in this set.” That way the table stays useful for decision-making instead of turning into a bunch of meaningless 4.7s.
And once you can see the tradeoffs, you can actually print what you like instead of printing whatever your random first pick happens to be “good enough” at.
The six metrics that decide whether you’ll be happy
Quality
This is the physical reality check: color accuracy, crisp text, solid blacks, clean trimming, and stocks that feel right. “Quality” is the difference between “nice card” and “this feels like a coupon.” If you’re design-forward, or you’re handing these to high-value clients, quality matters more than saving $12.
Price
Price is not just “lowest.” It’s value for what you’re getting at the quantities you actually order. Some shops are great at 100 cards, others get scary cheap at 500 or 1,000. And some places only look cheap because you’re permanently in a coupon funnel. (If a printer’s pricing requires a weekly promo email to make sense, that’s… a strategy.)
Options
Options means finishes, materials, and “weird stuff.” Foil, spot UV, raised UV, soft touch, painted edges, colored cores, die cuts, specialty stocks like kraft or cotton. If you care about making a card memorable, options are how you do it. If you just need clean and professional, options matter less than you think.
Templates & Tools
This is the “do i have a design already?” metric. If you don’t, templates and online editors matter a lot. If you do, you might actively hate templates and just want a clean upload workflow with proper guides. Tools are the difference between “finished in 10 minutes” and “why is this cropping like that.”
Customer Service
Printing is one of those industries where mistakes happen and how a company handles them is the whole story. Strong customer service shows up as quick responses, useful proof checks, and painless fixes when something goes sideways. Weak service shows up as you explaining the problem three times to three different people.
Turnaround Time
Turnaround is speed plus reliability. Fast printers are great, but “fast, and actually arrives when they said” is better. This metric is for people who have deadlines that don’t care about your printer’s internal workflow.
How the categories let you choose faster (and regret less)
Here’s the part most people actually need: pick the printer category that matches your goal.
If you want “best overall balance”
These are the all-rounders. Strong quality, fair pricing, good reliability. They’re the safest picks when you don’t have an extreme use case.
If you want budget, but still professional
You’re not asking for museum-grade paper. You just want cheap cards that don’t look cheap. This is where some printers overperform, especially on standard runs.
If you want premium “wow” cards
This is the “someone touches it and immediately gets it” category. Thick stocks, specialty finishes, and the kind of print that makes your logo look like it belongs on something expensive.
If you want the most options and specialty finishes
You’re building a brand vibe. Maybe you want painted edges, color core, or something that makes other business cards look boring. Options-first printers exist for exactly this.
If you want the best templates and easiest design tools
This is for non-designers, small teams, and anyone who just wants a polished card without opening pro design software. The best shops here make it easy to get something clean and readable quickly.
If you want fast turnaround and minimal drama
Some people plan ahead. Some people are powered entirely by deadlines. If you need cards fast, prioritize turnaround and service together, because “fast but unhelpful” is how you end up paying for a reprint twice.
How to use the scores without turning it into homework
If you want a simple method:
- Pick your top two metrics.
Quality + options? Price + turnaround? Tools + service? - Choose from the “best for” cluster that matches that combo.
That’s literally why we organize it this way. - Order a small run first if the job is high-stakes.
Even great printers can have a stock or finish that doesn’t match your expectations. Testing beats guessing.
The goal isn’t to find the one printer that wins every category. The goal is to find the one that lets you print what you like without fighting the process.
Final thought
Printing shouldn’t feel like gambling. When you can see how printers stack up by quality, price, options, tools, service, and turnaround, it becomes a choice instead of a guess. You decide what matters, we surface the best fits, and you get to print the thing you actually wanted in the first place.