55.035: Printing Procurement

1. Overview

   This policy establishes guidelines for the procurement of printing services utilizing university funds including but not limited to marketing materials, booklets, university stationery, printed course packs or tests, posters, fliers, banners, environmental graphics, and printed or embroidered apparel. This policy sets out to promote brand consistency, to achieve the best value, and to ensure compliance with university labor union contracts and the laws of the state of Ohio regarding printing procurement.

   Ohio university owns and operates an on-site print shop (Ohio university printing) with commercial capabilities. OHIO printing, a unit of university communications and marketing (“UCM”), is the largest commercial printing operation in Southeast Ohio and serves both internal and external clients. Due to the university’s unique location, it is necessary to maintain an on-site printing operation to meet the ongoing printing needs of the institution. OHIO printing should always be the first-choice printer for printing needs for all university units and departments.

   Printing activities excempted from this poicy include:

   1. Custom printed promotional items, excluding apparel, ordered through the university’s preferred supplier agreement.
   2. Official university transcripts, diplomas, certificates, and other official credentials produced by the office of the university registrar.
   3. Printing activities that are explicitly a part of research or creative activity authorship.

2. Process for procuring printing services 

   1. All requests for printing services should be submitted as part of a project request through university communications and marketing, through UCM’s marketing services center, or directly through Ohio university printing. UCM or OHIO printing staff will assess whether the project would be most effectively and efficiently produced on site at OHIO printing or through an external vendor. OHIO Printing will maintain contracts with external printing vendors as needed to supplement the capabilities of our on-site plant.
      1. Units may not independently solicit competitive quotes from outside vendors.
      2. Units may not order printing from online printing services. 
   2. On rare occasion, units may have a unique printing need that would require affiliation with a vendor not already under contract. Exceptions to number one allowing a university unit to work directly with an external vendor must be approved in writing by the vice president of university communications and marketing. Those approvals must be renewed on an annual basis.
   3. University stationery (letterhead, envelopes, business cards, etc.) standardized. Orders for such items may be submitted directly to OHIO Printing or through the marketing services center.
   4. OHIO printing will ensure the use of external suppliers conforms with applicable state laws and university procurement policy.

3. High-volume duplication

   1. When duplication exceeds the efficient use of office copiers, the work should be directed to Ohio university printing or the UCM marketing services center. OHIO printing and UCM produce copies at a lower per-sheet rate than the office copier rate.
   2. UCM marketing services center will provide same-day, on-demand walk-in printing and copying services as needed for university students, faculty and staff for volumes under five hundred copies.

4. Large format environmental printing and signage

   1. Printing installation of large format wall graphics, environmental signage and temporary wayfinding, building and parking signage should be ordered through Ohio university printing unless an exemption is approved through university communications and marketing, university planning or university parking and transportation.
   2. Internal and external permanent signage should follow guidance outlined in policy 42.100 and policy 37.010.

5. Internal competition

   1. University units should not procure, own or operate printing equipment for the production of materials outlined in paragraph (A) of this policy.
   2. Where needs exist for unique printing equipment that would not be duplicative to equipment operated by OHIO printing, a unit may seek approval from the director of OHIO printing to procure and operate such equipment.

6. Adherence to university brand standards and trademark

   1. All materials printed with university funds should comply with the institution’s brand standards, which can be found online at ohio.edu/brand.
   2. Refer to policy 31:001: external communications for guidelines related to promotion and protection of the brand and use of the trademarked university logo.

Forms, References, and History

1. Forms

   The following forms are relevant to this policy:

   1. UCM Project Request Form can be found at ohio.edu/ucm.
   2. OHIO Printing order request form can be found at ohio.edu/printing.

2. References

   The following items are relevant to this policy:

   1. Policy 55.074, "Purchasing Card."
   2. The brand identity standards are documented online at https://www.ohio.edu/brand/.

3. History

   Draft versions of this policy that were circulated for review, their cover memos, their forms, and Reviewers' comments on them are available on the password-protected Review site.

   Prior versions of this policy were approved on:

   1. May 21, 2009
   2. June 16, 2004
   3. October 1, 1977