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Wednesday, August 14

Printing & Prepping for the Homeschool Year


Join us for 5 Days of Upper Grades Homeschooling!
  • 8/12    Curriculum Reveal
  • 8/13    Middle & High School Electives
  • 8/14    Printing & Prepping
  • 8/15    Blending Learning Styles
  • 8/16    Student-Led Learning
Family Nest Printing Company charges considerably less than any other place we’ve used in the past; as much as 87% less than your local printing shop costs!  They offer both printing and 'extra' services, including lamination and cardstock printing.  This is a small business, owned and run by a homeschool family, that understands the specific needs of homeschoolers.

Read on for a fantastic discount!

Our Experience
Our family's favorite curriculum requires a lot of printing and prepping, so I usually have large print orders.  I just happened to be in the right place at the right time when the company launched earlier this month, and was very excited to get in on the ground floor and try it out!    

The prices are very nice, and they don't detract from quality.  We were impressed with print quality -- the color prints were beautiful! -- as well as turnaround time.  They arrived in good condition and quickly.  

Uploading the files to order was straightforward, and there's even an FAQ section for folks like myself (who have trouble with paper weight and / or orientation).  The only thing I'd like to see tweaked a bit is the number of files to upload.  Currently, you only have the option to upload five files in an order.  (This worked out fine for us as I have the ability to combine small files into one larger file with Nuance, but you should know that you can only submit five files at a time.)

Printing Costs
Here’s what they charge for printing on 20-lb., 92-brightness, 8.5″ x 11″ letter-size white copy paper (standard):
  • 1-sided color copies = 7 cents
  • 2-sided color copies = 10 cents
  • 1-sided B&W copies = 3 cents
  • 2-sided B&W copies = 4 cents
Available for an additional charge:
  • 20-lb., 3-hole drilled paper = included
  • 24-lb., 98-brightness paper = Add 2 cents/sheet
  • 28-lb., 100-brightness paper = Add 3 cents/sheet
  • 110-lb.,cardstock paper = Add 7 cent/sheet
Extra Options
  • Lamination - 50 cents / sheet
  • Coil Binding - $5 for up to 300 pages (includes front & back covers)
  • 3-Hole punch - 1 cent/sheet
Shipping
Shipping is additional, of course.  It comes via USPS, with a tracking number.  Our order arrived two days after it shipped.
  • Over $60 in printing - FREE shipping!
  • Under $60 order - $6 flat-rate shipping
The files arrived individually wrapped in plastic bags, with bubble wrap on the top and bottom to prevent getting wrinkled or bent.  Everything was in pristine condition, and the print quality was exceptional.


How does this compare?
Compared to Staples, Office Depot, or any similar copy shop, these folks are amazing!  When compared to other homeschool print companies, the pricing is similar -- Family Nest Printing is slightly cheaper on their color printing.  Also, these guys are the only ones I know of who offer lamination services or cardstock printing.  Finally, the shipping is a fantastic deal!  I don't know any homeschool mom who is going to submit an order for under $60...so your shipping is most likely going to be free.

Give it a Go!
  • Go to Family Nest Printing
  • Upload each file individually into the portal.  (You'll need to know how many pages the file includes.)  If a file is too large (happens rarely), try compressing the file.  If that doesn't work, reach out to the company directly.
  • For each file that you upload, you'll choose whether you want the file printed single- or double-sided, B&W or color, and if you want any paper upgrades (three-hole punch, binding, etc).
  • After uploading the files, it will give you the printing cost.  At this point, you're free to forget the order or go ahead and finish up with payment.  They accept credit cards or Paypal.
  • Their print queue (posted turnaround time) seems to be fairly spot-on, so you'll get your package within that time frame.  A shipment email with tracking information will be sent.
  • If you have any questions, reach out to them through their contact page.  They respond fairly promptly.
Discounts!
Save 10% when you use coupon code HH10.

Another option we've found is the Homeschool Printing Company.  Check them out here...

3 comments:

  1. I will have to check this out!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is a great resource! Thanks for writing about it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. when I have big jobs to get done I use Staples. I have to watch what paper is being defaulted and change that, but I find them very affordable.

    ReplyDelete

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