Independent Magazine Production Specialists
Magazine Printing Company is the specialist magazine printing, mailing and distribution service operated by Cliffe Enterprise Limited.
We have worked with publishers and organisations since 1991, managing magazine production across a wide range of quantities, formats and specifications.
Unlike a printer tied to a single manufacturing plant, we are independent of any one press or production technology. We source production through specialist manufacturing partners, selecting the production route according to the requirements of each magazine.
That means the magazine specification comes first. Quantity, format, pagination, paper, binding, finishing, production schedule, mailing and distribution requirements all help determine which production method and manufacturing partner is appropriate.
Our role is to manage that process for the publisher — from selecting the production route through printing and finishing to mailing, postage and distribution where required.
Specification-Led, Not Plant-Led
Different magazines require different production solutions. A short-run specialist publication may be most efficiently produced digitally, while a medium-volume magazine may suit sheetfed litho and a regular high-volume publication may be better suited to web-offset production.
The decision is not based on quantity alone. Finished size, pagination, paper type and weight, binding method, finishing, frequency and production schedule can all affect which manufacturing route is appropriate.
Mailing and distribution can influence that decision too. A small change to paper weight, format or packaging may affect postage costs across an entire circulation, so we consider how the magazine will reach its readers as part of the production specification.
Because we are independent of a single manufacturing plant, we can consider these requirements before selecting the production method and specialist manufacturing partner.
The objective is simple: fit the production route to the magazine, rather than fit the magazine to the available press.
Access to Specialist Magazine Manufacturing
Our manufacturing network gives us access to a range of printing and finishing technologies, allowing production to be matched to the requirements of each publication.
Depending on the magazine specification, this can include digital printing for shorter runs, sheetfed litho for medium-volume and specialist work, and heatset web offset for higher-volume magazine production.
The same principle applies to finishing. Saddle stitching, perfect binding, PUR binding and specialist finishing requirements can be sourced according to the publication rather than being limited to the equipment available within one manufacturing site.
This flexibility is particularly important for publishers producing more than one title. Different magazines — or even different editions of the same magazine — may require different production routes as quantities, pagination, paper specifications or distribution requirements change.
We manage the manufacturing process on the publisher’s behalf, coordinating the selected production partners and providing a single point of contact throughout production.
More Than Printing
The lowest print price does not always produce the lowest overall cost for a publisher.
Paper weight, finished size, pagination, binding and packaging can all affect what happens after a magazine leaves the printing press. For publications being mailed to subscribers or distributed internationally, relatively small specification changes can have a significant effect on postage and distribution costs across the circulation.
We therefore consider magazine printing as part of the wider production process. Where required, we can coordinate printing, finishing, wrapping, mailing, postage and distribution rather than treating each stage in isolation.
This allows production decisions to be considered against the complete requirements of the publication. A different paper weight, production format or manufacturing route may, for example, increase or reduce the print cost while producing a different overall delivered cost.
For publishers, the objective is not simply to buy print. It is to produce the right magazine and get it to its readers efficiently.
How We Work With Manufacturing Partners
Our independence depends on having access to specialist manufacturers with the right equipment and expertise for different types of magazine production.
Rather than placing every publication with the same manufacturing site, we select production partners according to the requirements of the job. This allows us to consider factors such as press configuration, format, run length, paper, pagination, binding, finishing, capacity and production schedule when planning where a magazine should be produced.
We manage the relationship with the selected manufacturer on the publisher’s behalf, coordinating specifications, schedules, production requirements and delivery throughout the job.
For regular publications, we also build continuity into the production process. Once an appropriate manufacturing route has been established, we can manage subsequent issues while reviewing the specification or production route when quantities, costs or requirements change.
Our manufacturing partners are therefore an extension of the service we provide, while Cliffe Enterprise remains the publisher’s single point of contact and production-management partner.
Magazine Expertise Since 1991
Cliffe Enterprise Limited was established in 1991 and has worked with publishers and organisations on magazine production for more than three decades.
During that time, printing technology has changed considerably. Digital printing has transformed short-run production, modern sheetfed presses have become increasingly automated, web-offset production has evolved, and mailing and distribution requirements have become more complex.
Our role has remained consistent: understand the publication, determine an appropriate production route and manage the specialist suppliers required to produce and deliver it.
That experience extends beyond the printing process itself. Paper selection, pagination, binding, finishing, mailing weights, postal requirements and distribution can all affect how a magazine should be produced.
The knowledge we have built over more than three decades helps us identify those relationships and advise publishers on the complete production specification rather than looking at printing in isolation.
Our independent print-management approach has been part of the Cliffe Enterprise business model for many years; you can read more about the principles behind it in our guide to print management.
Trusted by Publishers
Our approach is built around acting as an extension of a publisher’s production team — providing independent production advice, coordinating specialist manufacturers and managing the process through to delivery.
Many of the publishers and organisations we work with have used Cliffe Enterprise for a number of years, across magazine printing, production management, mailing and distribution.
You can read what our clients say about working with us and how we manage their magazine production.
Why Independence Matters to Publishers
Every printing plant has strengths determined by its equipment, format capabilities and production configuration. For the right magazine specification, that plant may provide an excellent manufacturing solution.
Our role is different. Because we are independent of any single manufacturing site, we can consider which production route is appropriate before deciding where the magazine should be produced.
For publishers, this means the conversation starts with the publication — its quantity, format, pagination, paper, binding, schedule, mailing and distribution requirements — rather than with the equipment available at one factory.
We then manage the selected production route on the publisher’s behalf, providing one point of contact across the manufacturing process.
The principle behind our approach is simple: fit the production route to the magazine, rather than fit the magazine to the available press.
Talk to Us About Your Magazine
If you already know your magazine specification, you can use our live quoting tool to obtain a magazine printing price online.
If you are unsure which printing process, paper, binding or production route is appropriate, talk to our team. We can review your specification and help determine an appropriate manufacturing route before providing a quotation.
For regular publications or projects involving mailing, postage or distribution, we can also discuss how the complete production and delivery process should be managed.