How to Brief Your Christmas Print Job: A Hospitality Guide

Every Christmas, hospitality venues are thrust into the festive frontline, menus to launch, events to dress, guests to impress. Yet behind every perfect festive menu, event invitation, or branded table talker lies one secret weapon: a first-rate print brief. At Print Lord, we’ve seen how a proper print briefing transforms December chaos into smooth-running campaigns, saving you last-minute headaches and delivering results on brand, on time, every time.

Here’s your straight-talking, step-by-step guide to briefing your Christmas print, and why, with Print Lord at your side, even the maddest Christmas season becomes a legend in the making.

Step 1: Know What You Need, The Print Arsenal

Start with the end in mind. Are you launching festive menus, loyalty cards, signage, event flyers, or staff kits? List every print item needed, including quantities, venue delivery points and any special versions (different menus for allergen needs, event ticketing in multi-venue launches, specific packaging requirements for hampers or takeaways). The clearer your list, the harder your print delivers.

Print Lord Tip: We help you review your campaign and spot what’s missing, a detail that saves many a last-minute panic.

Step 2: Specify the Details, Size, Stock, and Finish

Details matter. For each item, nail down size (A4, DL, custom), orientation, folding style, quantities, and required finishes. Do you want menus with velvet lamination, gold foil accents, waterproof coatings for drinks lists, or die-cut table cards in the shape of festive trees? Good print is always in the detail, and a crisp spec is your brand’s shield against bland or muddled results.

Print Lord Tip: Unsure about the difference between silk, gloss, and uncoated? Or wondering if recycled stock affects print vibrancy? Just ask. We advise on the right choices for durability, impact, and eco credentials, no jargon, no guesswork.

Step 3: Prepare Your Files, Artwork That Works for Print

Print is nothing without ready-to-roll artwork. Supply high-resolution, print-ready PDFs wherever possible. Include at least 3mm bleed, crop marks, and convert all fonts to outlines or embed them in the file. Stick to CMYK colour (not RGB), and keep all logos, images, and backgrounds high-res for sharp, professional results. Sending files from Canva? Be sure to export as PDF Print, with crop marks and bleed ticked.

If you’re nervous, don’t sweat it. Send what you have and ask for a pre-flight check; Print Lord rescues artwork every week, making sure last-minute file errors don’t become Christmas morning disasters.

Step 4: Deadlines, Be Ruthless, Not Hopeful

Christmas print schedules are unforgiving. Courier deadlines, stock shortages, and festive bottlenecks all mean timing is tight. Work backward from your delivery date, adding time for proofing, client approvals, amends, and final sign-off. For Christmas 2025, the last order date for guaranteed delivery is Friday 6 December (couriers permitting). Missing it could mean an empty mantelpiece, not to mention missed bookings and anxious GMs.

Print Lord Tip: Print Lord supplies honest lead times, regular reminders, and proactive calls if deadlines are at risk. With us, your Christmas doesn’t slip through the cracks.

Step 5: The Approval Process, Sign Off with Confidence

Who signs off your print? Is it a single venue manager, head office, or an agency partner? Make this clear up front. Nominate your approval team, share PDFs for review, and double-check for typos, layout errors, and colour inconsistency. Print Lord provides preview proofs and will happily jump on a call for a final walk-through, especially with campaign-critical pieces.

Print Lord Tip: Approvals lag? We chase every proof, flag issues promptly, and keep your job moving so there are no mysterious delays when time’s tight.

Step 6: Communication, Stay Proactive, Not Panicked

The biggest print disasters come not from mistakes, but from silence. The legendary Print Lord standard? Relentless communication. We’ll chase your approval, nudge for missing files, and make sure any artwork query is answered the same day, not lost in the Christmas rush. You get a single, real-world point of contact who guards your job and acts before things unravel.

Step 7: Lean on Your Print Ally, Support Beyond the Brief

At Print Lord, briefing is a conversation, not a formality. We step in early, ask the questions that prevent festive drama, and often suggest ways to save time, money, or brand reputation. If you’re up against a tough deadline, need an impossible product, or want advice on making your Christmas kit truly legendary, we rise to the challenge, every time.

The Final Word: How Print Lord Turns Print Briefs Into Results

In the Christmas scrum, perfection is preparation, and with Print Lord’s hands-on support, you stay ahead at every step. From the first spec to final sign-off and tracked delivery, every detail is guarded as if your brand were our own. Brief us right, and we’ll deliver on our oath: at your service. On brand. On time.

Ready to make this Christmas campaign your smoothest, sharpest, and most successful yet? Call Print Lord for a briefing and cut the chaos before it begins.

Print Lord. At your service. On brand. On time.

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Meta Description:
A step-by-step guide for hospitality venues to brief their Christmas print campaign. Learn how Print Lord’s proactive communication, expert support, and hands-on guidance prevent festive print disasters, keeping you on brand, on time, every time.

Outline:
1. Introduction: The festive briefing advantage
2. Step 1: Defining your print arsenal
3. Step 2: Item specification and finishes
4. Step 3: Supplying artwork, the right way
5. Step 4: Deadlines and timing
6. Step 5: Approval and proofing
7. Step 6: Communication best practice
8. Step 7: Print Lord support and troubleshooting
9. Call to action and the Print Lord difference

Slug: how-to-brief-christmas-print-hospitality

Image Search Query: hospitality print briefing

Scheduled Posting: 2025-10-23T08:00:00+00:00

Social Post:
Avoid last-minute headaches, Print Lord’s essential briefing tips for flawless festive print in hospitality. From the first item spec to final artwork, approval, and tracked delivery, every step is a chance to protect your brand and avoid Christmas chaos. Brief our team early, lean on our expertise, and let’s make your campaign smooth, sharp, and legendary. Print Lord. At your service. On brand. On time.

#HospitalityPrint #PrintBriefing #ChristmasCampaigns #PrintLord