DESIGNED AROUND YOUR BRAND
How to choose a corporate gift supplier in Lucknow
Lucknow has dozens of printers, gift traders and online portals that will quote for corporate diaries, calendars and logo gifts, and the quotes rarely describe the same thing.
To compare them fairly, fix the specification first — size, paper GSM, cover tier, logo method, packing, delivery — then ask each supplier the same twelve questions, insist on a physical sample before the bulk run, and read the quote for what is left out. This checklist is written by a Lucknow supplier; use it on us too.
The cheapest quote is usually the one that describes the least. The questions below take ten minutes on WhatsApp and remove most of the surprises that arrive in December.
Fix the specification before you ask for prices
Two quotes for "500 diaries" can differ by half, because one is a laminated board cover with 60 GSM paper and the other is PU with 70 GSM and a foil logo. Write the specification down once and send the same message to every supplier.
- Product and quantity, with branch-wise split if any
- Size (A5, B5), page count and paper GSM for diaries; sheet count and GSM for calendars
- Cover tier: laminated board, leatherette, PU or genuine leather
- Logo method and positions: foil, deboss, UV print, screen, laser
- Personalisation: names, departments, how many
- Packing: loose, sleeve, box; branch-wise labelling
- Delivery: address or list, hand delivery or courier, date in hand
- Billing: GST invoice, advance terms, PO if institutional
The diary sizes and GSM guide and calendar formats guide explain each of these choices if they are new to you.
Twelve questions to ask every supplier
Ask them in writing so the answers can be compared side by side. A supplier who cannot answer the first six quickly is probably reselling someone else's work without knowing it.
| Question | A good answer | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Who designs the artwork? | Named in-house designers; mockup in your colours before anything is printed | "Send the file, we'll print it" — no design step |
| Where is it printed? | A clear answer: own press, or named partner presses nearby | Evasive, or a different city with no local checking |
| Can I see a physical sample before the bulk? | Yes, brought to your office or ready at the studio | Only photos, or a sample "after advance" |
| What exactly is the paper and cover? | GSM, cover material and lamination stated on the quote | "Good quality" with no numbers |
| How is the logo applied, and at what size? | Method named per item; logo shown at actual size on the mockup | Method decided "at the press" |
| When will it be ready? | Working days counted from written artwork approval | "Within a week" with no start point |
| How is proof approval recorded? | Your written reply on email or WhatsApp; that file is printed | Verbal approval on a call |
| Who delivers, and how? | Own team in Lucknow; named courier with docket outside | "We'll arrange" — no responsibility |
| What if it is printed wrong? | Reprinted at the supplier's cost if it differs from the approved proof | No answer, or a reprint at your cost |
| Is GST invoiced? | Yes, on every order, in your billing name | Cash price "without bill" |
| What is the payment schedule? | Advance to confirm, balance before dispatch — stated | Full payment up front for a first order |
| Can I speak to a client you supplied last season? | A verifiable Google review with the product named, or a reference where the client allows it | Only testimonials on their own site |
Why the physical sample matters more than the price
A diary or calendar is judged in the hand, not on a screen. Foil shade, the feel of PU against leatherette, whether 70 GSM paper shows through, how a wiro calendar stands on a desk — none of these survive a WhatsApp photo. A supplier who will not produce one piece before five hundred is asking you to carry the risk of the whole run.
In Lucknow this is easy to insist on: the city is small enough for a sample to be brought to your office in Hazratganj or Gomti Nagar, or for you to visit a studio. Treat a refusal as information.
Reading a quote for what it leaves out
- Per piece or per lot?
- Compare per-piece prices at the same quantity. A lot price hides the unit cost and makes a quantity change hard to price.
- GST
- Is the price inclusive or exclusive? Two quotes 12–18% apart may be the same price.
- Logo and personalisation
- Are foil, deboss and names included, or "extra as per actual"? Ask for the extra now.
- Packing and delivery
- Is the box included? Is Lucknow delivery included? Is outstation courier shown as a line?
- Sample and design charges
- Stated, waived against the order, or silently added later?
- Validity and start point
- How long the price holds, and whether the timeline starts from advance or from artwork approval.
Local supplier or online portal?
Online gifting portals are convenient for small, standard items shipped to one address. For a season order — hundreds of diaries with your pages inside, calendars for every branch, names on covers — the questions above are the difference: who checks the proof, who holds a sample, who is accountable when a lot arrives short, and whether a human in your city answers the phone. For most Lucknow companies the practical choice is a local studio with a vetted press network; for a single-city gifting run with branch-wise delivery it is not close.
How we answer the twelve questions is on how we work; photographs of delivered work are on our work; and what clients say after delivery is on reviews. Compare us on the same sheet as everyone else.
Suppliers by area and buyer type
If you want a supplier who already knows your kind of order, the Lucknow areas pages describe how deliveries run in each part of the city, and the buyer pages — banks, government and PSUs, schools, dealer networks — list the questions specific to each.
Questions buyers ask when comparing suppliers
How many quotes should I get for a corporate diary order?
Two or three, all against the same written specification. More than that and the comparison takes longer than the saving is worth.
Is a cheaper quote from outside Lucknow a good idea?
Sometimes for a single-address courier order. For branch-wise delivery, samples and corrections, a local supplier removes most of the risk; add freight and the difference often disappears.
What is a reasonable advance?
Half on confirmation, balance before dispatch is the common structure. Full payment up front for a first order from an unknown supplier is a risk you do not need to take.
Should I ask for the supplier's GST number?
Yes. A GST invoice in your company's name is what your accounts team needs, and a supplier who cannot provide one is a warning sign for an institutional order.
How early should I start comparing suppliers for New Year?
September or early October. Samples, corrections and the 5–10 working days of production need November; December is for delivery, not decisions.
Can I use this checklist on RX Design Hub?
Yes — that is the point. Every answer is on how we work, and the sales desk will answer the rest in writing.
हिंदी में
लखनऊ में कॉर्पोरेट डायरी, कैलेंडर या गिफ्ट सप्लायर चुनने की चेकलिस्ट: पहले स्पेसिफ़िकेशन (साइज़, GSM, कवर, लोगो मेथड, पैकिंग, डिलीवरी) तय करें और हर सप्लायर को एक जैसा संदेश भेजें; बारह सवाल लिखित में पूछें; बल्क से पहले असली सैंपल ज़रूर देखें; कोटेशन में GST, लोगो, पैकिंग और डिलीवरी शामिल है या नहीं, यह जाँचें। यही चेकलिस्ट हम पर भी लगाइए। हिंदी में पूरी जानकारी।
See how we answer
BEFORE YOU ORDER
Turn this guide into a clear specification
Choose the essentials
Note the format, recipient and features that matter to this order.
Compare like for like
Keep size, quantity, material, branding and packaging consistent when comparing quotes.
Approve the details
Check the artwork and written specification together before production.