External print

Find out how to order print work from external suppliers.

Print Marketplace

Sussex uses an external service called Print Marketplace to allow staff and students to purchase printed items from pre-approved suppliers at competitive prices. Print Marketplace is a UK-wide digital platform developed by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), designed to provide value for money and a simple ordering process.

Timeline

The Print Unit will close on Monday 30 June. Please be aware that from Friday 13 June you will only be able to submit new orders if they can be completed before the service closes.

You can start using Print Marketplace straight away.

How to use Print Marketplace

Set up your account

Anyone with a Sussex email address can create a buyer account and log in via the CCS portal.

Instant quotes

Print Marketplace allows users to get instant quotes for a wide variety of common print items. You simply select the item and specifications you want for your product and then search through the list of quotes provided, which can be filtered by factors including price, delivery distance and delivery time.

Items you can order with an instant quote include:

• Books, booklets and brochures
• Cards and stationery
• Posters, flyers and leaflets
• Labels and stickers
• Mail packs
• Exhibition and display items
• Branded items (lease contact our in-house Digital & Creative Media team in the first instance when planning new branded products)
• Accessible forms of print, including braille, embossed and 3D printing.

Step-by-step instructions and video guides are available on the Print Marketplace website to help guide you through the ordering process.

Assisted quotes

If you need to order complex, uncommon or accessible print items; you’re not sure which specifications to choose when ordering your print; or you have any questions about your order; you can get an assisted quote with help from the customer support team print specialists using the contact details below.

Contact the customer service team

support@print-marketplace.co.uk
Monday - Friday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
+44 (0) 161 850 2831

Live Chat support is also available on the Print Marketplace website during working hours.

Finalising your designs

• Designing items from scratch
  

  To get started producing on-brand designs, chat to the Digital and Creative Media team by emailing dcm@sussex.ac.uk. You can also go directly to one of the creative suppliers on our roster. 

  You are responsible for ensuring that your work adheres to the Sussex brand guidelines and house style.

• Reprints and tweaks

  If you have produced a Sussex-branded item before, which you would like reprinted with just a small change, the Print Marketplace team will be able to help you. However, you will need to share the full artwork files for it. If you are requesting a change to artwork that was not initially designed by Print Marketplace then a standard £40 hourly fee will apply.

Submitting your designs for print

All artwork must be uploaded to Print Marketplace in PDF format.

• Ensuring a PDF is print-ready

  Please read the PDF artwork guidelines on the Print Marketplace website or watch this instruction video. The system will run a ‘pre-flight check’ on your PDF to ensure it meets the standards and specifications required to produce a high-quality product. If any changes need to be made you can delete and re-upload your artwork.  

• Changing submitted artwork

  To change artwork that you have already submitted, contact the customer support team as soon as possible. If the supplier hasn’t started the printing process they should be able to swap in your new artwork. If they have started to prepare the print there may be a fee to pay for the work completed.

  The Print Marketplace design team can help with last-minute design changes, but if you are requesting a change to artwork that was not initially designed by Print Marketplace then a standard £40 hourly fee will apply.

• Ordering standardised Sussex stationery

  You can order standardised Sussex stationery such as letterheaded paper by using the Print Marketplace online design tool, where you can use Sussex's pre-approved templates to order items that meet our brand guidelines.

• Proof copies

  To request an Epson (inkjet) printed proof of your artwork, and/or dummy blank paper samples, fill in an assisted quote form and state that you require a proof copy in the ‘overview’ or ‘additional comments’ section.

• Paper sustainability

  We recommend using Chain of Custody (FSC or PEFC) paper as this guarantees that your paper comes from sustainable sources. Recycled paper options can be more expensive, which will be factored into your quotes.

  To see which paper type will work best for your needs, you can ask the customer service team to send you paper samples before you order.

• Sensitive content

  During the ordering process you will automatically be asked, “Does your artwork contain content of a sensitive nature?”. If you click yes, your request will be forwarded to the customer support team. A request number will be created for your records, and a member of the customer support team will contact you to finalise your quote and discuss secure print options with you.

  You can track your quote requests in the My quote requests section of the website.

• Lead times and fast-tracking

  Once you have requested your quote, you will be shown a variety of suppliers and the lead times they offer. 

  If your order is urgent, please contact the customer support team rather than requesting an instant quote. The team will then brief suppliers appropriately.

Paying for print

• Making payment

  Students: please pay using a debit or credit card.

  Staff: please pay either by using your University P-Card if you have one, or by raising a purchase order in Unit4 for your chosen quote. Search for ‘A24458 Print Marketplace – Allied Publicity Services (Manchester) Limited CCS’ in the supplier box on Unit4.

  If you plan on paying by purchase order, please raise it once you have chosen your quote. Quotes will remain live in the Print Marketplace system for 30 days, during which time the price won’t change.

• Value for money

  Select the specifications (e.g. paper weight, finish) that you require for your printing to be produced at the quality you desire. If you need any guidance please contact the customer support team.

  Staff should always seek to achieve value for money in their purchasing activity. The appropriate balance between cost, quality and sustainability are factors that may vary between specific requirements, so we ask you to exercise your best judgement when choosing a supplier.

• Performance concerns

  If you have any concerns about the performance of Print Marketplace, please email contracts@sussex.ac.uk.

Other services

Ordering replacement ID cards

You can continue to order ID cards from the Print Room using the current request form up to the end of the day on Monday 30 June. The process for ordering new ID cards after that point is being finalised, with discussions ongoing with relevant teams to ensure there are no gaps. More information will be published in due course.

Bulk photocopying

We have multi-function self-service printers in the Library and the IT Services clusters on campus, which are ideal for small print jobs, photocopying and scanning. 

If you need more than 1000 copies, please request an assisted quote on Print Marketplace and send a scanned PDF version of your file for bulk printing.