I have never been a fan of online printing services because you dont have the opportunity to work hand in hand with the printer. I have heard so many horror stories about people who printed business cards, letterhead, postcards, etc. online and received smudged prints, off colors, and tons of other mistakes.
A few years ago I tried VistaPrint because they had such great prices. I figured, what could go wrong? I was printing blue text on a white card. How could they mess that up? Well they found a way. The cards were a bit crooked and there was a blue ink droplet on every single card. The printer equipment obviously made a mistake, as my PDF mockup had no such spots. Then I realized that VistaPrint's cards were not standard size business cards. They were a tiny bit smaller than they should be, but enough for me to notice it. Finally, after paying for a product that wasn't up to par, VistaPrint decided to essentially spam my email every day with new deals they had. I sometimes received two different email offers from them every day. Needless to say, I was not happy.
Last week I decided that I needed to print business cards for Migliorisi Design. I have been getting a lot of requests for sites, and to be honest, having no business cards kind of hurts my credibility and professionalism. I looked into a traditional printer that I have worked with before on some cards I have designed for a client. They were way too expensive for what I wanted - Multiple colors, gradients, color on both sides, and a subtle gloss. My only option, based on money alone, was to use an online printer.
I did some research and found a few online printers. Unfortunately, all of them had both great reviews and terrible reviews. I didn't know what to do. I figured, for 1500 cards with the requirements above, $45 shipped was a good deal and was worth it. Even if the cards came out bad, I wouldn't be losing alot of money.
I decided to use PSPrint (www.Psprint.com). They have a nice online designing system. I uploaded my own PDF mockups for the front and back of the card and within minutes had an online PDF proof. It isnt as good as a real proof, but it is the best they can do online. I placed my order and crossed my fingers. I received my cards in less than a week. I opened them up and - wow! They came out perfect. Black on both sides with shades of blue and some white. They look beautiful. The blue gradients look great. The fonts are crisp.
I must say, if you are looking for cheap online printing, then PSPrint is the way to go. There might be other online printers, but I can only vouch for these guys. Cheap, quality printing, and fast shipping - What more can I ask for?