Every print shop has recurring work that initially looks small but, with all the subtasks combined, involves a lot of moving parts: send a quote, request artwork approvals, move the order to production, and keep the customer looped in throughout the process.

When every step requires one of your employees to perform a manual task, jobs take longer, and you risk losing new opportunities. 

Automation creates a more dependable process with repeatable tasks like the above. It keeps routine work moving so your team has more time for estimates, production decisions, customer relationships, and the next sale.

In this Printavo Master Class, Craig Mertens, Matt Marcotte, and Courtnee Wampole share the workflows successful shops are using now, from native Printavo automations and timed follow-up to Zapier connections and practical uses for AI.

What print shop automation should accomplish

Think of your workflow as a straight line. Your team enters information once, starts the first action, and lets the process continue until the next point that truly requires a person to decide, solve, or connect.

That progression matters because every duplicate entry or stalled handoff adds cost in labor hours. The goal is to reduce unnecessary touchpoints, ensure consistent follow-through, and keep work visible from quote to payment.

One small automation can return a full workweek. A one-minute quote email, sent 10 times a day over 48 working weeks, amounts to 40 hours a year. Automating that single step can give one sales rep a week back.

Build these five automations first

Automate quote follow-up without losing the personal touch

A quote that is sent out can easily get lost if a larger order takes over your production schedule. A time-based chase sequence keeps that opportunity active without asking a sales rep to scan a status list every morning.

A practical sequence can start when the quote moves to a sent-for-approval status. Printavo sends the approval request by email or text. After two business days, the system checks whether the status has changed. If the customer has neither approved nor declined, the quote moves to a second-attempt status, and a reminder is sent. One day later, it can trigger a final follow-up.

The workflow can also notify the invoice owner with the customer’s name and phone number, so the next step is a personal call. Dynamic shortcodes pull the correct order and contact details into each message, keeping communication relevant without having to retype the same information.

Learn more about time-based automations in Printavo.

Request payment as soon as the order is approved

Payment collection becomes harder when invoicing is separated from the order workflow. Courtnee described the old pattern in her shop: jobs went out the door, invoicing waited, and valuable time was spent reconstructing order details weeks later.

Her team now builds payment into the sequence. When a customer approves an order, Printavo can send the appropriate payment request before production begins, with separate rules for customers who have payment terms. The information entered for the order can support the quote, invoice, work order, purchase order, and payment request, rather than being rebuilt in several places.

That creates a clear expectation for your customer, protects cash flow, and prevents production from starting before approvals are confirmed and payment is received. 

Keep customers updated at the moments that matter

Customers don’t need an update on every single order movement, but they need reassurance that things are running on schedule. Status-based and time-based messages can cover common updates, such as art approval reminders, payment reminders, production progress updates, pickup readiness, shipping details, and post-delivery review requests.

The stop condition is important. A delayed message should run only if the quote or invoice is still in the original status. If the customer has already approved, paid, or moved forward, the outdated reminder should not send. That simple condition keeps communication timely and avoids unnecessary cleanup.

Move work between people and departments automatically

Automation helps your customers, and can also help your employees. It can notify the next employee when it’s time to move ahead. When an approval arrives, a task list is completed, or a production status changes, Printavo can update the order, apply a preset task list, add work to the schedule, or notify the right owner based on the workflow you configure.

This reduces the number of questions the owner needs to answer or responsibilities they need to juggle. That way, the owner can focus on higher-value decisions and revenue-generating work. The process remains visible, and accountability belongs to the person responsible for the next step.

Connect forms, CRM data, and other shop tools

Native Printavo automation is the right place to start when both the trigger and action live inside your Printavo workflow. Use an external connector, such as Zapier, when information needs to flow between Printavo and another system.

For example, a quote request submitted through a website form can create customer or quote information in Printavo. A new contact entered in a CRM can create the matching customer record, so sales reps do not have to enter it again. Order data can also move from Printavo to a spreadsheet, email platform, or task-management system when that supports your process.

The rule is simple: if the data has already been entered once, look for a reliable way to map it to the next system rather than asking someone to copy it.

See the Printavo Zapier guide for supported connections and setup resources.

When to use Printavo, Zapier, or a custom API

• Use Printavo automations when a trigger, delay, status, message, task list, payment request, or scheduling action occurs within the shop workflow.
• Use Zapier when information needs to move between Printavo and another application through a supported no-code connection.
• Use a custom API workflow or an experienced implementation partner when the logic is highly specific, the connection is not supported, or the process is too important to learn by trial and error.

Start with what your existing tools can already do. A dependable workflow that your team adopts is more valuable than a complex build that never launches.

Adding AI to your workflow

Start by defining the problem, documenting the repeatable steps, and marking the places where an employee still needs to make decisions. Then you can decide whether automation, AI, or a process change is the right answer.

A few basic examples of where AI can help: 

• Draft email message variations
• Turn a rough process into a formal checklist
• Summarize customer information, 
• Build small calculators and shop tools. 

With this approach,  AI becomes part of your overall solution, instead of another tool the team has to manage.

Keep it human

The best automation enhances your customer support. Use them to handle confirmations, routine reminders, status updates, and internal prompts for your team.

For the human touch, you can still have your team handle consultative sales, complex project decisions, intricate design work, complicated deadline conversations, and relationship-building with new or existing customers.

Courtnee said her shop has grown partially because customers know they can reach a person. Automation helps her respond quickly, while a phone call keeps the conversation personal. That balance improves speed without making everything feel generic for customers. 

How to start this week

1. Find one recurring bottleneck. Look for a task repeated several times a week, information entered in more than one place, a follow-up that depends on memory, or a handoff that regularly stops with the owner.
2. Map five parts of the workflow. Define the trigger, any delay, the action, the stop condition, and the person who owns the exception.
3. Build the smallest useful version. Start with one quote reminder, one payment request, or one internal notification rather than redesigning the full shop at once.
4. Test before expanding. Run sample jobs, confirm the right people receive the right message, and make sure completed or changed orders do not receive stale follow-up.
5. Measure and add the next workflow. Track time saved, faster approvals, payments collected, and fewer dropped tasks. Use the result to choose the next bottleneck.

Software creates value when the team uses it. If quoting is your immediate roadblock, start with a quote follow-up. If approvals or payments delay production, start there. A small amount of setup now can return hours every week and give your shop more capacity without adding another manual checkpoint.

Ready to build a clearer path from quote to production? Start a free 7-day trial to see how Printavo integrates quoting, approvals, payments, customer communication, and production into a single workflow.

Already use Printavo? Explore the automation setup guide or contact your Customer Success Manager for help building the first workflow.