If you find yourself in Vientiane, Laos, looking for a place that delivers decent print services, this post may be helpful to you.

Last week, I was looking to print a new set of business cards. I had seen a place in town advertising printing and “name card express”, and because of its convenient location I decided to have them print a small batch of business cards for me. Their service was indeed fast, and also cheap, but the product didn’t live up to my expectations: the printing was smeared, the cutting was crooked, and the paper unexpectedly had a silvery glitter feel, which wasn’t what I was looking for.

Dismayed, I went searching for one of the two big printing companies that I knew should be located close to the Russian Circus. One is Savang Printing, which allegedly is the number one printer of books in Laos – the other is Nakhon Luang Vientiane Printing, which prints many Lao newspapers and which is the only printer in town authorized to print Lao passports.

I was on my bicycle, and even though I’ve always found myself to be a reasonably capable navigator, I find it difficult in Laos. Street names and Google maps just don’t take you all that far here.

Hence, I spent some time that afternoon biking around the Russian Circus area until I more or less stumbled upon Savang Printing. A narrow and potholed dirt road took me down to a large building holding an impressive printing operation. The staff there was kind and helpful, and I ordered a second batch of business cards.

This time the results came out a lot better: professional printing on a heavier stock. The cutting still leaves some to be desired, but I felt I ended up with a decent product. I have also used Nakhon Luang Vientiane Printing before, although never been there, but I know that they deliver decent print materials as well.

In conclusion, I recommend going a little out of town for your printing needs – it’s worth the drive.