Printers and Publishers Insurance
Printing and publishing businesses work under tight deadlines with expensive equipment, paper inventory, inks, chemicals, digital files, customer artwork, delivery obligations and production promises. A single press breakdown, fire, misprint, cyber incident, employee injury or client lawsuit can interrupt operations and damage revenue. Casurance helps printers and publishers review Travelers commercial insurance options.
Printing and Publishing Risks Are Different from Ordinary Office Risks
A printing business may look like a service business, a manufacturing business, a delivery business, and a media business at the same time. Your insurance program needs to account for more than basic general liability. A press fire, damaged customer artwork, a missed print deadline, a defective packaging run, a copyright claim, a data breach, or an employee injury around machinery can create a serious loss.
Presses, Cutters and Bindery Equipment
Printing presses, cutters, folders, binding equipment and packaging machinery can be expensive to repair and difficult to replace quickly. Equipment breakdown and business income coverage may help if a covered equipment failure interrupts production.
Paper, Ink, Chemicals and Fire Exposure
Paper stock, packaging materials, solvents, inks and dust can increase fire and property loss exposure. Commercial property coverage should be reviewed around building values, equipment values, inventory, sprinkler protection, storage practices and business income needs.
Errors in Printing or Publishing Work
A wrong color run, missing pages, incorrect dimensions, misprinted labels, delayed book order, or publishing mistake can lead to client financial loss. Printers E&O or publishers liability may help address certain professional service or content-related allegations.
Cyber and Customer Data
Print shops and publishers often store customer files, payment information, mailing lists, artwork, manuscripts, and production files. Cyber liability may help with breach response, ransomware, forensic costs, notification costs and business interruption tied to cyber events.
Vehicles and Deliveries
Many printers deliver finished jobs, proofs, signs, publications, packaging, or promotional materials. Commercial auto and hired/non-owned auto should be reviewed when company vehicles, employee vehicles, or rented vehicles are used for business.
Who Needs Printers and Publishers Insurance?
Casurance can help review accounts ranging from small local print shops to larger commercial printing and publishing operations, subject to Travelers underwriting appetite, state availability and risk details.
Coverage Options for Printing Companies and Publishers
Commercial Property
May help protect the building, tenant improvements, printing presses, bindery equipment, computers, office furniture, raw materials, paper stock, ink inventory, finished goods and business personal property after a covered loss such as fire, theft, vandalism, water damage or certain weather events. Values should be reviewed carefully because a single press or finishing line can represent a major portion of the company's assets.
Equipment Breakdown
May help with covered mechanical, electrical or pressure equipment failures involving presses, cutters, folders, compressors, HVAC systems, production equipment, computer-controlled machinery or other essential equipment. For printers, equipment downtime can quickly turn into missed delivery dates and lost revenue.
Business Income / Extra Expense
May help replace lost income and pay extra expenses if a covered property loss forces the print shop or publisher to slow down, relocate, outsource work or temporarily close. This is important when customers depend on production deadlines, mailing dates, publication dates or seasonal campaigns.
General Liability
May help with third-party bodily injury, property damage, personal injury or advertising injury claims tied to the business premises or operations. Examples include a customer slipping in the lobby, a delivery person injured near the loading area, or accidental damage to property belonging to others.
Printers Errors & Omissions / Printing and Graphic Arts E&O
May help respond to allegations that a printing, design, production or fulfillment mistake caused a client financial loss. This may include errors such as incorrect quantities, wrong dimensions, missing pages, incorrect colors, faulty labels, or a missed deadline, depending on policy terms and exclusions.
Publishers Liability / Media Liability
Publishers can face allegations involving libel, slander, copyright infringement, invasion of privacy, plagiarism, unauthorized use of content, or errors in published material. Publishers liability or media liability should be reviewed for businesses creating or distributing content to the public.
Workers' Compensation
Printing employees may work around presses, cutters, forklifts, repetitive motion tasks, lifting, paper handling, chemicals, and warehouse operations. Workers' compensation may help pay medical costs and lost wages for covered work-related injuries or illnesses, and it is required for most employers.
Cyber Liability
May help with costs related to ransomware, data breaches, stolen customer files, payment system compromise, phishing, cyber extortion, forensic investigation, breach notification, legal response and restoration of electronic data. This is important for printers and publishers that store client artwork, mailing lists, subscriber data, manuscripts or payment information.
Commercial Auto
May help protect vehicles used for deliveries, sales visits, proof pickup, equipment transport, paper runs or client appointments. If employees use personal vehicles for business errands or deliveries, hired and non-owned auto should also be reviewed.
Inland Marine
May help protect property that moves off premises, such as signs, graphics, customer property, samples, laptops, portable equipment, production tools or materials in transit. This can matter when printed materials or equipment travel between production facilities, client sites, warehouses, trade shows or mailing vendors.
Commercial Umbrella / Excess Liability
May provide additional liability limits above underlying policies such as general liability, commercial auto and employer's liability. Larger print shops, publishers, delivery operations and businesses with contract requirements may need higher limits.
Product Recall / Correction of Work
Some printing operations may have exposure if a packaging run, label, instruction sheet, warning label, food label, product insert or promotional material contains an error that requires replacement, withdrawal or correction. Coverage availability depends on the type of work and policy terms.
Site Pollution / Environmental Liability
Printing operations may use inks, solvents, cleaners, chemicals, wastewater processes or storage practices that create environmental exposure. Site pollution liability should be reviewed if the operation has chemical storage, waste handling, historical contamination concerns or landlord requirements.
Crime / Employee Dishonesty
May help protect against covered theft of money, securities, inventory, checks or property by employees or other covered parties. This can be relevant for businesses handling client deposits, mailing funds, valuable paper stock, inventory or expensive equipment.
Real-Life Scenarios Printers and Publishers Should Plan For
Press fire stops production
A fire damages a commercial press, paper inventory and part of the production floor. Commercial property may help repair or replace damaged property, while business income may help with lost revenue and extra expense if the business has to outsource work or operate from another location.
Review: Commercial property, business income, extra expense
Printing mistake causes client financial loss
A packaging printer produces labels with the wrong product information, forcing the customer to delay distribution and reprint the order. Printers E&O may help respond to certain claims alleging financial loss from a covered professional mistake.
Review: Printers E&O, contract review
Employee hand injury near bindery equipment
An employee is injured while operating cutting or binding equipment. Workers' compensation may help cover medical care and wage replacement for the employee, while risk control procedures may help prevent similar incidents.
Review: Workers' compensation, safety controls
Cyber breach exposes customer mailing data
A ransomware attack locks the print shop out of production files and exposes customer mailing lists. Cyber liability may help with forensic costs, notification expenses, data restoration, legal response and business interruption tied to the cyber event.
Review: Cyber liability, business income, crime
Delivery vehicle accident
A company van delivering finished print jobs is involved in an accident. Commercial auto may help with liability, vehicle damage and related claim costs based on the policy.
Review: Commercial auto, umbrella
Publisher receives copyright or libel allegation
A publication, article, advertisement or distributed content triggers an allegation of copyright infringement, libel, slander or privacy violation. Publishers liability or media liability should be reviewed for these exposures.
Review: Publishers liability, media liability, umbrella
Equipment breakdown delays a seasonal campaign
A press or folding machine breaks down before a high-volume seasonal mailer. Equipment breakdown and business income coverage may help reduce the financial impact if the loss is covered.
Review: Equipment breakdown, business income, extra expense
Customer slips near pickup counter
A customer picking up a print order slips near the front counter. General liability may help respond to covered bodily injury claims and related defense costs.
Review: General liability
What Casurance Reviews Before Submitting a Printing or Publishing Account
Documents That Help Speed Up a Quote
The fastest way to review a printing or publishing account is to provide current policy information and any contract requirements. Casurance can review the details and help identify which Travelers options may fit the operation.
- Current insurance policy or declarations pages
- Current renewal offer if available
- 3–5 years of loss runs if available
- Client contract or certificate requirement
- Lease insurance requirements
- Equipment schedule for presses and major machinery
- Business personal property / inventory estimate
- Vehicle schedule if the business owns vehicles
- Workers' compensation payroll by class if available
- Description of printing process and services
- Sample customer contract, proof approval process, or terms and conditions if E&O is requested
Tip: Upload your current policy or contract requirement on the quote form and Casurance can compare coverage, limits, and endorsements against what your printing or publishing operation actually needs.
Related Coverage Pages
Related Resources
Related Industries
Need to Insure a Printing Company or Publishing Business?
Send Casurance your current policy, lease requirement, client contract, or basic business information. A Casurance specialist can review your printing or publishing operation and help you understand Travelers commercial insurance options for property, liability, E&O, cyber, workers' compensation, auto, umbrella and certificate needs.
Coverage is subject to underwriting approval, state availability, policy terms, exclusions, conditions, and limits. This page is for general information only and does not modify any insurance policy.
About Casurance Agency Insurance Services
Casurance Agency Insurance Services is a licensed independent commercial insurance agency based in Los Angeles, California. Casurance helps businesses review commercial insurance options for general liability, workers' compensation, commercial auto, commercial property, cyber liability, umbrella and specialty insurance programs.
714 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Frequently Asked Questions
Get Your Instant Quote
Fast. Free. No Obligation.