Business phone system for commercial printing companies in Illinois

Commercial printing companies in Illinois by the numbers

The Census Bureau counted 801 commercial printing companies in Illinois in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 323111). They employed 18,770 people in mid-March and reported $1.3 billion in annual payroll. That is the 5th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Commercial printing companies make up 0.25% of the 322,415 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Illinois has 6.3 commercial printing companies, 41.6% above the national rate of 4.5. The average establishment has 23.4 employees against 18.5 nationally. Payroll per employee is $67,045, 9.9% above the U.S. figure of $60,982.

Commercial printing companies by metro area in Illinois

Census published commercial printer counts for 20 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Illinois. The largest is Chicago, IL-IN, with 686 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 11% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at commercial printing companies in Illinois

46.8% of Illinois's commercial printing companies with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 50.9% nationally. 63.8% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

What commercial printing companies in Illinois use the phone for

Print shops handle quotes, proofs and deadlines, and clients call often to check on jobs. Rush jobs depend on quick responses.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for commercial printing companies in Illinois:

• The printer calls a client about a file problem.
• A designer calls about paper stock.
• A client calls about a rush order.

When nobody can pick up

Deadline calls can arrive late in the day.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

Phone system pricing for a 23-person commercial printer

Commercial printing companies in Illinois average 23.4 employees, so the comparison uses a 23-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $573.85 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $690.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 23 people cost $459.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $2,772. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Area codes in Illinois

Illinois has 17 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your clients know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

How Callata works for commercial printing companies in Illinois

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

If you already have a number in Illinois, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.