Although St. Louis has various printing companies dealing with sheet-fed printing, not all of them offer services such as color separation, cutting, binding, laminating and finishing. You probably want to use a printing company that can supply you with all the services you need. Rely on the expertise of the company to pick the paper and color. It is possible to negotiate just about anything in a printing job, since everything is focused on the specific job in question, but ask questions and be open to small changes. The electronic pre-press is a growing industry.
Cost is a considerable factor in any printing job.
Some ways to trim costs would be to reduce colors and weight of paper, and to use standard paper sizes. Also keep in mind that additions such as varnish, binding and grain direction will be significant factors in the cost. If a printing job is canceled after the production has begun, the printers have the right to bill for the work completed. It might be wise to ask when production is scheduled to begin. If changes are made on proofs that do not involve correcting a mistake made by the printer, the customers are responsible for costs acceding the original quote.