July 13th, 2014
Posted in Brochure Printing | Comments Off on Commercial Printing Case Study: Is It Digital or Offset?
I received a promotional brochure from a custom printing vendor today, and I was struck by several aspects of its printing quality.
First of all, the brochure had been printed on a thick stock (15 point cover stock, six panels folded to 4 5/8” x 6 1/8”). The thickness of the paper made me feel that the company cares enough to spend a little more on paper and postage. It suggests opulence. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Brochure Printing | Comments Off on Commercial Printing Case Study: Is It Digital or Offset?
July 10th, 2014
Posted in Book Printing | 2 Comments »
I received an email from the book printer this week about the endsheet material for a case-bound book I’m brokering. It’s an annual 8.5” x 10.875”, 576-page, hard-cover publication with a press run of 1,000 copies. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing | 2 Comments »
July 8th, 2014
Posted in Info Tech | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Backing-Up Files to Avoid Catastrophe
I have mentioned in prior blogs that my fiancee and I experienced a house fire about three months ago. After the damage was done, I collected a number of items, including computers, external hard drives, CDs, and USB drives. My fiancee’s son, who was helping to collect undamaged items, uttered words I will remember forever: “Don’t save the computers; save the data.” He was referring to the fact that my hard drives, CDs, and other media held the most valuable part of my work: the spreadsheets, design files, and word processing files that represent the content of my work. Computers could be replaced; the effort reflected in the back-ups could not, without considerable heartache. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Info Tech | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Backing-Up Files to Avoid Catastrophe
July 6th, 2014
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Preflight a Print Job to Avoid Headaches
I received an InSite preflight report for a client today. I thought it might be helpful to share it with you, and to describe the feedback it presented as well as my response to both the book printer and to my client. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Preflight a Print Job to Avoid Headaches
July 2nd, 2014
Posted in Integrated Marketing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: More Uses for Interactive Print
As I looked through NewPage’s This Is Ed, #15 Interactive Print, again after writing the last PIE Blog posting, I noticed two more stellar examples of print ads combining ink on paper with digital technology. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Integrated Marketing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: More Uses for Interactive Print
June 30th, 2014
Posted in Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Benefits of Using Print Spec-Sheets
A friend of a custom printing colleague recently asked a question reflecting his growing frustration. “When I send out emails about upcoming jobs, why do print sales reps always ask for information I’ve already covered in my email, and why do they ask other questions about irrelevant aspects of the job?” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Benefits of Using Print Spec-Sheets
June 28th, 2014
Posted in Packaging | Comments Off on Package Printing: Indigo, Scodix, and Highcon, Oh My
In the movie The Graduate, Mr. McGuire tells Benjamin, Dustin Hoffman’s character, that he has one word for him regarding his future success: “Plastics.” To update this 1967 movie quote and apply it to the present state of printing, I’d say the word is “packaging,” and Highcon, Scodix, and HP will reap the benefits. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Packaging | Comments Off on Package Printing: Indigo, Scodix, and Highcon, Oh My
June 26th, 2014
Posted in Delivery | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Anatomy of a Shipping Pallet or Skid
There’s no better way to truly understand a process until you do it. This goes for custom printing and shipping as well as other business processes. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Delivery | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Anatomy of a Shipping Pallet or Skid
June 24th, 2014
Posted in Book Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Finessing the Weight/Thickness of a Book
One of my current clients used to work for me back in the ’90s, when I was an art director. She is a shrewd print buyer and very knowledgeable about commercial printing. So I was a bit amused and pleased to hear from her today about a print book I’m brokering for her. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Finessing the Weight/Thickness of a Book
June 22nd, 2014
Posted in Design | Comments Off on Commercial Printing: Selecting Ink Colors for Design
Color choice is a major tool in design for any printed or virtual image. Colors elicit emotion and give subtle clues as to the meaning of an ad, print book cover, poster, or website. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Design | Comments Off on Commercial Printing: Selecting Ink Colors for Design