January 3rd, 2013
Posted in Greeting Cards | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Send New Years’ Holiday Cards
Here’s an idea. Do something unique. Send your clients and vendors a New Year’s holiday card instead of a traditional, December-type card. Stand out from the crowd. Make your business memorable. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Greeting Cards | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Send New Years’ Holiday Cards
January 2nd, 2013
Posted in Business Forms | Comments Off on Business Forms: What You Need to Know
About twenty years ago I was a graphic designer. Among other jobs I produced for my employer each year, I designed a payment book and an application form. These are decidedly not sexy jobs, but even in the age of the Internet they are essential for some firms. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Business Forms | Comments Off on Business Forms: What You Need to Know
December 27th, 2012
Posted in Book Printing, Digital Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | 2 Comments »
On this custom printing job, we’re trimming the book costs to the bone. A print brokering client of mine is producing a family history from the Second World War. He needs to keep costs down since he will be paying the bill himself. However, it’s his legacy. Therefore, the book has to look really good. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing, Digital Printing, Soft Cover Book Printing | 2 Comments »
December 19th, 2012
Posted in Direct Mail, Postcard Printing | Comments Off on Direct Mail Packages: Postage Costs Will Rise in January
It’s coming. You can almost set your clock by the postage rate increases. Every year, the US Postal Service can raise rates. As long as these increases do not exceed the rate of inflation, the Post Office does not need the approval of the US Congress. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Direct Mail, Postcard Printing | Comments Off on Direct Mail Packages: Postage Costs Will Rise in January
December 14th, 2012
Posted in Business Cards | Comments Off on Business Card Printing: Avoid Toner Scuffing
I’m in a bit of a quandry.
I’m have contracted with a commercial printing supplier to print business cards for a brokering client of mine. My client wants 500 business cards on Classic Crest Eggshell cover stock. The plant manager noted that my client’s digital print business cards will not be as abrasion resistant as offset-printed cards. This will be especially true if someone puts a business card in his/her wallet or if the card gets a lot of handling (i.e., abrasion from the natural skin oils on people’s hands). The commercial printing plant manager said the Indigo toners will scratch more easily than offset ink because the toner does not seep into the paper. Instead, it sits up on the paper’s surface. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Business Cards | Comments Off on Business Card Printing: Avoid Toner Scuffing
December 12th, 2012
Posted in Direct Mail, Integrated Marketing, Magazine Printing, Offset Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing Is Still Alive According to Online Sources
I came upon a few articles recently that show various venues in which the printed word still flourishes.
Direct Mail Packages Just Work
The first article is a snippet from a commercial printing supplier’s website. I work with this vendor as a broker. Let’s call them “Printer A” so as not to give them an unfair advantage. To quote from their website, “This political season, [Printer A] printed and mailed over 24.5 million pieces in a three-month period.” To continue, this printer has noted increased spending on direct mail packages. Printer A attributes this resurgence to businesses’ attempting to attract new customers by using “mail that gets noticed.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Direct Mail, Integrated Marketing, Magazine Printing, Offset Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing Is Still Alive According to Online Sources
December 10th, 2012
Posted in New Technology | 4 Comments »
I learned a new word today: “bespoke.” It means “to a buyer’s specification” (Wikipedia), and in the most recent era of print production it means that presses are being manufactured to exactly fit the print supplier’s needs. Think of it as “mass customization” for printing professionals (hardware, that is, rather than printed products). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in New Technology | 4 Comments »
December 2nd, 2012
Posted in Promotional Products | 6 Comments »
I read an interesting article today on the PM (Promo Marketing) website referencing IBISWorld’s market survey on promotional products. The good news is that revenue is increasing. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Promotional Products | 6 Comments »
November 29th, 2012
Posted in Catalog Printing, Integrated Marketing, Large-Format Printing, Magazine Printing, T-Shirts | 2 Comments »
I visited a retail clothing store with my fiancée today. I went in because she wanted to see the shop, but I quickly got lost in the way the décor of the store, its wall and floor signage, lighting, wall paint colors, merchandise tags, music, and avant garde employee attire all came together to create a coherent, bold atmosphere. (Let’s call the store B&B, to make it somewhat of a hypothetical example of good marketing and design.) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Catalog Printing, Integrated Marketing, Large-Format Printing, Magazine Printing, T-Shirts | 2 Comments »
November 24th, 2012
Posted in Digital Printing | 6 Comments »
I read an interesting article today about the future of digital custom printing. It seems to be very, very bright. The article on WhatTheyThink.com, entitled “drupa 2012, the Inkjet drupa…Again? The New Face of Print” notes that “…there were 46.1 billion color digital pages printed in 2010, and that number will jump to nearly 130 billion by 2015.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Digital Printing | 6 Comments »