Posts Tagged ‘ printing ’

“The Customer is in Compete Control” Q&A with Lisa Hoffman, PrintPlace’s Product Manager

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Here are some informative highlights from an interview with Lisa Hoffman, Product Manager of PrintPlace. The company started as a traditional commercial printer, but invested heavily in advanced technology to revolutionize the industry’s business model. Hoffman gives this and many other reasons PrintPlace is the fastest growing online printer in the industry today.

Prices and customer service sets PrintPlace apart from other online printers
Our customers say we have the best customer service and best prices. We have no specific market [which means we cater to individuals and companies equally]. We are the only online printer with a certified G7 Expert (color expert) on staff. We offer more flexibility in our options than most printers. With our new Same Day Turnaround service, we offer more products on a same day turnaround (including booklets) than any other online printer, especially OFFSET – not digital.

100% offset printing at digital printing speeds
We are 100% offset (no digital printing) yet we offer lower minimum quantities and faster turnarounds than many printers. PDF proofs are free and UNLIMITED. Customers can upload, reject and re-submit as many times as they want for no additional charge. We generate high resolution PDF proofs faster than any other printer – 3 minutes or less.

Recommended design software
We recommend PDF/X1-a format for best results, since this format combines the best color and font management and produces the least possibility for error. Many of our customers use Adobe InDesign or Illustrator and export to PDF with excellent results. Publisher is fine as long as the included images are saved at 300 DPI resolution. Our website contains articles that detail how to export from many popular design programs.

Our automated upload accepts PDF, TIFF, EPS or JPEG. Native files can be sent via FTP to our file repair department who will export and upload to the customer’s job for a nominal fee.

Our art department can convert a customer’s file to PDF for a nominal fee. If a customer uploads a print-ready TIFF or JPEG file, our automated proofing system will convert to PDF for proof review.

Press capabilities
Our presses are all Komori sheetfed, 40” capacity, with inline aqueous coating. We also offer UV Coating as an option. Our newest Komori presses reduce paper waste with de-inking and pre-inking technology for faster and more accurate make-readies (more jobs per shift & its green to save sheets). The presses integrate with MIS which further streamlines our operations, which are some of the most advanced and automated in the nation.

Bindery capabilities
All of our bindery is in-house. We cut/trim, fold, glue, die-cut, score, perf, saddle stitch bind, hole drill, shrink wrap, tab, and process direct mail.

Mailing services
Yes. We can even provide mailing lists. Customers can save time and money by printing and mailing in a single ordering process.

Turnaround is 100% determined by the customer
Customers tell us what turnaround time they need when placing an order. We have options from Same Day turn to 7 Day turn, depending on the customer’s need and budget. Our turnaround times are NOT just estimates – they are guaranteed!

Everything is printed in CMYK
If you submit an RGB document, it will be automatically converted to CMYK during preflight. PrintPlace’s state-of-the-art color managed workflow automatically detects the ICC profile attached to your RGB file (if you have included one) and manages the color through the conversion process. If you upload an RGB file, please be sure to download the converted print-ready PDF from our system to view the color after the conversion. Changing from RGB to CMYK will always produce some color shifting and a reduction in the color gamut because it is impossible to reproduce the entire RGB color palette with an offset press. We recommend creating and submitting your document in CMYK to assure the color looks as close to your original file as possible.

Quality control to ensure the best prints
Press Operators are held accountable to get the form to color before putting sheets on the counter. We collect data from every press run and inspect the data to correct unwanted trends. We use the G7 methodology to ensure consistency.

Print guarantee
Satisfaction Guarantee covers rerunning or refunding the job. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, contact us within 10 days of receipt of order, and if the order is found to contain an error that is not within our allowable tolerances, we will reprint all or part of it on an expedited turn.

The customer controls the printing
The customer is in complete control of the entire ordering process. They no longer have to wait for a salesperson to pick up a disk or wait for days to receive a proof after uploading to FTP. They approve the proof and send to press at the click of a button. From there, they can check the status of their job in real time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Email notifications are generated automatically at each important stage of the order, keeping customers constantly informed and in touch with their project. As soon as the job ships, they receive tracking information via email.

Why customers should choose PrintPlace over their local printers
We offer the best of both worlds: the personal attention of a local printer, albeit not “face to face,” but at a much better value and without sacrificing quality.

The recent recession has caused people to take a closer look at all of their expenditures, as they no longer have the luxury of buying solely on relationship or “comfort.” Local printers usually employ commissioned salespeople, which results in a significant increase to their cost of doing business. Additionally, their manual method of producing jobs just doesn’t afford them the opportunity to compete with the automation and “lean manufacturing” of online printers. This is evident by the fact that despite the faltering economy, PrintPlace is growing and expanding, rather than shrinking. We just opened a second facility to service our West Coast customers in 4th quarter 2008, and our East Coast facility is soon to follow in New York. We believe this illustrates the confidence of customers to consider online printing as not only a viable, but a preferred, option for their printing needs.

3 Missteps in Print Design

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These days, graphic designers are often categorized by their medium of choice: either Web or print. Those that are new to print or are trying to make the leap from Web to print, often make these common printing mistakes.

1. Designing in RGB instead of CMYK
Printers don’t print using RGB (red, green and blue), the colors that computers emit to produce what you see on-screen. Printers produce colors by combining cyan, magenta, yellow and black. (Actually, cyan, magenta and yellow pigments act as filters, subtracting varying shades of red, green and blue from white light to produce color. CMYK is considered subtractive colors, whereas RGB colors are considered additive because adding the colors together produce different colors.)

img rgb 3 Missteps in Print Design

 CMY = subtractive

img cmy 3 Missteps in Print Design 

RGB = additive 

Printers use CMYK to produce color for print, which means when you’re designing something on your computer, the colors you see will be RGB. You can switch to a CMYK palette, quite easily though in Photoshop by changing the “Color Mode” option to CMYK Color. If you submit an RGB file to a printer, you’ll likely be asked to convert it to a CMYK file, or the printer will print your file without concern about the color accuracy. It’s up to you to make sure that your color is set correctly.

2. Not using Rich Black
When you have large black text (meaning not body text) or any image that needs a lot of black, it’s best to use Rich Black rather than just standard black (which is 100% K). 100%K looks like a dark gray, a washed-out black. Take a look at the image below to see the 100%K black on the right. (You might have to move your position in front of your computer screen to see the difference.)

What you should see is that the circle on the right is slightly lighter than the Rich Black circle on the left. The difference comes from using the other CMYK colors to fill in the black color. Rich Black is created from combining all four colors to saturate the color.

The problem with using Rich Black is that the registration, or alignment, of the plates can be a bit off. This creates a kind of 3D look to your text. 

You can easily fix this by outlining your text with .5 of 100%K. Outline just inside the text or image so that registration is not noticeable.

3. Using the wrong resolution
A blurry image can make an otherwise great brochure or design ineffective at best and confusing at worst. Most printers print at about 300 dpi (dots per inch). The resolution of a computer monitor is 72 ppi (pixels per inch), which is the default setting in Photoshop and Illustrator.

All you have to do is change the dpi to 300 or more (some printers print at 600 dpi), found in the File – New menu that comes up when you start your document in Photoshop.

Why and How to Advertise in a Tough Economy

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Historically, companies that continue to run ads during tough economic climates come out ahead of their competitors who stopped advertising when times got rough. Procter & Gamble, Chevrolet and Camel cigarettes were just a few brands that continued advertising though the Great Depression, and came out ahead of their competition. For instance, during the 1920s, Ford outsold Chevys 10 to 1. Chevy continued to advertise and even expanded their advertising budget during the depression, and as a result, in 1931, Chevy was the top-selling car maker, outing Ford. Camel did the same thing – except Camel started out on top before the Depression, but was ousted out of the high spot in cigarette sales by Lucky Strike. Camel increased ad spending during the Depression and took its top spot back in the cigarette category.

Why You Need to Continue Advertising

1. Less competition: With companies scaling back or eliminating their ad budgets, that leaves room for you to get into more markets with less money. Low competition means lower ad costs.

2. People are looking for deals: If you can offer consumers a deal on your products, they will come. People still spend money during a recession (which we still aren’t quite in yet, according to experts), they just don’t spend as much of their money. Of course, those people that are always frugal still have money to spend.

Frugal Advertising Techniques

Flyers: This is an oldie, but a goodie. You can print flyers or brochures with black ink on colored paper to give your flyer some eye-catching punch, while keeping your budget way low. Even color brochure printing isn’t that expensive, and the more you buy, the more money you can save. Try printing flyers with a message that will last you through the holidays so that you can order a large number and continue using them for the next few months. Bulk discount and longetivity sound good to me!

printing flyers Why and How to Advertise in a Tough Economy

Write a great press release: If you can get the media to do a story about you, whether in your local newspaper or magazine, that’s free advertising right there. It’s even better than running an ad in the publication because people will know that you didn’t pay for the coverage!

Why and How to Advertise in a Tough Economy

Word-of-mouth advertising and referrals: This is one I turn to when times are tough and it works well. Offer an incentive that you can afford to give to current customers who drive new customers your way. Whether it’s one free item or a discount on a service, as long as the referral will end up covering the cost of the free item for your current customer, you’ll build goodwill with current customers and get new ones!

mfln192l Why and How to Advertise in a Tough Economy

Find an advertising partner: This is a business or person who offers a product or service that complements yours. You can either split ad costs with this person and offer customers a two-for-one type of deal, or you can simply exchange business cards and brochures to set up in each other’s store. Either way, it’s cheap advertising for both of you.

If you need more ideas, you can look up “guerrilla marketing techniques,” which are cheap ways to market your business that rely more on time and imagination than money.

How To Write a Winning Newsletter

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So there has to be a good enough reason as to why you will do marketing with the most excruciatingly boring piece of e-mail sent to the customers, right? Right! Marketing with newsletters is not an easy job and may give you the results you are looking for. There are thousands of companies who are leaving out a huge chunk of the market share because their strategy for using them is not very good. Unfortunately, most of the businesses which fail miss out on a very important piece of information. According to them their latest offering is great and keeps them excited as they feel that the customers require their product and will fall for buying what they are offering. Due to this, their newsletter basically just revolves around the features, the company holdings etc. Well, for those who did not know, your clients are not interested in you or your product.

So how does one go about creating a newsletter which will be read and will help expand the possibilities of increasing more sales and clients? Well, frankly there are not management books you will come across which will teach you how to do the same. But you don’t have t be a Harvard graduate as well to write a brilliant newsletter. There are no set rules as such but keeping a few things in mind can actually show some great results. Read on to know a few reminders of how you can achieve brilliance with newsletters:-

1. Do not focus on your company and its offerings as it will result in certain death of your client newsletter. If at the very first go, you scream out your business efficiency and products, your clients will take zero interest. You need to understand the fact that this move will mean nothing but another “everyday” desperate marketing effort made to sell to your clients. It is in fact a hardcore truth that your clients are not interested in knowing about how your business operates. This in turn makes deciding the material or the content of your newsletter the most important and difficult task.

2. Content, believe it or not makes the whole difference. Think of content in a way that people can use in their real lives. This means the content should be engaging enough that the client gets hooked on to it instantly. Achieve this and your purpose is fulfilled. Try and make the content more useful and enticing, this will give your newsletter a more genuine and admirable look to it. The more time they spend reading it, the more are the chances that they will take an action afterwards. There is nothing like conveying genuine feelings, so make sure to give it a little personal touch as well. You will see the difference on your own.

3. Absolute consistency is vital. When you promise to send your customer a periodic newsletter, do it. If you fail to stick on your words, your customers will never care about you. Think of options, make use of festive seasons and keep reminding them that you are there. But be careful, you cross the line and all of it goes to the “junk” folder. In most cases, sending out monthly newsletters is very effective. People don’t mind reading what you offer, just like monthly magazines. After a particular time frame, they will automatically start expecting it.

4. At the end of the day, newsletters ARE an important marketing tool. Keep experimenting. Keep contests to get people hooked on, give out offers, free vouchers/coupons or gift cards which will leave the customers with a lot more than they expected. This will create a sort of bond between you and your clients. Another thing that can be tried is to include names of the people and their testimonials that have referred your company. Just make sure that you offer them something that is exciting and enticing as well.

These are just a few things that can make your newsletter really shine and stand out from the crowd. Also, do not expect instant results. Consider this form of marketing a long term one where customer relations can only be built over a period of time.

How Effective is Your Print Ad? 4 Questions to Ask

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Anyone can create a print ad – just get into Photoshop or Word and start typing, right? Of course, we all know it isn’t that easy. I guess I should have opened with “anyone can create a crappy print ad”! But no one can have good sales just by running any ol’ print ad. It needs to have certain elements to make it work. The five questions below will help you judge the effectiveness of your print ad.

1. Does the headline grab the reader’s attention? Advertising guru David Ogilvy states in his book, Ogilvy on Advertising, that the headline is read five times as much as the body copy. An ideal headline is nine words or less. It’s easy to compare a headline to a billboard: a billboard should be no more than 8 words long to catch people zooming by. People will also zoom by your print ad if the headline is too long.

A headline that grabs a reader’s attention is generally one that includes some kind of benefit to the reader. Ogilvy states that headlines that have some sort of promise benefits are read four times as much as headlines with no benefits.

2. What kind of graphics are you using? Photographs always work better than line drawings to draw in readers. But, you need to pay attention to the content of your photo: photos that show a solution rather than a problem are much more compelling. You also want to make sure that your photo relates to something in your business. Don’t include an interesting picture of a beach at sunset if you aren’t advertising that destination. People will be disgruntled when they learn your ad is for something totally different, like computers.

3. How long is your body copy? Long copy generally works better than shorter copy, which I think goes against our current culture. People are so busy and have such short attention spans that I wouldn’t think longer copy would work. But it does. If you couple long body copy with a great headline that draws people’s attention to the ad, people will read all of the copy to find out more about the product or service.

Of course, this also depends on your audience. Younger people that are used to texting and IM-ing prefer shorter copy because they are used to communicating in as few words as possible. Older generations prefer longer copy because they are used to reading more books and text-heavy ads.

4. How convenient is it to make a purchase? Ads that don’t include a call to action that says to call or visit a store aren’t as effective as those that do include a directive for people to follow. You need to make it crystal clear to consumers how they can reach you to make a purchase, and give all the necessary info. Give your URL, your phone number, street address and any other info that will make it easy for a customer to contact you.