Digital versus Offset

What's the difference between digital printing and offset printing?  Well, besides being done on different machines, the processes are quite different.  However, digital quality seems to be catching up.

"Recently I showed a client two samples of printing done using the two processes," Jennifer Beaty said. "He really had a hard time telling the difference between the two."

Jennifer is the managing partner of Executive Press, a full-service printing and direct-mail company based in Richardson, Texas. Executive Press provides both digital and offset services to their customers.

"We really have both processes because they are needed in different situations," Jennifer continued.  "smaller quantities and tighter deadlines are a better fit for digital and larger format and special treatments, such as full-bleed covers, are better when done on an offset press."

While the final products are produced on different machines, the design and file preparation is becoming more alike.  As we talked about in an earlier post, digital computer files are now used to produce plates for offset presses.  In the digital printing version, files go straight to the digital press for production.

A short list of reasons to use offset printing:

• When colors of inks have to match another project.
• Oversized or full-bleed projects like a folder or special cover.
• Large runs of the final product, usually over 1,000 copies.

A similar list for digitally printed projects:

• Shorter runs (as few as 10).
• Short deadlines and quick turnaround.
• When similar projects have also been done digitally so as to match one another.

For more information on when and how to choose digital versus offset printing, please call Jennifer or the team at Executive Press at 214-217-7000 or visit their website.

The Executive Pressman

Choosing Paper

Choosing the right paper makes all the difference in the world when it comes to the appearance and acceptance of your printed piece.

"Consider that the touch and feel of your brochure is a first impression just as much as the color and size of the item," Jennifer Beaty said. Jennifer is a principal in the Executive Press.

"When it comes to paper, we consider the choice as much as we do the ink color and design," Jennifer continued. "If we've done the design, then we've chosen the paper based upon how it fits the rest of the design. If we aren't the designers, then we work closely with the outside designer to ensure the finished product looks and feels the way they envisioned it would be," she said.

Based in Richardson, Texas, Executive Press is a leading provider of printing and printeing related services, mailing and distribution services.

When choosing paper, consider some if not all of teh following:

• Weight.
• Color.
• Surface finish.
• Texture.
• Adaptability to ink.
• Final use.

Papers come in many weights, usually measure in pounds (lb). A 100 lb stock is heavier than a 50 lb stock, for example. The weight is based upon the weight of a specific number of pages of a certain size.

Color is usually white. Ink will be used to change the look of the paper based upon the final design. Colored papers are usually used in office situations and not in custom printing jobs.

Coated, uncoated, coated one side are all considerations for the surface of the piece. Will you be writing on it? Will it have to be folded?

Some coated stocks are resistant to certain inks and some specialty inks dry from the top down to the paper and some from the paper up.

Will teh final piece be a brochure or a mailer? Will it be kept in a file or used daily?

Lots of considerations, so consult a professional. For more information, contact Jennifer or any member of her team at Executive Press at 214-217-7000.

The Executive Pressman

The Elements of Direct-Mail Marketing

When it comes to direct-mail marketing, there are several things to think about as you put together a successful program:

• What is your offer?
• Do you have a targeted list?
• What does your package look like? Is it appealing?
• Have you tested it?

Unless you know what your specific offer is, don't create a mail piece. Example offers include: half price, buy one get one free or 50% off. The more specific you can be, the more return you will get.

The more you know about your list and the more accurate and up to date it is, the more return and response you will get.

Consider the shape and size of your package or piece with reference to US Mail regulations as well as memorability. Color, shape, size are all important. Think "will this get past the executive's secretary?"

Trying things out in advance of the actual mailing is key to success. Just like a car test drive, if you can send a sample to 5 or 10 test subjects and record their responses, you can be assured that the item will work.

For more information about successful direct-mail campaigns, call Jennifer Beaty at Executive Press, 214-217-7000. Or check out this story on Answers.com, which was the inspiration for this post.

The Executive Pressman

What Our Customers Say: Dalfort Media

The greatest project in the world means nothing if you can't meet the deadline.

Dalfort Media knows all about deadlines.

"I ordered a printing job from Executive Press and they finished it ahead of schedule and even delivered it to me by courier when I couldn’t pick it up, Nick Nichols told us. Nick is a principal in Dalfort Media Internet Marketing, an online branding and reputation management company based in North Texas.

"Nick asked us to print his brochure," Jennifer Beaty said. "We not only delivered it early, but we ensured that the level of quality he needed was there," she said.

Jennifer is the managing general partner of Executive Press, a full-service printing and mailing house based in Richardson, Texas.

"We understand our customers have a choice," Jennifer continued. "We go out of our way to make sure the balance is struck between quality, cost and schedule. "

"I was very happy with the quality of the work and will definitely order from them again," Nick said.

For more information about Executive Press, Call Jennifer or any of her team members at 214-217-7000.

The Executive Pressman

Offset printing

In this day and age of the digital press, there still is a place for offset printed products.

So, just what is offset printing?

"Offset printing is a printing process that transfers an image from a plate to a blanket to paper," Jennifer Beaty told us recently. "There are several types of offset printing, including photo offset, sheet-fed offset and web offset."

Jennifer is the managing partner of Executive Press, a full-service printing and mailing company based in Richardson, Texas. Offset printing is a big part of what they offer their clients.

"Understanding the offset printing process is critical to understanding printing in general," Jennifer said. "The creative input stays about the same, but the mechanical differences between offset and digital are vast."

For larger jobs, offset is the better choice. Catalogs, magazines and multi-page products with special bindings are better matched to offset, Jennifer told us.

"We are very fortunate to have some of the best pressmen in North Texas on our staff," Jennifer said. "Between them, Luke Stacy and Todd Johnson have almost 60 years of printing experience."

"When you add in Jay Norwood, our bindery manager, we have three great craftsmen working for our clients," She said.

To reach Jennifer, Luke, Todd, Jay or any of the Executive Press team, call 214-217-7000 or visit their website. They know offset.

The Executive Pressman

A Fulfilling Opportunity

OK, so you’ve printed up the manuals, product brochures and posters that your clients and prospects need to use.

Now what do you do with them?

“We learned a long time ago that when a customer asks for help, you find a way to help them,” Dave Allen said. Dave is a principal owner in Executive Press in Dallas.

Recently, Executive Press’ client, Atlas-Copco, requested help with their literature and product support materials distribution. While Executive Press’ primary business is printing and mailing, collateral distribution is only a few steps removed from the kinds of fulfillment they were already doing for other clients.

“My partner, Jennifer Beaty, went on a visit to A-C’s Denver operation,” Dave related to us. “When she arrived she thought she would be touring the facility and meeting some new people. However, before she left they asked for help in the distribution of their manuals, brochures and posters, We were more than happy to lend a hand.”

What Dave and his team did was create a system that can be applied to other customers’ needs as well. All of the collateral is stacked on simply-built shelves in an empty portion of Executive Press’ warehouse. All of the 400-plus shelf spaces are labeled with a bar code. That bar code corresponds to a line in an inventory program.

“With a basic storage and distribution system,” Dave said,” we distribute over 400 pieces of printed material to nearly 300 distributors and end-users of A-C’s products. Our bar-code-based system helps us reach out to these clients on average 6 or 7 times each day.”

The distribution system has done a number of things. First, it took the load off of a valued client. Secondly, it is a low-cost alternative, since the client pays for the shipping and gets one bill for all distributions at the end of each month. And, lastly, it allowed Dave and Executive Press to regain use of unused warehouse space and cement an important relationship.

“We’re very grateful to Atlas-Copco for asking us to help them with this business issue,” Dave said. “We’re happy to help.”

You can find Dave and the other members of the Executive Press team by calling 214-217-7000 or by visiting their website.

More on QR Codes

More and more of our clients are using QR codes as a way to communicate with their customers. We are seeing codes used in these ways:

• On the backs of business cards to either bring up a website or contact information.
• At the bottom of a brochure or fact sheet as a way to link to deeper information or a longer form type of content.
• In a technical manual (which, by the way, have gotten really small) to take you to the in-depth version of what you are trying to fix/adjust/replace.
• On equipment to give more information of how to operate that equipment.
• In flyers or single-page ads that allow for more information to be shared--including photos and videos.

The list keeps getting longer and more useful by the day. Consider the code. Here are some links to software that both creates and reads codes.

• Kaywa
• QR Stuff.com
• Smartytags
  

Then bring the code to us and we'll include it in your printed piece.

The Executive Pressman

What Our Customers Say: WRA Architects

Having a business partner who knows what they are doing is very important to the success of your business. We are very fortunate to have WRA Architects as a partner.

Recently, our client at WRA, Grady L. Frank, told us what he thought of the working relationship he has with Executive Press.

"Marketing professional services, especially in the design arena, demands very high quality in all our printed imagery, Mr. Frank said. WRA depends on imagery to help sell their end product and brochures and other quality printed pieces are a part of their promotion as well as the final deliverable.

Mr.Frank, AIA, is Director of Marketing for WRA Architects, Inc.

"I've been in marketing over twenty years and started using Executive Press four years ago, and have never looked back," Grady continued. "Their pricing is competitive, their turn-around time is excellent, and their quality is outstanding."

Grady also feels that while quality is important, a printer's consistent dependability and ability to deliver is just as important, if not more so.

"Executive Press delivers our expected level of high quality on every job without variation," he said. "But what puts Executive Press above other printers in my book is the knowledge and professionalism of their staff. They are very accommodating with my press-checks, they know how to make my jobs come out right every time, and they remember our firm's subtle preferences, which is not easy, but greatly appreciated."

"I highly recommend Executive Press to anyone needing a fully equipped, agency-quality, commercial printing source."

To learn more about Executive Press, please call Jennifer Beaty at 214-217-7000.
The Executive Pressman

The Three M's of Direct-Mail Marketing

This is a real simple way of remembering what is important in direct-mail marketing:

• The Market
• The Message
• The Mailing List

Any one of these without the other is pointless.

Know who you are marketing to and what you are offering to them based upon what they need. Knowing the market and its preferences makes the rest easier.

Define your message by your audience, then stay on message. Being clear about who you are, what you do and how you do it will help your suspects, prospects and clients get to know you and continue to do business with you.

Knowing who is on your list and how closely it resembles your target audience is critical. Sending your information to the wrong audience doesn't do much good for either of you.

This post of generated after reading this article by Janet Attard on the Business Know-How site.

The Executive Pressman

The New Image of Executive Press

Every day we work with our clients to help them with their image and brand to be the best in their industry.

Now it's our turn.

"We have a new look to our brand," Jennifer Beaty said. "Beyond the new logo and colors, we have refocused our business and are emphasizing the way we do business with our clients."

Jennifer is Vice President and managing general partner of Executive Press. Executive Press is a Richardson, Texas-based provider of printed communication.

The launch of the new look is the culmination of many months of work by Jennifer and her team to emphasize the team aspects of Executive Press both to its customers and within its own walls.

"Executive Press is built on long-term relationships, both with our clients and our staff," Jennifer continued. "Without the constant support of either group, we wouldn't be in business."

Emphasizing quality work, excellent turnaround times and clear communication, Executive Press is positioned to be the best mid-sized printer of 4-color and digital printed communication and mailing services in North Texas. However, with clients in Colorado, Houston and Oklahoma, that reach is growing.

"We are growing and improving every day," Jennifer said. "This new identity is just the start for the next phase of Executive Press."

The first public viewing of the new company identity will be at today's 1st Tuesday Connections networking group in North Dallas.

The Executive Pressman

Save a Forest: Print Your Emails--A Different Lesson in Being Green

Recently International Paper Company reprinted a story from the Wall Street Journal that encourages us to print our emails to save a forest.

Huh?

The common perception is that "being green" means keeping trees, not using paper and natural resources. However, the authors, Chuck Leavell and Carlton Owen, argue otherwise.

"What many folks don't realize is that it (not printing) also may indirectly hasten the conversion of forests to other uses like strip malls and parking lots and housing developments because the nation's forest landowners can't keep growing trees without markets for this natural, organic and renewable product," Chuck wrote for the WSJ.

It is not that the authors are advocating waton waste, they said. More forests are dying of insect infestation and disease or being paved over...right now than could be converted to an email print-out in a thousand years, they said.

Paper is a renewable resource and using it carefully and recycling it and its byproducts is more green than ignoring it completely. So be green by using paper.

The Executive Pressman

Executive Press Appreciates Labor-Saving Features of New Suprasetter

Running cleaner and greener is a long-term goal of Executive Press. Since we replaced a violet Platesetter with a Suprastter A75 thermal computer-to-plate device from Heidelberg we have been both.

Used to image Heidelberg Saphira Chemfree plates for the company’s four offset presses, including a 6-color Speedmaster SM 74 and 4-color Printmaster GTO, the new Suprasetter “fell right in line with our workflow,” said General Manager David Allen. Most impressive to Allen and his team is the automatic top-loading capability of the new platesetter, which provides fully automated plate loading and slip sheet removal that permits mostly unattended operation of the unit.

Executive Press has a longstanding commitment to green printing. Accordingly, the company has converted to soy-based inks and prints on post-consumer waste recycled or FSC-certified paper, unless our customers specify otherwise. The company has implemented proven systems in its production area to reduce energy usage while recycling all paper and aluminum plates used in the printing process.

The new Suprasetter contributes to this effort with its own set of environmental credentials. Consuming 0.7 kilowatts per hour, the Suprasetter A75 platesetter draws around five times less power and generates around five times less waste heat than comparable models from other manufacturers.

“Heidelberg equipment is simply the best there is, and their service technicians are well-trained, knowledgeable and persistent,” Allen said. “There’s none better.”

Approaching a quarter-century in business, $2.5 million Executive Press currently employs a staff of 12, and serves real estate and building clients and a variety of associations doing business in North Texas.

The Executive Pressman

Choosing a Valued Marketing Partner: Ovation Health & Life Services

We are very fortunate to have the clients we have. We appreciate them for choosing to do business with us and we appreciate their challenges as well.

Daniel LaBroad, President, Ovation Health & Life Services, Inc., is one of our key customers. When Daniel was in the process of branding his company, he was looking for just the right partner to help.

“A company is only as good as it’s brand. Ovation has spent lots of time and money creating and managing our image," Daniel said.

Ovation Health & Life Services provides and manages benefit programs for businesses and public sector groups.

"Recently, our media firm created a high-quality print piece that is now the center of our marketing," Daniel continued. "After several interviews, we chose Executive Press to handle the printing of our marketing collateral."

"This was a large expense for us, and I was nervous, Daniel said. "Executive Press did an outstanding job throughout the entire process by communicating constantly, offering suggestions, and giving us a high quality product. They put all my concerns at ease."

Ovation now uses Executive Press for all of their printing needs including their client benefit books and event fliers.

"Executive Press is a great business partner. We highly recommend them," Daniel said.
The Executive Pressman

Things to Consider in Design

With all printed products, the design and creation phase is critical. Some things to consider when you either ask to have something designed by your print partner or bring to them:

• The program it is originated in
• File sizes
• Appropriate notes and instructions
• Time

"Each of these are important considerations," Jennifer Beaty said. "If you can't provide most of these either quality, schedule or budget will be compromised," she said.

Jennifer is the managing partner of Executive Press, one of North Texas' premier print and direct-mail companies.

The program the design was originated in is important because that tells the print house what the output will look like. Most designers or printers us one of the following programs in either Mac or PC:

• Acrobat
• Photoshop
• InDesign
• Quark
• Illustrator

File size is important, given that you will most likely have to pass the file along over the internet (electronically). Consult with your IT provider to see if there are file size limits for outbound files; check with your print partner to see if they have limitations on inbound file sizes.

Always include notes and instructions with your files to make sure that the people on the receiving end understand things like finished size, output color and paper stock.

Time is probably the most critical: give your partner time to produce the piece if you have a deadline. That doesn't mean that if you have a Tuesday deadline that they get it Monday night!

A little planning and a lot of consideration go a long way toward a successful finished product.

The Executive Pressman

Making Premiums Work for You

There are any number of ways to get visibility for your company. One of the most direct is using premiums or branded giveaways.

But simple it is not.

"We work with a number of premium suppliers here in the North Texas area," Jennifer Beaty said. Jennifer is the managing partner of Executive Press, a marketing and printing company based in Richardson, Texas. "They all tell us the same thing: you get remembered by being in front of people each and every day."

Premiums include the typical pens, shirts and hats. But they can be more than that.

"We provided reflective stickers for breaker boxes," Whitey Thomas of WT Promotions said. "That way when the lights go out, the customer knows who to call."

Even in the usual places your items need to be branded.

"I want my customer's names in front of their clients every day," Judy Smith of Promo Pizazz said. "It's all about repetition."

Key things to look for in promotional items:

• Are they useful to the client?
• Is the brand name prominent?
• Is it durable and lasting?
• Will the client comment on it?
• Is it integrated into a larger program? That is, does it fit a theme or is it tied to your company somehow?
  

"The best promo items are the ones your client thanks you for later," Jennifer continued. "Whether it is a useful or fun item, it has to be memorable."

For more ideas or to reach Jennifer or one of her North Dallas Chamber (NDCC) colleagues, call 214-217-7000.

The Executive Pressman

The Importance of Business Cards

They are the first line of defense of the networker: a business card.

It is amazing how this thin sliver of heavy weight paper with your name on it can be so important. But consider this as you go out and meet clients and new prospects and suspects that each card has:

• Introduces you by name and brand
• Your contact information
• A life after you leave

And if you design it right, has blank space on the back for notes and can be read by most scanners.

"In my seminars I tell my students to "always carry business cards. Always," Paul E. Maynard said. Known as the Relentless Networker, Maynard knows. "I've traded business cards with people in cabs in Mexico, in airport terminal everywhere and through the mail for almost 30 years."

A good card design features:

• A clear typeface and a simple design
• A quality paper stock to reflect your professionalism
• A blank back for notes
• A logo or other identifying mark

And be sure and buy them in enough quantity to last. Also consider your letterhead, envelopes and other stationery to be consistent with your brand.

The Executive Pressman

The US Post Office and Direct Mail

While they are in the mailing business, the US Postal Service has done a great job of promoting and marketing direct-mail marketing. On a visit to their website the other day I found a whole collection of information that is a good resource for you if you are considering integrating direct mail into your marketing program.

The USPS cited a number of advantages of DMM on their website. Direct mail is:

• Targeted
• Personal
• Flexible
• Tangible
• Measurable
  
• Easy to start and run

Now, if the guys who deliver the mail say all of these things, than it must be true, right? Well the DMA (Direct Marketing Association) backs them up on their website and most professionals in the field, including ourselves, say the same things.

But remember, too, that direct mail is most effective when it is part of a concerted, coordinated, branded program. And you have to give your targets the option to "opt out." Courtesy is still important.

The Executive Pressman

www.executivepress.com

Direct-Mail is Not Dead

Direct-mail marketing is not passe--not even close.

The DMA (Direct Marketing Association) reports that in 2009, marketers--commercial and non-profit--spent $149 billion on direct marketing which was over 50% of all advertising expenditures for the year.

A big part of this effort was direct mail.

Direct-mail marketing is popular and results in a high return because:

• It is targeted to a specific prospect by name.
• The content is customized.
• The return and results are measurable.

For more information on how you can make direct-mail marketing work for you, please call Jennifer Beaty at 214-217-7000 or visit our website at www.executivepress.com.

The Executive Pressman

Invitations

Courtesy, kindness and protocol die hard.

While it is popular (and sometimes, accepted) to issue and respond to invitations electronically, the days of printed and mailed invitations and thank-you notes are far from numbered.

Invitations to important life events still are popular and alive. The kinds of events that still rely on printed invitations include:

• Weddings
• Bachelor and bachelorette parties
• Baby showers
• Super Bowl parties

Step back, Evite, you aren't the end-all-be-all.

As for other printed cards, consider that hand-written notes still have a significant impact with those who receive them. For example:

• A new business associate remembers a hand-written thank-you note longer than an email thank you.
• Newly married couples still follow the protocol of sending hand-written thank-yous to their wedding guests and gift-givers.
• A potential or new employer not only remembers a hand-written note, they appreciate the gesture.

Printed invitations and notes live on because personal interaction is still very important.

For more information about how to design, print and distribute these important printed items, please call Jennifer at Executive Press at 214-217-7000.
The Executive Pressman

Coupons and Offers

Quite often a story appears in the media about people who buy their groceries with coupons and little or no cash. But coupons and offers aren't just for groceries.

"We've been experimenting with text offers and Q codes," Jennifer Beaty said. "We've had a good response, too."

Jennifer is the managing partner of Executive Press. They found that using these new age "coupons" was a natural extension of their direct-mail and other marketing offerings they provide for their clients.

"We first have tried it for ourselves to see how it would work to build our business," Jennifer said. "Our first text offer came at the recent North Dallas Chamber of Commerce's Building Business Expo."

Executive Press started with a sign in their Expo booth with an offer to text to a number for either dollars off your next order or a free digital print.

"The response was more than we expected, quite frankly," Jennifer said. "It shows that people are far more digitally oriented than we imagined in a business-to-business environment," Jennifer said.

Q codes are another option. The simple barcode variation allows customers to scan them and be taken to a specific website or custom URL.

For more information about direct text marketing and Q codes, visit www.executivepress.com or call Jennifer at 214-217-7000.

The Executive Pressman