Choosing an Appropriate Printing Partner

In today's economy, we all have to be more and more discerning about how and who we choose as partners to help us with our business challenges.

Do you know what to look for in a printing vendor?

We all need printed communication. From letterhead and business cards to catalogs and instruction manuals, the printing needs of a business are myriad. Here is a short list of what to look for in a potential printing partner/supplier:

• What is the range of their capabilities?
• Do they offer design services as well as printing?
• Do they offer both offset as well as digital printing?
• Can they bind or package your final product?
• Are there limitations on size of the final product or number of finished pieces?
• Do they offer mailing services?
• Do they deliver or ship?
• Do other people you know do business with them?
• What is their reputation in the community and their industry?
• Is their pricing competitive?
• What do they know about your industry?
• Do they ask questions?
• Do you know anyone at the company?

These are just "getting started questions" but we all have to start somewhere. Maybe you want to give them a trial job before you choose to give them all of your business. Be discerning, choosy and careful--but also be fair.

The Executive Pressman

Direct Mail: Making Sure Your Program is a Success

Before you embark on that direct mail project too far, make sure you have the right elements in place to make the program a success. Here is a short list of things to consider as you devise your strategy:

• Are your lists in order?
  
• Are they correct?
  
• Are their duplicates?
• Is the list matched to the offer you are making with the mailing?
• Can you monitor the results?
• Do you know what works and what doesn't in terms of design and copy (message)?
  

A successful direct mail program is more than just printing a post card and stamping it. You have to be very deliberate about who is getting and when and what you expect them to do with it once they receive it.

Thanks to our friends at Frugal Marketing dot com for the ideas presented here. Here's the whole story (http://www.frugalmarketing.com/dtb/directmail.shtml)
The Executive Pressman

The Value of Direct Mail

With all of what today's technology offers in the way of outreach to potential customers and clients, we shouldn't discount the value of direct mail.

While it is a bit 20th century, people still receive and open mail received either by the US Postal Service or the package delivery companies.

A recent story at Printing News.com came up with these three key attributes for direct mail:

1. The colors in a print add or mailed piece are usually more correct than what you can see or print at home from an on-line site.
2. We are still tactile and like to hold things in our hands. Direct mail is a thing you can hold.
3. Print has credibility. The reader knows that this piece they hold in their hands had to be research, edited, proofread and press checked before it got to them. Something comforting about something that gets that scrutinized.

So, before you cast direct mail to the scrap heap, consider these ideas. For the whole story, go to http://www.printingnews.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=3&id=7093&pageNum=1

The Executive Pressman

More Holiday Printing Ideas

With Christmas and the other end-of-year holidays approaching, it is time to consider other printing projects to help grow your business. We've already covered Christmas Cards. Here are a few more ideas:

• Consider customizing your business cards and letterhead for the reason. Either print a small quantity or add adhesive messages.
• A direct-mail offer for a reduced price item or special good during the season.
• A first-quarter catalog--we really need to think about holiday and Christmas catalogs the summer before the current holidays.
• A Christmas Card that is an ornament. Dye-cut printed items are easily done in small quantities.

Try something different and get attention for your business at this busy time.

The Executive Pressman

Christmas Cards

It is almost the end-of-the-year holiday season. Time to be thinking about Christmas Cards.

Whether you send out customized or off-the-shelf cards, send them to business associates or friends or family, cards mean a lot at this time of year. In business, they help you keep in touch with your clients and prospects by letting them know you are thinking about them.

Some rules of thumb when it comes to cards:

• Consider a custom card. Your contacts are less likely to find it in a store or receive it from someone else. You are more likely to be remembered as well.
• Sign your cards personally. If you have a large number of cards, this could be an issue. You might consider dividing up the list between your colleagues in the office to make it more manageable as personal.
• Do it in a timely fashion. Aim to have them arrive two weeks to 10 days before the actual holiday so that they can enjoy the card as well as be able to respond. Cards that arrive in January will be remembered but for possibly the wrong reasons.

The Executive Pressman

Concepts of Basic Design

One of the critical things to think about when you consider doing a brochure, catalog or other printed communication is the design of the piece.

Let's call this Design 101: the basic concepts of design.

Consider these concepts when you are talking with your designer. After all, it is their language:

• Balance
• Rhythm
• Proportion
• Dominance
• Unity

Balance is the concept of elements (text, graphics, white space) within a given space (in this case, the printed page). Balance is either symmetrical or asymmetrical.

Rhythm speaks to the repetition or alternation of those same elements.

The size and relationship between elements speaks to proportion.

Dominance is the relationship of size and position between the elements: what is dominant in the design?

And unity is describes the parts and the whole of the piece.

If you speak the language, you will not only communicate clearly to your designer, you will also understand how you are communicating to your audience.

The Executive Pressman
*Thanks to Joshua David McClurg-Genevese; from his article in Digital Web Design Magazine (http://www.digital-web.com/articles/principles_of_design/)

Letterhead, Business cards and brochures

They are the basics of reaching out to your clientele:

• Letterhead
• Business cards
• Brochures

Your letterhead, even in this day and age of electronic communication, is critical. If you do invoices or formal printed proposals in addition to correspondence, you need letter head (printed and an electronic version). Your letterhead should include:

• Logo or recognizable header including your company name
• Street address
• Phone numbers
• Website and e-mails

Business cards play a similar role. While all of the contact information is there, the color and choice and placement of a logo is key to recognizable brand.

Brochures could fill a whole post just by themselves. However, the same rules apply recognizable as being associated with you and your company and with the rest of your communication.

The Executive Pressman