The wide format moniker reminds me of the digital description when we first entered this arena in 2006. When we added digital capabilities there was, and to some extent still is, what the term digital described. Was it a production process? Is it a color output on a digital machine? Does the word digital describe the variable data process? The answer is yes to all of the preceding questions. While the Acuity joomla_4ice incorporates a digital imaging process, its capabilities are far greater than what most people would think of when using the term digital. To provide a better idea of our new capabilities, following are the top 5 products that we can now provide with our new capabilities:

Indoor Signage– We can produce point of sale signage, window signage and interior decorations for retail and corporate settings. This application is a perfect fit for theatres, universities or retail facilities that have a variety of signage needs.

Custom packaging– With the ability to print on corrugated board and coupled with the simultaneous installation of our flatbed router, we can create custom packages for your next premium purchase.

Rigid Substrates- We can now print on almost any PVC, Acrylic or vinyl product. Once again, coupled with the cutting joomla_4ice, we can print and cut to custom shapes and sizes.

Point of Purchase Displays– More than just point of sale signs, we can now create dimensional graphics for retail settings.

Product Decoration– With the capability to print onto flat items that are up to 1-3/4” thick, we can now customize many premium products in-house.

Combining all of these new capabilities with our existing digital and conventional print processes, along with our existing in-house finishing processes and further adding in our agency services will allow us to be a single source creator for the communication needs of any organization.

Have you ever noticed an exceptional print piece? Do you remember what made it exceptional? There are a number of critical factors that can make or break your next print campaign:

1. Excellent design
2. Original professional photography
3. Creative writing
4. The best raw materials

Did number four throw you? When was the last time you thought about the raw materials that go into the production of your printed piece? Inks, plates and processing chemicals can have a direct impact on your final product. Change one variable and the whole job can be impacted for the better and more often worse. Whenever I give people a tour of our facility, I'm always careful to show them our inventory of raw materials that go into their finished products. Consistency in the materials used to produce your products is vital if you want consistency in your final deliverable.

The expression “quality in, quality out” is really true when it comes to producing a printed piece.
So, the next time you plan a marketing campaign, think about whether the printed piece is really a commodity. That way, you won't spend tens of thousands of dollars and weeks of emotional energy, just to be shortchanged at the finish line.
 

Selecting a color palette for a new brand or a brand redesign is one of the most important steps in the branding process. Since several other factors must be considered during the process, such as the core values and perceived strengths of the company, color becomes that much more important because it reflects the brand.

The psychology of color must also be considered because research indicates that color affects human behavior, often manipulating or even changing one’s moods or emotions. In addition, certain colors have been proven to impact blood pressure and metabolism. They can also have an effect on test scores. For example, red has been shown to have a positive impact on speed and reaction time in certain activities such as athletics. Blue-colored streetlights have been connected to a decrease in crime in areas with these lights.

When considering the selection of color it may be helpful to know the following attributes of color and the emotions they may elicit:

Blue: harmony, confidence, and faithfulness
Red: power, passion, and anger
Yellow: wealth, optimism and pleasure
Green: spring, hope and envy
Black: mystery, mourning and darkness
White: light, goodness and innocence
Purple: combines the stability of blue and the energy of red; noble, luxury, and dignity.
Orange: combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow; vibrant, engaging and creative

The emotions a color represents and the symbolism it creates have been commonly used in advertising. For example, red is the color that carries the strongest reaction and attracts the most attention. It is commonly used in advertising to make a product or brand stand out, for example, Coke. Blue is most frequently cited as a favorite color of people and therefore the most commonly used color in corporate identity.

It’s fascinating how something as small as the color can change an outcome or image. What have been your findings in terms of colors and marketing? Email us at marketing@perfectprinting.com.
 

source: psychology.about.com
 

There is sometimes a big difference between the two. Beyond the list price, the internet based printing companies often charge additional fees for many of the services that we would provide at no additional charges. In addition, the internet based companies have some limitations that any buyer should be aware of. Some of these include:

1) Payment Terms– For our corporate clients we offer payment terms, which is basically a loan as part of our service. Internet based printing companies often require payment in full prior to the job shipping.
2) Delivery charges– For smaller jobs we provide local delivery at no charge, internet based companies charge this as an additional cost beyond the quoted amount. If the job is a rush and needs to ship by air the charges can easily add up.
3) Rush Charges– The internet companies list prices with a standard turnaround fee. Rush charges can easily increase the job by an additional 50% of the quoted price.
4) Changes– Many of the internet companies do not allow any changes. Once your job is submitted it is considered approved. The only way to change the job would be to reprint it.
5) Additional subscriptions– One of the major internet based print companies makes a significant portion of their revenue by selling magazine subscriptions at the end of the checkout process. Many buyers are unaware of this until they see the charge on the credit card and have difficulty reversing the charges.
6) Stock Limitations– In order to minimize their costs the internet companies typically offer a very limited choice of stocks. If the stock matches your needs great, if not, you are out of luck.
7) Color proofs– For those who have color critical jobs and require a hard proof, most internet companies offer only an electronic proof. For those that do offer hard proofs, the costs can be substantial.

While some of the internet companies do have some built in pricing advantages because they offer a limited scope of products, buyers should look at the context of the entire job to make sure that there will be no surprises after it has been delivered.
 

First, what do designers mean when they say they specialize in Environmental Graphic Design? What are some examples?
Environmental Graphic Design (EGD) is a term used to describe graphic design for the built environment. It bridges across many design disciplines including graphic, architectural, interior, landscape, and industrial design, all concerned with shaping the idea of place.

I was first introduced to EGD in college when I worked on a team that was joomla_4eloping a wayfinding system for senior citizens that were experiencing dementia in their assisted-living facility. These seniors would get lost or confused while traveling the long, unvaried hallways of the building and have trouble finding their way back to their rooms; adding to their overall anxiety and fear. Our team made design additions that gave them much stronger visual cues of location and place which resulted in less confusion for the residents and an improvement in their overall quality of life.

Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a variety of EGD projects that have included airport, museum and hospital wayfinding systems, retail signage and graphics for malls, exhibit design and interpretive graphics for museums, and branding/identity signage for public installations and institutions. Each project poses a different set of challenges that keeps things interesting!

Do you take a different approach to designing signage for example comparing to the approach taken when designing a brochure or other marketing collateral?
There are similarities and differences between signage and print design. Both require conceptual phases, design Development phases and then production phases. With signage, there are a lot of technical aspects that cross over into the realm of architecture and interior design. A big difference with signage is in most cases it is physically more permanent than print. Signage needs to be able to withstand the elements (especially if it’s outdoors or in a public space) and be structurally sound while meeting code requirements. The general scale of the work is also very different. Often with print, the finished product can viewed at actual size throughout the project. With signage, environmental graphic designers work at a reduced scale since it’s impractical to do otherwise.

Can digital and physical environmental graphics co-exist?
Yes, definitely. There have been great technological leaps forward in the past decade that are redefining the boundaries between our physical and virtual environments. In many cases our physical and virtual world are becoming intertwined. I can’t wait to see where the next decade takes us.

We’re beginning to see a lot of discussion about the creation of experience, particularly as it relates to connecting products, brands, organizations and places with potential consumers, members, and community members. Can you describe how this impacts your approach to design?
I think consumers and the general public expect and desire a fully branded experience from companies and organizations these days. There are many more brand “touchpoints” (e.g. physical spaces, websites, print collateral, social media, etc.) that exist and it’s important for designers to recognize these opportunities to communicate client messages through them. Signage and Environmental Graphics are a piece of a larger whole when it comes to connecting people to a brand or a place.

Some retailers use the space to communicate an offer or marketing messaging while others use this space as prime real estate for branding.  Recognizing the importance in their overall marketing strategy, considerable resources are put toward design of hang tags. Color, font, image and style are chosen to be consistent with brand image.  Printing techniques such as die-cutting, foil stamping and embossing can not only enhance the visual appeal of the tag but an added benefit is that it can also make the product more difficult to counterfeit.  But one thing is certain, good design is key when using hang tags as a component of a retailers’ branding strategy.

Know of some examples of Brands that use hang tags effectively? Share them on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/perfectprinting1

As a graphic artist, do you approach an assignment differently if you are designing a printed piece versus designing a web page or email template?
Yes, my approach is very different when conceptualizing print and web based designs. Web based user experiences are naturally free flowing and the job of the designer is to harness that dynamic experience and give it structure. The experience of a print piece is a very linear one. My job as a designer is to create a dynamic flow of image and text using an underlying structure that has a clear beginning and end.

Are there different considerations for layout, colors and fonts between print and web?
Years ago, the answer would have been yes, but the web has grown up. The possibilities and choices available for designers are as broad on the web as in print design, if not more so. Web users have come to expect a robust, textural experience with layers of colors and fonts. This makes the design of digital media abundant with opportunity for innovation.

Are there unique challenges that only apply when designing for the web? How does the interactive nature of the web impact the design process?
The web is an abstract space, not limited by the physical restrictions inherent to print design. It’s essential within such a space to maintain a coherent structure such that the user is both comfortably in control of the experience and guided to the information sought. A web site or application needs to be responsive to its audience far beyond any printed piece.

Print has physical properties such as texture and shape. How does this impact design concepts?
Paper, color, shape, texture and finish are all major players in the design process. Choosing to use a die cut, emboss, unique varnish, or textural paper can add dimension to a piece that makes a person want to pick it up and explore the content. The tactile quality of print allows an emotional and physical connection to the material.

Can you describe the process when you are asked to design for an integrated experience, meaning, a project that incorporates both print and digital?
My process, for print and web, always begins with cultivating an overall understanding of the client’s needs and message that they intend to convey. From there I begin to explore a design concept and general visual mood of a project. Once I have the concept and visual direction established, this will drive the design and message of the web and print elements, both of which will then speak to each other.

You want to have a well thought out plan to guide you so that during the short term any distractions or obstacles you may encounter will not divert you from your goals. However, you need to be evaluating and adjusting as often as necessary so that the end goal is always in site. Much like a ship crossing the ocean, you will set your coordinates for the desired destination. During the trip you may hit high seas and rough winds, but the initial plan will carry you through. As the rough seas subside you can reevaluate your position and make any adjustments as necessary.

The one thing that I have realized is that there is simply no magic formula to obtaining a perfect result in marketing. There are best practices that you can utilize to maximize the return on your investment, but every business has unique needs and goals. The media mix of what will work for one business may be entirely opposite of what works for another. This is why it is important to constantly measure and adjust so that you can continually learn what works best for your organization.
 

In Brian Solis’ book, The End of Business as Usual: Rewire The Way You Work To Succeed in the Consumer Revolution, he successfully challenges the notion that content is king. “In the Web 1.0 era, the 1990’s and early 2000’s, the online experience was defined by content” he writes. “In the era of Web 2.0 (the mid-2000’s) the Web revolved around personal connections…and content suddenly became a commodity. The reality is that there was and is too much content…none of which matters to the people engaging with one another.”

Solis uses the Web as the example and delivery platform but one could argue this transition in just about every space, including print. This transition from mass content deployment to one that includes an informed and multi-pronged approach to content engagement is often a difficult concept for CEOs, CMOs, and just about anyone to get their arms around. However, here are four easy tips for joomla_4eloping the basis for a modern content strategy.

1. The first step is the identifying who will access your content and more importantly how they prefer to access the content. One way to do this is to joomla_4elop costumer (or content consumer) profiles for each member of your community. Have your team ask the following questions:   Who are our consumers? What do they look like? How do they prefer to receive content (do some research. Is it via the Web, social platforms, print, etc.)? And finally what type of content do they prefer to read, access and share. Hint – Not everybody likes everything about your company or organization so be sure to segment your messages based on the above.

2. The next step which occurs in parallel with the first step is to determine what type(s) of content already exists and what may be needed for future engagement. Many organizations possess the necessary content to drive user experience but don’t necessarily know what type of content they have or where their content (digital and physical assets) resides. Conduct a content audit that will allow your organization to inventory existing content by identifying and cataloging its assets.

3. The next step is to identify the platforms for engagement. What is meant by this is what vehicles or medium will be used to deliver specific content to targeted members of your community in ways they wish to receive it. Once the team has identified and catalogued the content (step 2) marrying that content to delivery mechanisms is relatively easy.

4. The final step is to look for gaps in the existing content and commit the organization to finding new ideas for new content Development. It’s a crowded space out there so challenge your team to joomla_4elop new ideas for your community. This will keep them coming back to your company or organization on a regular basis. Generating new content is one of the greatest challenges to new organizations but remains the most critical.

These tips should help most organizations begin to work toward a greater understanding of how content can help drive revenue through consumer engagement. However, we would love to hear from you. How is your company using content to drive community engagement? Let us know.