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Creative Print Idea: Spot UV Coating

 

Coatings applied either in or off line to a finished print piece provide some very practical benefits – protection from scratches, water or moisture damage, abrasion, fading and yellowing, and handling damage. Aesthetically, they offer varying degrees of gloss and shine, improved readability, and more. But from a design perscpective, coatings can be used creatively to enhance the actual design. Check out the spot UV coating project below for one idea, then read on for further information about all the coatings available for print.

spot UV coating adds gloss to print

UV coating adds a high degree of gloss and shine to your printed piece, but using it only on certain elements can make your piece stand out even more. On the example above, we used spot UV on the zebras stripes, select parts of the organic design element, the logo – but left the background uncoated. When the paper catches the light, these elements shine and give the illusion of depth and dimension to the card. Notice how the swirls in the green design element stand out where some are coated and some have the dull finish of the paper.

InDesign layout for spot UV coating

To prepare for print, you will need to create a separate file to designate which elements you want UV coated. (In other words, you will need to provide a four page pdf for a two page job.) Any element to receive coating needs to be shown in its exact same position on the page but as 100% black. For linked artwork, this can take a little manipulation of the vector and image files in either Illustrator or PhotoShop, but it is a fairly simple process. Just be certain that when you link your new 100% black art files for the spot UV page that they remain in the EXACT same position as on the original CMYK layout. If you allow InDesign to update a file from the Links palette to your new black element but you selected only part of that element to be 100% black (which can potentially change the overall shape of the item) then your placement can shift slightly and the UV coating will not align exactly to the printed object.

Below are the four main print coatings used in commercial printing. Each of these can be done in matte, dull or satin, and gloss finishes.

Overprint Varnish

Whether spot or full coverage, varnish adds a more subtle gloss or shine to printed paper, as well as offering some protection from smearing, water and wear. Dull varnish is often used to reduce the glare and improve readability of a piece.

Aqueous Coating

Aqueous coating is a protective, water-based sealant that offers more protection than a varnish. It is fast-drying, environmentally friendly and the glossy version has a higher shine than standard varnishes.

UV Coating

UV coating is a liquid protectant applied to a printed piece and then cured with ultraviolet radiation. It can be formulated to a variety of high gloss finishes that enhance the clarity of print. These coatings can be applied with full or spot coverage, and even with special raised effects for more dimension. Liquid UV coatings are solvent free and emit no volatile organic compounds or VOCs.

Laminate

Laminates offer the most protection, providing a strong, water-resistant, non-scratching surface. Plastic film encapsulates the paper to protect it, and can be applied either as a clear sheet or as a liquid that is cured and dried.

 

Rely on your printer for advice and direction with any questions you have in fashioning your brand or designing your marketing materials. They should be able to provide you with the latest information, inspiration, technical advice, and innovative ideas for print, signage, apparel and integrated marketing. If they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!

Shop our full ImageSmith catalog online here. We can work with you to find the best option to suit your needs. Please note, prices in online catalog do not include decoration, but call us for a quote at 828.684.4512. ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.
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InDesign Quick Tip: Remove Unwanted or Unused Colors from the Swatches Palette

InDesign Swatches Palette

This is the first in a series of quick, explanatory posts about easy tricks in InDesign that could save time and the expense of prepress charges. First the tip… then some explanation if you want to read further.

To check for and remove unwanted color swatches in your file: click the upper right corner of the Swatches palette, and choose Select All Unused, then click the trash can to delete. If you have swatches left that you do not want in your file, some element within your document is using that color. Click on that swatch and try to delete it as well. If you have no embedded or linked files in your document that brought in that swatch, you will be prompted to change the color (which is being used somewhere in your document) to one of the remaining colors in your palette and problem solved! If the swatch is not able to be trashed, it has arrived in your palette from a “placed” item. You will have to go into that linked logo, artwork or photo in it’s native application to redefine the color to the one you need in your job. Once relinked, that swatch will be freed up to be deleted from your palette.

We see a lot of files with color conflicts come through the art department on their way from design to print. Many seemingly perfect files run into roadblocks at the prepress stage because of colorspace issues: unwanted spot colors, RGB to CMYK color shifts and so on. For the record, this is not a “beginner’s” stumbling block! The fact that files show up with serious color definition issues from seasoned and degreed designers as often as from busy small business owners just trying to save on desktop design expenses tells me that the color palette can be a tricky pitfall. But it need not be difficult if you know the final intent of your file and the color definitions that process will require. (If you are creating a file that will be repurposed for many uses, it is probably best to stay within the CMYK gamut with all elements of the file.)

The Swatches Palette Basics:

Swatches Palette in Adobe Creative Suite's InDesign

 

As a starting point, you will need a clear understanding of the RGB and CMYK color gamuts – if you need to, check out this link. Window–Color–Swatches will pull up your palette, and by default it is set to the CMYK gamut of colors. The first four in the list cannot be removed from the palette. They are:

  • None: a means of removing an assigned color from an object
  • Paper: a nonprinting preview of your page used to simulate the color of paper you will be printing on (usually set, by default, to white)
  • Black: pure 100% black with no other colors added (see other definitions and uses for black – there are many! – here)
  • Registration: defined as 100% cyan, 100%% magenta, 100% yellow and 100% black. It will show up on every separation when the file is output and is used to color necessary printing or guide marks such as crop marks, file information, registration bullets, etc..

Think of the other colors you see in this initial palette as a beginning sample of colors you can start playing with. They are all predefined as CMYK. Double-click any of them to tweak or completely redefine the color. You can define new colors by clicking the upper right corner of the palette and choosing from the drop down menu. From here, you can access the Pantone spot color libraries as well. Just remember, keep an eye on this palette as you work and maintain control over any colors that “show up” as you place linked objects into your document.

Spot Color vs. Process Color vs. RGB color

RGB, CMYK and spot Swatches in InDesign

The icons next to your colors will go a long way in visually helping to keep control of the colors defined in your final files. The column on the right shows whether the swatch is defined as CMYK , RGB or even LAB. The column to the left of this will present a circle if the color is a spot color. Will you be printing with spot color inks? Offset in 4-color process? Digitally? Being aware of this as you work and place photos, logos, or other graphic elements into your InDesign file will allow you to see if what you are creating will separate correctly, if needed, at the print stage. While you can define and control the colors of any objects or type created within InDesign, once you place elements created in other applications into your document – such as eps or ai files from Illustrator or jpg and tif files from PhotoShop (or even the dreaded gif files stolen from a website!) – they may bring in predefined colors with them that you cannot override from the InDesign color palette.

If your intent is digital or CMYK process printing, often your printer can redefine spot colors from your pdf at the prepress stage. However, you may be charged extra for this file manipulation. If your intent is a two-color or spot color printing job, then having elements defined as CMYK, RGB, or with extraneous spot colors will render your file unprintable as desired. “Separating” the digital file into the correct plates to carry the spot inks your job requires will produce multiple unneeded plates. While your printer MAY be able to redefine or correctly designate these colors at this stage, chances are they will be calling you to either request the original root files (including all the fonts, links, etc.) or asking you to correct the color conflicts and resubmit your job all over again.

 

Rely on your printer for advice and direction with any questions you have in designing your marketing materials. They should be able to provide you with the latest information, technical advice, and innovative ideas for print, signage, apparel and integrated marketing. If they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!

Shop our full ImageSmith catalog online here. We can work with you to find the best option to suit your needs. Please note, prices in online catalog do not include decoration, but call us for a quote at 828.684.4512. ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.
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Explore Emerald in 2013 – Pantone’s New Color of the Year

Emerald 17-5641

The Color of the Year for 2013: Emerald.

Each December, Pantone® makes their selection. As the Pantone Matching System is used across all creative industries as a color standard, the annual selection has come to be influential for many designers and is chosen with careful consideration to the marketplace and overall consumer culture of the day.

Pantone says their choice for the new year is “a vivid verdant green” that “enchances our sense of well-being further by inspiring insight as well as promoting balance and harmony.” That’s a big job for one color! They note that green is “the most abundant hue in nature, the human eye sees more green than any other color in the sprectrum.”

Emerald is Pantone's color of the year

I’m beginning to notice that all the Pantone Color of the Year choices seem to fit together nicely in a single palette of colors. While it is a very pleasant, organic palette I just might use on a project soon, I’d really like to see a choice from way out of left field for 2014….. something dark or unexpected to inspire some variety.

We’ve written in this blog before about “color psychology” which interprets perceptions of green as balanced, organic, rejuvenating and renewing. The association of the color with the gemstone adds an element of luxury and sophistication to the hue, but also a feeling of hardness or durability. Does PMS 3278C do it for you? Visit the Pantone website to download the color palettes for Adobe applications and begin to make emerald. the star of your next marketing campaign.

Rely on your printer for advice and direction in creating and distributing your newsletters, by mail or online. They should be able to provide you with everything from encouragement all the way to the complete design, layout, copywriting, production, multi-purposing and distribution of your periodic marketing outreach. If they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!
ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.
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New 2013 USPS Rules for Folded Self-Mailers (FSMs)

 

2013 USPS rules for FSMs or Folded Selfmailers

As of January 5, 2013, the USPS puts into effect new rules for the design and preparation of FSMs, or folded self-mailers, a staple of effective direct mail marketing. As anyone involved with mailings can attest, the USPS rules and regulations for mail piece design, sorting and delivery can be mind-boggling. In this instance, they have done a good job of giving us all plenty of notice about the upcoming changes (publishing a “final rule” providing mailers with upcoming changes back in December of 2011), and spelling out the requirements in a fairly clear manner (despite the clear-as-mud “Decision Tree Design Matrix” spreadsheet someone spent a lot of time creating). Clearly, the USPS sought to accommodate a variety of design options in these rule changes to encourage direct mail marketers and their creativity while still ensuring mail piece compatibility with automated processing. Good job, USPS!

In an attempt to summarize, here are some GENERAL highlights in this rules change:

  • If the FSM is secured with tabs (rather than glue dots or strips), at least two are required, and they cannot be on the “bottom”, folded edge.
  • The bottom of the mail piece must be a folded edge. If the piece is oblong, the short or leading edge must be the fold.
  • New recognition of closure methods such as glue strips on lead and tail edges. The rules define many closure methods: continuous line glue strips, glue spots, elongated glue lines, and various tab options. Some of these are dependent on what weight of paper and how many folds are used.
  • Panel count maximum is 12 for non-newsprint folded pieces, 24 for newsprint paper.
  • Allowance of a 1-to1 cut-tie ratio for all perforated lines. (This has to do with the strength of any perforated pieces so they will not separate en route).

A “Folded Self-Mailer Reference Material” guide is available on the RIBBS site. It includes helpful diagrams – often with rules this technical, a picture really is worth a thousand words. It also includes the aforementioned “Decision Tree Design Matrix,” if that works for you. You can also contact mailpiece design analysts at the USPS for guidance:

“The MDA Support Center hours of operation are Monday through Friday, between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm CST. Customers may contact the MDA Support Center by dialing 855-593-6093, or by sending a request via email to mda@usps.gov.”

It’s easy to complain about all the confusing rules when trying to learn the basic requirements for mail piece design, but if you consider all the variables that must be accomodated by the USPS when codifying exactly what can and cannot be accepted, it makes sense. Mailpieces must be compatible with processing machinery, or appropriate charges attached for other methods of handling. While we may want to know just a simple rule for folded self-mailers, they must consider all the variables that could be involved: is it closed with a tab, staple or glue strip? What size can the panels be? Is it folded top, bottom, tall, short, twice or more? How do different weights of paper affect those rules? Is there a flap; an insert or attachment? a perforated panel? When you take into account all of the design options possible, it’s pretty amazing they can present the rules in any intelligible way at all!

 

Rely on your printer for advice and direction in integrated marketing with direct mail. They should be able to answer all your queustions – if they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!

ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.
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Your Life… on Paper. The Power of Print.

 

From conception to expiration, paper and print are there at every important milestone in your life. Consider how print and paper record, accompany, educate, entertain, sustain and preserve your journey…

From Conception to Expiration

Print and Paper on the Journey of Life

 

Print Paper Life

Print and Paper

Recording the journey

(For some great insights into the value of paper in our culture, check out Domtar’s Paper because… campaign.)

ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.
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Variable Data Printing or VDP Produces Direct Mail Results

Variable Data Printing

During the 2012 presidential campaign, both major political parties spent more on Direct Mail than any other form of advertising except broadcast television. Are you surprised that more was invested in old fashioned snail mail than internet or mobile outreach? It is because the campaigns know that Direct Mail works. Direct Mail with variable data works even better. And to the surprise of many it works more effectively than most email marketing efforts. The reason why says a lot about both the nature of email/web ads and the benefits of smart direct mail print marketing.

Many people’s first impression of “blast” email marketing was that it would save print production costs and revolutionize campaign strategy. What prevented that sea-change however is basic human nature. Most people ignore – even sometimes resent – unsolicited email messages, and easily overlook banner ads or website advertising, especially if it is not accurately customized to their personal interests.

Direct mail has long been a staple in reaching a target audience and producing results. Personalizing the message on direct mail through variable data printing (VDP) can increase ROI even more – anywhere from double the normal return to 10-to-15 times! And the best part is that it works even better when you get creative with the possibilities – use VDP in a way that is unique to your clientele and needs.

Think of VDP as much more than just someone’s first name on the front of the card. For example: if you own a pizza place, you could collect personalized data from customers in house with a survey card – then mail each customer a coupon for the specific pizza they said they enjoyed most, vastly increasing the likelihood of their return over just a generic coupon that goes out to all customers. In this way you begin to profile your customers buying habits, and can target your marketing efforts in a much more effective, powerful way.

For a good overview of VDP, check out Adobe’s VDP Resource Center. Then call us and we’ll brainstorm some exciting VDP solutions for your integrated marketing.

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Font Fail: How Not to Design a Wedding Invitation

 

(source)

An interesting print/design item from the gossip world… Levi Johnston’s wedding announcement. You remember Levi – former fiancé of Bristol Palin, father of their son Tripp. Well he recently wed Sunny Oglesby, mother of his second child, Breeze. And while we wish them well in their new marriage, there’s not a lot of hope for their wedding invitation – a textbook lesson in bad design.

Now, I have to admit it’s much easier to be critical than creative. But at the same time, a sound critique is a great tool for identifying and learning from what does NOT work well in print and typography. The Johnston/Ogelsby union unfortunately gives us a great learning tool. Looking more like a page from a type reference book than a formal announcement, I’m counting NINE different fonts on only nine lines! (I don’t know what’s behind the black box used to cover up the contact information, but I’m willing to bet it’s another font.) I’m a little disappointed they didn’t use Comic Sans or Papyrus.

Aside from the font disaster, the first two lines form a sentence fragment; the word “famalies” is misspelled; and I’ve never heard the term “join marriage” used quite that way. Throw in a crazy clip art spree and you’ve got Exhibit A in Typography 101’s course on how not to design. Lesson learned, right? Go easy on the fonts.

Big thanks to Rafi D’Angelo’s awesome blog So Let’s Talk About ______ for showing us this design fail, and of course the source for all things gossipy, TMZ.

 

Rely on your printer for advice and direction. They should be able to provide you with everything from encouragement and advice to complete design, layout, copywriting, production, multi-purposing and distribution of your marketing outreach. If they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!

ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.
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5 Tips for Customized Holiday Greeting Cards: Keep Up the Tradition

Personalized Holiday Cards

E-cards make an impression – often not the one intended. Email messages lack the physical impact of a traditional, printed holiday greeting card sent the old-fashioned way through good old snail mail. Even with a dancing flash elf that sings your name, an e-card generally says, “This is easy, cheap and (worst of all) impersonal.” The traditional mailed greeting card can be viewed as just another piece of “junk mail,” but with personalization and a targeted approach, will be a pleasing personal reminder of gratitude during the holidays. Here are a few tips to encourage you to print and mail your holiday greetings rather than e-blast them – and hopefully save both time and money in the process since both are at a premium during the holiday season.

  • Order EARLY for the best prices AND to free up your busy schedule. Your time is even more valuable during a rushed holiday season so plan ahead, ordering by the end of October. You can also reliably schedule when the cards will be mailed out to avoid any last minute confusion.
  • If time permits, consider actually SIGNING your cards. I know, that could be a lot of work! But if your list is not up in the hundreds, a signature is manageable if you decide there is not enough time for a personal note. The extra effort can go a long way in making a card memorable and appreciated. Maybe just think of yourself as a celebrity signing autographs!
  • DESIGN a customized card that is uniquely your own. You can choose online from many high-quality cards and personalize them with your business name and your own message. If you want to invest more, design your card from scratch to fit your brand perfectly and even include variable data where each card is individualized for its recipient. Also consider branded gifts for your best customers to show your appreciation.
  • For large LISTS, save time and money by mailing with your printer or a professional mail service. You can send your snail mail at First Class rates, or realize even more savings with bulk rate postage. For a more personalized look, ask your printer or mail house about using precancelled stamps in lieu of a preprinted bulk mail indicia – the cards will look more personal and less automated.
  • CONSIDER the public’s wide variety of feelings about religious holidays. Some folks will be offended if you assume they would appreciate a card with a Christian, Jewish or other specific religious sentiment. A safe way to avoid any unintentional offense when sending to a large number of people is to choose a card and greeting that simply wishes gratitude for their business at the close of the current year, or a wish for good health and happiness in the new year.

To browse customizable designs and place your order online, visit www.imagesmith.cceasy.com, or give us a call at (828) 684-4512 to discuss more money-saving holiday options.

Print is a vital component of any successful integrated marketing campaign. It works in tandem with your website, email, signage and other outreach – yet the unique power of print lies in physically reaching the hands of your potential customers. Rely on your printer for advice and direction in the creation of all your marketing materials. They should be able to guide you in everything from copy writing to the latest technology to help get your message out… if they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!

ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.
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The John Lennon Letters: When Your Whole Life is on Paper

Lennon and Life on Paper

“I don’t keep a diary and I throw away nearly all the paper I might have kept. I don’t keep an archive. There’s something worrying about my make-up that I try to leave no trace of myself apart from my plays. “
– Tom Stoppard

 

Our lives on paper live on after we are gone. And if you are famous, every scrap of paper will be saved. A newly released collection of correspondence entitled The John Lennon Letters, edited by Lennon biographer Hunter Davies, contains over 400 pages of annotated correspondence from Lennon. (Hardcover, Little, Brown and Company,  list price 29.99) Most reviewers, however, note that practically all informative correspondence from Lennon had already been published, and Davies collection is being skewered by the critics as a “scraping of the bottom of the barrel” – an attempt to profit from anything written by the hand of the famous Beatle. Here is a painstakingly organized collection of letters, notes, post-its, postcards and paper scraps that seems in total to reveal very little others than mundane details of the former Beatles’ daily life and some not-so-flattering personal qualities. Reviewer Neil McCormick of The Telegraph says all we really learn about Lennon from this mountain of paper is: “Well, he couldn’t spell. He liked to doodle. And he had way too much spare time on his hands.”

Not exactly a glowing review. Often the correspondence of famous people, whether writers, musicians or politicians, contains a wealth of valuable insight and factual data about the person’s life, private thoughts, emotional state and philosophy of life. Successfully published collections include the letters of Emily Dickinson, Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway, Graham Greene, Richard Nixon… and a long list of works that have made many publishers very happy. In many cases, the only hard evidence we have of the private thoughts and feelings of these luminaries are in the archive of their journals, correspondence and personal papers.

However, we are leaving less and less of a paper trail through life. I wonder how in the digital age the role of paper will be different for the famous and infamous. Libraries and historical societies collect the correspondence of great thinkers, artists and politicians to serve as a primary source for further research. Even bar napkins, margin notes scribbled in books, newspaper clippings or anything bearing the subject’s handwriting is considered significant. But we put less of those things onto paper now than ever before. As our ‘footprints’ become increasingly virtual rather than physical, will these archives be data banks rather than stacks of paper? Will they catalogue blogs, emails, Twitter timelines, social media connections and text messages? Will people, wary of a lack of security when “writing” on a computer, still keep private handwritten journals or diaries?

And what about the rest of us? Are we leaving behind us a trail of thoughts, words and feelings that can be accumulated, researched and categorized without our control or input? The days of tossing the diary into the fire or shoving documents through a paper shredder to hide them for eternity seem to be gone. It will take newly refined skills in research and interpretation to assess the changing archive of information we leave behind as everything from our important documents to our shopping lists live on in computer memory.

 

Printer’s love paper. They also love the exciting new means of communication and marketing in an interconnected world. Your printer should be able to provide you with everything from encouragement all the way to the complete design, layout, copywriting, production, multi-purposing and distribution of your marketing outreach. If they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!

ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.