16 Prepress Tips Before Sending to the Printer

When you design artwork for print, standard practice is to send a PDF to your printer. But are you 100% sure you got the settings right? Are you confident the size is correct? Have the colors been set to print standards or client brand guidelines? What about font usage?

So many things can go wrong, costing you and your client money. So to help, Sigurdur Armannsson — art director at the Icelandic Ad Agency — has prepared these 16 prepress tips that cover the major aspects for correction in your artwork. By checking each tip as you go your file will be in excellent shape for sending to the printery.

Photo courtesy of Cybjorg

01. File the job into a tracking or accounting system

Every business needs a tracking system where information about the client and his or her jobs are filed. Systems range from high-end business software to simply using FileMaker or similar to store information. Freelancers should also use something that takes care of this. I use iBiz.

02. Use files and folders that bear the job number

Tracking systems create running numbers. You should use them for your files and folders too. The running numbers act as keys to further information about every project and client, and save you from creating new files and folders for every job. You could use abbreviations or codes for your client and then the number and a short descriptive name, e.g. ABC 12345 Brochure Spring 2010

03. Stamp the artwork

Put information inside the artwork. If the client does not object, put a short line in small type 4-4.5 pt., inside the artwork, on the back of a brochure. Include your companies name, the job number and a date. MyCompany ABC 12345 10/09. The name of the printery would be a good addition too. This will help identify the work later.

04. Make it clear who is responsible for the design

Before you start, make sure you have a design brief. What is the main purpose of the design? What are the clients motivations? Who is responsible for the job? An art director? You?

05. Proofread

The odd thing is that clients can be calm about minor errors in the design, like lines not being of same thickness or such. But errors in text are fatal. Use a good proofreader. If the client wants to proofread himself, be sure to have that in writing. An email is great confirmation.

06. Make the artwork the correct size

Does the design brief specify the size? Have you checked Document Setup again? Or the outmost frame in Illustrator? Is everyone using 210×297 as Width by Height? Did the client say an A4 because it looks like an A4 or is it 220×286? For ads, contact the magazine or website. They will love to hear from you. Always double check if you aren’t sure.

07. Define bleed and trim marks in the file

Bleeding — the distance the artwork needs to extend beyond the final size of the artwork — can vary. 3mm is most common. In some cases it may not be needed at all, nor the trim marks. Clarify before you create your PDF, and open the PDF afterward to check inclusion.

08. Ensure the typeface(s) used correlates to the clients corporate identity manual

Are you using the correct typeface for your client? Are there any unnecessary fonts that shouldn’t be included the file? In Illustrator check Document Info or Find Font… and in InDesign Find Font… under Type in the menu. When delivering artwork as a PDF there is normally no reason to outline the fonts. 

09. Ensure logo usage correlates to the corporate identity manual

The client loves her logo and usually wants it bigger than we want it to be. Stick to the size in the manual or the size used for recent works. If she wants it bigger have that in writing and be sure to tell her if it’s overshadowing other information. 

10. Keep the color of the logo in the right format for the media used

For print, use the logo in vector format if possible. Logos sent to you inside Word documents are no good unless the design is for web or a PowerPoint presentation. Make sure the colors of the logo are in accordance with the corporate identity manual. For print, the format should be CMYK, not Pantone unless the work is going to be printed with spot colors.

11. Keep the color of the artwork in accordance with the media used

Now, this depends on what kind of color workflow you will use. For CMYK workflow, all colors should be in CMYK. Pictures should be in CMYK, color separated for the paper used. No color profiles should be attached to the pictures. If you are still using pictures as EPS it’s time to switch over to using native Photoshop files. The reason: If you are using transparency in your artwork, like drop shadows or transparent type or colors, your PDF will most likely have torn the photos into strips. This can be avoided by using the pictures as native PSD. 

For RGB workflow, you can still use CMYK colors, except you should have all photos in RGB. It’s important to have all photos in RGB and they should have a color profile attached. Use native PSD — it’s great, and has options not available to other formats.

If you are including Pantone colors, make sure only the colors used are in the file. In InDesign and Illustrator, go to the Swatch panel and in the fly-out menu choose: Select all unused and delete those colors. If in doubt, contact your printer. He will love to help you and he will most likely send you the correct settings for Photoshop that fits the jobs going to his printery.

12. Color correct your monitor every four weeks

There is no way you can use either CMYK or RGB workflow with confidence if your monitor is not color corrected at least every month. Color correction software like iOne has a reminder built in.

13. Ensure all pictures are the actual size shown

Pay close attention to the resolution of the pictures used. Most common resolution is 250-300ppi. You should try not to enlarge or minimize pictures by more than 20% of the original size. This is just a thumb rule. When you change the size inside your document you will change the output resolution too. A 300ppi picture will be 600ppi if you minimize it by 50%. Way too high a resolution. Enlarging too much might get the resolution below what is needed to pass the printery’s preflight.

14. Preflight the artwork

Preflighting the artwork before sending to the print shop is a must. If you have done all the things mentioned above, you have manually preflighted a great deal of what is needed. Using a preflight program likeFlightCheck from Markzware or similar will help further. It’s most annoying to discover just before you deliver your work that it’s not in line with necessary printing standards. If you don’t have a program like FlightCheck you can go far by using the built in document info and preflights.

In Illustrator you have Document Info. Turn off the default Selection Only and browse through the items in the list, one by one to see what’s inside your file.

InDesign has a preflight feature. In CS4 it has been moved over to Window > Output > Preflight. There you can see an overview of the document, check fonts, links etc. Also, in CS4 you can see the red or green dots at the bottom of the window that indicates various errors you may have in your file. Great help but it doesn’t beat a professional application like FlightCheck.

15. Ensure the final PDF is high resolution

Did you send your client a low resolution PDF earlier in the day? Did you remember to switch over to a high resolution output? Are you using the built in PDF settings of InDesign or Illustrator? Ask your printer for PDF job settings. The built in settings are usually not what is used for professional PDF output. Or at least know which of the built in settings you are supposed to use.

High Quality Print and Press Quality settings are tempting to use if you want quality (because of the names), but in most cases you will have to use PDF/X-1a:2001. Consult your printer here. They will love you.

16. Have artwork approved as final

Get in writing (preferably email) a client approval before the job is sent to the printery. Or in bigger agencies the approval has to come from an art director or account manager. Verbal communication cannot be relied upon if something goes wrong.

These 16 pointers may seem overwhelming at first. Don’t fret, because when you’ve worked through the steps a few times they’ll become a part of your prepress routine. You’ll be able to quickly run through the list and discover that you’ve covered almost every one while working on your design. Once again: Talk to your printer to get the best results.

And finally, here are the 16 tips without the above explanations — you can keep this handy since you already know what they mean:

1. File the job into a tracking or accounting system
2. Use files and folders that bear the job number
3. Stamp the artwork
4. Make it clear who is responsible for the design
5. Proofread
6. Make the artwork the correct size
7. Define bleed and trim marks in the file
8. Ensure the typeface(s) used correlates to the clients corporate identity manual
9. Ensure logo usage correlates to the corporate identity manual
10. Keep the color of the logo in the right format for the media used
11. Keep the color of the artwork in accordance with the media used
12. Color correct your monitor every four weeks
13. Ensure all pictures are the actual size shown
14. Preflight the artwork
15. Ensure the final PDF is high resolution
16. Have artwork approved as final.

http://www.davidairey.com/prepress-tips-for-graphic-designers/

www.telepathicgraphics.com

Which Sleep Position is the Healthiest?

Your preferred p.m. pose could be giving you back and neck pain, tummy troubles, even premature wrinkles. Here are the best positions for your body -- plus the one you may want to avoid.

The Best: Back position

Good for: Preventing neck and back pain, reducing acid reflux, minimizing wrinkles, maintaining perky breasts.

Bad for: Snoring

The scoop: Sleeping on your back makes it easy for your head, neck, and spine to maintain a neutral position. You're not forcing any extra curves into your back, says Steven Diamant, a chiropractor in New York City. It's also ideal for fighting acid reflux, says Eric Olson, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota: "If the head is elevated, your stomach will be below your esophagus so acid or food can't come back up."

Back-sleeping also helps prevent wrinkles, because nothing is pushing against your face, notes Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., a professor of dermatology at Saint Louis University. And the weight of your breasts is fully supported, reducing sagginess.

Consider this: "Snoring is usually most frequent and severe when sleeping on the back," Olson says.

Perfect pillow: One puffy one. The goal is to keep your head and neck supported without propping your head up too much.

Next Best: Side position

Good for: Preventing neck and back pain, reducing acid reflux, snoring less, sleeping during pregnancy

Bad for: Your skin and your breasts

The scoop: Side-sleeping is great for overall health -- it reduces snoring and keeps your spine elongated. If you suffer from acid reflux, this is the next best thing to sleeping on your back.

Now for the downside: "Sleeping on your side can cause you to get wrinkles," Glaser says. Blame all that smushing of one side of your face into the pillow. This pose also contributes to breast sag, since your girls are dangling downward, stretching the ligaments, says Health magazine's Medical Editor Roshini Rajapaksa, M.D.

Consider this: If you're pregnant, sleep on your left side. It's ideal for blood flow.

Perfect pillow: A thick one. "You need to fill the space above your shoulder so your head and neck are supported in a neutral position," says Ken Shannon, a physical therapist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Not Ideal: Fetal position

Good for: Snoring less, sleeping during pregnancy

Bad for: Preventing neck and back pain, minimizing wrinkles, maintaining perky breasts

The scoop: Outside of your mother's uterus, resting in a tight fetal pose isn't a great idea. When you snooze with your knees pulled up high and chin tucked into your chest, you may feel it in the morning, especially if you have an arthritic back or joints, Olson says.

"This curved position also restricts diaphragmatic breathing," adds Dody Chang, a licensed acupuncturist with the Center for Integrative Medicine at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut. And if you make this your nightly pose, you may bring on premature facial wrinkles and breast sag.

Consider this: Just straighten out a bit -- try not to tuck your body into an extreme curl.

Perfect pillow: One plump pillow -- the same as side position, to give your head and neck support.

The Worst: Stomach position

Good for: Easing snoring

Bad for: Avoiding neck and back pain, minimizing wrinkles, maintaining perky breasts

The scoop: "Stomach-sleeping makes it difficult to maintain a neutral position with your spine," Shannon explains. What's more, the pose puts pressure on joints and muscles, which can irritate nerves and lead to pain, numbness, and tingling.

"Think about the soreness you'd feel if you kept your neck turned to one side for 15 minutes during the day," Diamant explains. In this position you have your head to one side for hours at a time. You won't necessarily feel it the next day, but you may soon start to ache.

Consider this: Do you snore? "Stomach-sleeping may even be good for you," Olson says. Facedown keeps your upper airways more open. So if you snore and aren't suffering from neck or back pain, it's fine to try sleeping on your belly.

Perfect pillow: Just one (and make it a thin one) or none at all.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/19/healthiest.sleep.position/

www.telepathicgraphics.com

5 Benefits of Using Variable Data Printing

Variable Data Printing allows you to adjust your direct mail marketing campaign so it is more customized and personalized. Using VDP means you can create more attention-grabbing direct mail pieces that appeal to your target market. There are many benefits to using variable data printing with your direct mail marketing campaign.

1. Increase Your ROI By Using Mailing List Data – Variable data printing allows you to create custom copy and information to grab people’s attention. Adjust the information on your direct mail campaign based on where people live, if they are single or married, or any other piece of information you have on your audience. Having custom information means your direct mail piece will be more appealing and relevant to the recipient.
2. Change Your Return Address or Phone Number – If you have multiple store locations or offices, print the one that will be the most convenient for each recipient. Or, depending on the campaign, you can change phone numbers so recipients can contact various people within the company.
3. Use Custom Fonts – Not only can addresses and mailing list data be printed directly on the direct mail piece, but all of it can be printed in a range of fonts so that the type complements the rest of your design or corporate identity. Depending on the variety of people you are targeting, you may want to consider changing your fonts.
4. Color Will Catch Attention – Color can catch more attention than regular black and white printings. Use color wisely to complement your current brand identity and highlight important information on your direct mail piece.
5. Include Images and Maps – You can change up your images and maps using variable data printing. Show exactly where your storefront is relative to their neighborhood. Or show custom images based on that specific person’s demographic. Make sure you are sending the right message to each recipient.

Variable Data Printing is the next step in direct mail marketing. Don’t just send out generic campaigns to your audience. Create custom information that appeals to each recipient and makes them want to contact you.

http://www.oneims.com/blog/2010/08/02/5-benefits-of-using-variable-data-printing-vdp/

www.telepathicgraphics.com

Why Print Advertising Still Works in the Digital Age

Why Print Advertising Still Works in the Digital Age

In today’s digital world, what use do we have for print advertising? You might be surprised, once you start looking into it. A number of studies show that people behave differently when reading print media than they do when reading digital media.

One such study, published in 2008 in the Journal of Research in Reading, reveals that reading online may not be as effective or rewarding as the printed word. Physical manipulation (such as scrolling) distracts our focus from what we are reading, and the lack of physical dimension also seems to interfere. Multimedia features, such as links, videos, and animations, tend to distract and also leave little room for imagination to come into play. The result is that people do not fully absorb digital media in the way that they absorb print media information.[i]

Print advertising is absorbed in a linear and user-controlled manner. The reader decides how long to stay on each page, and when to move away. It’s actually easy to observe the difference if you spend time in an airport terminal. Watch the people reading magazines and those reading on their laptops or tablets. You will notice that people reading magazines spend more time on each page (compared to how long people spend on each screen), and that they tend to be more relaxed and leisurely about what they are doing. People using digital devices tend to tap, mouse, scroll, and swipe as they skip from screen to screen fairly rapidly. (This is true across all generations, by the way—not just for “digital natives.”)

Digital ads don’t have the “share of eye” that print ads have. And while there are an over-abundance of aggravating pop-ups and interstitial pages that beg the reader to search for the “X”, Skip or Close button, there is no such thing as a full-screen digital ad. When a reader turns to an impactful full-page ad, it tends to catch and hold attention, giving you room to engage and communicate more deeply. Digital ads are sold in banner ads and skyscrapers that just don’t have the same effect as the print full-page ad. According to the Center for Media Research, McPheters & Company used 30-second TV ads, full-page four-color magazine ads, and Internet banner ads in standard sizes, and employed eye-tracking software to determine if (and how) Internet ads were actually seen by respondents.[ii] Study results, in combination with information on probability of exposure, found that:

• A full-page, four-color magazine ad had 83% of the value of a 30-second television commercial.
• A typical Internet banner ad had 16% of the value of a 30-second television commercial.

What Makes a Good Print Ad?

There are dangers to setting hard and fast rules about what makes a good print ad, and the last thing we want to do is stifle creativity. However, effective print ads share some critical elements:

1. The ad connects with the reader right from the headline, and knows its audience inside and out.
2. It’s memorable.
3. It provides quick, clear information.
4. It doesn’t confuse the viewer or its purpose (being clever for the sake of being clever is the usual pitfall here).
5. There is a clear call to action.
6. The ad leverages the media in which it appears. Research the media and work to avoid the clichés used by others in that media. In short, strive for the unexpected.

http://beasleydirect-blog.com/2013/04/01/why-print-advertising-still-works-in-a-digital-age/

www.telepathicgraphics.com

Brewgaloo 2014 : A Showcase of NC Craft Beers

Brewgaloo 2014

Brewgaloo features craft breweries from the North Carolina and partners with local food trucks.

Entertainment will be provided for guests by local bands including Acoustic Manner, New Reveille, Outside Soul, Sensory Expressions, Atomic Rhythm All Stars, The Chit Nasty Band and Laura Reed.

This local craft beer festival is presented by Shop Local Raleigh and will feature Aviator, Natty Greene’s, Big Boss, Carolina Brewing, Mash House, Carolina Brewery, Bull City, Deep River Brewing, Foothills, Roth, Mother Earth, Mystery Brewing, Lonerider, Raleigh Brewing, Starpoint Brewing & more!

Food will be offered from local food trucks including Klausie’s Pizza, Cafe’ Prost, Big Al’s & Chirba Chirba, Lumpy’s Ice Cream, Hibachi Xpress, Only Burger, American Meltdown, Sweet Stacey Cakes and more!

Tickets: 

General admission is free. The purchase of beer tokens includes a pint glass (special unbreakable acrylic souvenir glasses, available while supplies last). Guests can purchase $5 drink tokens to use for full pints (1 token) or a sampler card totaling 5- 3oz samplers (1 token).

Drink ticket pre-sales are available through April 25. Tokens will be on a special sale of 5 tokens for $25! Pre-sales will also be able to arrive early to get their tokens, wristband and cup on the day of the event.

This year’s event will feature 250 VIP tickets for $75, which gift you access to rare craft beer, food pairings, early admission, private bathrooms, and swag bags.

For more ticket info please visit: http://www.shoplocalraleigh.org/care-2/brewgaloo/

Bands: 

City Plaza stage2:00 – 3:00 Matty Begs
3:30 – 4:30 Acoustic Manner
5:00 – 6:00 New Reveille
6:30 – 7:30 Chit Nasty
8:00 – 10:00 Sensory Expressions

Capital stage
2:30 – 3:30 Outside Soul
4:00 – 5:00 Atomic Rhythm
5:30 – 6:30 Laura Reed
7:00 – 8:00 Inflowential
8:30 – 10:00 Black Cadillacs

Courthouse Steps
2:30 – 5:30 Mickey Mills and Steel
6:00 – 9:00 Adam Pitts

Volunteers: 

Interested in volunteering? Brewgaloo volunteers can sign up for a shift for two beer tokens. The shift times are listed below. Contact Mariah Bridges to volunteer by email mariahbridges@gmail.com or twitter handle @eatpraylovenc.

Set up shift: 11am-2:00pm
Brewery Shift: 1pm-4pm
2nd Brewery Shift: 330-7:30pm
3rd Brewery Shift: 7:00-10pm
Tear Down Shift: 10pm-1130pm

http://www.wral.com/entertainment/out_and_about/image/12387733/?ref_id=13318945

4 Ways to Spring Clean Your Brand

With spring in the air, it is that time of year we all get an itch to clean out our homes, get rid of junk and freshen up our lives before heading into the summer months. Here is an article that I found interesting about "spring cleaning" your business image. 

4 Ways To Spring Clean Your Brand

Brands are organic -- they grow and change over time. Without a regular review, they can become stale. To give your brand a good dusting off this season, consider the following:

1. Re-evaluate your audience.

This past week I was doing a brand renewal session with one of my clients, an executive coach who works with solopreneurs and small group practices in the health care field. We looked at her current ideal client profile and realized that she needed to adjust her target audience to include the larger health care system as well. Taking a fresh look at your audience at least once a year gives you the opportunity to trim the fat, get rid of the deadwood and plan to go after markets that can become a source of new business.

Ask yourself: Is it time to adjust the clients and customers I serve by either starting or stopping work with a particular audience?

  

2. Update your offerings.

In today's world, business climates and customer needs shift on an ongoing basis. Spring is a great time to step back and take a closer look at current industry trends, significant changes in the markets you serve, and what your competitors are doing -- all balanced, of course, by the financial impact of what you offer. For example, if you have services that cost you more than they generate in the long-term, consider dropping them from your offering. Likewise, there may be services or products you either aren't providing or aren't promoting sufficiently that have the potential to be highly profitable.

Ask yourself: What services and products do I need to start promoting, offering or retire to better serve my customer base and improve my profitability?

3. Spruce up your social media profiles.

Recently I went to the LinkedIn page of one of my new clients. Not only was his profile light on content (no recommendations and sketchy bio details), but much of it was obsolete as well. I wish I could say this was just a freak anomaly -- but I can't. Outdated social media profiles are the most common (and easily fixed) branding mistake I run across when I begin working with a new client.

Refresh all your social media profiles this time of year by making sure you have added a current photo, website URL, company name and position. Include new projects, publications or other relevant achievements. In addition, if you have a branded visual look for your website, carry it through to your Twitter and Facebook backgrounds.

Ask yourself: Are the profiles I have up on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook as complete as I can make them and do they reflect who I am today?

4. Take stock of what's being said.

Enter your personal and business name into a Google search and see what comes up. What articles, blog posts and other content are determining how you are being branded on the Internet? For an even deeper look, set up a Google Alert for yourself and your company so that anytime you get mentioned in cyberspace, you're notified.

It's surprising how infrequently people do this. While you can't control what comes up on a Google search, you can take actions via SEO, link building and other activities to bring certain items higher up or lower down on the search results.

Ask yourself: Do I have any out-of-date or undesirable information coming up in searches that's within my power to remove or update?

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226233

www.telepathicgraphics.com

Eight Earthy Marketing Ideas

EIGHT EARTHY MARKETING IDEAS 

Today, April 22, is Earth Day, which begs the question: Do you have what’s needed to field an eco-friendly marketing effort?  Here are eight ideas to help you develop your company’s environmental awareness into an effective Earth Day marketing campaign.

Plant a Message – Say "Come Grow With Us" to customers by labeling seeded promotional products to get your Earth Day message across. Choose from a wide variety of plantable products that can be mailed or hand-delivered, including seeded postcards that customers tear off and plant to grow colorful wildflowers. Calendars printed on seeded paper can be planted at the end of each month. A business card can be produced on full color seeded paper. All of these items have the capacity to display your message in vibrant hues, and once they’re planted, the colorful results linger on.

Tee Off for Earth Day – At your next golf tournament, hand out biodegradable golf tees packaged with a customized wraparound imprint that can be illustrated to "tee-off" current sales campaigns or to introduce new products. The promotional tees are made from corn which biodegrades three times faster than wooden tees, and when the tees get left behind, they won't splinter and cause blade damage when chopped up by golf-course mowers.  If you’re playing around water, add another eco-dimension by offering biodegradable golf balls that can be left in place if they land in water hazards.

Bag New Customers – Experts estimate that if used once a week, four or five reusable grocery bags can replace 520 plastic bags a year. Many reusable bags are biodegradable, including ones made from woven hemp which is also resistant to mold. Add your logo and a "Shop With Us" message before handing out these reusable promotional greenies at your trade show booth.

Write-Up Sales – Biodegradable pens with vividly colored barrels and striking trim will add Earth Day excitement to sales calls.  Eco-conscious customers will be anxious to accept these promotional pens from your sales team when they find out they can toss them in the trash can with impunity once they’ve outlived their usefulness. They’ll biodegrade anywhere, and their carbon imprint is 22% lower than conventional pens.

Keep It Healthy – Offer health-conscious customers a recycled mouse pad with an antimicrobial surface with a sublimated "Let’s Build A Healthy Relationship" Earth Day message.  This mouse pad will attract interest by using its antimicrobial properties to keep computer areas germ-free. Health organizations, medical facilities and doctors’ offices are just a few of the health-related customers who will appreciate your campaign efforts when accompanied by this promotional gift. 

Dress-Up Retention – Develop an Earth Day customer retention program by awarding recycled promotional clothing to repeat customers. Add a "We Appreciate What You Do For Us" message that lets repeat customers know you’re rewarding them with eco-friendly clothing that’s produced with less fossil fuels, creating less waste and fewer carcinogens.

Grow A Customer – Try something different with a beautiful desktop terrarium that’s guaranteed to garner prime space on your client’s desk. The terrarium provides a perfect home for plants that thrive in indirect light and grow with little effort.

Light the Way – Let your sales team impress potential clients with a "We’ll Light The Way For You" Earth Day message by handing out eco-friendly light-crank LED flashlights that will keep your customers safe during power outages. For extra impact, choose promotional brands that include AM/FM radios, headphone outlets, emergency sirens and cellphone chargers.  


For more promotional ideas please visit our promotional website Telepathic Swag 

www.telepathicgraphics.com

#printraleigh #digitalprint #earthday

Offset vs. Digital Printing - How to Choose?

Offset vs Digital Printing - How To Choose?

Design is a complex and multi-layered industry, and just as good design begins about ten steps before pen actually hits paper (or tablet, as it were), neither does it end when the final digital proofs are approved and delivered. The actual implementation of the design must be treated with considerable thought and care as well, if you’re interested in gaining maximum effect from the design itself.

The most common implementation questions we come across are often in regards to printing… what finishes to use, what stock, and most often, should we use digital or offset printing?

In the past decade, digital printing has benefited from a surge in popularity… due to a combination of increased affordability, technical advancements, and the availability of more options than were previously possible in digital print. Literally hundreds of new digital print companies have opened their doors online, making commercial print solutions more readily available to everyone. That said, this growth in popularity has also caused quite a bit of confusion for those not “in the biz”, and a few unscrupulous (or plain inexperienced) companies are taking advantage of this confusion… resulting in a large proportion of print consumers walking away with a product that does not meet their needs.

An understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of digital printing versus those of traditional offset lithography, is crucial in making the right choice in your printing company.

MECHANICAL PROCESS

OFFSET: Offset lithography is the most commonly trusted high volume commercial printing technology. In offset printing, the design image is first burned onto a plate, and is then transferred (or offset) from the plate to a rubber sheet, and finally to the printing surface. The lithographic process is based on the repulsion of oil and water. The image to be printed gets ink from ink rollers, while the non printing area attracts a film of water, keeping the non printing areas ink-free.

DIGITAL: If you have a desktop printer at home, you’re likely already familiar with the mechanical process of digital printing. Many of the mechanical steps required for offset printing are eliminated (namely, making films and color proofs, manually stripping the pieces together, and making plates), which results in a much more affordable print solution.

ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL & OFFSET METHODS

DIGITAL ADVANTAGES:

In general…

1. Shorter turnaround

2. Lower costs for very small print runs

3. Availability of variable data printing (database driven, e.g. mailing lists)

OFFSET ADVANTAGES:

In general…

1. Higher image quality, higher resolution and no streaks/spots.

2. Works on a wide range of printing surfaces including paper, wood, cloth, metal, leather, rough paper and plastic.

3. The unit cost goes down as the quantity goes up.

4. Quality and cost-effectiveness in high volume jobs.

5. Many modern offset presses use computer-to-plate (as opposed to the older computer-to-film system) further increasing quality.

HOW TO DECIDE?

Use this checklist to help decide:

[ ] Quantity

Offset printing has a front-end cost load, which means short runs (low quantities) may have a high per-unit cost. But as quantities increase, the unit cost goes down with offset printing. Very short runs can be more cost effective with digital printing; while larger quantities are likely to have a lower unit cost with offset printing.

[ ] Printing Medium

Do you need or want a special paper, finish or unusual printing surface, or unique size? The options are getting better for digital, but offset printing still offers the most flexibility.

[ ] Color

Digital presses use four-color process (CMYK) printing. If you need only black ink or one or two ink colors, offset printing may offer a more cost-effective solution. If you need four-color printing, digital may offer advantages in lower up-front costs. That said, a few progressive modern offset printing companies are now offering rich full-color printing, with no added plate/setup fees for additional colors.

[ ] Pantone®

If you're planning to print using the Pantone® Matching System, offset printing will give you the best match, since it uses actual Pantone® ink. Digital printing simulates the color using a four-color matching process, so some digital printers may offer less accurate color matching on projects.

[ ] Turnaround 

If you need it fast, digital usually offers quicker delivery. Again though, a few select offset print houses are now offering print turnaround in as short a time frame as 24 hours.

[ ] Proofing

Digital offers more accurate proofs, since what you see is an actual sample of the printed piece, printed using the exact process as the intended run. For offset printing, if you need hard proofs, stringently accurate colour proofing can become expensive.

[ ] Customization

With the ease of database driven variable data printing, digital printing offers the most affordable way to customize marketing materials, direct mail pieces, letters, etc. with a different name/address or number/code on each printed piece.

SUMMARY

Digital printing can be the ideal solution for some people, but in our experience, computer-to-plate offset lithography (combined with respectably high quality stock and finishing) always yields the superior result in print quality. The trick then becomes finding the right partner.

Over the years, we have sampled the services of dozens of local and global print houses, and have painstakingly hand-picked a small selection of partners who put out consistently high-quality product, on time and in budget… with whom we have since developed trade agreements. Not everyone is able to invest this sort of research into choosing the right print partner, but to ensure the best results, we would strongly suggest that you follow these minimal steps:

1. Leave Nothing to Chance

Be very specific with your print company when communicating which stock you want used, which colours, which process (digital vs offset) and what sort of finishing or coating you want on your cards.

2. Get Samples

Before initiating your print project, request samples from your prospective print companies. All reputable print houses have a standing offer of free samples expressly for this purpose.

3. Proof

If you are managing your own print project, and are working with a local firm, be sure to request a pre-press proof before authorizing the full run. This will allow you to confirm that the company understood your specific instructions outlined in item 1 above. It will also allow you a hands-on preview of the final product, so you can catch any imperfections ahead of time. If you are working with a remote partner, be sure to request a digital proof… while this requires an element of trust in terms of the stock and finish, a digital proof will allow you to ensure all visuals are to spec.

In the end, a good design cannot fully live up to its potential when run on a shoddy print job. If you are as careful and selective in choosing a print partner as you were in choosing a design firm, you can ensure that the physical product that actually reaches your partners or customers is of the highest possible quality.

Because all things considered, high quality is precisely the message you want to deliver.

http://sagemedia.ca/articles/digital-vs-offset-printing-how-to-choose/

www.telepathicgraphics.com

How To Train Your Brain To Stay Focused

How To Train Your Brain To Stay Focused

As an entrepreneur, you have a lot on your plate. Staying focused can be tough with a constant stream of employees, clients, emails, and phone calls demanding your attention. Amid the noise, understanding your brain’s limitations and working around them can improve your focus and increase your productivity.

Our brains are finely attuned to distraction, so today's digital environment makes it especially hard to focus. "Distractions signal that something has changed," says David Rock, co-founder of the NeuroLeadership Institute and author of Your Brain at Work (HarperCollins, 2009). "A distraction is an alert says, 'Orient your attention here now; this could be dangerous.'" The brain's reaction is automatic and virtually unstoppable.

While multitasking is an important skill, it also has a downside. "It reduces our intelligence, literally dropping our IQ," Rock says. "We make mistakes, miss subtle cues, fly off the handle when we shouldn't, or spell things wrong."  To make matters worse, distraction feels great. "Your brain's reward circuit lights up when you multitask,” Rock says, meaning that you get an emotional high when you're doing a lot at once. Ultimately, the goal is not constant focus, but a short period of distraction-free time every day.

"Twenty minutes a day of deep focus could be transformative," Rock says. Try these three tips to help you become more focused and productive:

1. Do creative work first. Typically, we do mindless work first and build up to the toughest tasks. That drains your energy and lowers your focus. "An hour into doing your work, you've got a lot less capacity than (at the beginning)," Rock says. "Every decision we make tires the brain." In order to focus effectively, reverse the order. Check off the tasks that require creativity or concentration first thing in the morning, and then move on to easier work, like deleting emails or scheduling meetings, later in the day.

2. Allocate your time deliberately. By studying thousands of people, Rock found that we are truly focused for an average of only six hours per week. "You want to be really diligent with what you put into those hours," he says. Most people focus best in the morning or late at night, and Rock's studies show that 90 percent of people do their best thinking outside the office. Notice where and when you focus best, then allocate your toughest tasks for those moments.

3. Train your mind like a muscle. When multitasking is the norm, your brain quickly adapts. You lose the ability to focus as distraction becomes a habit. "We've trained our brains to be unfocused," Rock says.

Practice concentration by turning off all distractions and committing your attention to a single task. Start small, maybe five minutes per day, and work up to larger chunks of time. If you find your mind wandering, just return to the task at hand. "It’s just like getting fit," Rock says. "You have to build the muscle to be focused."

http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/225321

All About Me - Air Crash Detectives - Lyrics

Verse 1

I need a fast car like one of the spies

And ruby red lips that will catch your eye

High heels on an oak wood floor

And the sight of a lonesome man, at my front door

Bridge

If this world owes you anything, then grab it for yourself

I am going to get everything, that I think that I deserve

Chorus

It's not about you, can't you see

I said, baby, baby,baby can't you see

I don't know why, that you don't know

That it's all about me

Verse 2

I drink highballs with a southern twist

And I don't go lower than the A plus list

That's the truth and it may hurt

My taste is made from the best stuff on earth

Verse 3

I need these looks to last half my life

There is nothing to worry about on the inside

www.reverbnation.com/aircrashdetectives

Lost Your Sales Mojo - Eyes on Sales

Sales Question:
"I've seem to have lost my SALES MOJO. What can I do to get it back?"

Answer: 
Chances are, you're not going to like my answer, but here it goes:

RECORD YOUR SALES CALLS
Listening to recordings of your own sales calls will allow you to objectively (as possible) hear how you sound to your prospect. It will also make it very clear and evident on areas that your sales calls needs improvement on, such as:

• Asking better sales questions,
• When to ask them;
• How to ask them (its not just what you say, but HOW you say it)

It will also bring to light times when you missed a buying signal or when you mishandled (or misunderstood) a prospects request, question or objection.

This is an important step in your growth to becoming a better salesperson. The evidence will be clear when you have it recorded. Many times salespeople “think” they responded the correct way or said the right thing but often do not. Having your calls recorded will be an eye-opening experience that will help you avoid a prolonged learning curve, allowing you to become better faster by quickly realizing which areas need improvement.

Don’t Just Record The Bad Ones…

We all have sales calls that we wish we could do over and it is important to learn from them. But it’s also important to have a few recorded sales calls that we just absolutely nailed.
Keep a “master file” of these calls and label the ones that are examples of “needing work” but also label the ones that were spot on sales calls. 

This way if you notice you are starting to struggle with your sales calls again, you can go back and listen to a recording or two that had you knocking it out of the park and I’m willing to bet you will quickly hear what you’re doing wrong now and will be able to fix it ASAP.

Sometimes for whatever reason, we just stop doing what worked and don’t even realize it. Having a recording of a perfect or near perfect sales call that we made in the past that we can refer back to from time to time can be an extremely valuable asset for a sales person.

 http://www.eyesonsales.com/content/article/lost_your_sales_mojo_heres_how_to_get_it_back/

#printraleigh #telepathicgraphics