It seems as though no matter what the occasion, nothing makes it more special than receiving notification on a nice printed invitation. Having a trade show or specials you want you clients to get word of? Nothing speaks louder than printed images and words. A bull horn perhaps may be the only other way to say it loudly only it won't reach those not listening. Giving someone a specially designed piece of art (advertisement) that people will enjoy looking at is about the best way to grab thier attention.
Here are a few things to be aware of when deciding on your print job.
1. Is the message on my publication telling the reader all that I want him to know before he commits to calling me?
2. Do I have a color scheme, layout, and purpose for my printed piece?
3. Are the programs used to make my publications useful and do I have the means to make PDFs?
4. After viewing them, are the PDFs what I expect to print? Remember when saving out PDFs be sure to include the fonts upon saving the file as there are thousands and thousands of fonts.
5. Paper selection is key to a good outcome. We do use the best you can find for making laser color prints and we never miss a beat on quality.
6. Last but not least, if you are mailing this to potential clients/customers using a data base for your mailing, this can all be done as it is being printed. Slightly more costly as just printing the piece but the time it saves is priceless.
Having those small but significant tips can make the difference between meeting your printing needs and utter failure. Let's face it, when you get a publication in your mail box, the looks of that piece will determine its demise. So, for all it is worth, having been in this industry for over 35 years, I have seen more print projects come and go that have not even thought about using the tips presented here. Following good tips are only one way to minimize mayhem with your project - the other is communication, that of course is a different blog soon to come.
-David McCullough, Digital Press Operator