Online Printing Blog

A Business Card too tough to tear

PrintPapa.com has recently introduced the “Indestructo-Card” aka Plastic printing stock. Is it truly indestructible? Well no. However, if you want a printing medium that better withstands the wear and tear of everyday use or handling, then you want Super Products comprised of 4-12 mil vinyl. The major benefit of this new material is the versatility. Whether you want a tougher than usual business card or signage great for outdoor use, plastic is the way to go. What else can this super vinyl do? How about some super tough stickers? Yes please! Your band need new stickers? Your company looking for an awesome promotional item? Vinyl Stickers are absolutely the direction you want to go. Need to make a statement that wont wash away at the first sign of rain? Vinyl Bumper Stickers are the ticket. Let’s not forget about flyers. Face, your average quarter page flyer can get a bit boring depending on the graphics and paper stock can be downright flimsy. A Plastic Flyer can change all of that. Hand someone a plastic flyer and automatically, your company has made a good, quality impression.

The Wonder Twins are in ACTION!

HP recently released a machine so amazing, it has changed the face and perception of Digital Printing world wide. This machine is known as the “HP Indigo 3550“. Printpapa.com, staying on the cutting edge as we do, purchased one of these Digital Monsters and have been churning out high quality printing to the world ever since. The demand for this level of quality has become so great as of late, Papa was forced to buy a second Indigo making 2010 the year of “The Wonder Twins”.

A few of the features include:

• Production rates of 68 ppm color and 136 ppm in B&W
• Adjustment-free, minimum-touch paper handling (limits smudging)
• Support for a wide substrate range, including specialty media and the ability to perfect up-to 16 pt cardstock or 130 lb cover.
• Up to 5-color printing
• True spot and brand color capabilities
• State-of-the-art color management, with HP
  Professional PANTONE® emulation and ICC profiles
• Superior fine line work with HP Adaptive
  Half-toning

All of the features listed above, multiplied by 2! That coupled with recent addition of the new Roland XJ 740 and all of it’s large format glory, makes PrintPapa a printing powerhouse on the rise.

Of Manhole Covers and Marketing

You’ve probably heard the question asked, “Why are manhole covers round?” Answers vary from the obvious (“because manholes are round”) to the more obscure. Wikipedia offers several possibilities. My personal favorites?

1. A round manhole cover cannot be accidentally dropped into the round hole it covers.
2. The circular shape makes the heavy covers easier to roll.
3. Round castings are easier to machine lathe than those of another shape and less expensive to produce in a size wide enough for a person to fit through.
4. The round shape makes it easy to replace an open cover without having to line up the corners.
5. A round tube holds up better against the earth’s compression surrounding it than a shape with corners would.

If I were to guess, I’d say it’s probably a combination of all these things (and maybe more) that made round manholes and manhole covers so popular.

Which brings me around to marketing.

Like a manhole cover, the best shape for your company’s marketing is also round. More to the point, the best approach to your marketing is a well-rounded one. Just as the reasons for using a round manhole cover are many and varied, so too are the reasons for choosing each specific element in your marketing plan. The big difference? In marketing, there is no one-size-fits-all.

As you consider new marketing opportunities for your company — and reexamine existing channels you’re not sure are still working as effectively as before — ask yourself, “How well does this approach fit with my overall marketing plan?” If the answer is “not very well” or the reasons you come up with for trying it aren’t very sound, you know where that idea should go: straight into the file shaped like a manhole cover.

A new “Bright” Idea for Marketing or Bring your customers in from the dark

You have seen them. In subway or BART stations, at the movie theater displaying coming attractions, in sports arenas with the logos of big name sponsors, but did you know you can have one in your own home or business? Yes! It’s very possible. They are known as “Light Boxes” or “Back Lit Displays”. There is of course an upfront cost, but you shouldn’t look at it that way. It’s more of an investment. For your business, it’s a constantly changing marketing tool. The frame itself is a one time buy and the interchangeable films are very affordable (especially @ PrintPapa.com) and can last up to 3 years outdoors. They can be used for everything from bright window signage for businesses open after dark to in-store displays and POP signage. Example? Now let’s say you aren’t a business owner, but just want some unique artwork to place in your home. Why not get your favorite movie poster printed on a backlit film for your in-home theater or Den. Maybe your favorite painting or family portrait, backlit over the fireplace. There are tons of applications and ways  you can use the “Light Box“. Brighten your business or your home, it’s just a good idea.

Reinventing the Banner

Anyone that has been to a trade show or convention can tell you that they’ve seen the vertical banners and Banner Stands. The truth is, times are changing and people are finding new and creative ways to use the Banner Stand. When you think about it, they are a little more versatile than your conventional horizontal hanging banners. Why, you ask? Well, imagine if you will 2 store fronts. Store A has a hanging banner that stays stationary and never moves. On the other hand, store B has a Banner Stand that they can move around daily and even place further away from the store to gain more viability. Store B is able to bring their banner inside  as well and use it for in-store POP (Point of Purchase).  Don’t misunderstand, the conventional banners have their place, but the banner stand is an excellent way to reinvent the banner. Book signings, art displays, birthdays, special events…the list goes on and on.

Business Lessons from a Pinewood Car

Every year, Cub Scout packs across the U.S. hold pinewood derby races. In Canada, Cub Scouts take part in a similar event, known as the kub kar rally. In both events (and others like them), the idea is simple. Participants are given a block of wood, four plastic wheels, and four small nails to use as axles. They can fashion their cars pretty much any way they want, as long as they meet the guidelines for the race. Weights are added, and the cars are raced down a track, with gravity as the only source of power.

As you might imagine, designs and color schemes run the gamut. Some scouts will create traditional-looking race cars, while others will add their own creative flair. As racers line up, it’s hard to imagine that all those cars started out exactly alike, as simple blocks of wood.

In business, many companies start out with similar sets of raw materials or similar product lines. Some focus on creating flashy or innovative designs and marketing campaigns that help them stand out from the crowd. Others focus on the basics, like making sure the axles and wheels are sanded smooth and properly lubricated with graphite, to ensure an optimal ride. Still others strive to distribute the weight properly, to maximize efficiency and make sure the right people are doing the right jobs that best suit their skills.

And the best companies? You guessed it. They do all three.

So, while the business world may not always run on a nice, smooth track — and the playing field is not always level — with the right preparation and some good, old-fashioned hard work, your company can win the day.

Home Decor made easy

Most people would agree that nothing is as boring in a home as bare white walls, but are they really all that bad? These days, turning your walls into works of art is as easy as printing a sticker…well, a Wall Sticker. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you can decorate your home with giant stickers and not be seen as a child. On the flip side, you can turn your child’s room into a fantasy land by adding all of their favorite characters or sports heroes to their walls.

The wonderful thing about these Wall Stickers is their versatility. They can not only be used for decorative purposes, but they can serve as signage in your business, creative labeling for areas, product images, display your favorite celeb, build a shrine to your favorite sports team in your man-cave, signage for trade shows and so much more. I think I feel a cliche coming on…yup, the possibilities are endless. Let me not fail to mention the fact that they are removable and reusable so when you move, they move. Imagine that, the look and feel of your favorite room being rolled up and made to travel with you. Rather than having to repaint your child’s favorite room theme, you can just unroll and stick. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Quick tips on Wall Sticker Application:

• Do not apply in cold weather – adhesive may stick but will lift easily.
• Do not apply in extreme heat, apply in the shade – vinyl will get very soft and stretch.
• Do not use alcohol to apply – it will destroy the adhesive.
• Do not use ice scraper on the sticker/decal – may lift or break pieces off..
• Do not touch the adhesive backing – oils from your skin will prevent sticking.
• Do not fold wall stickers. Roll them up for storage only.

The Surprising Significance of Insignificant Things

Have you ever thought about the tremendous impact one small change can have on an outcome or meaning? Consider the words hail and fail, for example, or the words hire and fire. In both cases, just a single letter (“h” versus “f”) separates their spelling, yet each is worlds apart in meaning.

Make a brilliant decision or positive impression, and you’re likely to get hired and hailed. Make a lousy decision or negative impression, and you could just as easily find yourself fired and labeled as having failed.

The idea of small, seemingly insignificant events affecting much larger outcomes is hardly new. The whole notion of the butterfly effect is based on just that premise. The flapping of a single butterfly’s wings, the theory holds, can affect a hurricane’s formation. That tiny, barely noticeable breeze, coupled with the right conditions, can build and grow, like a snowball rolling downhill in a Looney Tunes adventure. And if you aren’t careful, you could end up like Daffy Duck or whichever other unfortunate character finds themselves at the bottom of that hill.

As you look back on your life, career, or business, what moments stand out to you? Oftentimes, it’s something so small it goes by unnoticed when it happens. Your decision to take a certain class in college, for example, that led you to a teacher who became a mentor in your life. Or the decision to bypass your usual coffee shop one morning, which led to a chance encounter with a potential client or now dear friend. In hindsight, we can point out the significance of such moments, but at the time, they often seem small and unimportant.

So the next time you’re facing a decision or looking for a change in perspective, think about the little things. And remember that even the most seemingly insignificant change you make right now can have a big impact on your life or business somewhere down the line.

What Does it Take to be a Successful Entrepreneur?

Many books and articles are written by and about successful entrepreneurs, with great information about what it takes to succeed. If it were possible to distill all of that information into a few words, it might be this: Being a successful entrepreneur really just boils down to solving problems and being resilient enough to find answer without giving up.

As Thomas Edison famously said: “If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward.” Hopefully, you won’t need 10,000 attempts to find the solution you’re looking for, but many people give up after only a few tries.

Whether you own a new company, have been in business awhile, or are an employee with the desire to become successful, the next time you run into a problem, take the initiative to find a solution. Be persistent, and don’t give up at the first sign of resistance. Yes, that is easier said than done. There are many entrepreneurs, but not nearly as many successful ones. Those who succeed are champion problem solvers and have the will to not take no for an answer.

What Are Your Product Photos Saying?

If a picture’s worth a thousand words, have you ever thought about what your photos are saying? We live in a visual age, where images surround us. Whether on your website, marketing materials, billboards, or ads, the photos you choose to represent your products and services are very important. Here are a few tips to ensure your photos are saying what you want:

• Don’t photograph your products on a cluttered shelf. Rather, depict them in use in an appropriate abstract environment or on a clean white background.
• Save your originals, and don’t reduce their file size. You never know when you’ll need to re-purpose images, such as if you want a low-res image from your website to work in a high-resolution print brochure.
• Take a lot of photos when you have the opportunity. You may be surprised how a new angle or different lighting can change the appeal and appearance of your products.
• If images don’t do justice for your products, don’t use them. Consider posting a “photo coming soon” placeholder, rather than posting a poor-quality photo. But do so only if you fully intend to post an image later.
• Adjust the resolution of photos on your website to ensure they won’t slow the load time for the page. Nothing is worse than a great photo nobody has the patience to download and see.
• Use intriguing photos to supplement Facebook posts and create additional interest. Organize these photos into albums for easy viewing, and use relevant album names, such as “new products,” “seasonal promotions,” and so on.