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Recent Posts
Branding
October 14, 2020
Debugging Screen Printing
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Say Thank You with Gifts
A great way to say Thank You to our Employees, Vendors and Customers is with a gift. Of course, the gift must reflect the relationship you have with the recipient to be received as intended. Over-giving comes across as suspicious, while under-giving can appear unappreciative.
Whoever the recipient, be authentic in your giving. Don't try to disguise your marketing message in the form of a gift. It's a great idea to put your mark (brand) on your gift to remind them of who gave it to them, just keep it subtle. It's not a billboard, it's a gift.
A quality jacket with a monochromatic logo embroidered on the left chest is perfect for an employee who would be proud to sport his company's brand in a subtle way. On the other hand, don't hand them a t-shirt with a large, bright company logo that fills up the back of the shirt as a gift.
Useful gifts for Customers and Vendors are preferred because they are not too personal. Photo frames, desk clocks, Power Banks are all quality, useful gifts that convey your corporate message without screaming it at them.
Consider the gift recipient, and they will consider the source this year. They'll be grateful for your gratitude.
Shop for Gifts HERE
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Spot Color (PMS) vs. Process Color (CMYK)
Recognizing the difference between Spot Color and Process Color will help you spec your printing projects to your printer for accurate cost estimates and job planning.
Starting with definitions of the two options, we can then discuss other determining factors to guide you in making the right choice.
Spot Color
This color is created by mixing ink using the Pantone Matching System (PMS) before the ink is loaded into the press. Hundreds of different ink colors can be matched by mixing specific formulas using 14 standard colors. A very basic example of this is that Blue & Yellow make a Green ink color. The formulas are precise and can sometimes rely on 4 or 5 different mixing colors to achieve the exact color. This is a solid color of ink and you will not see anything but that color when you view it with a magnifier.
Process Color
Printing 4 standard colors of ink on the press creates this color. Every Process Color project is printed with the same 4 colors - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Black, also referred to as CMYK (the K is Black). The press does not mix the inks, it simply prints a percentage of small dots for each Process Color to achieve the desired color. You have to use a magnifier to see it but the Green color you see on your printed piece is actually very tiny dots of Blue and Yellow. That's how the press can print green without having green ink on the press.
Spot Color vs. Process Color
SPOT COLOR
PROS
- Precision color reproduction
- Only one pass through the press
CONS
- Cannot reproduce color photos
- Cannot print on digital press
PROCESS COLOR
PROS
- Unlimited color options
- Digital reproduction available
CONS
- Some colors do not reproduce accurately
- Cannot reproduce Metallic or Fluorescent colors
Many other considerations can help determine which way to reproduce your color for the best result. If it seems overwhelming, give us a call. We can talk about this until we're BLUE (PMS300) in the face.
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Digital vs. Offset Printing
The lines get blurred when discussing Digital Printing and Offset Printing. With the improved quality of digital and the technological evolution of offset, deciding which manufacturing process will be best for your project is not always easy.
Digital printing is a broad term that includes processes as simple as using the black ink laser printer sitting behind you, and as complex as full color reproduction with changing photos and text.
Here are some basics to help you decide what's best for your project:
Quantity - Offset printing has more cost to set up a job than digital so as the quantity increases, costs drop. Digital, however has more of a constant cost per piece that doesn't allow for much saving with higher quantities. This is not a hard rule but compare prices at around 1000 pieces, depending on the project size, and you'll start to see the difference.
Paper - Digital processes are evolving but the choices of paper available to print on can limit your ability to have ultimate flexibility in your paper choices, while offset printing allows for any substrate.
Color - The digital manufacturing process prints the same four colors to create all color, CMYK. Offset uses the same process but has the option to print spot colors to match colors exactly. The digital process limits your ability to get the color exact in some projects. To understand more about Spot vs. Process Colors read this article from our newsletter archives.
Variable imaging - The digital process is the only process that allows for variable images to be different on every piece. You can change pictures, text, colors, etc. Offset printing does not allow for changes from piece to piece. Direct mail addressing must be applied during the mailing process.
Digital printing has been a great addition to the printing industry allowing for short run affordability and variable imaging that was never available prior to its introduction. Digital printing is not taking the place of offset printing, it's allowing for creativity in marketing efforts that have not existed until now.
Contact Us Today for Custom Printing.
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Tips for Effective Signs to Promote your Business
When you combine the internet, television, radio, billboards and direct mail we're exposed to 14,000 advertising messages every day but only 5 of them stick with us for more than 24 hours.
Summer is the season for outdoor activity that brings more pedestrian meanderers, road trips and outdoor events offering some new possibilities for marketing your business. Street side flags, sidewalk signs and promotional canopies are some ideas that may apply to your business.
Here are 6 tips for designing a sign that will be remembered.
1) SIZE & SCALE
The biggest difference in designing a sign is scale. Considering that a brochure is maybe 8 1/2" x 11" and a business card is 3 1/2" x 2", large scale design requires a different mindset when designing it.
Signs have to be read and understood from a distance; often by people who only have a few seconds to look in that direction. Everything should be big and simple for maximum impact.
Billboards can be 14' x 48' so art file resolution is paramount and vector art is required to avoid a blurry image when enlarged.
- File Resolution
- Graphic Clarity
2) LOCATION
Designing for location can be tricky if a single design is going to be used for different environments. If you design a sign with a sky blue background that will have the sky behind it, it will blend in too much and not get noticed.
A sidewalk sign or street-side flag, however, may have lots of different colors behind it, so a bold solid color may be your best choice to break through the clutter.
- Environmental Clutter
- Viewing Distance
3) COLOR & GRAPHICS
Generally graphics and color should be bright and saturated. Avoid light colors or pastels and opt for colors that will stand out - especially between your text and background.
For images and graphics, pick a single element and go big with it. Your design has to catch the viewer's attention in a second and a single, simple focal point will help.
Color can be one of the most important decisions you'll make in designing an effective sign.
- Go Big and Bold!
- Keep it Simple
4) TYPOGRAPHY & MESSAGE
Aside from the company logo, pick a single typeface. A san serif font works best for signs.
And make it big! Think about lettering in terms of 10 to 100, that's 10" tall for every 100' of viewing distance.
Bold lettering can increase the readability from a distance but avoid italics as they confuse the view.
An industry standard is to keep your message at 15 words or less and use the 3 x 5 rule. That's 3 lines of 5 words or 5 lines of 3 words. Less is better if you can make your point.
- Simple, Bold Type
- Simple, Short Message
5) CONTRAST
While contrast is an important consideration of any design project, it is especially important when you only have a couple of seconds to get someone's attention.
Every focal point must be clearly distinguishable.
With type, size and simplicity as key factors, selecting colors that stand out from one another will help get your message noticed.
While I'm personally not a fan of using borders in design, the use of a border can help to create a contrast between your sign and the background environment. Of course, using a border on a street-side flag will not make much sense.
- Bold Colors Create Contrast
- Borders are OK
6) SUBSTRATE
Substrate is the material that your message is being printed on. Knowing the material and method of printing can help in your design process.
Whether it's a vinyl banner, fabric flag or a graphic-wrapped bus, consulting with your manufacturer can help you provide the appropriate art files for best results.
Knowing if your sign will be for indoor or outdoor use can help you select the appropriate substrate to print your message on.
- Select Lasting Material
- Environmental Exposure
Most designers don't spend their day designing signs. Typically it will be the same person who creates brochures and business cards and only asked to design a large format graphic for special occasions like tradeshows, outdoor events or special promotions.
Reaching out to your manufacturer before you begin designing for large format graphics can help you avoid the headaches that may come after the design is finished.
Markit in a big way!
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June 11, 2014
Social Blue Bird Seeded in Promotional Products
Did you know that according to legend, eBay was started as a way to locate PEZ dispensers?
Another startup seeded in promotional products is Twitter. When this early bird was still in it's nest, many other dot coms were closing their virtual doors.
When Twitter was beginning as a simple social texting platform in 2006, an employee named Noah Glass was at a party called "Valleyscwhag Hoedown" in San Francisco. With all the failed startups, there was plenty of unused swag, so the idea was to gather and gift their dead branded merchandise to the party-goers.
Odeo was one of the flailing startups represented at the party, and also happened to be the corporate parent to a little blue bird we'd all come to know as Twitter.
As the story goes, Glass shared Twitter with Om Malik, a popular tech blogger, who tweeted "looking 4 food," and then blogged about Twitter the next day and that little bird took flight.
When done successfully, branded merchandise is the strongest marketing tool companies can use to connect with their customers. These days there's hardly a website or storefront that doesn't have a Twitter bird on it.
Twitter caught the attention of one person that night, and with a social stage the next day, the buzz about Twitter spread and the curious started trying out this new way to communicate.
To think none of this would have happened if it hadn't been for some left over t-shirts and key chains. The bird was born because a bunch of people gathered to mark a milestone (or gravestone) of ideas that never took flight.
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September 26, 2013
The Man with Two Brains
It wasn't long ago that designer's studios were equipped with tools like X-Acto knives, drawing boards, T-squares and dark rooms. The evolution of computer graphics has increased the efficiency of design, and allowed for spectacular effects that were not possible before.
The technology of design, however, can get in the way of great design if you don't understand the strengths of the designer you choose for the project.
It's a left-brain, right-brain thing.
Would you ever ask your CPA to provide your quarterlies in a font that represents your brand? Or hire a painter to download the appropriate apps on your tablet to run your business? In essence, this is similar to what designers are asked to do every day.
Every designer has different strengths and you'll waste resources and overspend if you don't know their specialty.
Don't waste your money hiring the designer who created your logo to change a name on a business card every time you hire a new employee. It's like asking the team that designed you car to change your tire.
Having more than one designer is best, so you can use them only when you need their specific talents. Some are great at font selection, others are color specialists, while the best choice for the project may be the designer that can most efficiently get the changes made in a file created in software program that none of us non-designers understand. Also, be sure they all understand the basics of your brand.
A team of designers will keep your brand fresh and current.
Great on-going design for your business requires a solid understanding of your brand, eye-catching imagery that doesn't get in the way, and a compelling message that leads your prospect down a direct path to purchasing what you are selling.
Don't have time to manage a team of designers? Get to know us!
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May 15, 2013
Markit Caps off the NYSE Closing Bell
Yesterday McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) made their recent name change official with a rebranding event at the New York Stock Exchange.
Markit Motion, Inc. was chosen to provide products to support the McGraw Hill Financial rebranding effort. One of those products was a ball cap with their new logo.
The company’s leadership team rang the Closing Bell, as hats showcasing the new logo were handed out on the NYSE floor.
The Markit Team kept the confidential new logo under wraps until today’s release at the New York Stock Exchange.
“ We were thrilled to be a part of this high profile rebranding” says Markit Motion, Inc. founder, Rick Garrett, “it was exciting to watch as Markit capped off the day!”
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November 26, 2012
November 09, 2012
Markit-in-a-Minute: Eco-Friendly Fabrics
While organic cotton is the preferred crop for many manufacturers but bamboo, soy, hemp and corn are growing in leaps and bounds as the eco-friendly movement grows. Here’s a basic explanation of each.
Bamboo
- Bamboo pulp can be converted into fibers to create fabric that’s extra-soft and very durable.
- It feels like a cross between cashmere and silk. Its natural properties make it antimicrobial, UV resistant and more breathable than cotton.
- Bamboo requires no pesticides to grow, and is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. The bamboo used for fabric is commonly known as Moso and can reach a mature height of 75 feet in just 45 to 60 days.
Long Sleeve Bamboo T-shirt
Eco-Friendly Bamboo Robe
Other Eco-Friendly Fabrics:
Corn
Poly Lactide Acid (PLA)
Hemp
Organic Cotton
Organic wool
Soy
See More Eco-Friendly Products HERE
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