At the beginning, make sure you also think about the ‘finish’!

So, you have thought about the content for your printed material and you’ve briefed your printer (hopefully Kall Kwik) and everything is looking good.

However, particularly when ordering brochures or flyers, you have one last important decision to make.

You have to determine whether you want it to appear with a gloss, matte, or UV coating.

There isn’t a right or wrong answer and the decision usually depends on your personal preferences and how you best wish to represent your message.

Gloss:

Customers tend to be drawn to gloss coating for the way it renders eye-catching images and because it is inexpensive compared to UV coating.

Typically, if you’re printing photographs this is the suitable option.

A gloss coating creates a printed that is resistant to fingerprints, rubs and scuffs and lasts longer than average varnishes.

However, it is not suitable for writing on.

 

Matte:

Images printed with a matte coating have a neutral, non-glossy look.

If your document is text heavy, consider a matte coating as it won’t tire the eyes.

Matte coating is not vulnerable to fingerprints and is a great choice if you’re looking to produce a non-glare photograph.

UV:

If your project calls for it, you may want to explore adding UV coating.

UV coating is a very high gloss coating applied to the printed paper surface and dried on press with ultraviolet light.

Such finishes are a popular option for marketing materials that need to gain immediate attention.

UV coated prints also provide a protective barrier against wear and tear caused by handling and display.

By working with your printer and by requesting samples, you’ll get to see what your print job will look like using either a gloss or matte coating.

Think twice about your copy … Before you go to print!

A few weeks ago I was driving the down the A3 and had to smile as I overtook a small van.

It belonged to a decorator and the company name was emblazoned over it side and rear supported with the strapline … ‘decorative specialists’.

The image that came to mind was a bunch of Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen-types standing around trying to look lovely – but not doing much of anything useful … so, probably not quite the vision this particular company intended!

Okay, the example is a harmless mis-use of an adjective but it does affect my reaction to their business.

And, there is an important lesson here for anyone running a small business and that is:

Never underestimate the importance of well written copy …

It’s always a good idea to ask someone else to act as ‘fresh pair of eyes’, be that to check your strapline or a full proof-reading exercise.

Just as a professionally printed leaflet will look better than something that has been hastily cobbled together and badly photocopied because the inks  are running out, sending out marketing messages that are poorly written will not fill any of your potential customers with confidence in your ability to deliver a good service.

At the end of the day it’s all about how people perceive you and your business.

And, never forget that those first impressions really do count

Purists use Twitter to fight the Oxford comma killers ...!!

The much argued-over punctuation mark has received a stay of execution at the University after its devotees used Twitter to fight its cause.

Arguments raged after Oxford tried to kill off its comma.

After a furious reaction on Twitter, Oxford University is to reconsider a style guide that tells employees to abandon use of the distinctive punctuation mark that has divided linguists since it was introduced a century ago …

  

The comma is used before “and” or “if” in a list of three or more items, for instance ….

“mad, bad, and dangerous to know”

It was first used by the Oxford University Press (OUP) to improve clarity in printed texts.

Detractors say it clutter up sentences and is pedantic and fussy.

Its main use is to clarify ambiguous or confusing sentences, particularly in lists of items, for example:

“I had coffee, bacon and eggs, and cereal for breakfast” or “the bishops of Ripon and Leeds, Southwark, Bristol, and Winchester.”

      

The furore was started when a Twitter user spotted a guide on the Oxford website used in university internal communications and press releases was advising against using the comma.

The Oxford comma has long been a source of dispute.

In Eats, Shoots & Leaves, a bestselling book about the quirks of the English language, the author Lynne Truss describes the punctuation mark as a “comma-shaped shark fin.”  

Yummy … the Printer that uses Chocolate instead of Ink!!

The printing industry is renowned for continuing to develop initiatives, but some of the recent developments are simply … mouth wateringly good!

  

Chocolate lovers may soon be able to print their own 3D creations thanks to work by UK scientists.

Yes indeed, a 3D printer that uses chocolate has been developed by researchers at the University of Exeter … and it prints layers of chocolate instead of ink or plastic!!

Although still a prototype, several retailers have already expressed interest in taking on the device.

 Lead scientist Dr Liang Hao told BBC News that chocolate printing, just like any other 3D printing technique, starts with a flat cross-section image – similar to that produced by ordinary printers turning out images.

As with all printing processes there is a significant amount of care and attention required – not least in the key parameter of temperature.

Early interest in the prototype has been encouraging.

“Obviously, it’s chocolate, so it’s hugely appealing” said Joanna Grant from UK online gift retailer findmeagift.co.uk

Joanna added that what is even more appealing is that customers will be able to design any object on a computer before hitting the print button ….

The possibilities are, of course, endless!!  

Some facts about Direct Mail and the Environment

Last night’s Panorama programme about ‘Junk Mail’ and the environmental impact certainly caused some much media attention.

As with all such programmes, there has to be a ‘story to tell’ and, in truth, mail through the letterbox is still an emotive subject for many consumers here in the UK.

 

However, there was some misleading representation of the facts about mail and the effect it has on the environment.

Firstly, the programme chose to illustrate mail in an addressed and un- addressed format.

There are controls in place for addressed mail (via MPS), whereas door-to-door leaflets are harder to control as they are mass marketed

What is indefensible is the appalling use of ‘Scam Mail’, no one would support that, but it is difficult for Royal Mail to police such practice.

The environmental impact of direct mail isn’t as straightforward as you’d think.

For instance … Did You Know?

• Online billing creates a larger carbon footprint than mail-based bills using recycled paper
• Direct Mail isn’t a waste of trees. Paper is a farmed, sustainable crop – the pulp used in paper is made from what is left over when a tree is felled for commercial purposes, such as construction
• Direct Mail accounts for less than 1% of UK landfill whereas the newspaper industry generates almost 10 times as much at 9.1%

Equally true is that well targeted Direct Mail is welcomed by consumers, who like the non-intrusive mature of mail through the letterbox.

Sometimes Pictures speak louder than Words!

Kall Kwik were very pleased and proud to supply Banners for Westchester House Nursery School

The banners were used on their open top bus in the Farnham Carnival and they certainly caught the attention of the watching public as it moved through the streets of Farnham on a splendid summer afternoon.

On this occasion there is little else to add as the picture perfectly illustrates everything that we would like to say about the quality and scope of our range of services ...  

 

Time to put pen to paper … as sales boom!

E mail, text and Twitter were said to be the final nails in its coffin.

But as with Mark Twain – a great exponent of the art – reports of the death of letter writing have been greatly exaggerated!

Increasingly, people are foregoing the gratification of instant electronic communication for a slower, more personal approach. Letter writing is experiencing a revival, and the art of saying ‘thank you’ is central to its resurgence.

Retailers across the country are seeing increased sales of mail stationery, including writing sets and fountain pens, as consumers turn their back on other electronic communication channels. 

• Sales of writing paper at John Lewis have soared 79% year-on-year, with letter writing being seen as part of a wider resurgence in home-made crafts and the desire to create more personalised communication
• The trend is not just happening for adults … with sales of children’s writing sets also on the up. Hello Kitty products have risen by 62% in the past 12 months at John Lewis 

According to Clare Northwood (Group Stationery Buyer for John Lewis) there has been an uplift in sales of ‘thank you’ notelets alone of 20%. 

Northwood added: “It is easier to ping off an e-mail but it is more meaningful to send a thank you card, particularly if someone cooked for you and has gone the extra mile.”

This mood change is also recognised by Annette Sharp (Director of online retailer, Papernation) who said that parents were seeing letter writing as a way of encouraging their children’s writing skills without it being seen as homework. 

Sharp commented: “I think it is part of a wider hand-made and back- to- basics approach, appreciating the smaller things in life.”