Can you imagine working without paper?

And beyond that, can you image not using paper … at all?!

There are companies nowadays that have made running a “paperless” office one of their corporate goals, as they try to be more attuned to the environmental issues that the world is facing.

That is all good and the environment is certainly a key concern for us at Kall Kwik.

It is also true for us that, as a local printing company, this cannot happen!

But, we cannot help but wonder … is going paperless in offices across the country really possible?

  

A paperless work environment will certainly be neat:

• There will be no post-its on monitors or notebooks piled in the corners.
• It will also be quiet as there will be no sounds produced by printers and fax machines
• The rubbish bins will also be rather empty!

  

It is virtually impossible to imagine an entire day going by without having to use paper.

There is likely to be correspondence that needs to be dealt with.

Research papers will also need to be printed out to be studied in more detail.

Maybe “paperless” is a utopia that can never be achieved.

But what is more achievable is the use of “less paper” by exercising prudence and a sense of responsibility.

It is still a great idea to push through with the basic steps towards a paper-less office, such as working more with electronic forms as opposed to paper-based forms … But, in truth, completely shunning paper still seems far off.

What do others feel ..? 

We’re all going on a summer holiday … don’t forget the books!

According to recent survey (commissioned by lastminute.com) Brits read 66.5 million books on a typical two week summer holiday.

• Brits are the most prolific holiday readers compered to European counterparts
• Brits read 2.6 books each on a typical two week holiday, which gives a total of 66.5 million across the UK
• Germans and Spanish are three times more likely to read X-rated fiction than the British

The ‘What’s the Story’ report questioned more than 10,000 adults across 9 European countries and found that holidays are the second most popular place to read a book (65%) after home (83%).

Of those who read on holiday, just over 2 books are read on average per person on a typical two-week break.    

• Two thirds (65%) of Europeans read on holiday with Swedes (72%) topping the reading poll.
• In close second are the British and Irish (both 71%)
• The Italians and French are the least likely to pack a book (55% and 56% respectively)

Within the UK women are more likely to read on holiday (78%) than men (64%), with females getting through an average of 3 books on a two week break, compared to 2 books for men.

Likelihood to read on holiday

Country	% of adults in each country who read on holiday
Sweden	72%
UK	71%
Ireland	71%
Germany	69%
Norway	68%
Denmark	65%
Spain	59%
France	56%
Italy	55%

Perhaps unpredictably, comedy is most favoured by German and Irish holiday readers (30%)

Mediterraneans (France, Spain and Italy) opt for science fiction, comics and fantasy fiction such as Harry Potter (29%, 36% and 28% respectively)

The Spanish topped the list of readers of spiritual, self-help and religious literature (17%)

A few thoughts about why printing is still important

There is no doubt that in the eyes of many people, print’s place in the communications and marketing mix appears to have weakened in recent years.

And this may well be the case with items such as printed directories.

I was reminded of this fact when my new Yellow Pages recently arrived through my letterbox.

It is indeed a much slimmed down of its former production, which was often left outside your house … as it wasn’t designed to be pushed through letterboxes!!

•  However, in a cross-media society print remains as the one media that can pull everything together.
• Many consumers complain of media overload and companies often lose their message in the maelstrom.

A thoughtfully constructed and executed print campaign is still an effective way to get your messages across to customers and potential customers. This is particularly true when a campaign is in collaboration with digital media: Interactive website, e-mail marketing, even text messaging is often the way forward.

    

• There is still an evident true power of printing.
• It’s been a trusted form of media for hundreds of years, whereas digital media is a relative (but also powerful) newcomer in the communication mix.

So, if you can combine the traditional power of printing with the fantastic data collection strengths of your website and e-mail campaigns, then you really do have a marketing vehicle that is hard to beat!

And, as you might expect, Kall Kwik will be happy to help you with all of this.

How do we get your Colours to match?

There are probably not too many people outside of the printing industry have heard about Pantone colours and their importance in the print process…

As a start point, you might be surprised to learn that Pantone developed the first colour matching system as recent as 1963. This consisted of a large number of small cardboard sheets, printed on one side with a series of related colour swatches and then bound into a small “fan deck”.

• This system became commonly known as the ‘Pantone Matching System’ or the ‘PMS’ system.
• Its goal was to allow designers to ‘colour match’ specific colours when a design enters production.  

The system proved to be very popular and was widely adopted by graphic designers and reproduction and printing houses … and is still used today to specify colours for a wide range of industries.

By standardising the colours, different manufacturers in different locations can all reference a Pantone numbered colour, making sure that colours match without direct contact with one another.

The most commonly referenced colours are in the Pantone solids palette.

The Pantone Solid palette consists of 1,341 colours, identified by three or four digit numbers, followed by a C or U suffix.

Pantone also has a Process palette which consists of more than 3,000 colour variations digitally created with CMYK process printing (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black)

Work printed using CMYK is also referred to as a 4 colour process.

Pantone also has a Textile palette, which consists of 1,925 Pantone specifically for Fashion and Home colours.

And to further the use and versatility of Pantone there is a ‘Plastics Palette’ which consists of 735 transparent and 1,005 opaque plastic colour chips.

It is indeed difficult to imagine a world without the use of Pantone!

How long should your sales letter be?

One of the most common questions asked is:

“How long should my sales letter be?”

It’s a good question and as you might guess … there are no shortage of opinions!

In reality there is no right or wrong answer.

It’s more to do with your audience and objectives.

The first thing to keep in mind is that length is secondary to content.

If you bore your readers, then two sentences can be too long!

Equally, if you write in a conversational style, and you raise interesting points, there really isn’t a maximum length.

    

Structure:

Remember that the goal of first sentence of your message is simple: Get the reader to read the second sentence!

And the goal of the second sentence? Not surprisingly, it’s to get them to read the second paragraph.

There is a lot of evidence to support the belief that if you can your reader to go beyond the second paragraph … they are likely to read the entire message.

Which begs the question … are you still with me?!

Your marketing messages should conclude with a call to action.

This might be the offer of some additional information that is available on your website or simply that you will be following up personally in the near future.

   

These are really just some general guidelines to keep in mind, and they will vary depending upon whether you’re marketing to businesses or to consumers.

Print is Sexy!

A recent scientific study conducted by Neuro-Insight measured eight key areas of brain functionality to determine which areas of the brain had heightened neurological activity … and to what degree.

The result of the study showed that magazines stimulate us more than any other medium including television, internet, radio and outdoor.

   

Here are 10 more ‘sexy’ things about print …

1. You can touch it, hold it, smell it…and even taste it.
2. Never needs a recharge, reboot or reset.
3. Adults 18-34 doing it more (reading magazines) than adults 35 and older.
4.  “Hot Off the Press” is a common phrase in our industry.
5. Not only is print 100% recyclable, but also its carbon footprint is smaller than the Internet’s. (Bet you didn’t know that.)
6. Trees are doing great because of print, for every one tree harvested for paper three are planted.
7. Average reader spends 43 minutes reading a magazine vs. 5 sec. reading e-mail. (Poor e-mail…how embarrassing.)
8. £50 notes are printed. (Money is sexy.)
9. No password needed… and the unprotected access is safe.
10. Try getting lucky with an e-card. (Let me know how that goes…)

What do you think is sexy about print?

Compliment Slips … How do You use Yours?

Communication is Key – so don’t overlook the power of using Compliment Slips!

One of the great benefits of compliment slips is their versatility.

• A message of thanks
• A sincere apology
• Or perhaps a delivery note for goods and purchases

Given the range of uses it becomes an absolute essential that you spend time thinking about the design and exactly how you will be using your compliment slips. It is yet another case of ‘first impressions count’

In terms of design, here are a few pointers:

• Clear logo
• Typeface must reflect the letterhead style
• Sufficient white space for the author to write a note
• Always hand write your message for a personal touch
• Aim to distribute them with every item you send
• Use as a method of keeping in contact informally and thereby save paper

Importantly your compliment slip design should reinforce your brand identity.

It is a reminder of your corporate image.

Getting the design element correct can help your company gain competitive edge.

The brand identity can be reinforced – particularly in conjunction with a print strategy that includes your business cards and letterhead.

I’m tempted to finish with … come in and speak to us at Kall Kwik for a complimentary discussion about your compliment slip requirements!