Paperback Rider! Technology and Printing produce a Bicycle!

Scientists in Bristol have designed a bike on a computer and sent it to a printer, who placed layers of melted nylon powder on top of each other to build up a fully working machine.

• The bicycle is the first in the world to be created simply by printing it out on a computer using the ground-breaking technology.
• The nylon made cycle is the result of an extraordinary project and is as strong as steel and aluminium but weighs up to 65% less.  

Individual components such as gears, pedals and wheels are usually made in different factories and assembled into a finished bike, but the Airbike is a single complete part. The wheels, bearings and axle are incorporated into the ‘growing’ process known as ‘Additive Layer Manufacturing’ (ALM)

The Airbike can be built to the rider’s own specification so requires no adjustment. It also requires no conventional maintenance or assembly.

It was made by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space group in Filton, near Bristol. The 3D printing method allows products to be made from a fine powder of nylon, carbon-reinforced plastics or metals such as titanium, stainless steel or aluminium.

Lead engineer Andy Hawkins said; “The possibilities with ALM are huge – it’s a game changing technology.” Andy went on to say … “Many unique design features have been incorporated into the Airbike, such as saddle cushioning or the integrated bearings encased within the hubs.”

Why should print media be part of your strategy?

There’s little doubt that the world today is defined by information.

Whether its news opinions, interviews or advertising, its information that provides the direction and structure to our lives.

Never before in history have such giant leaps in technology been made in such a small period of time.

Print media, television, online, mobile, and social media are all now vital components of any campaign.

With such a range of technology and channels, how can you ensure that you’re getting maximum reach, exposure and ROI for your marketing spend?     

It is indeed an integrated world that we live in…

Add Print, Add Power

Let’s consider some of the attributes of an ideal communication channel:

• It needs to be available in large and small numbers
• It needs to be engaging … you need to grab your Customer’s attention and hold it long enough to get your message across
• And, not all messages can be put across in 140 characters! … But don’t under estimate the power of Twitter as part of an integrated approach

Meanwhile, a recent Synovate survey in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy shows that:

54% of advertisers and 46% of agencies expect the share of print to remain the same or to increase.

All of this means that the message is loud and clear … Print is here to stay and it has the potential to build a brand from the ground up, working with other media to create awareness and drive sales.

Your Letterhead, Your Business … Your Tips!

Letterheads are often wrongly considered as an ordinary heading in company stationery.

Yet, it spells out a lot of difference when doing official business.

Your company letterhead captures the essence of your company’s purpose and style:

• It’s your brand and identity
• It lets your customers know just how professional your company is
• It distinguishes your company from the competition

 Here are some guidelines and tips to make your letterheads that make your organisation look great.

Keep it Simple

Too many special effects overshadow your message of professionalism.

Make the letterhead design reflect your company’s image. Create a logo that points out your company’s strengths – a logo should not stand out its own as a piece of artwork.

Design a Letterhead that is Readable

Take care with the choice of font size, colour and style of your letterhead.

Stay away from those fancy fonts!

You want your name to stand out – not the font.

Use Colour and Graphics only as needed

Don’t overdo the use of colour. When colour is used in too many areas, the areas start to fight for attention. Use colour to emphasise specific areas.

Include only the necessary details

What do you want your customer to know from looking at the letterhead?

You’ll want the company’s name, phone number, physical address, e-mail address, but not much else.

Leaving out extra information will keep the look of your letterhead clean and readable.

And … Make sure the information on the letterhead is correct!

One final piece of advice: 

If you are trying to design your own letterhead and create the artwork on your own but are not confident in what you are doing, it may be worth the cost of having someone experienced do the work for you. They will be able to provide the artwork prepares according to the printers requirements, which could save you money further down the line.

And you can, of course, speak to us … we’re here to help you with all your printing needs!  

Paper, Paper … Read all about it … And then Recycle!

Apparently newspaper sales increase the day after Budget Day – as consumers search for the detail behind the headlines!

And once you’ve read that paper – don’t forget to make sure it is recycled.

As a business involved with the use of paper, we are fully aware of our environmental responsibilities.

You’ve got Use, Reuse, Recycle!

  

Paper is one of the easiest materials to recycle.

Paper is collected from our kerbside or recycling banks by local authorities and waste management companies.

Once the paper is collected it is then:

• Sorted, graded and delivered to a paper mill
• At the paper mill it is added to water and then turned into pulp
• The paper is then screened, cleaned and de-inked through a number of processes until it is suitable for papermaking
• It is then ready to be made into new paper products such as newsprint, cardboard, packaging, tissue and office items

And here’s a fact: it can take just 7 days for a newspaper to go through the recycling process and be transformed into recycled newsprint which is used to make the majority of Britain’s national daily newspapers

Of course, recycled paper can be used for a wide range of everyday products including:

• Newspapers/ magazines
• Printing paper
• Cardboard
• Tissue
• Loft insulation

For effective sales copy - keep your sentences short

Whether you are writing an advert, a blog, a sales letter, or maybe even a speech, I’m sure you will agree that good writing has the power to persuade and influence.

But what are the secrets of good writing?

It’s all about simplicity.

• Use short sentences and everyday words
• Cut the jargon and have a clear structure

If you read most stuff put out nowadays – it is indeed appalling. Badly written, dull - and often downright incomprehensible.

Yet bad writing is not necessary … if you can just count

This was discovered by Rudolph Flesch, an American, who spent years in the 1940s researching what makes easy reading. As a result he formulated some very easy rules.

The simplest is, make your sentences short:

• The easiest sentence to take in is only eight words long
• A sensible average is 16 words
• And, any sentence of more than 32 words is decidedly hard to take in

That’s because most people tend to forget what happened at the beginning of the sentence by the time they get to the end. Always write with your audience in mind and do make it easy for them.

And the same applies to paragraphs. Vary them, but keep them short, containing only one or two thoughts - especially the first one. A long opening paragraph is daunting.