The Importance Of A Good Direct Mailing List

Written By: Jen Thaler - May• 26•11

Once you have evaluated the 5 “W’s” of Direct Mail, you need to make decisions regarding your mailing list. Are you mailing to a list of existing customers or a list that you have already compiled of potential leads, or do you need to acquire a mailing list? At Discounted Printing & Direct Mail, we offer mailing list acquisition services to help you compile the mailing list you need to reach your target market. We offer consumer, business to business, and occupant mailing lists, all of which can be tailored to fit your specific needs, with most selects included in your purchase at no additional charge.

 

If you already have a mailing list, but aren’t sure that it is set up correctly, or have concerns about the quality of the addresses on your mailing list, we have resources available to assist you with this as well. If you just want to be sure that your list is set up correctly for processing through our direct mail software, you can download an excel mailing list template. If you are concerned about the quality of the addresses on your mailing list, or need addresses added or removed, we offer mailing list clean up and maintenance services. Depending on the services you need, we can deduplicate, NCOA (Move Update), CASS Certify, add or remove specific leads, and much more to enhance the quality of your mailing list.

 

Postcard Printing

Postcard Printing

We also offer some fantastic services to assist you with fine tuning your mailing list, as well as gaining additional information about your target market even after your mailing has gone out. Our free call analytics service can help you assess the success of your direct mail campaign, and also help you to make educated decisions about your next direct mail promotion. Ask us today about how to integrate call analytics, mailing list acquisition, mailing list clean up and maintenance, or even a scratch off or QR Code into your next direct mail campaign.

 

Posted in Call Analytics, Direct Mail Products & Services, Direct Mail Tips, General Info, Mailing List Acquisition, Mailing List Clean Up & Maintenance, New Products & Services, Product Showcase, QR Codes, The 5 "W's" of Direct Mail Marketing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Branded Company Web To Print Portals

Written By: Jen Thaler - May• 18•11
Branded Company Web to Print Portals

Branded Company Web to Print Portals

I recently spent some time explaining the benefits of using our branded company web to print portals, and wanted to follow up today by explaining how and why these print portals can be beneficial to many different business types. Our branded company stores can be useful to franchising companies, direct selling organizations, ad agencies and graphic designers, real estate firms, law firms, medical offices, print brokers and direct mail companies, event managers and street teams, and so many more.

Some of the benefits I covered in my previous post are:

  • Increase Sales
  • Branded Online Stores
  • Print Ordering Made Simple
  • Online Design Tool
  • Online Pricing
  • One Stop Printing & Mailing Solution
  • Administrative Control
  • Easy & Cost Effective Set Up – FREE Hosting
  • Reduce Internal Costs
  • Easy Integration Into Your Existing Website

So now, let’s talk about why branded company stores are ideal for your business or industry type. I’m covering a few of the business and industry types which come to mind, but these web to print stores can really be tailored to fit the needs of just about everyone. Keep reading and find out how branded web to print portals can work for you!

Franchising Companies

We provide a simplified method for your franchisees to order your branded print collateral and other marketing materials. Our Branded Web To Print Enabled Company Stores are easy for franchisees to use, and they allow you to control the way printing, direct mail, promotional items and signs are ordered.

As a franchise owner, you recognize the importance of placing quality marketing tools in the hands of your franchisees. You’ve probably discovered that sales suffer when a franchisee fails to promote themselves (and you!) in a consistent and professional manner. I’m sure you also know how critical it is that your brand is marketing using quality artwork so that you have a consistent look in every location, thus creating brand recognition. Our Branded Web to Print Enabled Company Stores allow you to control the images, company colors and even the content of your promotional pieces, and you don’t have to worry about printing nightmares such as inconsistent color, text and spelling mistakes, or low resolution images which can arise when your franchisees have to design the piece themselves, or are purchasing your marketing materials from multiple service providers.

Popular Products that Franchisees Order Include:

Business Cards * Postcards * Flyers * Posters * Magnets * Banners * Door Hangers * T-Shirts * Menus * Brochures * Signs * Decals * Frequent Shopper Cards * Notepads * Inserts * Car Magnets and more

Brochure Printing

Full Color Brochures

Direct Selling Organizations

We provide you with a simple way to offer distributors an easy way to use Branded Web To Print Enabled Company Stores, so you can control the way printing, direct mail and other corporate identity items are ordered. Our web interface allows you to store company assets online and make them easily accessible to distributors ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. Help your distributors increase sales and productivity by providing them with a practical and cost effective marketing that can help their business (and yours) grow. At the same time, your consistent company brand will be printed and promoted to your highest standards.

Popular Products Direct Selling Organizations Offer Include:

Business Cards * Postcards * Flyers * Posters * Magnets * Brochures * Banners * Door Hangers * Address Labels * Signs * Decals * Letterhead * Envelopes * Frequent Shopper Cards * Notepads * Inserts * Car Magnets & more

Ad Agencies & Graphic Designers

Be a bit of a show off – showcase your top notch creative design and marketing ideas and facilitate the design changes process by presenting a client with the design template and allowing them to edit the piece as and when they wish. Stop spending your valuable time going back and forth with simple copy changes and misspellings. Put the tools in your customers’ hands, and you can concentrate on acquiring new business and developing fresh concepts for your clients instead of making mindless, time consuming edits. Our branded web to print solutions can also provide you with a new revenue center if you are not currently making money on their printing and other promotional items purchases.

Popular Products Agencies and Designers Offer Include:

Business Cards * Postcards * Flyers * Posters * Brochures * Magnets * Forms * Banners * Door Hangers * Menus * Signs * Decals * Notepads * Inserts * Letterhead * Envelopes * Car Magnets * Newsletters and more

Real Estate Firms

With the continuing hurdles of the real estate industry, it is critical that agents continuously market themselves and the properties and homes they are selling. Our turnkey Branded Web to Print Portals allow you to provide agents with the cost effective and eye catching tools they need to stay in front of their target audience. Their success is crucial to your success, and with our web to print portals, you have the ability to make them more successful by uploading various templates and empowering them to promote themselves AND their listed properties with a quality professional look and feel.

Popular Products Real Estate Agents Offer Include:

Business Cards * Just Sold/Just Listed Postcards * Signs * Brochures * Magnets * Forms * Banners * Door Hangers * Notepads * Greeting/Thank You Cards * Letterhead * Envelopes * Catalog Sheets * Car Magnets and more

Print Brokers & Direct Mail Companies

Promote our products and services in a professional manner. Empower your customers and grow your business with a secure company store which will allow you to display our numerous products and services. Our branded sites allow your clients to upload files and edit templates while making their shopping experience a pleasant one.

Popular Products Print Brokers & Direct Mail Companies Offer Include:

Business Cards * Postcards * Flyers * Posters * Brochures * Magnets * Forms * Banners * Door Hangers * Menus * Signs * Decals * Notepads * Inserts * Letterhead * Envelopes * Car Magnets * Catalogs & Booklets and more

Event Ticket Printing

Full Color Event Tickets

Event Managers/Street Teams

Avoid delays in advertising special events or promotions with our branded web to print enabled company stores. This private and secure print portal will allow you to upload print templates for your upcoming events and promotions, while providing your promoters with a quick and simple way to edit the dates and locations. Your graphics and artworks will be controlled to ensure consistent, reliable quality when printed.

Popular Products Event Managers & Street Teams Order Include:

Business Cards * Postcards & Flyers * Posters * Banners * Event Tickets * Door Hangers * Signs * Stickers * Decals * Car Magnets and more

Pricing

Monthly hosting on these exciting web to print portals is FREE, and set up is reasonably priced, but varies based on store size and requirements.

Interested in opening your own branded web to print store? Contact us today – comment on this post, shoot us an email, or pick up the phone today and call Ike Thaler at (561) 740-7399 x 512 to get started!

 

 

Posted in General Info, New Products & Services, Product Showcase, Web to Print Portals , , , , | No Comments »

The 5 “W’s” of Direct Mail Marketing

Written By: Jen Thaler - May• 17•11
Brochure Printing & Direct Mail

Brochure Printing & Direct Mail

The last few weeks, I’ve been writing regularly about why direct mail works and how to make it work for you. Today, and next week, I’d like to spend some time talking about target markets and mailing lists. Having the right mailing list is a critical aspect in achieving the goals you have set for yourself with your direct mail campaign. Having a beautifully designed and printed direct mail postcard, brochure, newsletter or catalog is important, but all your hard work is meaningless if you don’t reach your intended audience. With that in mind, here are a few key thoughts which should be taken into consideration when determining who you will mail to.

 

First, consider who you are targeting. Having a working knowledge of who your target market is, and how your target market behaves when it comes to making purchasing decisions is a vital component in making your direct mail campaign a success. You will want to take the time to research how your target market spends their money, what influences their purchasing decisions, and who will be making the purchasing decisions. Often times when doing a business to business mailing, just having the correct address of the businesses you are mailing to doesn’t get the mail piece into the correct person’s hands. Make sure that you know who in your target market makes the purchasing decisions, and be sure that they are who you are mailing to. Timing is also an important factor when evaluating how your target market does their spending. Determine when your target market is likely to make purchases (the beginning or end of each quarter, seasonally, etc.), and be sure to mail to them at the beginning of their decision making process, with perhaps a follow up mailing towards the end of that process.

Everyone learned about the 5 “W’s” of writing early in their educational career, and those actually carry over to making decisions regarding a direct mail campaign – let’s call them the 5 “W’s” of Direct Mail:

Who – Determine who your target market is. How do they behave, make their purchasing decisions, spend their money, and who specifically at the business or household you are targeting makes those decisions?

What – Determine what type of mail piece will be the most successful for your target market – consider interactive mail pieces such as scratch offs and QR Codes, or variable data printing to make your mail more personal.

When – Determine when they will be making their purchasing decisions, and when you will need to mail in order to affect those decisions

Where – Determine where your target market is located – are you a local business or a business with a national audience? If you are a local business, determine how localized your target market is. Does your target market have to travel to reach you, or do you go to them, offer online services, or ship a product to the customer?

Why – Determine WHY your target market makes the purchases they end up making. Are they shopping for price, quality, turnaround, or best overall product? Once you know this, you can tailor the design of your mail piece so that it focuses on why your target market should be making their purchases from you.

 

Posted in Direct Mail Products & Services, Direct Mail Tips, General Info, The 5 "W's" of Direct Mail Marketing , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Advantages of Full Color Brochures

Written By: Jen Thaler - May• 16•11

Brochures Printing

Full Color Brochures

Full color brochure printing is an excellent way to promote your company, product, or service, and at Discounted Printing & Direct Mail, we carry a full line of brochure products, including offset and digital brochure printing, self mailer printing, newsletters, and many more custom brochure printing options. We offer everything from basic trifold brochure printing to brochures printed on custom stocks, or with your choice of custom folds.

 

Not sure where to start? That’s okay! Ask us about our brochure design services. Our expert graphic designers can create a brochure customized to fit your specific marketing needs, and can take care of things like making sure your brochures are set up correctly for folding. We can even help you set up your brochures properly for direct mailing.

 

Direct mail brochures are a powerful way to get your message into your customers’ hands at an affordable price. One of the best things about doing a brochure mailing is that you are able to maximize your advertising real estate, while still paying the same Standard Mail postage rates you would be paying for a postcard mailing. This means that you can put an 11” x 17” brochure, or even a larger custom sized brochure mailing in your target audiences hands for the same postage rate you would pay to put a 4” x 6” postcard in their hands at Standard Mail postage rates. Imagine the possibilities of using brochures as direct mailers at such a low cost. Even at First Class Mail rates, you can mail a brochure mailing at the same postal rate as any postcard larger than 4” x 6” up to 6” x 11”.

 

 

 

Posted in General Info, Product Showcase , , , , | No Comments »

Printing Terms for the Uninitiated – Resolution

Written By: Jen Thaler - May• 12•11

I was originally planning or writing this week’s printing terms blog post on stock, but that’s going to have to wait till next week, because last night while I was rewriting some outdated copy for our website (the revamped site just launched over the weekend – if you haven’t seen it yet, take a few minutes to click over there and check it out – we are all really excited about it!) I got to thinking about how important it is that customer supplied artwork be created in the correct resolution.

I mentioned in my first ever blog post how much of a shock it was to me that I couldn’t just grab any old image I found on Google and send it to print because of the low resolution that is used on the internet, and have briefly touched on the fact that 72 DPI is not an acceptable resolution to produce a quality printed image, but I haven’t spent that much time explaining why, or what resolution you should submit your art for different printed items.

First, let’s talk about what the word resolution means, then we’ll get into the correct resolution for offset and digitally printed products, as well as the correct resolution to submit your art for large format printed products. I’m going to get cute for a minute, my resolution today is to correctly and simply explain what resolution is, and how to set it up. So definition of terms first, here we go:

Resolution: Resolution refers to the number of dots per inch composing an image. If the resolution is not high enough, your printed images will appear choppy, and pixellated, but when your digital files are CREATED and submitted with the correct resolution, the end result is a clear, crisp, sharp image which greatly contributes to the professional quality you want to achieve in your promotional marketing materials.

Dots Per Inch (DPI): The number of dots or pixels per inch which compose the colors and images in your artwork and on your finished printed piece.

Pixel: A dot produced by a software, computer, press or other device. Multiple pixels compose the colors and images in your artwork or printed piece.

Pixellated: When the resolution on your artwork is too low, the result is a pixellated image, which is created by not having enough pixels or dots per inch in your digital files to compose a clear, crisp result. A pixellated image appears choppy and uneven, and worst of all, unprofessional.

Now that we’ve covered the terminology, and have established that 72 DPI is not an acceptable resolution for printing, let’s talk about what the correct resolution is for your printed promotional piece, and how to set up your digital files.

Resolution Comparison

Resolution Comparison - The top image was created at 300 DPI, the bottom at 72 DPI

If you are purchasing any of our offset or digital printed products, you need to make sure that your art is created at 300 DPI to ensure acceptable print quality. Pulling images off the web at 72 DPI and increasing the resolution to 300 DPI won’t help, so when designing logos and images in professional design software such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator, you should make sure your document is set up with a high enough resolution before you begin. Use stock photography, or if you are taking digital pictures to be used in your postcard or brochure, be sure to set the resolution on your camera high enough.

If you are using a software such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher, make sure to check the image quality prior to placing it in your document, and be sure to export your document to PDF correctly to maintain the correct resolution. For Microsoft Word, Select Save As > Publish as PDF or XPS, then you will see a window appear asking you where you would like to save your PDF. In this window, there is an option right above the Publish button, which asks what you would like to optimize for. Please be sure to select Standard (Optimize for online publishing & printing). Do not select the minimum size option, as this will compress the resolution on your artwork to a resolution of 72 DPI. The steps are similar in Microsoft Publisher, except that you will select the option called Optimize for High Quality Printing. Please note that there are other problems associated with using software such as Microsoft Publisher or Microsoft Word, such as fonts and images shifting, as well as color shift issues which occur because these programs use an RGB color scheme rather than a CMYK color mode, resulting in potential color shift when the color mode is converted to CMYK. Although we accept files created in these programs, we recommend and prefer that you create your digital files in a professional design software to avoid some of these potential pitfalls.

If you are purchasing one of our large format printed products, such as full color banners or yard signs, you can set up your artwork in one of two ways.

1)      Set up your artwork at ½ size at 300 DPI

2)      Set up your artwork at full size at 150 DPI

For example, if you are submitting an order for a 4’ x 6’ (48” x 72”) banner, you can create your files as 2’ x 4’ (24” x 48”) at 300 DPI or as 4’ x 6’ (48” x 72”) at 150 DPI. This allows you to create digital files which are easier to submit online due to a smaller file size without negatively impacting the quality of your finished printed piece. Please note that the ½ resolution option is only acceptable for large format printed products.

 

 

Posted in Digital Printing, General Info, Large Format Printing, Offset Printing, Print Production, Printing Terms , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Branded Web to Print Portals

Written By: Jen Thaler - May• 11•11

Did you know that we offer branded web to print portals? Web to print portals are an easy solution to setting up and managing your secure branded website. This web based solution facilitates and automates the online ordering of your most commonly ordered branded print materials, forms and other promotional items. Our web to print technology provides you with a secure web based custom interface which can store editable print templates. These print templates can be modified online by your sales agents, dealers, or multiple stores or locations that require printing of your collateral material. Sound interesting? Keep reading…

There are many benefits to using our company print portals. Besides the fact that they make print ordering easy, they can help increase your sales, allow for an unlimited number of products or categories, require no investment in programmers, designers or monthly hosting fees, can be customized to match your brand’s identity, and so much more.

Additionally, branded web to print portals are an excellent choice for many different types of businesses, such as franchising and direct selling organizations, ad agencies and graphic designers, real estate and law firms, medical offices, print brokers and direct mail companies, event managers and street teams, and many more. Branded web to print portals are a flexible and simple print ordering option for just about any industry.

Benefits: The benefits of using branded web to print portals are many faceted and can help your business in so many different ways!

  • Increase Sales – Using our branded company print portals can help you to avoid a decrease in sales by facilitating and expediting the process your sales agents, dealers or franchisees order their marketing materials. Not only does this help them to get the collateral materials they need in a more efficient way, it also helps to ensure your brand identity remains consistent. As just about everyone knows, keeping your brand’s identity consistent helps with brand recognition, bringing you the repeat business every business owner is looking for, and our branded web to print portals are a simple solution to the problems which can be created by dealers, franchisees, and sales agents ordering your collateral material from multiple printers. Avoid variations in color, low resolution, and bad design be providing print templates that can be edited online in minutes! You can provide a variety of images, layouts and products to your affiliates so they can promote themselves (and you) with ease.
  • Branded Web to Print Enabled Company Sites/Portals – We can customize your site to match your corporate identity by adding your logos, colors, graphics and advertisements. We provide a fully customizable catalog for all of your marketing collateral needs. Place everything from your company business cards and brochures to banners and stationary in your web to print portal. Provide frequently ordered print templates so others in your company or franchise can order easily, while at the same time, maintaining the critical integrity of your company’s brand!
  • Make Print Ordering Easy – Our branded sites were created with the print buyer in mind. We have made it our goal to increase the efficiency of print purchasing by automating repetitive tasks, which serves to expedite the turnaround and eliminate costly errors, as well as potentially eliminating or reducing the need for administrative staff. Orders that used to take hours to prepare and place can now take minutes to enter! There is no need to invest in graphic design software licenses, and no need for re-typesetting, proofing, multiple sign offs or filling out order forms or company purchase orders. Everything you and your dealers or franchisees need to place print orders is already right there, in your branded web to print portal!
  • Online Design Tool – Our Web to Print technology lets you store company specific print templates and allow authorized users to edit text, logos and pictures 24/7, all in one convenient online location!
  • Online Pricing – Use a pricing calculator on our branded company stores to view real time pricing for available bindery options. Enjoy the flexibility of adding additional options that are relevant to your unique product or service, making our online print catalogs not only easy to order from, but also as static or fluid as your promotional marketing materials need to be!
  • One Stop Printing & Mailing Solution – We provide a one stop shopping solution for all your print and promotional item needs that will save you both time and money. Stop wasting time dealing with multiple print vendors, mail houses, list companies, screen printers and sign shops – we have the ability to provide you with a one stop solution for all your printing, mailing and promotional item needs! Using our branded web to print portals streamlines your print purchasing process, thus saving you countless hours and dollars so you can concentrate on growing your business instead.
  • Free - In this time and money strapped day and age, the word free is always nice. That’s right, readers, you can take advantage of our robust technology for free! For a minimal set up fee, we can set up your branded web page and customize your print templates into editable web to print format. Set up fees vary based on store size and requirements, but after that, there are no monthly hosting fees, and you have eliminated the need for graphic designers, graphic design software licenses, and reduced the need for administrative staff to spend an extended amount of time preparing and placing orders for your marketing collateral.
  • Administrative Control – Once your online store or portal is set up, you will receive a portal code and access to a log in page which you can then provide to anyone who needs access to your branded company portal. They will then need to register as a new user and provide the supplied portal code. Once registered, they will have complete access to all the products, prices and online design templates in your portal. This is a fantastic tool for franchises, print brokers, ad agencies, direct selling organizations, real estate companies, financial institutions, graphic designers and many other industries!

There are many additional benefits to using our branded web to print portals. Why not give us a call today to find out more about setting up your online company print portal? Additional benefits include, but are not limited to:

  • Integrate your branded print store into your existing website
  • Place orders online 24/7
  • Get up in running in next to no time! We can set up your branded, web enabled company store in a matter of days!
  • Unlimited number of products and categories
  • Set up custom messages when orders are placed, approved, or shipped
  • Complete Hosted Solution – We will host your branded site free of charge! No need to invest in programmers, graphic designers or pay monthly hosting fees!

 

Posted in General Info, New Products & Services, Product Showcase, Web to Print Portals , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Direct Mail Tips – Mail Piece Design

Written By: Jen Thaler - May• 10•11
Direct Mail Services

Direct Mail Services

One of the most common problems that we see in our direct mail department is a mail piece that is not designed according to postal regulations. Designing your mail piece correctly in the first place saves you valuable time on your direct mail campaign, and a direct mail postcard or brochure which is not designed according to mailing regulations can cost extra money on postage as well. Before you design your next direct mail piece, ask us for a template to avoid common pitfalls associated with mail piece design, and take the following key points into consideration.

Leave space for an address block and indicia. The address block is the portion of your direct mail piece which will have the address and barcode ink jetted on it, located at the bottom right corner of your mail piece, and the indicia is the portion of your postcard where a stamp would go if you were sending your mailing out as stamped mail. For letter sized mail (up to 6” x 11”), the indicia should be positioned in the upper right hand corner of your mail piece, or in the address block itself. If the address block is going to contain the indicia, it should be 2.75” high x 3.75” wide. If the indicia will be positioned outside the address block, the address block should be 2.25” high x 3.75” wide. The address block should be white, with no screens or line art, however, if you would like to include a screen or line art in the address block of your direct mail brochure or postcard, our direct mail department will review it prior to production to make sure that the background printing will not interfere with the postal barcode readers’ ability to read the Intelligent Mail Barcode which will be ink jetted in that area. Please also make sure that your address block runs perpendicular to the long side of your mail piece.

For flat sized mail (larger than 6” x 11”), you can follow the instructions above, OR, include a 1.75” wide white strip which runs the entire length (top or bottom) of your direct mail catalog, postcard, or brochure.

Return address positioning: Having a return address on your mail piece is not a requirement, however, it is recommended that you use one whenever possible, and we strongly urge you to place a return address on any First Class mailings that you do. Having a return address on First Class Mail ensures that you receive any returned mail, so that you can remove any invalid addresses that were not updated in the NCOA (move update) process.

The return address should be positioned to the left of your indicia, but does not have to be all the way in the left hand corner of your direct mail piece.  Please do not place your return address, or any other addresses immediately to the left of the address block on your mail piece. The area to the left of the address block, and 2.75” from the bottom of the mail piece should be free of any addresses to be sure that your mail is sent to the intended recipient. Mail with addresses printed in this area, called the OCR Read Area, has the potential to be sent to the addresses printed there, or to be rejected by the post office when presented for mailing altogether.

Mailing requirements for booklets mailing at the letter rate (up to 6” x 11”) require larger sized and additional tabs. Additionally, the spine of your direct mail booklet must be positioned so that the opening is at the top of the mail piece. All booklets up to 6” x 11” which mail at letter rates require 3 – 1.5” tabs, two on the top, and one on the leading edge of the mail piece. Booklets which are not set up correctly are only mailable at the higher flat rate, significantly increasing your postage cost.

The post office does not like squares. They prefer mail which is rectangular in shape, and your postage rate can dramatically increase should your direct mail postcard or brochure be considered “too square”. I use the words “too square” because not only does the post office not like squares, they prefer that the length and width of your mail be within a certain ratio of each other, called the aspect ratio. Mail which is considered too square will incur an additional non-machinable surcharge as these pieces can not be machine processed. We recommend that you choose one of our standard brochure or postcard sizes to avoid this non-machinable surcharge.

The weight of your direct mail piece should always be a consideration. For Standard Mail, postage cost increases on mail which weighs more that 3.3 ounces. For First Class Mail postage cost increases on anything which weighs more than 1ounce, and increases every ounce thereafter.

If you are mailing a catalog, magazine or booklet, it may be wise to consider using a lighter paper weight to save money on postage, especially if it will not affect the quality of the finished piece. For example, an 8.5” x 11” 16 page catalog printed on 100# gloss text is just less than 3.3 ounces, but if you wanted to print the same size catalog with 20 pages instead, use 80# gloss text to save on postage. An 8.5” x 11” 24 page catalog on 80# gloss text weighs more than 3.3 ounces, and a lighter stock may need to be considered where possible.

There are also weight requirements regarding paper stocks which are too thin. If you are mailing an 8.5” x 11” trifold brochure, for example, the lightest paper stock we recommend using is a 70# offset. A lighter stock can be used for a larger sized brochure.

 

Posted in Direct Mail Products & Services, Direct Mail Tips, General Info, Mailing Requirements, Printing Terms, Save on Postage , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Product Showcase – Placemat Printing

Written By: Jen Thaler - May• 09•11

placemat printing
Full Color Placemat Printing

Placemat printing is a fantastic point of purchase option for restaurants! They create an excellent opportunity to upsell customers who are already dining at your establishment, and can be used for a number of other options as well. Consider using placemat printing as coloring sheets and children’s menus and identify your restaurant as kid friendly, bringing families back in for repeat business.

You can also sell advertising on your placemats to other area vendors, using the advertising real estate on your full color placemats as an additional source of income, as well as helping businesses in your area to advertise their business product or service. The benefits of selling ad space on your placemat printing is that when your customers shop in the area immediately around you, they are more likely to come back to your establishment after they have made their purchases, Placemat advertising becomes a flexible revenue source when you sell advertising real estate on your full color placemats, as you sell the ad space AND reap the benefits of having customers return to your restaurant after they have visited other businesses and area vendors.

Placemat Advertising

Placemat Advertising

Our standard placemats are 10” x 16”, printed on a 50# offset stock, in your choice of full color placemat printing or 1 & 2 color placemat printing, with options available to print on one or both sides. We also offer custom placemat printing options, with a variety of custom stocks and sizes available, and can even laminate your placemat printing purchase, making it a more lasting point of purchase product. We offer short runs on our placemat printing products in quantities as few as 100 or less, and medium to long runs of up to 100,000 placemats or more!

 

Posted in General Info, Product Showcase , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Product Showcase – Letterhead & Envelopes

Written By: Jen Thaler - May• 06•11

Letterhead PrintingAt Discounted Printing & Direct Mail, we offer many different full color letterhead and 1 & 2 color letterhead options. Try our house stock, a 70# offset opaque, or ask us about the wide variety of other letterhead stock options that we offer. Professionally printed full color letterhead or 1 & 2 color letterhead shows that you are serious about the quality of the product or service that you are offering, and Discounted Printing & Direct Mail offers full color stationery packages, or 1 & 2 color stationery packages to suit your individual needs. Even if you don’t need a large quantity of full color letterheads, Discounted Printing & Direct Mail offers short run letterheads, and we can also produce a full bleed on our full color letterhead products.

 

If you need envelopes as well, Discounted Printing & Direct Mail also offers a variety of 1 & 2 color envelope products, and can produce full color envelopes as well. Our stationery products work seamlessly with our direct mail services to produce a complete, finished direct mail product which gets your letter into each of your customers’ hands on our professionally printed full color stationery printed products.

 

 

 

Posted in Direct Mail Products & Services, General Info, One Stop Printing & Direct Mail, Product Showcase , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Printing Terms for the Uninitiated – Bleed

Written By: Jen Thaler - May• 05•11

It’s been awhile since I took a trip down memory lane to think from the perspective I had before I was familiar with the printing terminology that I now use on a daily basis, but I’ve seen some issues with customer files submitted without proper bleed recently, so I thought I’d take a few minutes to cover the basics on the term bleed, as well as a few additional terms associated with it.

Adding a proper bleed to your digital files is an important step in creating print ready artwork. Without a proper bleed, important text can be cut off, or you can end up with unsightly white borders on the edges of your printed piece. To add a proper bleed, simply add 1/8″ to the image area on all four sides.

In order to create a proper bleed, please create your document .25” larger than the final cut size. If you are ordering 6” x 11” postcards, your art should be submitted at 6.25” x 11.25”. After creating the document, place guides .125” within the edges of all four sides of the artwork. This 1/8” will be trimmed off. Please keep any text and images that you want to appear on your final printed piece within these guides, allowing backgrounds to spill outside the guides. The area outside the guides is called the bleed area.

Bleed

Some additional bleed related terminology that you should know:

Final Trim Size: This is the finished size of the job after it is trimmed down. In our example above, the final trim size would be 6” x 11”

Trimline: This is where the postcard, brochure, or full color business card is cut, and should be defined in your digital files by the guides you created when setting up your bleed. As there is always the possibility for slight fluctuations in cutting, please keep any important text and images at least 1/8” away from the trimline.

Live Area: This is the area designed as the safety zone within the final trim size. On our example above of a 6” x 11” postcard, this would be 5.75” x 10.75”. We recommend that you keep all important text within this area to ensure that it is not trimmed off. Placing text too close to the trimline does not always cause it to get cut off, but a printed piece with text outside the live area may have the appearance of being under trimmed, unevenly cut, or too small.

Full Bleed: This is a term used to describe a printed piece which has image or printed area extending to the edge of all four sides. Most of our full color printed products include free bleeds on all sides at no additional charge.

Should you have additional questions regarding any of these terms, or how to set up your digital files correctly for printing, please comment below, call or click today, and we will be happy to answer any questions, and offer graphic design services as well.

 

Posted in General Info, Print Production, Printing Terms , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »
123>>