Print Power

We are also excited to announce our newest service for our print designers. It is called PrintPower. Check the blog for more information or head over to Print Power yourself to order your web to print marketing materials.

Prisma Graphic as a Web to Print Company

Prisma Graphic is not just a web to print company; with our exclusive Dokshop; but a print empowering company. Dokshop gives business owners control over their image through their print materials and collateral marketing efforts.

By utilizing Dokshop, companies can have their own business printing portal with access from anywhere.

The Dokshop services lets you sign in and create your custom portal with your images and marketing materials. Marketing Directors, managers, or employees can access company approved marketing materials with just a click of the mouse. Choose your template and add your text and we will print it for you and have it delivered to your location. We make web to print easy.

Let us show you how easy it is to set up your custom portal with an online web-to-print demonstration today.

DokShop is one such marketing collateral management solution that offers online proofing technology that reduces production time. With DokShop your company can have their own online catalog of customizable printed materials ready to order. Each site can be branded for individual clients.

1. Coordinate worldwide marketing efforts
2. View and download PDF proofs
3. Access powerful, dynamic reports and receive email updates
4. Assign administrators to monitor and approve orders
5. Define and analyze cost centers

According to Prisma Graphic owner, Bob Anderson, gone are the days that it takes seven touch points to get a business card printed…”For a general job like ordering a business card, first you tell your secretary, they ask the marketing department, it has to be called in and then a sales person takes an order. It gets typeset, proofed, and then goes to print,” The heartburn and headache that used to keep marketing gatekeepers awake at night is completely alleviated through this technology.

Working smarter through the use of templates and web-to-print portals, allows organizations to cut down on unnecessary print overages, inaccuracies, brand band-aids, and design paralysis. Consider how much collateral your company prints. Chances are, you have ongoing needs for stationery, forms, marketing materials, and much more.

Anderson said the technology enables projects to move four times as fast through the system. It also tracks projects, similarly to the way a package to be delivered by UPS can be tracked on the Internet.

Whether your company is large or small, modifying and managing those materials can be a time-consuming and expensive process. Simplify corporate processes by utilizing DokShop.

At Make-A-Wish, a non-profit that grants the wishes of kids with life-threatening illnesses, director of brand communications, Mike Pressendo uses DokShop.com to help mange the communication output of 72 chapters. “I want to maintain continuity of the brand across all our markets. This technology allows me to do that and then allows the chapters to localize it. But I don’t want them monkeying with fonts and headlines. With this, I can keep the overall look and feel the same across the board.”

Pressendo said the technology creates a huge financial savings, allows for better quality control and saves time. “This allows us to preserve and promote our brand, “ he said. “We’ve had other printers, but they couldn’t keep up with our technological requirements.”

This online service is a streamlined, cost-effective way to order and print all your business materials. Since 2001, businesses around the country have used DokShop to improve turn-around time, reduce human error, and ensure brand continuity. DokShop is fully customizable and enables both internal employees and distribution networks to order personalized collateral.

Corporate brands remain protected, yet promoted according to universal guidelines within local markets, increasing the relevance of the message to the target market and improving marketing performance.

Marketing accuracy has never been more qualified. Log onto DokShop.com today for a demo – and a better night’s rest!

There have been two key things that can be attributed to Prisma Graphic’s success in the printing industry. The first was its people. Anderson said the 28 employees working for the company in 2000 were well known for their high-quality standards. Today, 22 of those employees are still with the company, and although Prisma now employs 130 people, that dedication to quality still remains. For example, the majority of Dokshop’s business has come through referrals, Anderson said.

Second, the team suggested working with the client’s marketing department online rather than by phone and fax. Back then, there were no available software programs allowing for that kind of collaboration, so the company’s internal developers created a program of their own, and Dokshop was born.

Dokshop has enabled large corporate clients to have the brand protected by using Prisma Graphic for their collateral marketing material. The company even handles warehousing, fulfillment, and inventory management for clients, tracking and delivering orders as needed. And, as companies continue to reduce marketing budgets and head counts, Anderson predicts the demand for these services will grow.

Read the entire article to find out how Prisma has succeeded and continued to grow in the down economy and how they are using innovative web to print products such as Dokshop and their new designer product, PrintPower, to stay on top.

American Executive article: Prisma Graphic: Open to Opportunities

Read the full article over at designinformer and learn how to improve your design skills.

Believe it or not, color speaks to people with great emotion. What are your paper products saying to your customers?

“Color trends are not conjured up using a crystal ball. They are the result of much observation of our surrounding natural world as well as the influences that will impact our world in the future,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®

According to Pantone, an X-Rite company, and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for design industries, name a few factors that play into the selection of color trends: socioeconomic issues, technology, lifestyles, entertainment, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, the needs, moods, fantasies and aspirations of CONSUMERS!

Eight featured palettes in PANTONE VIEW home + interiors 2010 offers the newest colors and combinations to best express directional themes for 2010. CMYK printing equivalents are ALSO supplied to accurately reproduce the forecasted colors in marketing materials, in-store signs and packaging.

With our unpredictable economy, is it worthwhile to look at our print materials with an eye to color? What do our color palettes need to convey in such economic unrest?

I believe consumers are looking more to the “old days” for a sense of elegance and a return to quality. Making the old new again appeals to our sense of practicality and resourcefulness – qualities which are definitely back in style. Products and services that also connect emotionally have a better chance of appealing to our cautious consumerism.

What SINGLE color do you think can take us back and make us feel nostalgic and secure…Pantone has announced that the Color of the Year 2010 is… PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, an inviting, luminous hue.

Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise inspires thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a comforting escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.”

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According to Pantone, whether envisioned as a tranquil ocean surrounding a tropical island or a protective stone warding off evil spirits, Turquoise is a color that most people respond to positively. It is universally flattering, has appeal for men and women, and translates easily to fashion and interiors. With both warm and cool undertones, Turquoise pairs nicely with any other color in the spectrum. Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns, complements reds and pinks, creates a classic maritime look with deep blues, livens up all other greens, and is especially trend-setting with yellow-greens.

Looks like we can’t go wrong with turquoise – add a splash where it works within your current style guidelines. Perhaps your design already has a placeholder for each year’s current color trend. If not, give it some thought!

If you’re not using coupons in your marketing mix… THINK AGAIN! You just might be missing the entire population of shoppers who key in on coupons while surfing for bargains. Not convinced, go to a search engine, type in your product followed by the word “coupon “ and check out what your competition is doing.

Haven’t you noticed the coupon/promo code box during your Internet shopping? The one that when you leave it blank you feel like you were ripped off , or worse yet, not “special” enough to have access to the mystery code?

Well don’t make it hard for your customers to find your coupons – don’t make your customers work to feel special – go make a snazzy coupon and help your customer choose you over the competition – from a financial standpoint, as well as an emotional one.

Face it, everyone likes a good deal – especially in this economy! I know I like a good deal as a consumer and I really like a quirky idea as a marketer. So figure out an offer you can make that is unique, worthwhile and won’t break your bank.

According to About.com, Over 76% of the population use coupons, according to the Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) Coupon Council. Coupons still work and provide an affordable marketing strategy for small business.

Here’s a few things to consider before creating your coupon:

1. What can you afford to decrease or give away? What is your budget?
2. What do you hope to get out of this coupon campaign? Awareness, repeat customers, etc.
3. Who is your target audience?
4. How will your coupon be disseminated? WHERE will it be discovered?
5. How will you know if your campaign is successful?
6. Is this a job that can be done in-house or do you need professional support?

Check out this site – I randomly selected it based off a coupon savings link and was pleasantly surprised by the real estate give to the Open Box feature promoting 60% off. Also thought the red tag sale button at the top that makes you think you’ll get a great deal, but only today, is also tempting.

So, whether you’re providing a service or product, think in unique terms of what you can afford to GIVE to your customers so that they choose you over your competition. Be smart, be creative and be genuine – everyone knows when they’re getting a good deal or getting snowed!

Image provided by: screwtape

Problems do occur when you’re color printing; and the effect is always on the total cost you are going to pay once your marketing materials such as your poster printing is delivered to you. But most of the problems can be avoided even before you have your print posters for example reproduced by your color printer. One way to do it is to communicate well with your color printer your specifications.

Indeed, many problems arise from poor communication between you and your color printer. The way you explain and describe your job order and how much the color printer quoted it is always the culprit. Many of the problems are actually avoidable if only you and your color printer are on the same wavelength. What I mean by this is that no problem would arise if both of you are speaking the same language.

You have to understand that you and your color printer actually speak different. What you want done is not the same as how they are going to do it. Unless both of you understand each other fully, you will never get the results you desire from the price you are willing to pay.

One of the most common mistakes is to take for granted the meaning of one (1) sheet of paper. One sheet is not equal to one page in printing talk. Printers do not run individual sheets of paper. Rather they run it numbers divisible by 4. So if you need a booklet for example, you have to ask for a quote on either 52 or 56 pages because it would be easier for them to divide it into 4. The correct way of asking for a quote on a booklet is to ask for a 28-page saddle stitched material. This would mean 56 pages of booklet stapled (saddle-stitched) in the middle.

Another mistake is in the description of the size of the material. Let’s take the booklet as an example again. The standard sizes are 5.5 by 8.5 and 8.5 by 11. More or less than that and the printer would have a hard time giving you an exact quote. And don’t forget to remember that the size of your print order would be the one AFTER you trimmed it.

Next mistake is to describe the paper or stock used. You have to realize that the quote would depend on the type of paper stock you are going to use, as well as the frequency you are going to use it. If it’s the booklet again, you would probably have a different stock of the cover from that of the inside pages. For a poster printing order, it’s easier because you will have one paper stock throughout your project. But you still have to specify because the kind of stock you’re going to use would reflect the type of image you would want to have as a business.

One other big mistake is to submit the wrong file. Printers do have a specific file they require to get you the exact material for your results. The wrong file will definitely cost you more time, effort and money. You wouldn’t want to have your printer print your file again because it would cost you double. And you would also not want to pay for something that you’re not satisfied with.

Mistakes when color printing can actually be avoided if you communicate well with your printer what you want. The more your printer knows your requirements, the bigger the chances that you’ll get the results you desire.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Problems To Avoid When Color Printing

For those in the print world, this might seem to scream, “Quit taking our beloved paper goods away!” But alas, this is a golden opportunity to take advantage of the romance with touch. Get creative with your print materials. Have a little fun with some redesigns and actually give your customers something worth holding!

Let’s talk specifics. What about your business card design?

Designs are a journey, they connect people. They connect the consumer with the producer through a product or service.

According to fellow blogger Nick Barker,

“Design is all around us – the chair you are sitting on, the keyboard you are touching and the building you find yourself in. Design is at the heart of everything. I believe what makes a good design is a holistic creation right through a product or service. A design should effectively connect the consumer with the product or service.”

Because design is a way to communicate something unique about you or your company, tap into it’s unlimited potential and reach your audience with practical yet innovative business cards that strut your stuff and scream to be held.

Just by Googling “creative business cards” you’ll find a vast array of cards to amaze, stun, and awe. These three alone are worth picking up – at the very least to feel, and maybe even to read, keep and ponder using!

Creative Business Card

Creative Card for Yoga

Decorative Business Card

How about business stationery? Bold, creative, memorable. If you had to think of 5 adjectives to describe your company’s main business style, what would they be? Now, look at your print materials – do they convey those same feelings, emotions, descriptions? If so, good for you. If not, back to the design table you go!

In general, think in these creative and consistent terms with ALL your print materials – even things like coupons, thank you notes, magnets, billboards, auto signage, company shirts, corporate gifts, and beyond. Make your entire identity ring true through all your communication vehicles – from the internet to your print portfolio – your identity should be worth looking at, reading, contemplating and last but not least, holding!

Check out some creative business cards including the images above at: http://creativebits.org/cool_business_card_designs and http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2008/12/09/40-creative-business-card-designs/.

Consider the significance of this for a moment. Much of the focus as writers, promoters and marketers tends to be on the messaging, but how much attention is currently paid to things like time of day when messages are sent – and more importantly, when they are received?

As real time communication tools like Twitter and status updates on Facebook and LinkedIn and mobile messaging take top priority in fully integrated communication campaigns, the question of WHEN is obviously going to continue becoming more and more significant.

With these real time platforms, readers rarely give a second glance – most blasts, updates or texts are skimmed right away or junked. Given this, you want your message to hit when your audience is the most receptive – including the right day and the right time.

Is it possible to determine this information or is it too dynamic? It depends. Studies exist with benchmarks for best days of the week produce the best open or click rates. These are aggregate numbers across thousands of senders, however, so be leery of the data, because data alone doesn’t take into account your particular call to action, target audience, or recipient behavior.

So…maybe what’s best is conducting your own study. Start with your best guesses based on what you know of your audience, emails and organization and then test to find best days and time combinations from there. Don’t forget to weigh those options against your call to action.

For instance, if your call to action is related to a purchase, obviously you want to consider your audience’s pay periods. If your call is time sensitive, then calendaring is imperative.

Keeping detailed records is what’s going to make or break this methodology. You must have a good system for tracking your end results and then USE the data for future decision-making.

Remember, real-time communications is intended to help messaging be more relevant to your customer. If you’re able to graph and predict more successful times for sending out various pieces of your campaign, obviously you’ll be more successful and ahead of the competition.

Image: stefanomaggi