Print Management

Paper, it's in our everyday lives but do you take for granted the effect different paper types and styles have on you? The value of good quality paper goes far beyond it's cost, the feel and look can have a more meaningful effect than you think.

If you want to add that extra dimension to a project, the choice of paper is very important.

A good designer or printer should always provide choices when producing a brochure or stationery for example but sadly that is not always the case. Conqueror is a popular brand everybody knows but it's not always the best choice or value for money.

Take a business card for example, probably the first piece of marketing a contact will receive from you. Now depending on what business you have, the type of paper you choose can have an added effect.

If say your company is in decorating, a coated paper will make your logo and colour stand out far better than on an uncoated paper.

Having read Ed Roach's post on How To Tell Your Brand Story it made me think about how creating a branded and professional document can have longer term advantages over a digital piece of marketing.

How many times have you received an email that tries hard to get you on side and sell the business but yet within seconds you've trashed it, never to be retrieved?!

In an age of NOW a digital piece of marketing, be it viral or direct to your inbox, can be popular one minute and forgotten the next.

The Value Of Quality Marketing

Receiving a brochure in the post that has been produced to a high standard can feel like you've received a present from somebody. As though that person has taken time and spent valuable money on you. A printed document in this way can have more of an impact and last longer in the memory.

Danny Meadows-Klue highlights on his blog more depressing news for the publishing trade. The latest WARC figures indicate further revenue losses for the newspaper ad industry. As more and more businesses move spending to the digital sector the publishing trade keeps on a downward spiral.

More of our own clients are following the trend and putting their finances towards the online market. We're in a fortunate position of having a broad knowledge of both sectors which is not always the case. I'm afraid there's really only one way this is heading.

A printed proof can be run out digitally (Digital Proof) or on the printing press (Wet Proof). A Digital proof can be printed on an Inkjet, Bubble Jet or Laser printer, the best quality and most widely used being an Inkjet proof (Cromalin).

On the other hand a wet proof is printed on the actual printing press using the machine, printed plates, paper and inks that will be used to produce the final job. This way you can see exactly how the job will come out. Due to the fact the plates have been created if you were to change something at this late stage it will probably cost you money to get new plates made so be careful and ask your printer for advice.

Commonly a digital proof will be used to check text and alignment whereas a wet proof will give you an accurate run out to check images and colours.