Author: luke

In a world where technology is running amuck, printing still there in the background continuing to facilitate exactly whatever business needs it to do.

Take the simple business card for example. The standard size is 85mm x 55mm printed portrait or landscape, normally on anything from 350gsm to 400 gsm stock. Every company has a host of employees who use business cards. These are the initial introduction to your company and it the first impression a client gets so they must be right. In my previous role, business cards were the fuel of the business. Exchanging and growing contacts was the name of the game. This is no different in any business, industry or market. I made a point of keeping most cards I ever received as you never know when you will need that contact again in the future. I will now explain why I kept most and not all…

One thing that became apparent was the different designs and detail people do to make them stand out from the crowd. Die-cutting teeth marks, double size fold-over cards, plastic credit card style, inbuilt USB, even metal! These are all great but in my opinion, they defeat the object.

I never kept any card that didn’t fit in my business card folder. These pouches are designed to fit a standard card. The styles mentioned above generally tended to rip or tear the pouches!

My advice would be to use a standard size card but make it look and feel right. Design it to stand out, add a matte Laminate and Spot UV it. This then look good, feel good and you know people will keep them and most importantly, remember you. This is my advice and people may disagree. If you are going to do some unique finishing of your cards, make sure they work for you and more importantly your potential client

Please give me a ring if you would like any advice on Business Cards and how to make them work for you.

Which Print method is best for your job?

You will have seen the earlier blog about the difference between Digital Print and Lithographic Print. Contained in there is a brief description of the individual processes and a list of Pro’s and Con’s for each.

Following on from this, I thought it would be best to try and outline an easy reference guide for you to see how it would be best to print your job.  It goes without saying that we will advise you on this when you call us, but as a reference guide, this checklist will give you a guide as to which one would suit your job.

Colour – If you are looking for a specific Pantone colour or Metallic to be printed, then Litho is the way to go. If this is not a concern the, dependent on quantity, either process can us used.

What Material – Both print methods can handle a vast range of media on which to print on. Often, dependent on the press, Litho can generally handle large sheets of paper, generally more important if you are printing posters or large run jobs.

How Many? – Due to the large set, up costs for Litho, it is only cost-effective for larger jobs. Once the set-up is done, it is generally not much difference between 2500 and 5000 of a run. The more you order, the more you save.

How Quickly? – Due to the nature of the process, Litho will have a longer turnaround due to set up and drying as detailed in a previous blog, the way Litho printing works means the product leaves the press not quite dry so needs to thoroughly dry before it can be finished to the customer’s specifications. Digital print is dry and sealed immediately and can also be worked on for finishing immediately.

Proofing –If you require a printed proof of the job prior to confirmation to print, then Digital is your best option. With a digital proof, it can be produced almost instantly. If you do require a litho proof, then this will normally carry a cost as the press will need to be set up as if it were print in the job in full.

Variable Data and Customised Jobs – If this is the requirement them digital is the only way to go. Customisation for direct mailing and personalised marketing can be achieved with a data spreadsheet.

When we work with you for the specific job, we will advise on the best and most cost-effective print methods for you, but this checklist will give you an idea or the appropriate method.

Please contact me if I can be of any assistance with any print requirements you may have.

So, you are sat one day on the phone to your printer and you are ordering a set of business cards and some letterheads. You go through the spec and the voice on the other end comes back “We can print those digitally”.  I would hazard a guess you give a simple “OK” and never think any more about it.  Well, do you know what the printing company is saying?

For all, you know it could not be the way you want your job to be printed! So what’s the difference between the Digital Print method and Lithographic Print method?

In short, Digital print is more suited to short-run and Lithographic (Litho) for longer runs. But there is more to it than that.

Litho Print or Offset Litho as it is also referred to. This process involves the burning of a metal plate with lasers to create a “negative” from which to print.  Usually, a plate for each colour is produced as the run through a 4-colour process and finally, a sealer is applied.  These images show the 4 CMYK colours:

When the press is started or turning, the image is transferred to a rubber blanket and then onto paper. The Litho process relies on the repulsion of Oil and water. In a nutshell, the image you want to print get a coating of ink from the rollers of the press, whereas the areas that don’t require print get a thin film of water to ensure it remains ink-free.

There are several Advantages and Disadvantage with this method of printing
The advantage of Litho print are:
– You will always get a high quality and consistent image across the whole job, regardless of the run size.
– The more you print, the less you pay and the cost is all in the setup
– You can print Spot Colours and metallic inks
– You can print on an array of material, including plastic

The disadvantage is:
– The set-up costs make it expensive for short runs
– The printing process takes longer which, in turn, means a higher turnaround
– There are no options for variable data.

When it comes to digital print, we are not talking about a larger version of a printer you have in your home office. It is somewhat more technical than that!
Digital print is direct imaging directly onto the chosen choice of media. There no plates that needed to be produced for this method. The image is released to the media by applying an electric charge to the metal drum. This charge attracts the toner particle in which are then transferred onto the selected media to produce the image. The substrate is then passed through the fuser to ensure it is fixed properly.
Like with Litho, there are a few advantages and disadvantages:

The advantages are:
– The set-up time is very short meaning orders can be turned around very quickly.
– The images tend to be very vibrant and bright on all materials
– It is more cost-effective for short-run jobs.
– You can personalise the job from a data list which is ideal for direct marketing
He disadvantages include:
– It is not cost-effective for long run jobs
– There is less control of the colours
– There is potential for quality issues
– It is difficult to exactly match specific Pantone colours

For more information on the print methods or advice on the best way to print your job, please do not hesitate to contact me.