Recently the USPS has become the subject of hot debate, putting some of their future services in doubt. The most recent proposal to cut costs, calls for the USPS to eliminate Saturday service in an attempt to avoid an estimated $238 billion deficit it would incur over the next decade. Groups directly affected, such as the postal unions, are opposing the slashes in service, while direct marketers are agreeing with the changes.

It might seem strange that direct marketers would agree with a proposed cut back, especially when their business hinges on the mail service.  The truth is direct marketers and their printers have been preparing for changes in mail service for some time.  The common view is that cutbacks to the mail service are acceptable as long as they protect the mail service as a whole. Cutbacks, like removing Saturday mail service, may be the only option the USPS to be viable, without raising rates.

In the past year alone mail volume dropped 26 billion pieces, from 203 billion to 177 billion in 2009. The volume of mail will rebound slightly as we move out of a recession, but will never reach the level it once had. Today direct marketers use strategies like variable data to reach targeted recipients. Variable data is a technique done by printers that utilizes the advantages of a digital printer to produce in mass customization as opposed to mass production.   

To give an example, let’s discuss a coupon sent out for a hotel with variable data for mass customization. Let’s say last summer you stayed at national hotel chain in Florida that was right on the beach. Since you stayed there, the hotel chain has your address and knows where you visited. When the hotel chain goes to print coupons they can customize your coupon from their database to be specifically for the same hotel you stayed in. Every coupon the hotel prints can be customized. That could mean 10,000 coupons all printed at once, all targeted specifically to their recipients. 

Even with the proposed cut backs in mail service, innovations like variable data make direct mail practical. By targeting every recipient directly it is possible to make the most of every dollar spent. The USPS and direct mail are never going away, that is why printers such as Kopytek have everything under one roof. Whether it be printing with variable data or using our mailing house to deliver printed pieces fast and easy, we can help!

When specifying your job to the printer, always make sure to let them know if you need a bleed. As a general rule, remember to add a bleed if the image you designed goes all the way up to the edge of the page, otherwise there will a small white border around the design. But note there can be additional costs associated with a bleed. Bleeds require the printer to use larger paper and cut it down to size, so in some cases they may have to use a larger printer - which could increase the cost of your print job.

To help demonstrate, let’s discuss printing a postcard, and how it would be measured with and without a bleed. You want a 6”x 4” postcard with an image of a sunny beach. The first option has the photo with a 1/4” white border all the way around the edge. The second option covers the entire card, edge to edge. The first option is not a bleed, therefore the document size should be set up at 6”x 4”, and the image size would actually be 5.5”x 3.5”. The second option, however, is a bleed, therefore the document size and the image should be 6.25”x 4.25”, thus providing a 1/8” bleed area on the document. Be sure to insert crop marks to specify the 6”x 4” actual size for proper cutting or cropping of your image.

Remember, speak with your printer about a bleed before sending them artwork! Getting it right on the front end can not only save time, but save money as well. The amount of bleed varies depending on the type of piece being printed and the size. Miscommunications during the printing process can lead to a large discrepancy between your estimated bid and the final bill.

Asking questions and proper design lead to high quality and crisp printed pieces. We know the importance that bleeds have on any printed piece and would love to answer your questions.

Think of the “olden” days of printing. (Ok, so maybe it was just a few years ago, but things change quickly in this industry!)  You ended up having to produce huge quantities of your printed materials because it was more cost effective to do it that way, right?  Maybe you really only needed 5000 brochures for a trade show, but you printed 20,000 because of the price break.  Your marketing dollars were tied up in that inventory, you had to store it someplace, and the content was probably out-of-date before you got through them all.  Sound familiar?

Today, all that has changed, and the short print run is within everyone’s reach.  Modern digital technology has made it possible to produce small quantities of pieces at a price that is affordable.  Printers who have anticipated this shift and put the appropriate equipment in place are well poised to offer customers short print runs that can be customized for a specific event, targeted to a key audience, or focused on a timely marketing message.  Think of the many opportunities your marketing can take advantage of through cost-effective, short print runs.

Kopytek anticipated the many benefits shorter print runs can add to your marketing campaigns, and has always been committed to investing in the latest printing and finishing equipment.  In 2008, we even designed our facility with equipment needs and efficient workflow in mind.  This has allowed us to produce short print runs - in the same facility we produce larger more complex jobs - in a cost effective and timely manner. With faster turnaround times, lowered costs, and the flexibility to personalize documents, short print runs are a popular option.
We’re here to help with your needs for short print runs.  Please contact us at sales@kopytek.com or 314-432-2700.

There are a few things to keep in mind before incorporating a photo into your design, and ultimately sending it to the printer. The most important is that the image is print ready. Print ready means the size, resolution and colors are the exact specifications needed by a digital or offset commercial press. Once the file has been sent and committed to the printer, changes and edits will only cost time and money.

The resolution of the image is determined by its DPI, or dots per inch. The higher the DPI, the higher the resolution of the image. Printers require a minimum of 300 DPI on all images designed into your piece. So, before including imaging into your brochure, postcard, invitation or other materials to print, check to make sure that your photography is the required 300 DPI.

There is a little more to the story, however. The DPI of your image is directly related to its physical size. If you’ve got 300 DPI, but your image is only 3”x 5” and you want it to be 8”x 10” in your piece, the chances are slim that you’ll be able to increase the physical size and keep the required resolution. Doing so will cause the image to become pixilated. You can always make an image smaller, but you can’t necessarily make a small image lager.

That being said, the best place to start is with your camera. Check your camera’s owner’s manual for instructions changing your photo quality to the maximum setting. Changing your camera’s quality will also take up more space on the media card, so keep that in mind as you begin shooting. And images from camera phones normally do not work; the image quality just isn’t there.
 
If you have an image that you are unsure of the quality, it is best to open the file in a program like Adobe Photoshop and check the properties. Photoshop will allow you to see the resolution and make sure that your image is 300 DPI. Just looking at an image on your computer screen or printing it out will not work – it can print just fine on your office printer, and look acceptable on the screen, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right resolution to go on press.

Proper planning before print can ensure speed and quality for the final product!

Colors are important to printing and marketing. They help communicate brand, character and message. But matching colors from concept to creation can be a challenge, especially if you fell in love with a color you saw while you were out shopping at the mall or playing ball at the park.

Each color chosen for a print job has an assigned name or number. There are many color manufacturers; and there are slight variations in their colors. Picking out colors typically means looking through a number of swatches or booklets at the printer’s office or gathering people together to go over samples to mix and match. Well, now there’s faster way. 

Pantone Inc., a color and color systems provider, just released an iPhone application for your creative, on-the-fly color inspirations. Now you can match colors that you see on the street to a library of colors on your phone. And you can e-mail your concept to all your colleagues with a touch of a button. The application costs $10 and can be downloaded at http://www.apple.com/iphone
 
Part of a printer’s job is to keep his clients informed of the latest technology in the printing world to make your printing job easier, faster and better. Printers offer more than just paper and ink; they give you ideas and ways to print your message in the most cost-effective and smartest way possible. Having a working relationship with your printer is central to keeping up-to-date on the newest ways to save time and money on your next print project. And we hope you do.

I recently read an article in QuickPrinting magazine, a trade publication for printers, about social media and what it means to the printing industry.  It made me begin to ponder the issue of businesses and organizations using media such as Facebook or Twitter as a cheap way to sales leads. The Internet has certainly made some aspects of doing business more convenient, but isn’t the lone answer to all your sales problems.

I like to use the analogy of good stock market advice – Diversify. People accept information and act on their needs and desires differently.  While the internet, email, and social media as communications tools are great resources to have available for your marketing campaign, the fact of the matter is that tangible, printed pieces still deliver solid impact.

The real reason many consider this debate is cost savings. And that’s where I can help.

Working with your printer can save money in:

• Smaller Print Runs: Today’s technology has made small, customizable runs affordable for all sizes of businesses.  This allows you to print only what you need, and not tie up your money and resources in huge quantities of material.

• Prepress Preparation: A good printer will help you cut costs by educating you on everything you need to know in order to save time and money on the front end of any printing job. Issues with corrupted files or software compatibility problems can be solved ahead of time, which saves money in the long run.

• Postage: Printers have extensive knowledge of postage rate and can provide insight to you on the least expensive options for direct mail campaigns without sacrificing the quality and customization.

• Database Research: With sufficient knowledge of your marketing objectives, qualified printers provide a customized mailing list for your business to target your unique audience.

• Response Monitoring: Printers can provide response monitoring systems for your direct or virtual marketing campaigns in order to improve your response rates and customization needs of your clients.

Great printed pieces should always be a part of your marketing mix.  You can manage costs and deliver the impact you need.  Call me to find out how.

Nearly everything we do has some impact on the environment, but the truth is printing is actually the greener alternative over electronic communication. While Electronic media is instantaneous, printing remains a vital form of communication because of its tangibility and personal-touch.

In a commentary on the pros and cons of printing versus electronic communication, International Paper, a global paper and packaging company, points out some often overlooked aspects of printing versus electronic communication to show the greener side of printing. The green points made in the news release included: 

• Paper comes from a renewable resource – trees. Every day the paper and forest products industry plants more than three times the number of trees than are harvested. Electronic devices are typically made of plastics and other non-renewable resources and often contain chemicals and metals.

• Paper uses less energy. The amount of electricity used to run a computer for only five months could produce enough paper for the average person to use for an entire year.

• Paper is biodegradable and recyclable. Paper is biodegradable and nearly 60 percent of all paper in the U.S. is recycled. Only 18 percent of all electronic devices are currently recycled and e-waste constitutes the single largest waste export in the U.S.

Printing green is more than just knowing its green characteristics. Working with an experienced printer can help you print in the most efficient way possible by reducing waste and saving you money.   

Even in the age of electronic communication, direct mail still provides an essential, tangible connection to your customers. In today’s crowded and competitive world, you need to be sure to grab the attention of your customers. As a commercial printer, we’ve seen millions of direct mail pieces and know what works and what doesn’t. The following are some general tips to help you create an eye-catching direct mail piece.  

• Copy – When it comes to copy, less is more. Keep it short, simple and to the point. You have a short time to grab your readers’ attention, so do it quickly and in as few words as possible. Too much copy does not catch the eye, but a snappy headline will.
• Audience – Direct mail is typically designed to appeal to a specific group of people, and you should know what they want to see and read. Make sure your message is important to your target audience.
• Colors – Using color will capture more attention than just black and white. But when it comes to color, more isn’t always better. Too many colors can create a jumbled and confusing look. Simple, bright and vibrant colors usually get the most attention.
• Shapes & Sizes – Eye-catching mailers can be made by using unique shapes or sizes, as “odd” sizes tend to stand out and be placed on the top of a pile of mail. Work with your printer and check postal regulations to make sure you create a piece with an interesting size, but one that is still economical to mail.
• Offer – An offer to customers will always get attention. So make it big, easy to READ and be clear as to how your customers can redeem the offer.
• Proofing – As much as you want your direct mail to be eye-catching, you don’t want it to get the wrong kind of attention. Proof your copy —and that means headlines, addresses and phone numbers too.

If you have some idea of what your direct mail piece needs to look like, but you’re not 100% sure about it, talk to your printer. A reputable printer will be able to not only indicate what would look the best, but also how to print and mail the piece in the most economical way possible.

Colors – The number of colors in your print piece affects its pricing. Each time you add a color to a print piece, it will increase the cost of the job. Typical choices range from black and white, one color, two colors or four-color process. Be sure each quote has the same color instructions for each side of the piece. 

Size & Shape – Make sure your printers know the size and shape of your print job and double check to see that they are all pricing the same size and shape. Business cards, flyers, brochures and signs can be as unique in size and shape as the individual. In some cases, your printers can guide you on the most cost-effective size and shape based on their press capacity.

Bleeds – A bleed indicates color that runs off the edge of the print piece. If your design has color that bleeds off the page, it will increase your cost. If there is no bleed, the color will stop before the edge and leave a white space around the artwork. Review your quotes to ensure the printers are accounting for bleeds or no bleeds.

Paper Stock – When you ask for a print quote, you will be asked to specify the paper’s type. There are as many price points on paper stock as there are choices. It is always good to ask for paper samples and consult with your printer on how a particular stock will best suit the job and save you money. Once you’ve selected your paper, be sure all of your print quotes include the same stock of paper.

Quantity – As a general rule of thumb, the more you order, the less the cost per unit. If you need 250 business cards now, and another 250 business cards five months later, it is likely cheaper to order 500 for the whole year. (But if you do this, make sure your information doesn’t change for an entire year.) You can typically ask your printers to quote 2 or 3 different quantities so you can analyze where the best price breaks occur.

Printing Press (Offset or Digital Printer) – This is usually dictated by the job. These technologies are very different, and their costs are very different. When comparing quotes, check the quote to see if the job will be run on an offset or digital printer. You should compare digital to digital and offset to offset.

The best way to ensure you are spending your money in the most economical and effective way is to have a working relationship with your printer. Let the printer know what you need, what you hope to spend and what you hope to accomplish. If you work with a good printing company, they will help you get the job done right and in the most cost-effective manner possible. 

Unfortunately, not everyone in our industry was so lucky. According to the revenue reports of the Top 100, nearly half of the companies on the list (40%) reported revenue declines between 2007 and 2008. Total sales for the collection of the Top 100 companies was estimated at more than $607 million in 2008, a 6.3% decline from 2007 sales of $648 million.

Industry experts are hoping advances in technology will come to printing’s rescue and enhance our competitive advantage in a recovering economy. I would agree with that. Part of our continued growth at Kopytek is due to our investments in the state-of-the-art printing technologies. With newer, faster, smaller machines, we have been able to significantly increase our capacity and production rates. I’d also credit our success to an operations improvement strategy we set out to accomplish three years ago. Before we built our headquarters, which we moved into a year ago this month, we designed a beginning-to-end floor plan that shortened walking distances, sped workflow and enabled faster turnaround times.

While the latest technology in printing equipment could move the industry to the next level, the industry continues to be weighted down with high costs. We believe besides a commitment to the latest technology, our improved workflow, staff training and a flexible working style has given us a leg up in this recession.