Print Soup » Graphic Design

Winners: PFL Make Work Fun Blog Contest!

twatkins — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:40:02 +0000

Among our many entries, PFL is excited to award first and second place winners of our ‘Make Work Fun” blog contest! Thanks to everyone who gave us a unique view of how you make your work place your ‘happy place.’

Here are a few tactics we learned from our contestants on how they have fun at work – as well as a couple of PFL’s own strategies:

Interrupting your day with random 10 minute NERF wars: multiple contestants cited this as a regular occurrence in their work place – and an awesome way to move around, get your blood flowing, and recharge your focus.
Ongoing daily trivia contests: these small, but exciting competitions between coworkers give everybody something fun to look forward to during the work day.
Make it memorable: taking a unique, innovative, and get this…FUN approach to small things (like memos and meetings.) This will get everyone’s attention – and won’t be forgotten. For example, one contestant issues all their memos in comic book form!
At PFL, we allow 15-20 of our employee’s dogs to roam freely about the building! This gives everyone a chance to enjoy their antics, and take frequent mini-breaks to visit their favorite pups during the day.
PFL also promotes an open floor plan. This is somewhat of an “anti-cubicle” policy, with coworkers desks out in plain view of each other. This allows increased communication for both work and fun!

And the winners are…

First Place Winner – Prize: iPad 2

Element X Creative

Element X truly went above and beyond here, with a plethora of awesome pictures and detailed descriptions. Check out their post, and you’ll see that Element X takes having fun at work to a whole new level!

Second Place Winner – Prize: Amazon Kindle Fire

American Training, Inc.

American Training gave us the rundown on how they live every day in the “WOW Philosophy” – and it rocks! Check out their post, and see how WOW makes every day “outrageously memorable.”

Be sure to stay tuned, there will be more awesome blog contests to come!

What do Butterflies, Business, and ‘Booger Glue’ Have in Common? One Awesome Tri Fold Brochure!

twatkins — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:24:16 +0000

Check out the Tri Fold Brochure PFL printed for promoting at nationwide trade shows.

PFL goes all out creating its own marketing materials. This Brochure has it all; a beautiful die cut butterfly on the cover, important product info, and loads of colorful images. Inside you’ll even find a Plastic Gift Card sealed firmly with temporary-stick Fugitive glue (AKA Booger Glue!)

If you’d like to offer prospective clients an amazing print piece to grow your business, call PFL today for your own design!

Unique Gatefold Brochure Design “Opens the Doors” for Success

twatkins — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:59:31 +0000

Check out the Open Gatefold Brochure PFL printed for Western Sustainability Exchange.

WSE promotes a healthy local environment and profitable local economy through responsible agricultural stewardship. For their annual appeal letter, WSE chose to engage their members with a Gatefold Brochure that resembles a local Montana Barn.

Open the “barn doors” and the brochure unfolds again to reveal an ample 9” x 17” display of information. If you’d like to engage your audience with creative designs like this – call PFL today and learn more!

Holiday Cards Can Be More than Just Good Cheer…

twatkins — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:17:04 +0000

Check out the Hand Fold Die Cut Greeting Card that PFL printed for Creative Studio Flower Press.

When Flower Press decided to create a Holiday Greeting Card, they saw an opportunity beyond the traditional. They decided to use this necessary annual expense as a double opportunity; reaching out to their customers to thank them for their business – but also featuring some of the innovative and unique design that they offer.

The result is an awesome Holiday Card that rises above the rest and sets Flower Press apart from the crowd. Call PFL today and let us tell you about more great marketing opportunities!

PFL Customer Project Showcase: It’s a bird, it’s a plane…no, it’s your business card.

Tim — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:00:21 +0000

Business cards come in all shapes and sizes, and unique cards are always a good conversation starter. This card from NB Signs & Designs definitely falls under the creative category; it has an origami look about it, yet provides just enough necessary info to technically be a business card. And you thought your rounded corner business card was cool…

PFL Customer Project Showcase: Don’t worry, I won’t eat your book.

Tim — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:26:36 +0000

Bookmarks are a great multi-use piece: they ‘mark’ where you stopped reading, and can be a great way to get information in front of people. Colorful, interesting or unique bookmarks do catch the eye, and PFL customer Kathy Miller, of Chippy Chipmunk, definitely made a bookmark that stands out, by having you look eye-to-eye with a chipmunk, and find out about her books. Don’t worry, he won’t bite.

PFL Customer Project Showcase: A (true) Fishing Tale…

Tim — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:37:27 +0000

Derek DeYoung is passionate about two things: painting and fishing. And with this brochure from PFL, he was able to capture his love of those two things with a printed piece that not only gives people something visual to enjoy, but a true take-away to keep them interested.
The use of rich blacks, vibrant colors and the glossy, almost liquid-like appearance and feel of the UV coating really does justice to his art. Be sure to check out his work here, and see angling art in a whole new way.

PFL Customer Project Showcase: Art Adventures…can you name all of the artists?

Tim — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:22:11 +0000

Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art created a visually interesting postcard, which will be used to announce an artist’s reception. I tried to identify all of the artists highlighted in the piece, and while I was able to recognize most (Dali, Warhol, Pollack, Munch) there were a few inspirations that I just couldn’t place.

Either way, this is creative combo of some of the best artists in history with an old-school, pulp-fiction styled cover.
Can you name all of the artists represented?

PFL Customer Project Showcase: I got two words for you……….plain and simple.

Lloyd Miller — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:47:32 +0000

I got two words for you……….plain and simple.
No need for “fancy schmantsy or even artsy fartsy. Plain and simple are often exactly what you need to accomplish the job. Recently I had a print job catch my eye again as I walked through the press room. The job was business cards printed on a stock that resembled chip board and was complimented with two simple pieces of clip art. Those cards drew me towards them like a gold prospector honing in on a shiny rock. Not a common occurrence during my 37 year trek through a labyrinth of ink and paper.

I think of how easy it is to search for a photo on Google or go online to a “photo supermarket” and get the artwork you need for your printed piece; it is amazing how far the printing industry has come. Everybody’s doing it! That’s what I see when I look at the sea of printed pieces on our shop floor today. Trends like “drop shadows” or “gradients” certainly help mark the milestones. Real life photos, as if lifted off the pages of National Geographic, now adorn business cards for Gazelle Plumbing.

What sets this business card apart from the others is its simplicity. The artwork in the upper right and bottom left corner are green fern leafs. There is a small “clip art” owl, slightly above the words, “Wildlife Safaris”. Two months from now, I’ll still remember the name and I’ll remember the location. I won’t be distracted by anything, and when I’m looking for the card in my wallet to pass along, I’ll know exactly which one it is, even at a fast glance.

Why?
It’s plain, it’s simple and it looks nothing like all the others. Next time you’re on a safari and you see the zebras all zig, see if you can spot the one that zags.

PFL Customer Project Showcase:Wedding Coasters — Not just for your champagne glass!

Tim — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:53:26 +0000

We have all received wedding announcements and other printed materials announcing the date and location, but this young, frisky couple added a twist to their big day–wedding coasters.
The design and imagery worked great with their destination wedding in Hawaii, and they were placed at the tables of guests. Each one was a great reminder of the big day, made a good place to set down that glass of champagne after a toast and was a nice, easy keepsake for any guest to take home. Aloha!

Check out the design here, showing the printing marks and both sides of the final, trimmed piece: