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 “outrageouslymemorable.”     

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

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

B.R. Cohn’s catalog cover features a deco style image of an olive branch along with text printed in a deep yellow, appearing as gold. This single color graphic is laid out strikingly against a solid black background – which makes the image pop even more. The catalog is simple and elegant, with a minimalist tone and feel.  

Amazingly, this piece doesn’t use gold foil, or even more expensive metallic ink. This catalog keeps it simple, while fully utilizing the four color printing process. Customers reading this catalog are instantly drawn to its chic nature, leaving them thinking “I want some!”  

Learn more about the striking full color catalog we did for B. R. Cohn.

Recently, PrintingForLess.com unveiled their new Special Printing Effects piece, which provides an excellent example of all of the techniques I discussed earlier.  This piece is beautifully designed and includes everything from die cutting to foil stamping.  My personal favorite is the sculpted embossed butterfly which provides a wonderful example of a highly detailed embossing technique.

The other benefit to this piece is that it provides all of these examples in comparison with the standard 4-color printing process.  This allows you to see the differences you can expect when using custom techniques in place of, or in combination with, standard 4-color process.

Although you can view images of the piece online, the only way to get the full impact of this piece is to see the physical sample.

You can request one here:

http://www.printingforless.com/samplesrequest.html

Once again, these techniques can be invaluable in creating a stand-out piece and this set of examples can be used to get the ideas flowing.

• Pantone Inks- Pantone inks are commonly used to match specific colors and they can be used to create a dramatic look. Using a metallic Pantone can give you a more subtle option than metallic foils and comes in a large variety of colors.  You can also use Pantone colors to achieve results that cannot be reproduced in the CMYK color space, such as bright blues and oranges.  The cost of using Pantone ink varies depending on the number of Pantone colors used.
• Spot Varnish- This technique allows you to add contrast by applying a gloss varnish to a specific design element.  This is an appealing way to add a touch of shine to a specific component of the design and is particularly effective when combined with an uncoated or matte paper stock.
• Custom Folds- Changing the placement of a standard fold is an easy way to increase the overall effectiveness of your piece.  For example, creating a shorter front panel on a tri-fold brochure can create a sophisticated and unique look that will be more eye-catching to your customers.  The good news about custom folds is that in most cases the cost will be the same as a traditional fold.  They only challenge can be properly setting up your design to accurately represent the fold panels.  Your printer can assist you on where to place the fold lines to achieve the desired result.

I hope that some of these options have given you ideas for your next marketing piece.  Remember, your printed marketing materials may be the first way you represent your product or business, so don’t be afraid to experiment with these and other design elements.  By incorporating new and distinct features into your piece, you can grab that extra bit of attention that sets you apart from your competitors.

• Die-Cuts- Using a die-cut is a great way to add interest to your piece and the possibilities are limitless. Think of a die-cut as cookie cutter that cuts your printed piece into a specific shape. Each die is made and ordered to your specifications so you can create a die to represent almost anything. Die-cuts are generally used for simple to semi-complex outlines and pieces with fine detail may require a different process such as laser cutting. Pricing varies based on the overall size of the die and your printer should assist you in creating a file to accurately represent the die cut shape.
• Foil Stamping- Adding foil to your design can help to draw attention to certain areas of your piece. Foils come in a myriad of colors and styles, but the most popular foils are the metallic colors which cover every shade from gold to green. There are also standard matte and gloss foils, and specialty foils that include options such as glitter and prismatic patterns. Again, the cost will vary based on the overall size of the piece and number of foil colors used.
• Embossing/Debossing- Using embossing or debossing to emphasize an area of your piece is a subtle and sophisticated way to add drama to a specific element. This technique is commonly used to emphasize a logo, company emblem, or important text. Embossing creates an imprint of a design into the paper itself and can be done alone or in combination with printed elements. Embossing impresses the design toward the viewer so that the element appears to rise from the paper. In contrast, debossing, impresses the design element into the paper so that the element appears to sink into the piece. The cost will vary based on the overall size of the embossed area and your printer will assist you in creating a file.

These are just a few of the custom elements that you can use to give your marketing materials a bigger impact. And don’t be afraid that you won’t be able to afford the extras. In many cases the additional cost is less than you might think.

Make sure you consult with your printer as you begin to design your piece so you can receive any set-up instructions as well as an accurate quote. Your printer should also be able to consult with you on which design elements may work best for your end use. See some samples of die-cutting, foil stamping, and embossing work here.

Next time I’ll cover several more custom printing elements that provide interest to any marketing piece.