Blog

Warning: Boring Business Cards Can Kill your Image

There are so many boring business cards floating around the universe it makes me cringe. Several months ago I was on a business trip and boarded a plane from Kansas City to Denver. I usually like to zone out while in the sky, but was in a boisterous mood, so I struck up a conversation with a fellow traveler. He was an intelligent and engaging business owner. His zeal for his business was contagious, making him memorable. You know the type. After visiting for a while, I was motivated to find a way for my company to do business with his. As we departed the plane, we exchanged business cards. I took one look at his and was astounded; it was so boring. It did not reflect his personality or company branding, at all. If I had not spent a two hour plane ride getting to know him, I would have thought this company lacked passion and relevance. Wow, how wrong that would be.

I guess it could be argued, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” But, think with me for a minute. When attending a fast-paced business event you won’t have time to sell yourself and your company to every person, so your business card should be an accurate and engaging representation of what you, as a business, have to offer. Whether we like it or not, the “cover” can make or break you. I know that when you are working to build a business, that little piece of paper may be low on the priority list, but it really shouldn’t be. In fact, the busier you are, the more that little tool needs to work for you.

Consider using a professional designer to achieve your ideal card. If you need a more cost-friendly option, try our robust online business card design tool. It provides over 1,200 stock images, a logo builder, and thousands of layouts. We can customize your cards with die-cuts, embossing, custom shapes, pop-ups and more. Get creative and put the proper “cover” on your business. Or, if you’re the creative type and already have the perfect design in mind, take a look at our business card specification guide to make sure your design fits standard business card dimensions.

You don’t have to get too fancy to have a great business card. We are privileged to see amazing business card ideas coming off our manufacturing floor on a daily basis. For instance, the business card we printed for Michael Bishop, Owner of Bishop Billiards is a great example of a memorable business card that is simple and clean. He has developed a good “cover”. Playing on his last name, the logo stands out and immediately makes you connect the business name with the service it provides.

This family owned business is run with a passion for excellence and provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee for risk free online shopping. They love the game of Billiards and are driven to help their customers enjoy years of gaming with the best in both products and service. Take a look at their huge assortment of Billiards and accessories, including darts. Bishop Billiards ships anywhere in the contiguous 48 states or to any APO/FPO US Military Base.

Bishop Billiards is a prime example of excellence in American business and we wish them all the best in the year to come. Thank you for turning to Printing for Less for your custom printing needs Michael; your business card is a perfect example of sharp design that reflects a terrific business model.

Lesson: Don’t kill your image with a poorly conceived business card. Give yourself and your business the best possible start with a quality printed, original business card design. Need help with your print? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.

Lettering Our World…Now That’s a Job!

You have probably not heard the name Gerard Huerta, but you have definitely seen his work. This designer’s resume reads like a World’s Most Recognized list of iconic logos. His career was launched at CBS Records in New York, after graduating from Art Center College of Design. While with CBS Records his work focused on letter forms and logos. He completed work for Boston, The Charlie Daniel’s Band, Blue Oyster Cult, and Bob Dylan to name a few. Entirely too cool! This designer is the real deal!

As his career progressed he designed album covers for AC/DC, Foreigner, Firefall, and The Outlaws. While I was rocking out at the concerts, Gerard was somewhat more productive, helping develop their iconic images. But don’t get the idea he is the “geek behind the image”! Gerard is a guitar player in his own right, playing in several bands over the years.

His unique style and creative renderings have opened doors for him across all industries. Gerard has designed logos for Swiss Army Brands, HBO, Pepsi, Spelling Entertainment, Nabisco, Calvin Klein’s Eternity, and Arista Records. But this isn’t even digging into the meat of his work. He has also designed mastheads for People Magazine, Time Magazine, Money Magazine, PC Magazine, Architectural Digest, and Conde Nast, to, yet again, name only a few.

Most designers search for that perfect font to compliment a client’s design. However, Gerard creates those original fonts with an eye for subtlety that has become an artistic signature on all his work. In fact, his letter work is a far cry from your average font work. Letter work is his specialty, making Gerard a bit of a designer’s designer. Elevating the alphabet to an art form, he is currently a part of the “Letter as Image” exhibition that has traveled from coast to coast. He is a self-described “old-School” designer who still starts much of his work on paper before moving to the computer.

“When you are stuck, walk away from the computer and draw. It will teach you how to see.” Gerard Huerta

When you need artistic lettering and a traditional “font” won’t do, we suggest you contact Gerard. His talent can help you get a truly original logo and the look you are envisioning.

We appreciate your business Gerard and wish you continued success in your career! Need help with your print? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.

A Modern Major General

Need help achieving your leadership and logistics goals? You now have access to Duane A. Jones, Major General, USAF (ret), a man with experience and wisdom to spare. His company ServiceBravo is positioned in Colorado Springs, CO and is ready to help you succeed.

Duane is an advocate of the team approach and focuses on helping individuals and organizations go to the next level of excellence within their own goal structures. When planning and detailed execution are critical, this is the man you want on your team. During his service in the USAF, Duane operated a mobility base in the Western Pacific, generated aerial-refueling & reconnaissance missions during the war in Kosovo, built combat bases in the mid-east, organized a new 5,000 plus person unit in Washington D.C., coordinated relief efforts during the Haiti earthquake, and maintained the President’s Air Force One. On second thought, when writing that next big Hollywood script, this may be the man you want to base that lead character on.

Suffice it to say, if you’ve got things that must get done, and get done well, Duane can help. You can learn more and contact ServiceBravo at this link.

Our Eagle team is assigned to help him, which certainly seems appropriate. After printing his last order of business cards Duane had this to say:

“ The telephone call really made the Eagle team real to me and I was thankful for that.”

Our teams here at Printing for Less are indeed, real people, each one of them dedicated to seeing you achieve success as you define it. If you have a project that needs a personal touch, we are ready and willing to help. Call one of our teams today at 800-930-6040.

Major General Jones we thank you for your business, but more importantly, we thank you for your selfless service to our nation. We don’t take lightly the freedom we have and the opportunity we are afforded by being Citizens of the United States of America. We know it is through the efforts of individuals like you that we have the security we enjoy today. Thank you and may you experience as much success in the civilian arena as you did in the United States Air Force.

Need help with your print? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.

This Company is Your “Ace in the Hole”!

Around here we love our dogs and our customers! If you are also a pet lover, you may want to pack this information away somewhere. We, ironically, hope you never need it. But, if your furry family member happens to get injured, you will be glad you read this.

This customer from Nebraska is improving the lives of dogs across the nation with innovative tools to help them recover from injury. Ace Ortho Solutions has been helping Veterinarians provide the best possible scenario for dogs with CCL Tears and Achilles Ruptures for the past 15 years. Using “biomechanically sound technology”, this cutting edge company is putting science to work for our beloved pets.

As is often the case, most great businesses are started by great people with a passion to solve a problem or improve a process. Ace Ortho Solutions is definitely one of these businesses! Founder Ben Blecha is himself an amputee giving him a special empathy for dogs who suffer with similar challenges. He is also a certified Prosthetist-Orthotist who is dedicated to continuing research that advances brace design and technique for dogs that must rely on these devices. The primary focus for the development of these braces has been to allow full and normal functionality for the dog. Assisting the injured dogs and their owners to live at full capacity is Ace’s goal. Many braces on the market appear to offer support, but fail to provide protection of the healing process AND full, natural mobility. Ace has solved this problem with their scientific development of canine braces.

You can visit Ace’s Ortho Solutions at this link. Keep it in mind for future use if you are a dog owner. You may want to share this with your Veterinarian as well.

We appreciate your business Ben and wish you continued success!

Below is the catalog they recently printed with us. It is full color, informative and an excellent example of a small catalog print. If you need help with catalog or brochure printing, contact us at 800-930-7978.

When I Grow Up, I am DEFINITELY going to be a Dragon Slayer…..

The creaking of armor drowned out my heavy breathing. My arms were leaden stumps from wielding Slaughter, my sword. The gash and burns on my right side had gone numb although my lifeblood continued to seep from the wounds. With a determination born of torment, I set my eyes, ears and heart to complete my task. My life may be forfeit, but this Dragon, the red, would not survive the night……

Alright, admittedly, I am getting carried away. But you have to understand, when I saw this business card sitting on one our designer’s workspaces, I was immediately drawn to the company name. What fantasy genre fan wouldn’t? What a great company name. One thing is for certain, it sets expectations high from the word “go”.

These particular Dragon Slayer’s provide Health Care Project Management services. Of course, if you’ve ever dealt with a complicated project, whether in the healthcare or another industry, you can understand the need for a competent warrior to see you through the battle. Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. Not an easy task. In fact many of the skills and strategies that are geared toward long-term roll out will not get you far on a short-term project solution. This is where Mike Murphy’s, Dragon Slayers and Project Managers, come in to save the day. The company’s web-site lists several case-studies that highlight their impressive success with large scope projects.

Sloane, one of our in-house designers, worked with Mike to design this impressive business card. The memorable business name, coupled with a sleek design, really grabs attention. Mike chose to use gold foil finish on select parts of his card to enhance the aesthetic appeal.

Remember, if you’re in the market for a project manager, you can’t beat a Dragon Slayer. The company’s motto is: “When your project becomes a dragon, we provide the slayers.” This project management company has the experience and the expertise to see you through to a successful conclusion!

Thank you for your business Mike Murphy, Dragon Slayer. We wish you best of luck in defending the next village! Need help with your print? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.

8 Creative Brochure Designs to Make You Rethink the Basics

Eons ago, brochures must have been incredibly innovative (you mean the paper folds into itself? How positively spiffing!)

But like the horseless carriage or the iPhone 4, the thrill of the brochure has worn off with time. Too many businesses linger in the past, creating tired brochures that all look and feel the same.

You’re not the same as your competitors, so why should your brochure be? If you’re going to spend your marketing budget on print materials, don’t settle for anything less than a fresh and snappy design.

Here are eight brochure design ideas with enough creative, cutting-edge print effects to make your brochure standout among the rest.

1. Turn the lights off.

Black, as a design element, draws the eye and conveys sophistication in a way that no other color can. Bold color on a dark base draws attention to your material, almost making it pop up from the page.

And with glow-in-the-dark ink, you can create a brochure that literally works with the lights off. Restaurants, movie theaters, nightclubs — the applications for bioluminescence are endless!

2. Refresh your geometry.

We don’t know who said a brochure has to be a plain rectangle, but we suspect it was the same guy who said the Wright brothers should just give up on airplane-ing.

Brochures can (and should) come in all shapes and sizes, with different folds to accent different features.

See two examples below: one, a square brochure with a sleek and modern design, and a die-cut museum brochure with a gate fold and a tab that sticks out of the side.

3. Try an cross fold.

An cross fold is a type of fold that opens outward from the middle, with four outside panels that create a cross shape.

The cross fold may as well be the best-kept secret in print marketing. It’s every bit as underused as it is powerful, and here’s why. With this type of fold, a reader has to perform just a little bit more work to open it up than with a typical brochure — less than a fraction of a second. But in that second, reader engagement skyrockets.

There are three extremely compelling things at play here: there’s the tactile experience of unfolding the cross fold, and the surprising presentation of design elements (completely unlike the standard brochure) that pulls your customer in. Finally, and most importantly, the middle panel is like a magnet for the eye — making it the perfect place to plunk down your irresistible call to action.

It’s also versatile. Use a special kind of glue called a tip-on to attach a card or small gift within it, fold it up and send it as a self-mailer without packaging, and use it as a folder for loose content within it. Check out our brochure templates for more brochure folds!

4. Integrate it with your digital marketing.

The example below may look like a traditional brochure, but don’t be fooled — it’s custom-made for you.

Well, maybe not you, personally. The images you see in this brochure correspond to one customer’s browsing history, or contents of their shopping cart, on the client’s website. That’s right. If Joe B. in Salt Lake City spent several minutes poking around on your website looking for camping gear, Joe B. will get this brochure in the mail 30 days later.

But the same goes for Jenny K. in California, who was looking for rock climbing stuff — except her brochure will feature rock climbing shoes, a rope, and quickdraws, and a woman climbing at Yosemite.

This customizable brochure info is powered by variable data printing, a print effect that’s especially powerful when combined with marketing automation. At Printing for Less, for example, it works like this: you set up a rule or series of rules within your CRM, and we automatically mail customized content to your leads and prospects.

Read More: Tactile Marketing Automation

5. Use a creative die cut.

A die cut is a printing technique that’s done with a piece of equipment that’s a bit like a stamp made of blades. It can punch out any shape you can imagine: squares like the in the black brochure below, or amorphous shapes like the foot in the other example.

A die cut can create an entirely unique shape for your brochure — elements of your logo, the shape of a product you sell, or the first letter of your name, for example.

You can use a die-cut piece as a separate shape within your brochure (tipped-on with glue, folded back like a flipbook, or popping out like a popup book). You can use it to let the reader “peek through” your content to create suspense, or you can make it pop up to add surprise and draw the eye to a specific area.

6. Go Big, or Go Bigger

By now you’ve seen how many ways brochures can break the mould, but one of the simplest ways to grab attention is to crank up the size. In this example, the brochure becomes an in-depth pamphlet, giving the reader extra opportunities to interact with your brand messaging.

7. Think avant-garde

Pop the lid off your creative boiler and think of new forms your brochure can assume. Edgy concepts that depart from convention can get results just for being unusual, or featuring breathtaking original art. This idea incorporates professional design with a unique layout, and results in a truly memorable piece.

8. Design a brochure holder.

You could purchase a plastic brochure holder for your office or store. Or, you could extend your brochure design to the holder itself, creating one cohesive piece that tells a story. In this example, a custom brochure holder is made to match this restaurant’s to-go menus to keep that brand top-of-mind (even when the holder’s empty!)

If you go this route, your printer will send these holders in a flat pack that you can assemble, stock, and replace as needed over time. Not only are they cheaper than a plastic holder, but they’re spreading your brand message, which is way more than can be said for a faceless slab of plexiglass.

Ready to put these ideas into action?

Got some inspiration? Here are a few more things to help warm up your creative muscles as you set off to design one brochure to rule them all:

Who is my target audience?
What is the primary purpose of the brochure? (i.e. tell the company story, highlight specific products, make a special announcement)
How will this brochure be distributed? (i.e. mail, conference, on-site)
Is one brochure sufficient? (i.e. individual product focus, company vision, services offered, special event)

Make an outline of your key points, based on your responses above. Create the written content first. This will help your designer (even if you’re the designer!) create the perfect layout, and synthesize killer custom effects with your vision to create a brochure that your customers can’t resist.

Printing for Less (Printing for Less) has been an industry leader and provider of high-quality, unique printing services since 1996. Though we are a large company with customers across the globe, we treat our customers with the attention and care you’d expect from a luxury printing boutique. From business cards and banners to letterhead, flyers, and beyond — Printing for Less knows printing like no other. Let’s talk about your project! Our print consultants are available 8am-5pm MT Monday through Friday at (800) 930-7978.

Get A Brochure Printing Quote