They’re printed on that standard paper, using standard process inks, just like every other card you’ve seen lately.

The text is lackluster, the result of software defaults.

The logo doesn’t look quite right, and it’s lost in the cluttered layout.

Worst of all, there’s no memorable message or emotional appeal to the reader. I mean, now that I’ve seen your card, why should I care?

If there’s any seven square inches of real estate that deserves your attention it’s your business card. So frequently it’s the first and only impression of your company in print.

Of course, every aspect of your business marketing deserves your attention. Customers and prospects do notice these kinds of details, if only subliminally. Be it your business card, your website, or the just the impersonal voice mail message that greets your callers.

Is it possible to capture your unique genius, your reason for being in a business card? Absolutely! Take the time to really think this through, and you’ll be amply rewarded.

Take a look at a few of these cards. Some are truly remarkable. And please share your favorite card idea with us; I can’t wait to see where your creativity takes you!

Over a decade ago typographer and graphic designer Kathleen Tinkel wrote:

Armed with our Macs, we presumed to compete with our creative partners (typographers, illustrators, airbrush artists, retouchers and more), helping to put some trades out of business. But the computer isn’t as capable as a talented artist or skilled artisan, so we traded quality for glitzy tricks and techniques, and turned ourselves into high-tech production artists in the process… Our clients…believed the ads that said they could dispense with expensive designers, and instead began to buy their own Macs and WYSIWYG software… Is graphic design dead?

Personally, I’m prone to agree with Monty Python and wheel out the discipline of graphic design on a cart. This opinion is based on countless experiences over the last decade, as well as the dearth of thoughtful, well designed print in all but a small minority of examples currently in circulation.

One such experience was the recent phone inquiry from a new customer excited at the prospect of fancy color business cards now within her $50 budget. When advised that she’d need to supply a ready to print PDF or application file, there was a moment’s hesitation. “It’s just a logo, a line and a little bit of text. Isn’t there any way I can get around paying someone to set that up?”

All too typical.

After some thought, it occurred to me that today many a person would easily shell out $75 to get his/her car washed and waxed but never even consider a similar amount paid to a graphic designer to create a vibrant design which could and should last for years to come. Design is dead, because today all too few marketers see its inherent value.

Yes, creating your own home-brew design on a PC or Mac can be an immersive experience. Hours fly by, and we become increasingly attached to our creation with each passing minute. Regardless of its merit.

Herein lies your opportunity: Invest in good design. With so many routine layouts in circulation these days, your own professionally designed presentation will likely jump off the page and grab your customers’ attention.

And, also you’ll have time to use your computer for something that’s fun.

Does a stock market for graphic design represent a threat or an opportunity for graphic designers? Hard to say, though certainly it appears to be a viable resource for end users, or just about anyone short on time or inspiration.

These aren’t the typical junk layouts you see floating around cyberspace. I’m willing to bet more than a few folks would give up $39 for a well crafted business card design. Then again, no template can emulate the life experience of a top notch graphic designer. Still, inkd could be a boon to the design challenged who have no budget!

How to create a company newsletter: a popular theory

Repurpose our general campaign creative. Extract products from our catalog. Give everyone a heads up on our Spring promotions. People will read it. It’s a NEWSLETTER, after all. True?

Enter the faux newsletter. The domain of marketers who either don’t respect their readers (i.e. customers and clients) enough to provide substantive content, or of marketers who are just confused.

A company newsletter is most successful when it opens and maintains an intimate conversation between real people. It is generous in content and in spirit. It avoids even a hint of self promotion. It is journalistic in style and pointed in its attitude. It’s more about substance than style. It proves that you have a story to tell, or if you have none.

In the Internet Age, reach and repetition have become something of a commodity; real communication remains more elusive.

Wanna’ talk more about newsletters? Check out our newsletter event; it’s your last chance to register.

Where cost is an issue, Baronial style envelopes have a great price point, but they’re usually only available in white or ivory.

Baronial (i.e. pointy-flap) Style Envelopes

4 Bar
5.125 x 3.625

5 Bar
5.625 x 4.125

5 ½ Bar
5.625 x 4.375

6 Bar
6.5 x 4.75

Lee
7.25 x 5.25

A lot of folks prefer the the more up to date square flap style Announcement envelope. Indeed, they’re available in a wider range of colors and finishes:

Announcement Envelope: square flap style

A-2

4.375″ x 5.75″

A-6
4.75″ x 6.5″

A-7
5.25″ x 7.25″

A-8
5.5″ x 8.125

A-9
5.75″ x 8.75″

A-10
6″ x 9.5″

Just two more things to remember:
1. Not every size/color/finish combo is available, so check before you start your design
2. These are the envelope sizes, the enclosures should be designed about 1/4″ smaller in each dimension.

Questions: just give us a call or visit our contact page.

In the market for some custom printed folders or announcements? Check out our current specials!

Better yet, these EPS items (also called paths/shapes) can now be freely and directly placed and edited in Adobe InDesign. Here’s how, according to David Watterson, art director of the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation.

Simply copy the item(s) from the source application and paste into you InDesign document via the clipboard. To copy paths from Illustrator 10 and up, be sure that AICB is checked and the “Preserve Paths” button is selected in Illustrator’s file handling and clipboard preferences.

And speaking of Adobe InDesign, be sure to sign up for our latest Copies&Ink event, sponsored by the nice folks at Adobe Systems.

I’m guilty of falling into that trap too. A few years ago I gave up our family business’ name for a moniker that sounds more like a national chain. In retrospect, that may have been a mistake.

Thinking back a few years and remembering some my earliest Alpert’s Printing customers, there are a few that still stand out in my mind, some 29 years later. They had personality. They didn’t need a six paragraph mission statement. Clarity and character is so lacking in today’s world of sameness. I’d be willing to bet a month’s phone bill that the descriptive name General Telephone is still easier to remember than the cryptic Verizon.

I doubt the corporate spin masters will be dropping their LGs, Altrias and Cingulars any time soon, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us need to buy into the blanding of America. If you want to get your marketing noticed today, perhaps try something that comes naturally: be yourself!

Are you thinking about sending out a flyer or mailer? Stop! Why are you sending it? Unless you have a clear picture of your reason, you’re cooking up a recipe for disappointment!

Most people who send out flyers are thinking DRM, or direct response marketing. Compare that to “branding” or image marketing, and you’ll find two different kinds of animals, which should never be confused for each other. If you’re looking for a response, that is you want the orders to come and the phone to ring, you’ll need a relevant and compelling offer to motivate your customers.

DRM won’t work for every type of business. Sometimes the reason for the mailing is to build awareness of your brand in the marketplace. That’s something that happens over time. Sorry, no shortcuts here. Instead think about how many times and ways you can “touch” your customer over the next six to 12 months. If there’s a trick here, it’s to be memorable.

So much of this stuff gets confused because it looks so similar on the surface. A mailer is a mailer, yes?
Couldn’t be more wrong!

So, as many a pizza chain will remind you, your final result is no better than the ingredients. With that in mind (from Adobe’s Lonn Lorenz and researcher Dov Isaacs) here’s The Perfect PDF: Best Practices for Preparing PDF Files.

If you’re tired of Reality TV and have already seen the season finale of LOST, why not check out some programming that’s actually useful?

In recent years Adobe has bolstered its product support with a lot of online options, including its newest addition, Adobe TV. There are a number of “channels” including a lot of programming about photography, video, graphic and web design.

Check out the “most popular” link, and follow it to episode 1 of Caffe Fibonacci. The fireplace and country background are “Photoshopped” in, but the actual show has a number of useful and interesting tips. And don’t let the Apple logos put you off; this information is useful for Windows too!

Have any tips you’d like to share? Drop us a note!