Tips and Tricks Archives - Cascade Print Media

What Is a Press Check

Direct Mail, Eco-Friendly, FAQ, Marketing, New, Print Marketing, Tips and Tricks

A press check is a service offered by print companies allowing you to come to a review your print project once it is on press. The pressman will get everything setup and print a few sheets for you to review before hitting the go button on the entire project. This step is important for various reasons to ensure your print project comes out exactly how you want it. Below are a few important things to look for during your press check.

1 – Low Resolution Images

Images used for marketing are often pulled from online sources or images taken with a phone, these images can and most likely will print at a low resolution, meaning that once printed on a substrate, they can become pixelated or blurry. The standard print resolution for a print file is 300 dpi, many images online or from your phone can be only half of that or less, making them impossible to print at a larger scale than what shows on your phone or computer screen. When reviewing your project at a press check, this will give you a proper representation of the print quality for those images.

Image of low vs high resolution image. One pixelated, the other more clear

2 – Ink Registration

Most offset printing is done in CMYK, a process of 4 colors printed in layers to create a specific color image or text. If these colors are not in registration, you will be left with a blurry and hard to read piece. It is important to make sure there is perfect registration. Pressman will have a tool called a loop at their press; this tool allows you to magnify the print allowing you to see the registration. If these colors are off the pressman can adjust to get them realigned.

Image of good registration vs bad registration on page

3 – Color consistency

This is the process to which the colors are consistent across the entire sheet. Color management profiles are used to ensure color consistency throughout the printing process. Review your press sheet thoroughly and make sure the entire sheet is equally vibrant without any dull areas. If there are any issues with consistency, your pressman and prepress department can review and adjust the print management system.

Image of Press sheet being checked for consistency and registration

4 – FPO

FPO means FOR POSITION ONLY, when creating your digital print file, you may use an FPO for things such as die lines, foil stamps, scoring, punching or folds. These are important during the prepress process so we know how your art should be laid out to avoid any of the processes listed above from impeding into your final print piece (nothing is worse than trying to read text that is on a fold.) Most of the time these FPO are created in a bright pink, but not always. It is important to make sure your FPO has been removed from the press ready files, so your FPO is not printed in your final piece. FPO should be created as a separate layer in your file so it can be turned off when plates are made for printing.

Image of large sheet showing where cuts and folds will be on finished product

5 – Check Your Mailing Panel

Mailing panels are tricky, USPS has a lot of rules for mailing panels, such as size, position and the ability to inkjet. If your print piece has a coating such as Aqueous, UV, Soft Touch or any other coating, be sure the pressman has created what is called a knockout, this is a process where they keep the coating from being applied in the mailing panel area. If that area is coated, USPS will most likely reject your pieces causing you to reprint.

6 – Pagination

If you are printing a booklet, with multiple pages on a press sheet, it is important to fold that press sheet to make sure your pages line up properly when folded and stitched. The prepress department has programs that will assist with correct pagination, but it’s always at idea to manually check this for accuracy. Also keep an eye out for alignment, making sure your page numbers land in the same place when the sheet is folded on the crop marks, and there is no art in or around the spine. One last thing to look for, make sure the creep has been accounted for. When you have a large book that has multiple sigs, when those sigs are folded and nested together the outer most sigs will need to be adjusted so the art has more room on the spine, or the inner most pages are not pushed out too far that they get cut off when the final trim is made.

6 – Pagination

Example of book pages creeping out of book due to folds

Interested in starting your next project but don’t know where to start? We can help! Get in touch today and we can walk you through the process, step by step.

Learn More

(253) 472-5500

3321 South Lawrence St.
Tacoma, WA 98409

info@cascadeprintmedia.com

Bleeds – What To Know About Bleeds In Printing

FAQ, Marketing, New, Tips and Tricks

If you’ve been looking at having goods printed or have dabbled as a graphic designer you’ve likely seen the term “bleed.” But what exactly is bleed and why is it essential for quality prints?

What Does Bleed Mean in Printing?

In printing, “bleed” refers to the area that extends beyond the trim edge of the piece. This extra area helps ensure that no unprinted edges appear on the final piece accommodating for any slight movement of the paper during the trimming operation. Cascade Print Media recommends 1/8^th of an inch or 3mm around all sides to every art file.

Benefits of Adding Bleeds

Adding bleeds to your designs offer several advantages:

Prevents White Edges: Even with quality industrial cutting machines the paper can shift slightly during the trimming cuts. Bleeds help ensure the graphic extends beyond the edge which avoids unsightly white edges on printed pieces.

Professional Finish: Bleeds help provide a high-quality look to your printed pieces.

Consistency: It maintains the integrity of the art across multiple prints. Helps ensure that each piece looks identical even if there are slight variations in the trimming process.

How to Create Bleed in Your Design

1: Setup Your Document With Bleeds

When creating a new document set the bleed area ahead of time. Most design tools such as InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop have options for setting and adding bleeds.

2: Extend the Background

Ensure that any background images, colors or patterns extend into the bleed area at the edges. This ensures those elements will still reach the edge when the paper is trimmed.

3: Keep Important Elements Inside the Safe Zone

While ensuring that the background extends into the bleed area also ensures that all critical elements stay within the safe zone. This is an area usually about ¼” of an inch inside that trim line. This prevents them from being accidentally trimmed off or into. Cascade Print Media also recommends avoiding using thin borders in this area as the natural trim variations will be more noticeable the thinner the border.

4: Use Guides

Most modern design software will allow you to see and add visual guides. Use the guides to accurately position the design elements.

5: Export with Bleed Enabled

When you’re ready to save and export your final file, ensure the bleed settings are included. Most software will include an option to “include bleed” in the export settings. This step is crucial to ensure the printer knows to account for bleeds when trimming down the stock. Bleed from Canva is added via file > view settings > show print bleed. If exporting as a PDF file type ensure “crop marks and bleeds” are selected.

Adding bleeds to your designs is a simple but crucial step to ensure high-quality and professional looking prints. By understanding and applying bleed correctly you can elevate the quality of your pieces and avoid common pitfalls such as white edges or inconsistent borders.

Ready to get started on your next project, but don’t know where to start? We can help! Get in touch and we will walk you through the process!

Learn More

(253) 472-5500

3321 South Lawrence St.
Tacoma, WA 98409

info@cascadeprintmedia.com

Promotional Products Return on Investment (ROI)

Eco-Friendly, FAQ, Marketing, New, Print Marketing, Promotional Products, Tips and Tricks

Promotional items

A study by the Advertising Specialty Institute found that “business promotional items are one of the most cost-effective advertising mediums for businesses.” The recall rate for promotional goods is around 89%, meaning that roughly 89% of customers can recall the advertiser on a promotional product they received within the past two years. A further 80% of people can also recall the messaging of the brand if they receive a promotional product from them. A physical item can also be much more effective than other types of campaigns. Promotional mugs and tumblers rank as more effective than radio/TV advertising. Studies report 57% of people can recall a brand’s advertising on a mug vs only 28% against recalling the advertiser on TV.

So why aren’t more businesses leveraging this growth opportunity?

One of the main reasons businesses may not be investing in corporate gifting or custom products is a perceived upfront cost. Certainly, depending on the products chosen, the upfront costs can look higher than expected. It’s important to consider more than just the raw cost when looking for promotional items.

Calculating ROI on promotional items

While not as easy to measure as a digital marketing campaign, this post challenges you to consider the ROI on promotional goods. The ROI is based on impressions – the number of people who are likely to see the branded product. When comparing investing into a marketing plan here’s a way to calculate the return on promo items.

No. of Items x Cost Per Item = Total Spend

Impressions per Product x No. of Items = Total Impressions

Total Spend / Total Impressions = Cost per Impression

Let’s break it down in a simple example using custom coffee mugs:

72 mugs x $10ea = $720

50 impressions ea x 72 = 3,600 views

$720 / 3,600 = $0.20 per impression

So, 72 mugs infrequently used only 50 times a year will get an estimated 3,600 impressions at an average cost of just $0.20 per impression. To put this in perspective the average CPC for Facebook advertising across all industries is roughly $2.00 per click.

With customers who consume coffee every day you could be looking at 72 x 365 or over 26,000 impressions a year. That takes the cost per view down to just $0.02 an impression. Those numbers don’t include others who might see the branding as well, which only drives down the impression costs even further.

Approx number of impressions

Clothing generates the most overall impressions over the expected lifetime of a product. The only exception being polo shirts, which can give the impression of a work uniform, making the wearers seem like employees and not casual users of the product. On average any product is expected to generate multiple hundreds if not thousands of impressions over its lifetime.

Know your target audience

Pick promotional products that your target audience will find useful or enjoy. Narrow in on products that are relevant to your business and will see use. Choosing well focused and quality products helps them stay around.

Approximately 87% of people keep promotional products for longer than a year while 4 out of 10 keep them for more than 5 years. That means people will continue to see your brand over and over, helping give you even more return on investment.

While at first glance promotional product expenses might seem more costly than alternative marketing options the actual cost per impression of promotional goods are extremely cheap. They provide long last lasting and consistent brand reminders to current and potential customers over a long lifespan.

Let Cascade Print Media help you grow your brand by offering solutions and options to stay in your customers’ minds while meeting your budgeting needs.

Sources: PPAI, ASI

Learn More

(253) 472-5500

3321 South Lawrence St.
Tacoma, WA 98409

info@cascadeprintmedia.com

Packaging: Tips and Tricks

Eco-Friendly, FAQ, Marketing, Print Marketing, Promotional Products, Tips and Tricks

Guest Post by: Cori

Packaging is a key essential in promoting your product and making it stand out next to your competitors. When your product is on the shelf, what does it say about your company and the product you are selling? Here are a few key factors in choosing your packaging and how it can make you more successful.

Branding

Who are you, and what are you selling? What about your packaging makes it stand out compared to your competitors? Use your packaging to get your name out there, using images of your product and examples of why someone should invest in it is a key essential to selling your product.

Quality

The quality of your packaging says a lot about your company and the product you are selling. On average 10-40% of manufacturing cost go into packaging. It is essential to make sure your packaging holds up and protects the product inside.

Product Differentiation

Create unique packaging, something fun and exciting that catches the attention of the consumer and draws them to your product instead of the competitors. Consumers want to know why your product is different, how it is better and why they should choose you.

Information

Use your packaging to tell consumers what your product is, and how it was made. Is it made in the USA, is it more economical than others, is it safe for you and the earth? Can it be recycled, or reused? These are all important reasons why someone might want to buy it, use your packaging to draw the consumers’ attention to these important reasons as to why your product is better.

Physical & Emotional Appeal

Give your packaging some personality, find a way to connect to consumers through your packaging. Bright colors, legible fonts and even textures are all great ways to give someone a reason to pick your product up off the shelf. Once they are interested in the packaging, you are halfway there to them being interested in the product inside.

Sustainability

Rather you are selling your product in stores or shipping it to the consumer, it is very important to make sure it is well packaged and will withstand the handling. Just as it is important to use the outside of the packaging to draw attention, it is just as important to make sure the product inside is protected. To ensure your product arrives safely and intact, make sure to use a well-fit sustainable package filler to mold your product and hold it in place. Make sure you use a thick enough material that protects the product but is also easy and user friendly to remove. Using recyclable material makes it easier on the consumer and better for the environment.

Production

Mass production is usually the best way to go to get a better unit cost. The more you print the less each piece’s cost to produce. This is true in most cases unless you are packaging an item that requires certain compliance and safety regulations, these often change, especially for food and cosmetics. If you print this information directly to the packaging, you may find yourself having to waste the packaging due to a reprint. There is a simple solution, print generic packaging for information that won’t change, and use labels to provide more fluid information such as product ingredients, warnings, and expiration dates. Although labels and the cost to apply may increase your production costs and time, this will save you money in the long run.

Testing

How do you know if your packaging will hold up? Before shipping your product to the consumer or retailer, conduct some tests. Ship yourself a package using your local freight company, store your package in a hot, cold or frozen environment to make sure the packaging doesn’t deteriorate.

If you are shipping to a retailer, visit the stores, conduct a survey of the product to make sure it stands out on the shelf and consumers are showing interest.

If you are shipping your product, add a comment card or a QR code where your customers can visit and provide feedback with information and images of the product they received. Asking someone’s opinion of your product shows you care and want to improve if needed.

Packaging says a lot about your product and brand, is a key element in promoting your products. Looking for ideas to get started? Contact us today!

Learn More

(253) 472-5500

3321 South Lawrence St.
Tacoma, WA 98409

info@cascadeprintmedia.com

The Power of Company Stores

Company Stores, Marketing, Promotional Products, Tips and Tricks

Streamlining Inventory Management and Elevating Brand Consistency

In today’s competitive market, maintaining brand consistency and efficient inventory management are paramount for businesses striving to stand out. For print companies like ours, facilitating these aspects through company stores proves to be a game-changer. Company stores are indispensable for ensuring seamless operations, empowering employees, and reinforcing brand identity.

Centralized Inventory Management

Imagine the chaos of scattered inventory across various locations, resulting in delays, miscommunication, and ultimately, dissatisfied clients. Company stores offer a centralized platform where employees can access a curated selection of branded materials, from stationery to promotional items, all in one place. This not only simplifies inventory management but also enables real-time tracking of stock levels, ensuring timely replenishment and minimizing stockouts. The best part? We manage it all for you!

Enhanced Brand Consistency

Consistency is key in building a strong brand presence. With company stores, businesses can uphold uniformity in branding elements, such as logos, colors, and messaging, across all printed materials. By providing pre-approved templates and design guidelines, employees can effortlessly create on-brand collateral tailored to their specific needs, eliminating the risk of inconsistent branding that could dilute the company’s image.

Ease of Access and Ordering for Employees

Empowering employees with easy access to branded materials fosters a sense of ownership and alignment with the company’s values. Company stores serve as a convenient one-stop-shop where employees can browse, customize, and order the materials they need, whether it’s business cards for a new hire or branded merchandise for an upcoming event. With intuitive ordering processes and quick turnaround times, employees can focus on their core responsibilities without the hassle of navigating complex procurement procedures.

Cost- Efficiency and Control

Beyond streamlining operations, company stores offer cost-saving benefits through bulk ordering and centralized procurement. By negotiating favorable rates with suppliers and leveraging economies of scale, Cascade Print Media can help your business optimize your spending while maintaining quality standards. Moreover, implementing approval workflows and spending limits within the company store platform enables tighter control over expenses, preventing unauthorized purchases and budget overruns.

Data-Driven Insights

In the digital age, data is king. Company stores provide valuable insights into purchasing patterns, popular items, and user behavior, enabling businesses to make informed decisions and refine their marketing strategies. By analyzing these metrics, companies can identify emerging trends, anticipate demand, and tailor their offerings to meet evolving customer preferences, ultimately driving growth and innovation.