Tips and Tricks Archives - Page 2 of 6

Marketing, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized

Internal Comms Toolkit: Print That Builds Company Culture

Internal communication is more than HR emails and Slack threads — it’s how your team experiences who you are as a company. And while digital channels are necessary for speed, reminders, and updates… print creates emotional imprint. Print reinforces identity and makes culture visible — everywhere people actually work.

If you want your internal brand to feel lived, not just written — print is one of the fastest, most impactful tools you have. Here are 6 print pieces that elevate culture, connection, and employee engagement inside your walls:

1) Welcome Packets for New Hires

First impressions matter — and onboarding sets the tone. Printed welcome kits make the start feel official and intentional.

Include things like:

Company overview booklet
Core values one-sheet
Quick start process cards
Branded notebook + pen
Team roster or contact cheat sheet

Make day one feel like lift-off — not chaos.

2) Branded Posters + Signage for Core Values

Values shouldn’t live in a Google Doc. Values should live where people see them DAILY. Poster sets, banners, desk cards, wall art — these keep the company mission front + center.

It’s subconscious leadership reinforcement every single day.

3) Employee Recognition Certificates

Recognition is a powerful culture multiplier.

Printed certificates for monthly wins, project completions, peer nominations, and on-the-spot appreciation moments make achievements feel tangible.

This is especially powerful when combined with department meetings or quarterly all-hands.

4) Company Event Invites or Flyers

Internal events deserve internal hype. Instead of just sending an email — build anticipation with print:

holiday party cards
leadership breakfast invites
lunch + learns
team challenges
wellness week

Physical reminders increase attendance — and make events feel special.

5) Wall Graphics for Shared Spaces

Shared spaces = culture reinforcement zones. Breakrooms, conference rooms, hallways, team collaboration zones — these are prime places to bring brand personality to life with impactful environmental graphics.

It signals that culture isn’t accidental — it’s curated.

6) Swag Kits for Milestones + Anniversaries

Celebrate the humans behind the brand.

1-year, 3-year, 5-year milestone kits
Big project touchdown kits
Promotion celebration packs

Branded merch is not just “more stuff.”

When chosen intentionally — it signals: you matter here. Strong cultures don’t happen by accident — they’re designed. Print is the physical reinforcement system that turns internal brand intention into internal brand experience. If your team sees, touches, and interacts with your values daily — you don’t have to work as hard repeating them. They become real.

Education, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized

How is Offset Ink Manufactured?

Ever been curious about the steps that go into making offset printing inks? Here we will go over the multitude of steps needed to make the vibrant colorful ink we use here during the printing process:

Step 1: A carrier oil, usually an ecofriendly soy bean based oil, is heated up to reduce viscosity and help thin the oil for processing. Refined pigments are then added and blended together to help disperse the pigments throughout evenly.

powdered ultramarine pigment

Step 2: This warm mixture is next diverted and runs through a bead mill. This is a process whereby small metal balls and the oil are tumbled inside a cylinder. This helps reduce the size of the pigments further and ensure that all the pigments are incorporated. While the pigments are ground even finer than before, this is still considered a rough grind at this point.

Step 3: The ink is now transferred to a 3-roller mill. This machine consists of several large steel rollers that run in opposite directions against one another at extremely tight tolerances. This further reduces the pigment particles down to their final and smallest size to help provide the best and most even coverage. It also helps ensure total and complete mixing.

Step 4: After the 3-roller process the ink now undergoes several quality checks. These are designed to verify that the pigments have all been ground down sufficiently and are evenly dispersed. If they are not the ink is put back into the 3-roller mill and further processed until testing confirms it meets quality standards needed.

Step 5: Once quality control agrees the semi-processed ink meets quality standards it moves back to the mixers. Here it gets various binders and modifiers that transform it from a simple pigment and oil mix into a proper ink suitable for offset use.

Step 6: Additional quality control checks occur again. Now that all the ingredients have been added testing must be done to confirm various physical traits show the proper values. Here they would be testing things like the ink tack value or opacity of the inks against expected performance values.

Step 7: The ink is routed back into the 3-roller mill. This ensures sufficient mixing and helps remove any trapped air from the mixing process that might affect final performance.

Step 8: The completed ink is now packaged and sent out for use on your printed pieces. These can range from smaller 5lb tins commonly used in printshops or pumped into 55-gallon drums for larger printing runs at large shops.

As you can see there are a multitude of steps required to manufacture a high quality ink for use in printing. Here at Cascade Print Media we use only the best inks matched to the needs of your jobs to ensure a quality piece we can be proud of.

Marketing, Print Marketing, Promotional Products, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized

How to Choose the Right Promo Products for Your Brand

Promotional products are a powerful marketing tool—but only if they’re the right fit for your brand and audience. Use this guide to select items that make a lasting impact.

Define Your Goals

Before selecting a promo product, ask yourself:

What is the purpose? (Brand awareness, lead generation, client appreciation, employee engagement, etc.)
Who is the target audience? (Customers, prospects, employees, event attendees?)
What action do you want recipients to take after receiving the item?

Know Your Audience

Choose products that align with your audience’s lifestyle and interests:

Tech-Savvy Crowd? Custom USB drives, wireless chargers, or branded power banks.
Office Professionals? High-quality notebooks, pens, or desk organizers.
Outdoor Enthusiasts? Water bottles, tote bags, or portable coolers.
Eco-Conscious Customers? Reusable shopping bags, bamboo utensils, or recycled notebooks.

Prioritize Quality & Usefulness

A great promo item should be something people actually use. Cheap, throwaway items won’t leave a lasting impression. Ask yourself:

Is this something recipients will use regularly?
Does it reflect the quality of my brand?
Will it stand out from competitors’ giveaways?

Keep Branding Subtle Yet Memorable

Your logo should be visible but not overwhelming. Consider:

Elegant, minimal designs for a high-end look.
Custom colors and messaging that align with your brand voice.
Personalization options (e.g., name engraving for VIP clients).

Consider Event Relevance

If you're choosing promo items for a trade show or event, make sure they’re easy to transport and relevant to the occasion:

Conferences? Notebooks, pens, and tote bags are always a hit.
Outdoor Events? Sunglasses, sunscreen, and collapsible water bottles work well.
Virtual Events? Branded digital gift cards or downloadable resources can be a creative alternative.

Plan for Longevity

Think beyond one-time giveaways. Items with long shelf lives—like drinkware, apparel, or high-quality office supplies—keep your brand in front of customers for months or even years.

Budget Wisely

Promo products come in all price ranges. Consider:

Bulk pricing for large giveaways.
Premium gifts for high-value clients.
A mix of low-cost items (stickers, pens) and premium items (jackets, Bluetooth speakers) for different tiers of engagement.

Order Early & Work with a Trusted Provider

Avoid last-minute stress! Order ahead to ensure:

Customization is done right (proof everything before finalizing!).
You get the best selection of products.
There’s time for shipping and distribution.

Need Help Selecting the Perfect Promo Products?

Cascade Print Media can help you find high-quality, custom-branded items that leave a lasting impression. Contact us today to explore your options!

Marketing, Tips and Tricks

Brand Consistency 101: A Designer’s Guide

Brand consistency isn’t just a marketing buzzword — it’s the force field that makes a brand recognizable in every universe (print, digital, web, social, packaging, signage… all of it). When your branding looks, feels, and communicates the same across every touchpoint — your audience builds trust faster. The brand feels stable. Intentional. Reliable.

As designers, we carry the responsibility of protecting that alignment — visually AND strategically. Here’s how to ensure your designs strengthen brand continuity… not dilute it:

a person at a desk, looking through color palette swatches. the shades are oranges, yellows, and greens.

1) Use Your Brand Color Codes (Pantone / CMYK / RGB)

Color is one of the fastest brand memory triggers. Whether you’re designing for screen or for print — always start from official brand color values.

Use RGB when designing digitally for maximum color range
Convert to CMYK only when prepping for final print output
When Pantone codes exist — use them for color-critical brand control

Never “guess” or pull color from screenshots or compressed images. Small shifts compound — fast.

2) Stick to Brand-Approved Fonts

Fonts = voice. If you introduce new fonts — even accidentally — the brand tone can shift without meaning to.

Use:

Primary brand typefaces
Approved backup alternates when necessary
Consistent hierarchy across all mediums

Consistency in type is one of the fastest ways to create brand recognition that feels seamless — online and offline.

3) Always Use High-Res Logos (Vector Preferred)

Raster logos can compromise brand integrity. Vector logo files (AI, PDF, EPS, SVG) ensure the mark stays clean, sharp, and professional at any scale — from business cards to billboards. If you don’t have vector files — ask the client before building assets.

Protect the logo like it’s mission-critical equipment. (Because it is.)

4) Maintain Consistent Tone of Voice in Messaging

Visual design carries words — and those words must match the brand personality.

If the brand is clever → stay clever.
If the brand is polished → remain polished.

Visual consistency means message consistency too — regardless of platform.

5) Align Physical + Digital Assets

Everything should feel connected — not like separate versions of the brand.

Website
Email graphics
Social media visuals
Packaging
Print collateral
Signage
Promo materials

One ecosystem. One visual identity. One cohesive brand experience.

Brand consistency isn’t about limiting creativity — it’s about amplifying clarity. When designers commit to consistent color, typography, voice, and asset integrity, you make it easier for audiences to recognize, trust, and choose the brand over and over again.

Consistency compounds and the designers who protect it drive brand equity that lasts. Contact Cascade Print Media today to launch your next design project.