UP blog | wazzUP?
Tri-fold brochures are one of the most common types of marketing pieces. They are thin and convenient to carry, or can easy used as a self-mailer. They offer a slight element of surprise by enticing the viewer to open it and see what’s inside. Despite how familiar most consumers are with this format, it’s still surprising how few people know how to properly setup their files to create one.
QR codes are quickly gaining traction here in the US. With almost 1/3 of Americans (ages 12 and up) carrying smartphones, and given the spontaneous and instantaneous nature of the web, it’s very little surprise that QR codes are becoming accepted at an amazing rate! Add to this, the viral nature of most marketing strategies, and you get an even broader appeal. Heck, even the US Postal Service sees the QR code potential, and is planning to run a special Mobile Barcode Promotion later this summer.
Nothing says SPRING quite the same way that the Easter holiday does. The weather is getting warmer, the grass is getting greener, and flowers and trees begin to bloom with vivid colors. It’s a time for reflection and renewal, breaking out of the “cabin-fever” of a cold and grey winter. For many people, it’s a time to get together with friends and family. Some dress up in their Easter finest, with brightly colored Easter hats, Easter dresses, Easter shirts and ties.
We’ve noticed over the past several years that some of our clients have tried the offshore printing gig (like in China, for example.) As far as we can tell, they have all come back to buying locally with someone they can trust, have a face to face conversation with, and avoid experiencing any of the challenging cultural differences.
This experience has been both rewarding and frustrating for us. Frustrating because we usually don’t find out until a client has already printed overseas, been burned or let down, and then come back. Rewarding because they do come back, with similar stories and a realization that the trust, professionalism, quality and reliability we provide as a “given”, which they had previously taken for granted, has real value to their companies.
One of the advantages of being in business for over thirty years, is that we’ve seen a lot of exciting changes in the world of commercial printing and graphics communications. Computer-to-Plate (CTP) systems have made a huge impact in traditional offset printing, providing better printing plates capable of amazing image quality. Our chemistry-free plating system develops on press which adds an incredible environmental benefits as well. Technology has lead to major improvements in the areas of digital printing and copying also — using faster, more precise RIPS, and producing higher resolution output in shorter periods of time. When you add our GRACoL G7 processes into the mix, you get dynamic color which is repeatable and matches across ALL devices. Exciting stuff!
As proven experts in both Digital Printing and traditional Offset Printing, we have a great deal of experience and advice that we’re more than happy to share with our clients. First, let’s take a look at the advantages of each printing method:
 |
“It’s NCAATourney Time,Baby!!!”– The Legendary |
Yes… Universal Printing produces a bunch of of projects and ships them all across the country and throughout the world, but our base of operations is smack in the heart of North Carolina. Specifically, the Triangle — That happy bustling region that includes Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, but also encompasses Apex, Carrboro, Cary, and Morrisville.
Around here, we like our College Basketball! We’re surrounded by 4 of the 12 ACC teams (UNC, Duke, NCSU, and yes I’m counting Wake Forest!) and when it comes down to “Tourney Time,” we are right here in the thick of it!
So in honor of “March Madness” and the NCAA Basketball Tournament, we’re posting our own “Elite Eight” of our 8 most popular blog posts. We hope you’ll take the time to read or re-read them, or share them with friends and colleagues! In the meantime, we’ll be rooting for Duke and Carolina, and the other ACC teams representing the Atlantic Coast this weekend.
Universal Printing
Offering quality printing and communications solutions to
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the Triangle since 1979.
www.universalprinting.com
These six websites are LOADED with great tools and information. If they aren’t bookmarked in your browser yet, they SHOULD be!
It should be pretty clear to anyone who knows and does business with us, that we love what we do! Each day is different, filled with new projects and opportunities (and occasionally some “curve balls” to troubleshoot and solve.) But I can promise… it’s NEVER boring! We work on a lot of different types of projects, too. Sometimes we have an awesome graphic design project in-house or some large direct mail project, other times we’ll have complex kits to produce and assemble. It’s safe to say, that every project we work on is unique and important in its own way.
Let’s face it… NOBODY enjoys proofreading. Ok, maybe there’s a rare few that get a kick out of it from time-to-time, but nobody really “likes” it. Still, it’s a very important step in any graphic design project or page layout process, and one that sometimes gets overlooked. It’s easy to “pass the buck” on this, and assume someone else should have proofread; but anyone involved in putting files together for printing should take a moment to proof their work. Granted, I’m only talking about proofing for completion and accuracy. Grammar and punctuation can be addressed in someone else’s blog! For us, we just want to help get it on press quickly, and address any concerns BEFORE the project is plated and printed. These tips will help make your proofreading process a little easier.