3 Printing Trends You Need to Follow in 2020

These three trends are taking off in the new decade.

Welcome to the new decade! A new year always inspires us to think about our goals and opportunities. And, a new decade? Well, that’s an even better reason to imagine the possibilities ahead of us.

These three trends in printing all represent opportunities to set your business apart from the competition. Let each of these inspire you as you plan new projects and campaigns in 2020 and beyond.

Personalization

Expectations for personalization are rising from consumers. Businesses must demonstrate that they understand their customers and tailor their offerings appropriately. Consumers are being presented with so many digital messages and services today. It can be overwhelming to keep up.

One of the best ways to help you stand-out among the constant barrage of digital advertising is to use print. Relevance is key to success here. Consider using postcards to distinctly highlight your products and services. With a striking design, they will catch the eye in a stack of mail and generate the leads you’re looking for.

Even better, is to personalize your message and tailor the direct mail specifically based on a particular market segment. Instead of sending just one postcard for all potential customers, consider creating 2 or 3. Each postcard should have message designed for relevance among that segment of your market. This will help your potential customers feel valued and understood.

Postcards are a blank slate–they can be large or small and the sky’s the limit in terms of the graphic possibilities. This tried and true method for generating leads can be as modern as you want it, especially if you utilize the design trends that we highlight below.

In 2020, you can spark interest and bring new business to the table by utilizing personalized direct mail. M&M is here to help you take advantage of this trend through the full process including design, printing, and mailing.

Pantone’s Color of the Year: Classic Blue

Color is a fundamental component of most print projects. It’s important to think about how the colors you choose aligns to your brand, your message, and the goals of your project.

You can expect to see a lot of Pantone’s color of the year, Classic Blue (19-4052) in 2020. It’s a gorgeous deep blue shade that’s harkens serenity and confidence. Imagine the sky, right as dusk is shifting to night. This calm and confident blue is very elegant and works for a variety of brand styles.

Pantone began their color of the year tradition over 20 years ago in 1999 when it chose Cerulean, another serene shade to usher in the start of a new millennium. While quite a lot has changed in the world over the last 20 years, Classic Blue remains timeless.

Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, described Classic Blue as “A boundless blue evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky, Classic Blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious to expand our thinking; challenging us to think more deeply, increase our perspective and open the flow of communication.”

We expect to see Classic Blue in print, displays, and promotional products this year. Consider using Classic Blue this year to as an accent color on your next project. It compliments everything from vibrant and neon colors to neutrals.

Minimalist Design

Less is more in terms of design in 2020. Minimalist design constrains the designer to include only the most important information through the simplest visual construct. It requires discipline to eliminate extraneous clutter from a design.

We’re seeing this trend in action everywhere from booklets to business cards and everything in between. In addition to the calming aesthetic it brings, minimalist designs are often easier for audiences to consume. This is a great benefit when it comes to marketing products!

Minimalism pushes us to really get clear about our brand, our message, and our goals. There’s no room for excess when minimalist design is the goal. Exploring a minimal design can help you bring the fundamentals of your message to customers right to the forefront, with no question. It can be very powerful.

Some tips to consider when aiming for a minimalist design on your next project include:

Identify and Cut the Excess

This may sound obvious, but it’s one of the hardest things to do when designing a new project. Ask yourself whether each element in your project is absolutely necessary. If the answer is no, out it goes!

Include Plenty of Whitespace

The one area of abundance in a great minimalist design is whitespace. Whitespace doesn’t always have to be white. We consider whitespace to be any spaces between content. Make sure your content has room to breathe and you’ll be well on your path to a minimalist design.

Choose a Simple Color Palette.

Using one or two bold colors can stand out more than using 5 or 7 colors in a design. Whether you choose a monochromatic palette or one with a handful of complementary colors, try to restrain the number of colors in your palette. Don’t be afraid to stick with the essentials.

And, there you have it–the top three design trends in printing for 2020. No matter what’s trending, the most important and timeless aspect of any successful project is to create something you’re proud of that helps you achieve your goals. At the Marsid M&M Group, we’re always here to help you do just that.

Following other trends in your market space that we should know about? Let us know in the comments below.

Custom Calendars are a Marketing Secret Weapon for Business

The humble calendar is a bit like a ninja. This unassuming piece of media can sneakily infiltrate the homes and offices of your clients, where it prominently finds itself displayed on desks or walls. Chock full of exciting imagery, promotions, and messaging, this useful promo item not only aids your clients in their day-to-day planning but acts as a personal billboard for your marketing initiatives. Once your calendar finds its way into your client’s spaces, it gives them a front-row seat to your messaging all year long.

Calendars can create incredibly fun, unique, and exciting marketing experiences. Customers also love them, because unlike some of the strange gadgets they get bombarded with at trade shows, these babies serve a practical purpose.

So, let’s discover some exciting ways to take your custom calendar and convert it into a marketing powerhouse.

Plan wisely

Your calendar is an opportunity to connect with your customers 365 times in a year. So, your calendar needs to have some clear goals. Do you want to engage new customers? Retain old ones? Find ways to create more repeat business? Diving into a calendar with a strategy will make it far more successful than just slapping some nice imagery on it and calling it a day.

Go beyond product imagery

Photos of your products are a common choice within the custom calendar sphere and there are plenty of great applications for that. However, a custom calendar that just has stock product imagery isn’t very exciting. When it comes to a picture calendar, there’s a lot you can do with that space. Once you have your marketing goals in mind, think about the message that each month conveys. If you’re a dentist, does a photo of your practice drive clients to book an appointment? Possibly.

Maybe instead, you could collaborate with a graphic designer and content writer to create aesthetically pleasing headers for each month that have inspirational quotes, a funny industry comic strip, or advice.

If product imagery is the way you want to go, try to make the imagery in your calendar unique. Set your products in seasonally correct backgrounds or find ways to delight and surprise your viewers with unexpected photography choices.

Stuff it with promotions

While some customers are pleased as punch to receive a calendar from you, others might need some coercion. It’s never a bad idea to sweeten the deal with some promotions. After all, once you remind them of your service each month, you want something to drive them to your location, right?

For 20 years, Chick-Fil-A was a master case in this area. Not only were their calendars delightful to look at and perfectly branded to their corporate image—they promoted the heck out of their food inside. Their calendars contain coupons and offers every month, which kept their customers exciting and engaged with their calendar all year long.

Brand it and brand it well

A calendar has so much potential for branding, so don’t stop at putting your logo on the front. Slap your emblem on every page of that sucker! No one looks at the cover of a calendar after putting it on the wall, so you’ll want to be sure that your branding is clear each month.

But, remember, branding goes beyond the logo. Your calendar needs to look and sound like your brand, too. That means all copy should fit your brand voice and the colors should match your corporate color scheme.

If you haven’t established a brand yet, today’s the day to start. Consistency among your online, print, and in-store presence is key to winning the trust of customers as they interact with your brand through various platforms.

Use your calendar to combat business slumps

Slow periods exist in every business. Whether it’s right around the holidays, during summer vacation, or maybe right before back-to-school, it seems each business has notoriously slow times that they desperately need a traffic boost during.

So, mark that on your calendar. By that, we mean, add promotions directly to the dates of your calendar that coincide with these slow periods. By doing so, you’ll increase foot traffic during these slow periods.

If you have annual events at your business, be sure to plan their dates while designing your next calendar. Mark popular holidays (and maybe fun, industry-related days like National Hot Dogs day if you’re a restaurant) with a fun graphic and perhaps a special promotion to drive interest in them.

Keep it simple

While we’ve gone through quite a few ideas to make your calendar pop, at the end of the day you’ll need to keep your ideas simple. Every element in your calendar, from imagery to messaging, to the promotions and dates you mark need to have a clear purpose. Your messaging needs to work well within a visual hierarchy each month, which easily draws the eyes from your imagery to the desired interaction with your customer.

The humble calendar takes a little time and patience to put together, but the effort can be well worth it. While other promotional products end up in drawers, your calendar can find its way to prominence in even a cluttered office. While billboards or print ads fizzle to a distant memory soon after a customer’s contact with them, your calendar is a constant visual companion for an entire year.

If you aren’t implementing calendars in your promotional strategy, consider jumping on the train now. With some consideration and planning, your calendar will be the secret weapon to your marketing department always dreamed of.

Five Tips to Ensure your Graphic Design Files are Ready to Print

Five tips to ensure your graphic design files are ready to print

After a lot of head-scratching, pixel-pushing, and consideration, your new brochures or business cards are finally ready to fly to the print shop.

But, wait!

The worst feeling in the world is to get an item back from the print shop and see that it’s cropped strangely, the colors are out of whack, or there’s a glaring typo staring back at you.

So, let’s talk about five things you should check before you hit send on that file.

One More Proofread for the Road

Proofread Your Print Files

On your screen, moments after completing a design is the worst time to check for errors. Your brain is still filling in the gaps and seeing what it thinks it should see, not what is there.

If time allows, walk away from your design for at least an hour. You’ll want to look at it with fresh eyes.

Then, go ahead and print it to scale. Take a critical look at it both at close and, if it is larger than a business card, a few steps back.

Look for images that are out of alignment, text that doesn’t fit quite right, and of course, typos! Check every address, phone number, and email address for accuracy. If time allows, pass it on to a co-worker to perform the same check.

Verify your Color Space

Verify Your Color Space

The RGB (red, green, blue) color space is commonly used for digital pictures, like monitors and TVs. It is the color space you’re viewing this article in. By default, most graphic programs like Photoshop will start you in an RGB color space, as it anticipates that the files created will be used for the web.

CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) is used for commercial printing. In general, when you create a file for print at a print shop, you’ll want to ensure you’re working in the CMYK colorspace. When you first set up the file, you can easily define this by selecting the print presets.

As digital printing has become more common, things have changed and yet, CMYK is still the preferred colorspace for printing.
So, before you hit send, give your print shop a call and ask them which color space they use. This simple tweak can save your new brochure or flyer from coming off the press looking a little off color-wise.

Check your Bleed Settings

Check your Bleed Settings for Best Printing Results

Bleeds are important for any document that is printed edge-to-edge, where the solid colors or images need to go all the way to the edge of the page.

While you’re on the phone with the print shop, verify what they’d like the bleed settings to be. We prefer ⅛” bleeds, but some may ask for ¼” or ½” bleeds to give themselves a little more margin for error.

Take a look at your file in your graphics program. Make sure that all your artwork is extended past the bleed line. Also, ensure that all text and important graphics are within the safe zone which is typically a ¼” from the edge.

Some print shops can provide a bleed and margin template, but if they cannot, just create a margin guide about ¼” from the edge of your document and let no important text or graphics past it. This will prevent any important information to be cut off.

Embed or Flatten your Fonts

You spent so much time designing the perfect document and a big part of that is font selection. To ensure that your fonts print properly, you’ll want to embed them into the file. Fonts are pulled from your local computer, so there’s no way to know if your print shop will have the same font.

First, keep a backup of your file with the text still editable. Then, go into your document rasterize each text layer if you’re using Photoshop. If you’re using Illustrator, convert each text element to outlines.

If you’re sending your file as a PDF (and you should be), you can sometimes embed your font directly into the file. This will make your file size bigger but allow the recipient to edit the text if needed.

Some fonts don’t allow you to share them in this way, so it isn’t always an option. Sometimes, all you can do is rasterize or outline them.

Convert your File to PDF

Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign files don’t email well in their native formats. They often contain fonts and images that are linked to files on your local computer. When the printer opens these files, they won’t see what you see! Missing fonts, images are only the beginning though. Some files can render differently on different machines (especially if the file was made in a Microsoft Office product like Word, PowerPoint, or Publisher).

So, if you’re sending a file to a print shop, convert it to PDF. If your file has bleeds, be sure to check that the bleed settings are turned on as you export the file. A PDF is a special kind of file that will retain the visual formatting of your file consistently on any machine that opens it. It’s a graphic designer’s best friend.

With these five tips, you’re on your way to having picture perfect files every time. If you’re ever unsure of any settings or requirements, don’t hesitate to call your print shop. We love speaking to our customers and want to make sure your file is formatted properly, so you get great print results from our service every time.

If you have questions or need a quote for your next printing job, leave a comment or give us a call at 877-MMPRINT!

Any tips you want to share from experience?

Why You Should Have a Custom Printer

Printing is Easy… Isn’t it?

Fine printing is not as easy as hitting . There are so many factors involved in custom printing that must be taken into consideration when creating a final product to meet your standards. You could spend time, money, and resources to figure out how to do it yourself OR you can leave the copy printing to the professionals.

Custom printers have both the means and experience to produce prints that will impress you and your clients. What allows them to achieve such high quality, are the countless resources they have at their disposal.

Resources

For starters, custom printers, such as the Marsid M&M Group, have a huge variety of paper selections. As mentioned in my previous blog, there are paper stocks with different coating, paper weights, textures, and even specialty paper that custom printers keep in stock ready to be printed on. Along with professional printing services comes professional printing equipment. Custom printers have access to digital printing presses for short run prints and offset presses for long runs and PMS printing.

Other machinery that the Marsid M&M Group have include: a cutter to accurately cut the prints down to size, an original Heidelberg machine that has been modified for die-cutting, foil stamping, and embossing, and multiple other machines for binding and folding. Custom printers also keep large quantities of ink on hand to avoid having to go through the trouble of buying new ink for every job. All these resources give custom printers the capabilities to customize any and every printing project up to the imagination of the client.

Experience and Knowledge

Besides the resources and equipment, custom printers also have the professional experience and knowledge to make the best product possible as well as avoid common mistakes found in copy printing. For example, printing with bleed is frequently botched in the designing process before the physical printing even occurs. For those of you who do not know, bleed is when the design or colors extends to the edge of the page. Often times, the final product will have a white border around the design or it would be trimmed past the desired dimensions. In order to avoid this, the Marsid M&M Group suggests a 1/8” margin of color beyond the edges as well a ¼” safety margin to prevent any text from being trimmed off.

Another issue that can be avoided by having professional printing services done is printing low resolution images and/or poor designs. The artwork department at the Marsid M&M Group will always inform the client of any quality issues when provided with low resolution images. Poor resolution equals poor quality. To avoid this, the artwork department will request images and files with higher resolution as to make the best product possible. The design can also be improved by the artwork department. If you are willing pay to produces out all these prints, why not set a little extra money aside to have the artwork department improve the overall look and feel of your copy print?

Web-to-Print

The printing industry as well as the business world has gone through a dramatic change in the Digital Age largely due to the presence of the internet. Businesses that only keep physical documents are at a disadvantage, but at the same time most companies are not able to be 100% digital. There needs to be a balance between the two and that is where Web-to-Print comes into play. Web-to-Print is the term used for printing e-commerce.

The benefits of this industry are that it gives consumers the ability to conveniently order customized prints as well only order what they need. That is a much better alternative to spending more money for prints that are close to what the clients are looking for without having to pay for extras that come in a package.

Now that you have an understanding of why it is so important to hire professional printing services, head over to the Marsid M&M Group’s website with your printing needs where you can request a quote or live chat with a printing specialist!

What Your Business Card Says About You

The Most Powerful Yet Overlooked Marketing Tools

One of your most powerful, yet ignored weapon in your marketing arsenal is your business card. Exchanging business cards with potential clients is, in fact, the most personal form of marketing. In this “tech-savvy” world, business cards are still essential for modern day businesses. There are many advantages of swapping business cards when compared to simply exchanging numbers. For starters, it is quite embarrassing and unprofessional when a client hands you their card and you have nothing in return for them. Rather than just being a contact in someone’s phone, a business card allows you to brand yourself. By presenting a client with a business card, you contain the ability of promoting yourself by means of text and visual cues. Production and printing costs of business cards are low and the benefits are high; as they make a statement in the business world.

Business Card Printing Services | MMPrint.com

When done properly, a business card should convey both you and your company’s dominance. The color, content, design, typography, paper, as well as the size of a business card, will act as clear signals to a potential client about who you are and what you stand for. When creating a business card it is equally important to convey an important message, as well as have your card stand out amongst all the other cards.

Business Card Essentials

When designing a business card, the information contained on the card must include your first and last name, business address, email address, office phone number, cell phone number, the company’s logo, and a web address if applicable. Make sure that your name is the largest text included on the card so that potential clients can quickly discover your name when they look at your card. A business card should never just merely contain your name and information; it is important to include a tagline of what your company is capable of doing.

It is important that the size of your business card must be no more than 3.5 inches by 2 inches. This measurement is the standard size of business card holders as well as the pockets found within wallets. If your business card is too difficult for the client to carry, then they will simply just throw it away if it does not possess the utmost importance. It is also necessary to always carry your cards in a card holder. Presenting a potential customer with a dog-eared business card will consistently give off a poor representation of your company.

Content and Design

When addressing the content and design of your card, ask yourself, “What makes my card stand out from the others?” The fact of the matter is; your card is only one glance from ending up in a stack with all the others. If you choose to adopt a clean and simple design it does, in fact, show that your business cares about their appearance, but it doesn’t necessarily make the card stand out. On the other hand, over complex or cluttered designs tend not to scale well, can potentially lose detail when printed, and can even limit the writing space that clients often use to write notes on. Finding the balance between content and design is essential when selecting your business card.

Premium Business Cards | Marsid-M&M Group

High creativity can possibly draw away a potential customer; that is if you are dealing with a serious client. However, choosing a material other than paper, containing angled cuts, altered corners, and interesting backsides can also be viewed as cool, modern, and innovative. This is important for people like artists or graphic designers who attempt to look trendy to their customers. Smaller businesses tend to even put fun and interesting substances on their card so that their client will view it all the time. Some of these cards may contain a USB, a professional football schedule, or even magnets.

Typography

Business Card Typography and Design | MMPrint.com When deciding which font to use and the spacing between texts, it is important to realize that legibility is absolutely essential. It is also important to understand that your choice of font will depict your personality and will speak the voice of your brand. Be aware that fun and modern fonts may undermine the severity of your company. It is equally important to understand that decrepit fonts are sometimes difficult to read.

Color Psychology

Choosing the color of your business card can tell a potential client a lot about your charisma. When choosing colors it is again very important to understand that your card must be easy to read. Choosing a traditional color like white is very safe and conservative; however, it is difficult to stand out from all of the other cards. If one were to choose black, they are demonstrating power and seriousness however the color black can suggest mystery and can even intimidate the client. Similar to black, the color red is very powerful and passionate, but it too can intimidate the client. The color blue will often convey your message with honesty and trustworthiness, but it also represents calmness and tranquility which can be conceived as laziness by your client. The color yellow is very uplifting and stimulates the mind; however, it can be strenuous on the eyes. So when choosing a color it is important to keep these things in mind.

Color Wheel Typography - Meaning of Colors

Now that you have an overall sense of how to create a business card, here at the Marsid M&M Group, we are ready to help and aid you with all your business card needs. We print any quality, as well as any quantity of business cards. Our experienced staff can even help you design your card to perfection. With our state of the art equipment; the finished good you receive will exceed all of your expectations. To get a free quote please visit our business card printing services and premium business card printing pages.

Thermography, Foil Stamping, and more- Ways to Make your Product Pop

Finishing and Coating your Print Product

Everyone is looking for a way to make their products stand out. If, you use Thermography on a business card, foil stamping on your invitations, or UV on your brochures, you know that adding a little extra to your print products can make them stand out from the rest. There are a number of ways to beef up your pieces and make a unique impression. You may be looking for a unique feel or to add some protection. Either way, you should know the available options and what their benefits are.

Thermography

Thermography or raised ink is the process of heating ink to make it bubble and rise. Thermography Business Cards This can be done in a variety of colors and creates a 3D print effect that is unmistakable and impressive. Business cards, invitations, envelopes, and various promotional materials often use Thermography as a tool. It is a lower cost option than embossing.

Embossing

Embossing also creates a 3D effect on your print product. It is less glossy than thermography but allows you a variety of options. From multi level embossing, to blind embossing, to embossing with foil stamping, there are a number of ways to create a classic look.

Foil Stamping

Foil Stamping creates a majestic product. It uses a metallic foil applied with a heated dye. It creates an unmistakable printed product that is often used by large corporations on annual reports or letterhead. Foil Stamped Business Cards

If, you would like to make an impression that will leave people with a sense of awe, Foil Stamping is the option to go with.

UV or Spot UV

UV is a coating, which, creates a unique glossy look and a layer of protection. Spot UV is applying this process only to a specific area. Spot UV Business Card | mmprint.com
UV offers some protection from outside elements, while, making your print product shine brightly.
Spot UV enhances the look of a certain area of your item. Lighting reflects only in certain angles to make the spot element almost a holographic effect.

Aqueous Coating

Aqueous Coating offers a clear coat to protect your printed product from fingerprints and dirt. Aqueous Coating Business Cards
Presentation Folders, Catalogs, and Booklets often use this coating. It helps to increase the quality of the paper, while adding gloss. Aqueous Coating is Eco Friendly as it water based.

Spot Varnish

Spot Varnish is a finish, which, adds gloss and depth to a particular area of a printed product. Catalog Spot Varnish Cover A flood varnish is less common and covers the entire page or surface. Like Spot UV, Spot Varnish adds shine to a specific area.

Soft Touch Coating

Soft Touch Coating is increasing in popularity as it adds a plush feel and does not affect the look of the item. Suede cards 19 pt with velvet lamination The soft texture invites people to feel and touch the printed product it is coating. Business cards really see the benefits of a finish like this. Soft Touch Coating is also environmentally friendly.

Lamination

Lamination is a common process, which, adds coating to the front and back of the printed item. Laminated Menu It creates protection from creasing, fading, wrinkling, and water. For the latter reason, it is extremely popular with menu printing. There is also a process called velvet lamination, which, is similar to soft touch coating.

Combinations

There are opportunities to combine two or more of some of the coatings and finishes discussed above. It is best to contact a print professional to discuss what options are available for your project. We can, also, determine what suits your needs and budget. There are certain options, which, cannot be combined. So, it is important to speak with a print professional to decide which options are right for your next project.

Holidays, Give Yourself A Present…ation Folder Booklet or Annual Report

Presentation Folder Booklets

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The new year is inching closer. Many personal and professional events are upon us. Taxes. The mere mention of the word brings dread to the mind and it creates frustration in your bones. There’s mention of in the Bible of tax collectors being some of the least favorite people of their time. Yes, taxes and our dislike for them have been around that long. Probably longer. I believe I read something about a cave drawing containing angry cavemen next to the letters IRS. caveman

Let’s get back in the present. We now have tools to help with tax season. If you are a tax professional, our Presentation Folder Booklets(with or without the Stepped Inserts) are a simple way to engage your clients in a sleek, professional, and organized manner. Our custom printed booklets provide all the information that you would like them to see. All your clients will understand and the folders will provide a simple way to stay organized with all the deductions people will try to take. (No, just because you vented about work at the drive through does not make that dinner a business expense.)Conversely, if you are gathering your information for tax season our Standard Presentation Folder is an excellent a way to stay organized.

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Enough with the taxes already

Let’s forget about taxes. Presentation Folders Booklets are something used in almost every industry. What separates us? All folders are custom printed, so that it is tailored to your audience. We offer different option, folders, or stepped inserts, which are great for a company presentation. Contractors, Realtors, Financial Planners, even Funeral Directors have to sit down with potential customers and present their information in a sleek and professional manner to win over clients. That is where we come in. Presentation is everything, and our Folders and Booklets are designed to impress. Why stress about your pitching your next idea? When you can have all your information in one sleek folder, and when you distribute them, they will all be uniform. Everyone will be on the same page. Literally.

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Annual Reports

Every business should have annual reports. Medium to Large companies rely on them for many reasons. However, small business should do the same and our custom Annual Reports allow to present all pertinent information regarding the annual-reports-printing previous year in a professional and organized fashion. Annual reports contain all the important financial information. Use them to highlight achievements.. Small businesses can use Annual Reports as a marketing tool,also, you can promote your companies success to investors, or use it to share milestones.

Staying organized is integral. Presentation can be the difference between hired or fired. Keeping valuable data is a tool to market to your audience. These are all basic parts of running a successful business. Using these simple tools to promote and market your business can be how to get where you want to be. We are happy to answer questions and we can help your business look and perform at its best.

Why combining print and digital marketing is the best strategy

From startups with 1 employee, to companies with thousands of employees, the importance of print marketing has remained constant for the last 100+ years. We have 40 years of experience and have seen many trends come and go, and today more than ever, there are opinions everywhere on what you should or should not be doing. Our goal is not to answer any of those extremely complicated questions. All you will learn from this blog is what we know works, and how print marketing can help a business that is 1 day old or 1 century old.

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Combining Print and Digital to increase ROI

One of the important statistics we have read recently came from the AMA(no we don’t get our business statistics from doctors), it is the American Marketing Association. There are numerous studies that show how print is outperforming digital, but the statistic that stood out most to us is that most Americans disregard 80% of their email but they open 80% of their regular mail. The same study shows that:

magazines and newspapers have the highest ROI at 125%
compared to 87% for TV and digital.
However, that number jumps to 163% when combining Print and Digital.

Also, that is in concrete revenue terms. So, we can now see the value of adding Print to your marketing strategy.

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What this means, is that people still enjoy reading and looking at tangible, physical content. Perhaps, it is because we are inundated with digital content on our phones, tablets, laptops, etc… Posters, calendars, business cards, and catalogs force us to engage in the content. Most importantly, print has the benefit of sitting on the table in an office, or a coffee table at home. A web ad is there and then gone permanently. 1 catalog can be viewed many times by many people. As retail businesses use signs to attract many drivers who pass by their business.

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How Print Marketing Works for you

Now, where does that leave us in helping you establishing your brand identity, marketing it, and targeting your market?

For starters, packaging, presentation and appearance matter. If you’re like the majority of people, when someone gives you a business card with a plane white background, their name, their title, and their email address, it disappears into what is called the Bermuda Triangle section of wallets. It goes in, and not so mysteriously is never seen again. Now, think of that business card someone gave you in full color, with classic fonts, pictures, and UV coating.

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The person that gave you that business card is more likely to get your business. It is the same with people who dress sharply, or have great style. It is intuitive, if they spend time on the little details on something like a business card, we feel as though they will be a better person to conduct business with. Perception is reality. When it comes to potential clients, your catalog, brochure, calendar, or business card should represent your brand, and establish confidence.

Business Card with Spot UV Coating

Develop a memorable brand identity, that will speak to clients and potential clients about the quality of your products and services. This is where the right type of menu, catalog, business card, letterhead, brochures, flyers, and so many other print items, can establish and market your brand precisely for your target market. It can also be a great tool for maintaining relationships with clients, staying in touch with them or saying thank you. Perhaps, sending out custom greeting cards using variable data so that a company of 100 people will get a Holiday Card with each employee’s name on it. Or sending custom coupons for future business. There are endless ways with which we can help you establish your brand, and build on it.

eddmblog Targeting your market has never been easier. Direct Mailings are an effective way to reach out to new and existing customer. Perhaps you don’t want to buy a list, then use EDDM flyers, menus, and brochures. Ask us about EDDM today, it is the simplest tool to target a specific town, street, or neighborhood and ensure that every household receives your item. With the EDDM tools, there is no hassle of buying a list that may or may not be updated.

All of these are just a few of the effective tools Marsid M&M can use to help you grow your brand and ultimately, grow your business. You can visit us at www.mmprint.com today and chat live online with a print specialist.

New Print Products to Make your Merchandise Stand out

When it comes to marketing a product, standing out among your competitors can be an important way to attract new customers. Almost every company will have some sort of marketing materials, whether it be a brochure, website or promotional item. In this situation, creating a printed material that is a little different from the norm may be a beneficial way to highlight your product or company. Here are some new products that can get your creative marketing side flowing:

Pocket Menus

Mini pocket menus are an incredibly versatile type of brochure for restaurants and retail food companies. Instead of using a traditional take out menu, these can have up to 12 panels which can be used to highlight each section of the menu.

Additionally, we have seen pocket menus used as ways to present stunning pictures, easy to follow recipes, or details about where and how the product is produced. Many consumers are interested in knowing the ingredients and materials that go into the food they enjoy, and a detailed pocket menu can provide extensive information about their contents.

Uneven Fold Header Cards

Header Cards are an easy, affordable and attractive way to market your product. They are simple to assemble and have the flexibility to package several different products simply by switching the content in the polybag.

Most commonly, header cards are scored in the middle to create an even fold on both sides of the card. Sometimes though, it could be useful to create a card that has an uneven fold so that one side is longer than the other. The card can still be stapled to seal in the product, but this offers a flap that can be used to reinforce the product or provide extra space for information, directions, ingredients or materials used.

Another popular use for Uneven Header Cards is as a swatch card that can be used to show off different types of fabrics. These are used by fashion companies when it is not easy enough to send full samples of a product. A swatch of the material can still give your distributors a feel for the product that you will be selling.

Die Cut Hangtags

custom shape merchandise tags for products | mmprint.com

Hang Tags are an essential way to market your clothing, jewelry or fashion accessories. Make sure you compliment your unique fashion item with a hang tag that is equally special. Die cut printing allows you to make custom shapes and sizes for your product tags.

Having a custom shape can make a big difference on the presentation of your product. With your hang tag, you can include your company logo, information about the product, and what materials are used in the product.

At The Marsid M&M Group, we’re all about innovation and helping our customers grow their business with the best marketing and print materials. Contact us today with any questions or ideas you may have for new projects.

Choosing the Right Poster or Sign Material: Getting the Most Out of Going Big

There is so much planning that goes into an event, that it can be difficult to get detail just right. Choosing the right location, inviting the right people, coordinating the speakers or activities – usually the last thing on your mind will be what materials to use for your signs and posters. This can be an important factor though when deciding where a poster will go, how long it will stay up and how you plan on displaying it. There are several different materials that posters and signs can be printed on and they all have different strong points:

Indoor vs Outdoor

The first question that should be answered is “will the sign be used indoors or outdoors?” Some materials are more durable and will stand up to elements like rain, wind and UV rays from the sun. Luckily we can print signs using UV safe inks to avoid fading and discoloration.

Outdoor Signs

When creating outdoor signs, you will usually want to print on plastic materials as opposed to paper based substrates. Materials such as Coroplast (corrugated plastic), vinyl and Sintra board (rigid PVC) are better options for outdoor use because they are water resistant. Vinyl banners will not easily rip, and Sintra and Coroplast are rigid so they will not bend or crease easily. Printing on metal is also a good option for a long lasting sign.

Indoor Posters

For posters and signs that are going to be used primarily indoors, there are more lightweight and affordable options. You will not always need a rigid sign and instead can use a paper poster that can easily be rolled up and transported. Paper posters are also easy to mount using clips, magnets, tape, adhesives, tacks and more.

Foam board posters are also a great choice for creating a prominent display. The thick canvas makes the image protrude off the wall which adds some dimension and draws attention. Foam board is also easy to stand on easels and displays without falling over.

Grommets

You should also know whether or not you will need grommets installed on your sign. Grommets are small metal rings that are placed in the corners of a sign or banner so that they can be easily hung using string or rope. Grommets can be installed on almost any type of poster or sign.

Banner Stands

Another simple solution for transporting larger banners is to use banner frames or retractable stands. Popular styles of this are step and repeat banners which usually take a logo or image and repeat it across the canvas. These are commonly used for runways and photo shoots, but have recently become popular as a fun prop for weddings, birthdays, company parties and other special occasions. They usually come 8′ x 8′ or 8′ x 10′ and can be easily assembled at any function.

Retractable banners are another great option when signs need to be easily installed or moved around during an event. The vinyl or fabric banner rolls into the stand and can contract to a small, portable package. The most common size for retractable banner stands is 33″ x 78″ which makes them visible on college campuses, trade shows and retail stores.

Now that you have a better idea of what type of poster or sign you will be printing, it’s time to get designing! Check out our graphic design templates or head over to our website to get a quote on your project!

Have further questions? Leave a comment below and we can help you decide the best option for your poster or sign.