Beef Up Your Business Cards With These Plug-ins

Standard business cards are typically rectangular, 2 x 3.5 inches on white stock. The only thing that differentiates them from other business cards is the information and graphics. Adding custom finishes to your business cards bring them to life. The combinations are endless, but by using just one finishing option your business cards will be “Slicker than a harpooned hippo on a banana tree” (not entirely sure what that means but it seems to get the point across that your business cards will stand out!).

These Cards Mean Business

Embossing

Embossing your business cards is just awesome. This method has many variations from blind embossing to multi-level embossing to embossing with foil stamping. It gives your business card dimension, it makes you want to look at it from different angles. But best of all, if used correctly, it’s classy.

Foil Stamping

Foil Stamping enhances your business cards by reflecting light in the area where it is foil stamped. This reflection attracts the eye of the viewer. Foil is available in many metallic colors and even holographic patterns…if you want your business card to pop, this is the way to go!

Spot UV Coating

Spot UV coating creates a reflective mirror-like sheen only in areas where it is designated, hence the name “Spot” UV. By using a spot UV layer on your business card, you can intensify the visibility of a certain graphic or even create a graphic out of the spot UV itself on a solid background. The example above have the 7 A.M. logo using this method so that the logo is only visible when angled to a light source. Very creative!

Custom Die Cut

Custom die cut business cards are the epitome of customization! The shape of your business card can be made to just about anything. Match the shape of your logo or product or you can add special folds to really make your business cards unique. Give them something they will never forget!

Pantone (PMS) Colors

If branding is important to your company, making sure your brand is recognizable and memorable can be as easy as selecting a specific Pantone color for consistency This color is used throughout all of your marketing collateral and anywhere your logo/brand is displayed. Many (if not all) of the major brands do this. One of the most used examples is Coca-cola’s red.

A Custom Combination of Finishes

The more of these finishes you use on your business cards, the more they will stand out in a stack. I don’t think there’s any way of overdoing it. When used correctly your business cards will serve as a sales tool and conversational piece that can get the ball rolling on a new sale. Use them to feature a new product or to show prestige that reflects on your business. The variations and possibilities are endless.

Creating Die Lines for Custom Die Cut Printing in Adobe Illustrator

This post is best suited for graphic designers who will be working on a die cutting project and/or those of you who simply like to know how to do stuff.

Creating a die line for die cutting can be pretty simple or can be quite difficult, all depends on your design and some planning beforehand can come in very handy later on.

First, I want to make it clear that die cutting thin lines is not always a good idea. Thin lines in a die create thin cuts in the paper that can easily bend or rip off. Sometimes it’s unavoidable such as die cutting hair or thin fonts but if possible, always try to use thick locks of hair or bold type if your die cut is typography-based.

Custom Die Cut Hang Tags

For this tutorial we are going to create a Die Cut Hang Tag. Many clothing manufacturers use hang tags to brand their merchandise and sometimes include information about the product or the company on the back or inside if it is a folding hang tag.

For this tutorial, we will use a fictitious Clothing Brand called mmprint.

Our goal is to have a finished hang tag where we will die cut the mmprint with the white Stroke around it. Leaving the grey area (which for purposes of this tutorial is simulating the paper) by using a die cutter such as our Heidelberg Windmill Letterpress.

The Right Tools

The die line must be made using a vector design program such as Adobe Illustrator or InDesign. A die maker uses a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine which uses CAD software to send the design commands to the CNC machine.

Since the CNC is computer controlled, it requires vector lines to operate. Raster lines are created using blocks which then create jagged edges along the perimeter of the line.

Preparing the Artwork

Creating the die line for the mmprint hang tag should be rather straight forward and simple. We used Century Gothic Bold for the text and made an offset path to make it thicker, then added a 3pt. Stroke around it. All we really need to do is make a line that goes around the entire perimeter of the white Stroke.

Sure, you can show off your Pen tool skills and trace the whole thing but working efficiently is key for a designer and when you have other projects to move on to, time is important.

At this point in our design, our stroke is an effect applied to the object. When you select the object with the black arrow, you will see that the selection line is located within the stroke. Since we need the die line to be the outside edge of the stroke, we have to make the stroke an object itself.

Select the mmprint object then click Edit>Copy then click Edit>Paste in Front

With the new object selected, click Object>Expand

While still selected, click the Unite button in the PathFinder tab (Window>Pathfinder)

Now you should have the outline of the object that is completely white, which notably is the shape that will remain in the sheet of paper once the mmprint is die cut out…

Now just 2 more steps.

While our new white object selected, all we need to do is give it a 1pt. stroke (I chose orange so it stands out) and remove the fill color.

Here is the result:

The orange line is the area where the die cut will be made

Cleaning Up

The final step is to convert the orange color we selected into a PMS color that we will call “Die Line”.

The purpose of making the die line its own PMS color is so that it separates correctly when making plates. The CMYK parts separate accordingly for printing and our “Die Line” PMS will separate as one separate plate for the die.

Here is how it’s done:

With the Die Line Layer selected, Double click the Orange color in your Swatches Panel.

Change the Swatch Name to “Die Line”, change Type to “Spot Color” and click OK

Notice the Orange color swatch has a White corner with a Black dot in it…this means it has been converted to a PMS color

Tips and Tricks

It’s always a good idea to consult with the printer/die cutter before you spend a lot of time on your design. Discuss and if possible, show a sketch or basic artwork of your die cut to get feedback on what may or may not work.

As a graphic designer/consultant, you are hired to be efficient and work within budgets.

To save on die charges, you can always use a pre-made Die Cut shapes and customize only the printing.

We offer a nice selection of pre-made die cut shapes:

Take the Design Even Further

When budget is not an obstacle, take your creativity to the next level with Foil Stamping and Embossing.

At this point you can design a hang tag with all the bells and whistles that people may possibly keep. Hang tags create an amazing opportunity to spread your branding with the very merchandise that you sell. Make your hang tag reflect the quality of your company and your product.

So how do you prepare the design for foil stamping and embossing?

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CMYK Inspired Vector Logos From All Over The World

As printers and print designers we are constantly submerged mentally and physically in the realm of CMYK. These four letters are the rule of the print industry and the basis for almost everything that we print. To increase your understanding of the CMYK color mode, please read our popular Colorful Guide to Understanding Color which explains color mode differences and why CMYK is used in printing while RGB is used for the web.

Corporate logo designers know very well that a complete logo design package requires both PMS and CMYK versions of a logo so that all advertising mediums such as print and web are covered. This has mostly to do with color consistency. CMYK values that represent the PMS version should be determined to keep this consistency throughout all marketing campaigns (not to mention RGB for web graphics).

As we grow as designers and printers, our love for the CMYK acronym grows and for those of you out there who know the feeling, we have come up with this collection of beautiful CMYK inspired vector logos from all over the world for your design inspiration:

Panama

Chile

Venezuela

USA

Italy

Canada

Brazil

USA

Portugal

Colombia

Brazil

Source: Brands of the World

Notice that almost all of the CMYK inspired logos above are Print companies or have the word Print in them. As I said before, printers and print designers are CMYK fanatics!

What logos or other advertising have you noticed or designed that are CMYK inspired?

Please share your comments below…

More Than Words: An Introduction to the Art of Typography

ty·pog·ra·phy:

Design or selection of letter forms to be organized into words and sentences and printed or displayed electronically – Encyclopedia Britannica

When a person thinks of typography, what would immediately come to mind? Thoughts of different fonts, editorials and designs involving typographic elements would most likely be the first to come to mind. All of these possibilities are both synonymous to and would each be a part of what is considered typography. Typography is anything having to do with typefaces and their arrangements; more specifically it would refer to creating a functional design using type in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Typography in our Surroundings

Everyday we are bombarded with typography. Every street we walk down, product we use, and every program we watch on television. It is found everywhere and in everything we do. Right below we have some prime examples of typography that are all from different times and very different places. Finding new typography everyday can be quite fun. It is truly interesting to see how a designer decides to accomplish a task using the layout of type.

Typography in Design

Typography has become an important element in both print and web design. It allows designers to mix shapes and placement of letters and words along with the meaning that these characters represent in order to reinforce design and concept in a clever and unique way.
The type will be manipulated to convey specific points while moving your focus in a specific way around the design. Typographic design is clean and direct. Below I have a few found examples of typographic design which are aesthetically pleasing and display a point in a creative way.

Typography has existed for a long time and is in everything we see. It is both useful aesthetically and practically for conveying an idea. Using typography for these means just requires some imagination.
The art of typography has many facets, please subscribe to our RSS Feed or follow us on Twitter to stay updated when new typography articles become available.

After reading this post, what typography are you going to now notice today?

Please tell us in the comments section below…

The Ultimate Marketing Piece – Eye Popping Media Kits

What Your Marketing Mix Is Missing

When promoting a new product, service, music album, a band, a company, a brand, creating a media kit is essential to a successful marketing and/or branding campaign.

A media kit is an informative resource like no other since it can include so many different types of media, all packaged into one convenient place we like to call Presentation Folders.

Pockets and Slits, Media Kits!

Presentation folders are incredibly versatile because of the fact that they can hold so many types of media with simple pockets and slits made into the paper. Presentation folders can hold marketing materials such as:

Business cards
Brochures
CDs
DVDs
Labels
Letterhead
Magnet cards
Mousepads
Notepads
Postcards
Sell sheets
Stickers

If it is not too bulky and it will help promote your service or product it should go in your media kit presentation folder.

A Customized Presentation

Presentation folders come in many varieties to fit the purpose and can be completely customizable. Here are a few samples of standard “extras” that can help you create the perfect media kit:

Standard Business Card Slits

Horizontal Bus. Card Slits

Vertical or Horizontal

Optional Business Card Slits

Optional Horizontal Slits

Vertical or Horizontal

Horizontal with Four Slits

CD/DVD Slits

Presentation Folder with CD/DVD Slit

Expanded Box Pockets

Presentation Folder with Expanded Box Pockets

Expanded Spine

Presentation Folder with Expanded Spine

Tri-Panel Folders

Tri-Panel Presentation Folder

These are only a few of the most common features found in Presentation folders for Media kits. Customize them with your own ideas to fit that marketing materials and their purposes. Feel free to contact Marsid M&M if you have questions or to request a quote.

For your Design Inspiration, here are some of the best Presentation Folders and Media Kits made by awesome designers:

[Disclaimer: The folders in this post were not printed by mmprint.com, they are used for demonstration and inspirational purposes only]

(click on the image to view the original source)

What kind of Funky Items have you put into your

Folders and Media kits?

Please leave your comments below.

The Influence of Color – Color Psychology and the Subconscious

We live in a world of Color.

Everywhere you look color is influencing us consciously and subconsciously; naturally and synthetically: The blue sky, the green forests, the red stop sign, the green light. Color stimulates our emotions and motivates our decisions.

In this article we will investigate what some colors represent and how they can be used in your design.

Marketing and advertising employs the knowledge and practice of color psychology in its work to drive results. The main purpose of an ad is to motivate the viewer to take a course of action designated by the advertiser. Whether the call to action is to purchase a product, sign up for a contest or simply to modify the perception or mood towards a product or brand, color scheme is key to a successful campaign.

Color is applied to the shape of a logo to represent an emotion, objective, a meaning, as well as to increase brand recognition.

Colors can be presented and visualized as to signify verbs, circumstances, feelings, conditions, environments and objects to name a few.

Make sure to use color to assist in getting your message across whether you are designing a sell sheet or a logo. Remember to keep in mind the perspective of potential viewers can make a difference in their perception of the design in its entirety. Not every color will affect every individual in the same fashion. It is possible that an individual experienced something involving a particular color and may react very differently from everyone else. It is important to investigate the potential hazardous impact that a color may cause when researching and choosing color schemes. This includes cultures and countries which may have a different meaning of colors.

Red

Love, Warning, Energetic, Leadership, Ambition, Heat, Courage, Passion, Intensity, Aggression, Vibrant, Attention

Black

Power, Authority, Discipline, Confidence, Elegance, Secrecy, Sophisticated, Evil, Depth, Mystery

Blue

Peace, Cold, Water, Loyalty, Corporate, Seriousness, Sky, Authority, Security, Calmness, Productivity, Freedom, Cool

Green

Nature, fertility, Vigor, Inexperience, Patience, Growth, Money, Harmony, Refreshing, Health

Yellow

In what way do colors affect you? Have you used color in your workspace to help you be more productive?

Please share your comments!

A Colorful Guide to Understanding Color

– Vision gives us the ability to see color, but how many of us can truly explain or describe what color is or where it comes from?

This quick guide gives you a brief understanding of color, how it works, its application and how it affects your design and printing outcome.

Q. What is the definition of a color?

A. Color is the sensation produced in response to selective absorption of wavelengths from visible light. It possesses the attributes of Brightness, Colorfulness and Hue. – www.Color.org

Light is emitted by a source such as the Sun or a light bulb. Only the colors that cannot be absorbed by an object are reflected. When the light is reflected into our eyes by the object, color is the result of receptors in the eye reacting to the specific wavelength of light.

So basically, the surface properties of the object actually reflect the colors that it does not absorb. The object itself does not emit the color.

Color Application

Color plays an extremely big roll in design. For those not already aware, color is a tool that goes beyond aesthetics and delves into the subconscious; besides our visual response, we also have an emotional response to color.

If you have a black muscle car that has 550hp under the hood and one day you decide to paint the whole thing purple, do you think the perception of the car – even though it still pushes 550hp – will remain the same? Would the viewer be more interested in the color of the car than the seconds it takes to get down the quarter-mile? With color you can control perception.

Our emotions also change the perception of an object based on its color. Our age, experiences with certain colors and other triggers all affect the perception of a color at the time of viewing.

Color Communication

Color is defined by various properties and for the sake of communication, it has been given a name or number. Pink is a variation of red but it is distinctively a color in itself so a name was given to it. But how do we communicate the darkness or lightness of that pink? So can a yellow be referred to as Lemon Yellow or Canary Yellow, but to replicate it there must be a standard.

A system for coding color hues was developed in the 1900’s although today we have standards such as the Pantone Matching System® (PMS) which is widely used in the print and design industry and is the default matching system for popular graphic design software like Adobe® Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. With Pantone, a designer can designate a specific PMS color in his artwork and the printer all the way on the other side of the world can replicate the color exactly as the designer expected it to be via a Pantone swatch.

Color Vocabulary

Here you can find the definition of the most important properties of color. These will help you manipulate color and communicate efficiently.

Hue: a gradation or variety of a color. – dictionary.com

Chroma: the purity of a hue at its furthest from gray.

Saturation: the purity of a hue at is furthest from white.

Intensity: the strength or sharpness of a hue

Luminance: the amount of light reflected by the hue

Shade: a hue created by adding black

Tint: a hue created by adding white

Color Models

Color output is affected by the media it is applied to or displayed through. For web and print purposes I will only mention the Additive and Subtractive color models.

Additive: The colors that you see now on your monitor are created by adding white (light) to black. As more color is added to the black screen, the closer it is to white. Red, Green and Blue (RGB) are the additive primary colors and combined together produce 100% white. The RGB model is used for web graphics.

Subtractive: This color model is typically used for printing. By applying ink, the amount of white from the paper is reduced or subtracted. Cyan, Magenta and Yellow are the subtractive color primaries. Combining these three colors produces a muddy brownish black. To achieve a better blacks and to save ink, black (K) was added to the mix. The CMYK model is used for print.

Color Types

A color wheel is used to show the relationship between Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Complementary colors.

Primary Colors are pure colors that cannot be made by mixing any combination of colors. The are in their purest form.

Secondary Colors are created by combining two primary colors.

Tertiary Colors are made by mixing primary and secondary colors.

Complementary Colors are those positioned directly across from each other in the color wheel.

Using a color wheel can clean up your color choices specially when using complementary colors. These are basically colors that complement each other and go well together. Many designs have beautiful structure but the chosen color combinations crash and take away from its beauty.

Both web and print designs can benefit greatly from understanding color and using a color wheel. Subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter to stay tuned for the next post about Color and the Subconscious.

How would you explain color to someone who cannot see color?

Refreshing and Tasty Design Inspiration

Art is a fruit that grows in man, like a fruit on a plant, or a child in its mother’s womb.
Jean Arp

When in need of inspiration I always turn to nature. Curves, colors, shades, reflections, beauty; You name it, she’s got it.

Here’s a healthy dose of inspiration:

Quick Fun Fruit Facts:

Avocados are commonly used as vegetables. Botanically they are fruits.
Very few fruits contain fat: avocados, olives and nuts are the only ones with significant amounts.
Cranberries, Concord Grapes and Blueberries are the only major fruits native to North America.
Strawberries, bananas, grapes, apples and oranges are Americans favorite fruits in that order (2008).
The Red Delicious is the most widely grown variety of apple in the world.
There are 3,236 people in the U.S. listed on whitepages.com with the last name ‘Orange’
(Mark Morton, ‘Gastronomica’, Fall 2010)
Grapes are about 80 percent water.

Is there something in nature that you find inspirational to your design?

Brand Identity Built for Success

In all successful brands you will find fundamental characteristics that create recognition and assimilation. Comparable with that of seeing a familiar face, “Brand Identity” strengthens trust and confidence.

Color

A color scheme can express and communicate different things about a company, product or service. Color psychology plays a big roll in the viewer’s subconscious and reaction to a brand. The employment of color psychology in your brand can change a simple shape into a memorable association with an experience or emotion which may be positive or negative. Color is by far the single most important stimuli to reach the end consumer.

Intel Pentium 4 Trademark and Logo Usage Guidelines

Shape

The shape aspect of a brand also carries a psychological twist to it. Shapes can guide the viewer’s focus, arrange information and express significance. A circle for example, has a natural tendency to lead the eye to its midpoint. This gives a prevalence to the information within the circle.

A circular shape can also be used in the projection of emotions such as love and friendship :

In LG’s own words:

Face – The stylized image of a smiling face is meant to convey company friendliness and approachability.

Circle –The circle represents the globe, symbolizing the world and all of humanity, as well as youth and the future. – LG Brand Identity

Consistency

“Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex.” – Norman Vincent Peale

Similar to studying for the vocabulary test at school, associating the word to its meaning and repeat, repeat, repeat until you remember the word an its meaning by reflex. Except, this is easier because what the viewer has to remember is only a shape with color; an image. The meaning is left to the viewer’s interpretation – which if your brand identity scheme was well executed – will have the impact you planned for. Keeping a consistency throughout your marketing materials is key to brand recognition and identification. Shape and color should always remain the same although some shapes are so well designed and unique that they can be in any color and still be recognized. The same can happen with a color scheme, the shape can change and the brand is recognizable just by color.

Here are a few examples:

Brochure Printing – Guidelines for a Successful Design

Brochures are a wonderful way to relay information about your product, service or business in general. Many times customers will find themselves waiting around or standing in line… that is the perfect time to present your brochure and inform them of your products and services while they wait.

A captivating brochure will make an impact on the decisions your customers will make regarding your products and/or services.

Creating a one of a kind, intriguing, call-to-action brochure requires planning, copy writing, graphic design and patience.

A brochure is more than just information and pretty pictures, it is a sales tool that can be very effective when implemented correctly.

Full Color Brochures can be the first connection you make with a new customer. Their simplicity and ease of access allow current and prospective customers to learn about you and to quickly get acquainted with what your company offers. With 1, 2 and 4 color brochures you can do that effectively, and at a low price. Working with an 11″ x 17″ size sheet of paper gives you the flexibility you need to be creative and to include all the information you need. Flexibility is very important when trying to create unique looks that will make your brochures stand out from those of your competitor.

Things to keep in mind:

Size– Brochures are measured unfolded. There are three standard sizes: 8.5’’ x 11’’, 8.5’’ x 14’’, and 11’’ x 17’’. 11’’ x 17’’ brochures work great when you are trying to stand out, and when you have a large selection of products to introduce or there is simply a lot to say about your product or service.

Paper Stock– 80# Gloss Text, 100# Gloss Text, 80# Gloss Cover and 60# uncoated offset stock are some of the possibilities. The weight of your brochures will affect your cost, but also will affect the impact of your final product.

Folding Options– With so many folding options it can be hard to decide which fold option is right for you, but you must always understand what the specific folding does for you, from pull viewers in, to split your ideas well, to even be at all necessary.

Color- Color is very important, a well designed brochure should employ a color swatch that goes well with your brand and help your customers focus on the information about your product or service.

When these general guidelines are followed, you can expect a higher return on investment in the form of purchases, inquiries or an increase in exposure of your brand, products or services.

Have you designed marketing brochures for any outside-the-box situations that you would like to share?

Please add your comment below.