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.

presentation-folder-booklets

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.

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?

Sign Up for our RSS Feed, Follow us on Twitter and Like Us on Facebook to be alerted when the foil stamping tutorial is published.

Complementing Innovation: Taking a Step Back to Take a Step Forward

These days it’s hard to keep up with the advancement of technology, whether in our personal lives or in business. Seems that before we even become accustomed to a new product or system there is another that replaces it.

At The Marsid-M&M Group we are always trying to stay on the cutting edge of technology, but recently we decided to take a different approach…

We decided that in order to move forward we had to take a step back in time, to our roots one might say.

-Barry Caputo, Co-owner

The evolution of print has brought upon us a new age where digital printing, short runs and variable data have become a large part of our everyday business. We realized that these customers were in need of more finishing options than we previously offered while keeping costs down and still manage to deliver a quality product.

So we hired Heidi and gave her an office:

Heidi is a Heidelberg Windmill Letterpress. She's hardworking, precise and classy; she's tough. Been around the block, but still in great shape. Our BizHub Digital Presses say she's quite the cougar.

Heidi Finds a New Home

The Heidelberg Windmill Letterpress made it’s first public appearance in 1913.

The beauty before you in the image above was manufactured in August of 1969. She had lived in San Diego, California for many years where she printed all types of advertisements, brochures and stationery. She was one of 10 Heidelberg Windmill Letterpresses which were all lined up in a row. She worked very hard for 10 hours every day and 10 hours every night with very little rest; as did her 9 sisters sitting beside her on the long and narrow concrete floor that she called home.

Right after her 15^th birthday in September of 1984, the factory that Heidi worked in was shut down. People said, “It was because there were newer types of printing presses called Offset Machines that could run faster and produce better and cleaner printed work.” Heidi then sat idle on that cold concrete floor with no electricity or oil for almost two years… Read the full story written by very proud owner, Sid Halpern.

A Windmill of Opportunity

Die Cutting and Foil Stamping are only a few of Heidi’s traits. With a few add-ons she can also print color, emboss, score, perforate and number.

At this time we use her for Die Cutting, Foil Stamping and Scoring:

Card Stock Scoring

Custom Die Cutting

Custom Foil Stamping / Die Cut

Vision Becomes Reality

Our goal was to offer more custom finishing options to our customers with low minimums and make it available for digitally printed materials. We also envisioned a whole new line of products that we could offer in addition to our standard printed materials.

Well, we’re the type of company that doesn’t let good ideas go by the wayside so we went gung-ho, full speed ahead and there was no stopping us.

Over the next few months we will be adding a slew of new products to our website that provide a foundation for your own new ideas that are only limited by creativity.

The Benefit is Clear: Stand Out from the Rest

Die Cut Business Cards

We all know in business it’s very important to make a great first impression. Most first business meetings begin with a handshake and an exchange of business cards.

A well crafted business card is as firm a statement as is a firm handshake.

We currently offer these standard die-cut business cards that you can pick from and you can always request a quote for custom die cutting to your specific shape:

Feel free to download our Die Cut Business Card Templates.

Die Cut Desk Calendars

Calendars offer 365 days of steady promotion and you only pay for them once!

Standard calendars are made to be hung on a wall but Die Cut Desk Calendars are made to stand on a desk which makes them more accessible.

Your company name and contact information will be displayed at all times at arm’s length.

Die Cut HangTags

Boost the value of your product with custom Die Cut Hang Tags. A great way to include your branding and a description of the product or instructions on how to use it.

Many standard shapes are available or you can always go a little further and customize the shape for a truly unique finish!

Feel free to download our Die Cut Hang Tag Templates.

Die Cut Bookmarks

Still a very popular product, die cut bookmarks make effective and simple promo products that everyone likes. Add a custom shape and a tassel to make it even more attractive.

Lamination, UV coating, Aqueous coating also available.

Die Cut Gift Card Holders

Retail establishments can really benefit from our custom printed die cut gift card holders. Make your gift cards more presentable by providing a safe and secure holder that can be customized with your artwork.

Great for branding and promotions.

What Die Cut products would you like to recommend we offer in the future?

Adding Video to your Printed Marketing Materials for Free

In this post we will explore in detail how to beef up your printed marketing materials by adding your own custom video and making it easy for your customers to share the video as well.
I am sure some of you reading this right now are imagining small screens, wires and batteries or mini-DVDs glued to the inside of your media kits. Well, that’s not the case, it’s not that complicated and it’s free!

Adding the video to your printed marketing materials is done in 3 easy steps and all 3 tools needed are available freely on the Internet.

Video Distribution

The first step, assuming you already have a video that you would like to distribute to your customers, is to upload your video to the web. There are quite a few websites that will host your video file for free, some of the most popular being Youtube and Vimeo.

If you are tech-savvy or have an IT person who handles your website, you can also upload your videos to your own website hosting server.

Here are instructions on how to upload videos to Youtube
Here are instructions on how to upload videos to Vimeo

By uploading your videos to the web, you make them available and easily accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most video hosting sites as you may already know, have a commenting feature where people can leave comments about your video and you can respond to their comments.

Creating a Link

In this second step we will create a link to the video. Both Youtube and Vimeo automatically create a link for you and you simply copy and paste it. Most video hosting sites will do this for you as well.

After we have uploaded the video and generated a direct link to the video, we are going to make it a link that we can track to see how many times it has been used, shared and who shared it.

There are many free URL shorteners available that give you free tracking tools that provide basic Analytics with information regarding the use of the link you shortened. Here are a few of the most popular ones, I recommend you create a user account so that you can log in and view your results:

I tend to be partial to bit.ly because I like how easy it is to create a shortened url and the way they present the link tracking information.

To create a shortened URL, simply paste the video URL into the big blue text box and click shorten. Easy as that.

The Bit.ly analytic panel gives you different ways to look at what happened to your URL throughout its life:

A visual chart with the amount of daily clicks
Cool feature called Conversations which shows who is talking and sharing the same link on social networks plus a count of how many times it has been shared on various social networks.
QR code and a sidebar to share the link on your social networks right from the bit.ly page (go to settings to authorize this).

Being able to analyze the results of your efforts is a very valuable tool. If you can tell what did well and what went wrong with your marketing, you can use this information to improve your marketing and drive better results on your next campaign.

Code Connection

The final step in adding video to your printed marketing materials is to create the connection between your video and the paper your marketing material is printed on.

Most of you may be familiar with QR codes by now since they have been around for a while. You might see them quite often on catalogs, magazines, postcards and many other direct mail printed materials; not to mention packaging and even in commercial stores like BestBuy use them to show video product demos in the stores.

If you would like to learn more about QR codes, I highly recommend you read my post that contains information about QR codes and a list of Free QR Code readers and generators.

For this specific tutorial we will be using a QR code to direct the user’s mobile smart phone to a video that you uploaded per the instructions in step one. Why use a QR code? Well, how many people do you think would want to type a URL that looks like this – bit.ly/egm7XG – into their smart phone browser? By using a QR code all the user has to do is tap his QR code reader app and scan the code.

Let’s get to it! Creating a QR code is simple. Go to one of the free websites I listed in the blog post about QR Codes. Try them all to see which one you find easier to use and feel free to share with us in the comments below.

For this example I will use the www.BeQRious.com website to generate my QR code:

Simply paste the shortened URL you created in step 2 into the text box labeled “Enter web URL:” and click the Create Code button.

You will see on the right an image of a cellphone with a QR code on the screen. That is the code that was generated by your special and unique URL.

Now, if you are feeling a bit antsy, go ahead and fire up your QR Code reader app on your smart phone and scan the the code right on your computer screen. Make sure it works correctly and directs your smart phone to the video you uploaded in step 1.

If it doesn’t work, go back to step 1 and make sure you used the correct link for the video, in the URL shortener and that you used the correct link generated by the URL shortner, on BeQRious.com (or whatever qr code generator you decided to use).

Wa-la! That’s it. Download the QR code and insert into the design of your marketing materials.

I recommend you download the vector/PDF version of the code (if available) as it is created in vector format and can be enlarged or reduced to just about any size without losing any quality. I personally try to keep it no smaller than 1 inch x 1 inch.

IMPORTANT!!!

Rule #1 : TEST, TEST, TEST.

You must make sure that the code is not too small or too blurry to be read by the cameras on smart phones. You must test the QR code among different phone models and different QR code reader apps to make sure it works appropriately.

Coolest Roundup of Augmented Reality in Printing

Many say the printing industry is in decline, some even say print is dead. Think again Egon!
This has got to be the coolest innovation to hit print next to QR Codes and it has been said before: Print is not dying, it’s Evolving.

If you are a movie buff, you may have already heard of Augmented Reality (AR for short). The film industry is adopting this technology wisely and guess where it is found…yes, on their PRINTED movie posters and even on the official movie T-shirts which of course are screen-PRINTED.

A Revolution on the Rise

As augmented reality technology catches on and becomes more affordable, you will see its use more and more in our daily lives. The one aspect of augmented reality that really catches my attention is the fact that it could revolutionize learning.

Finally we have something to make those boring text books come alive, making learning interactive or better yet, fun. This would make kids actually want to study…Check this out:

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The example above shows just one way augmented reality enhances print. This technology can also be applied to Direct Mail and just about every type of printed advertising from business cards to large format.

Augmented Reality in Print

The following round up of Augmented Reality print advertisements show that print is here to stay and is the medium which connects our reality to the virtual online world. Enjoy!

Godzilla 2012

Poster and T-shirt

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iQ Toyota Augmented Reality Tech

Postcards

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Interactive Marketing sales tool – Building Magical Brochure

Brochure

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Augmented Reality Business Card – Avatar Concept

Business Cards

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Augmenting a Postcard

Postcards

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Bouygues Telecom Augmented Reality Smartphones Brochure

Brochures (Wow!)

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Audi Augmented Reality Calendar

Calendars

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I (heart) Augmented Reality

T-shirts (lol)

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Augmented Reality Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia

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Augmented Reality Game

Board Games

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New Reality – Augmented Reality Magazine

Magazine

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TOUCH2PRINT -Augmented Reality: Can touch this

Touch Interactive Paper

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Gamer

Movie Advertising

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This is only a small chunk of what is out there! Augmented reality can solidify print’s centuries-long foundation in our present and more importantly, our future.

In what ways will you use Augmented Reality in your Print Campaigns?

How to Find Vector Corporate Logos and Hi-Res Product Images

Vector Logos of popular brands are sometimes hard to find for your designs…

Customers in need of design services are usually not knowledgeable of technical properties of design… that’s why they hire us to design it for them. More often then not, customer supplied files are not print-ready; product images and manufacturer logos pulled off of the internet, content written on a napkin, and anything else they can think of to make your job harder, but that’s why we charge by the hour, right?

Efficiency Saves Time and Money

A good portion of design time is used in searching the internet for brand logos or finding product images that are suitable for printing. It is a burdensome task and takes time and patience. As an honest designer or design company, it is extremely important to be efficient while producing quality design. Your efficiency allows you to work faster and to be more precise, which in turn saves your customers money on design time and at the same time also helps produce quality design quickly so that you can move on to the next project.

Finding Vector Logos of Popular Brands can be Easy

(Make sure to abide by the original copyright policies before downloading or using any corporate logos and not to infringe any copyright laws or terms of use)

Brands of the World – the largest library of freely downloadable vector logos
FreeLogoVector – Vector Logo Download and Share

When You Can’t Find the Vector Logo You’re Looking For

on any of these sites, another option is to search directly for the logo which might be found in press releases or manuals typically found in PDF format. The easiest way to find PDF files is through Google’s Advanced Search option and choosing PDF in the file type field or by typing directly into the search bar like this:

Search: Netflix Logo filetype:pdf

At the time of writing this post, Google’s #1 search engine result renders a link to a Netflix API naming & Logo Guide PDF which contains a vector Netflix® Logo which can be extracted from the PDF by opening it in Adobe Illustrator. I like to use the brand name and the word logo to get a bit more specific search results. Sometimes it does not work so you must be a bit vague and use less specificity:

Search: Netflix filetype:pdf

Finding High Resolution Images of Commercial Products

(Make sure to abide by the original copyright policies before downloading or using any corporate/commercial images and not to infringe any copyright laws or terms of use) Now that you understand how to find vector logos in PDF, you can apply the same concept to finding high resolution images of commercial products that might not be easily found in print-ready format (large, 300dpi).

Search: Samsung Prevail filetype:pdf

At the time of writing this post, Yahoo’s #1 search engine result renders a link to a Boost Mobile Samsung Galaxy Prevai™ spec sheet that contains a high resolution image of the phone.

The Key is to be Resourceful

Another option to find high resolution product images is to begin by searching the company website for a Media section or search within the Site Map. Many corporations offer high resolution product images right on their websites for resellers and/or the media to use on their websites or print material. Corporations know that keeping consistent is smart business. Given this is the easiest and most convenient way of finding product images, not all corporate websites are created the same. Sometimes a high resolution image is simply not available online, at least not easily and you can’t spend hours upon hours finding one image.

Sometimes You Just Have to Make it Work

This option is a bit more time consuming but when your design quality matters to you and your client, then it is time well spent: Search the top three search engines for the product you are in need of and make sure to go to the “Images” section of each search engine. Many people and businesses take their own pictures of products with high megapixel cameras that render print-worthy images. Using Photoshop you can take the product right out of the picture and use it in your design. Make sure that your image is in CMYK format to avoid any color surprises when it prints. Adobe Illustrator and InDesign will accept RGB images to be placed within a CMYK document, but the document as a whole will be converted to CMYK at your printer. All brands and company names used here are copyright of their respectful owners.

What cool tips or tricks do you use to find product images or logos when you don’t have them?

Please share with other graphic designers by posting your comments below…

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…

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?

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