How to Design a Print-Ready Holiday Greeting Card using Adobe Illustrator

It is the season for Holiday Cards and there is nothing more thoughtful than designing your own Custom Holiday Cards with your own message and graphics. Small business and corporations can benefit from sending a personalized corporate holiday greeting card to their customers and showing their gratitude for their business.

In this tutorial we will discuss how to create a print-ready design for our custom 5 x 7 folding holiday greeting cards using Adobe Illustrator.

Adobe Illustrator is a great vector graphics program to use for print design because it creates crisp, sharp lines for both shapes and text. It also makes it extremely easy to add bleeds and crops.

Quick note:
Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon(s), which are all based on mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics. – Wikipedia

Step One: Creating the document for Holiday cards

Open up Illustrator, click on File>New.
The New Document dialogue pops up:

Edited (thank you Ras!)

Since holiday cards are printed on flat sheets of paper, we will design using 10 x 7 as our dimensions (folded size is 5 x 7)

important:

We will also have graphics that bleed off the edge of the paper, for this we have to add 1/8th” (0.125″) bleed space all around to make sure the ink reaches the edge of our holiday cards for trimming.

– Offset and digital printing presses use the CMYK color model to produce a wide array of colors in the final print. An offset press typically has 4 ink wells which are filled with Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Black (K) ink and a digital press would have the same except using toner instead of ink.

– Your full color design will be divided into these 4 different colors at pre-press, this is called Color Separation and is done by the pre-press department using software called a RIP (Raster Image Processor). This creates plates for an offset press or a set of instructions for a digital press.

– Images and artwork documents should always be in 300dpi as a rule for best results.

Step Two: Using the Ruler to setup Guides

Click View>Show Rulers.

As a rule of thumb, always keep any text or images that do not reach the edge at least 1/8th inch (0.125″) away from the edge to avoid it getting cut off. Most templates that you can download have these guides marked as a “Safety Lines”.

Drag your guides from the top and left ruler and place them 1/8th” (0.125″) parallel to the black artboard line on the inside.

The outcome is a blue lined box inside of the black lined artboard where we will keep all text and graphics that do not bleed. This keeps all of the text and graphics from possibly getting cut off while being cut to the 5 x 7 size.

Step Three: Begin Your Design

It is important to keep in mind the orientation of the card as it is folded.
This applies only to holiday greeting cards that fold horizontally. When designing the outside of the holiday card, you must account for the back outside panel to be upside down in your artwork.

Once all of these steps are in completed, you can rest assured that your Holiday greeting cards are print-ready.

Be sure to check out our Holiday Greeting Card Design Inspiration post to get some ideas flowing!

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:

Intelligent Mail Barcodes – The USPS Automation Initiative for Direct Mail

As of May 2011, the United States Postal Service will be rolling out its next generation of mail delivery services . These new services are a leap forward in the “USPS Automation Initiative” with the incorporation of advanced information technology into their vast mailing system.

With the use of the new Intelligent Mail barcode, direct mail will now have the benefits that come with online tracking. From the moment the parcel leaves your mail house to the moment it reaches your customers, each and every piece of mail will be connected to the USPS network via a unique barcode and this information will be available to you and your customers at any time.

What does this mean for advertisers?

Analytics! You will now have the power to test different types of direct mail media and obtain a detailed measure of the response. If you are familiar with Google Analytics, you are aware of the benefits of knowing your website’s visitor details and browsing habits as they relate to your online marketing efforts. Well, Intelligent Mail is the real-life version of Google Analytics. Not only will you be able to learn more about your customers and improve your targeted marketing, the Intelligent Mail system will also improve delivery efficiency and decrease undeliverable mail while at the same time updating your mailing list.

OneCode ACS™ is an automated Address Change Service that provides many benefits for businesses:

Address change for First Class Mail (while in the system!)
Automated address correction and updating the mailing list
Less undeliverable mail
Predictable mail piece delivery dates
Savings by having access to all available postal discounts
One barcode means more space for design and marketing efforts

Advantages for Businesses using Intelligent Mail

One of the most impressive uses of the Intelligent Mail Barcode system is the tracking of invoices and payments. When companies send out invoices with a return envelope included, that return envelope can be tied to the original envelope which contains payment and can be tracked. This can help businesses forecast cash flow.

Full Service vs. Basic

There are two Intelligent Mail Barcode services offered by the USPS.

Basic:

Requires Intelligent Mail Barcodes on the letters and flat-size mail.
It allows for OneCode ACS® service which has a lower cost that traditional ACS™.

Full Service:

Requires unique Intelligent Mail Barcodes on the letters and flat-size mail.
Requires unique barcodes on trays, sacks and containers (Nesting – see below)
Requires documentation delivered electronically
Requires a drop off appointment
OneCodeACS® and automated address correction included in price
Notification of initial receipt by the USPS
Additional postage discounts

Nesting

Under the new Full Service requirements, 3 types of Intelligent Mail Barcodes will be generated:

IMB ID (Intelligent Mail Barcode ID)
IMTB ID (Intelligent Mail Tray Barcode ID)
IMCB ID (Intelligent Mail Container Barcode ID)

These 3 barcodes will ensure accurate tracking of all mail pieces at any time throughout the mail system process. The barcode on the mail piece will be assigned to the barcode on the tray and the barcode on the tray will be assigned to a barcode on the container where the mail piece and tray is contained.

Requirement

The Intelligent Mail Barcode absorbs the functionality of the ACS™, POSTNET and PLANET Code® barcodes into one all-inclusive barcode. Full compliance with the Intelligent Mail Barcode system will be required starting May 2011 in order to receive automation discounts, although with the new system comes accessibility to additional automation discounts and services.

There are 7 main customer benefits in this system which were originally “Strategies” of the USPS to bring in revenue growth and retention, reduced operating costs, reduced investment costs, enhanced revenue accuracy and enhanced mail security:

Uniquely identify mail and aggregates – Enables end to end visibility of mail
Developed and deployed enabling infrastructure – Hardware, software, telecommunications systems, power, data wiring, and associated support to ensure delivery and tracking
Enhanced Address Quality – Reduces unacceptable and returned mail
Measured and improved commercial mail performance – Robust measurement capabilities to evaluate performance and service
Drives product innovation – Use mail stream information to create and send more strategic and effective mailings to the consumer.
Sharpened operational insight – The Postal Service will develop focused analytics that provide insight into operations and a clear understanding of cost drivers.
Enriched customer experience – Enhanced verification and mail quality help the USPS to become more proactive in communicating and addressing issues.

Source: USPS Intelligent Mail Vision – July 2009

Has your company already started to use the new Intelligent Mail Service?

Please share your experiences and thoughts by leaving a comment below.

QR Code – The Advertising Double Agent

Scan me!

QR Codes (Quick Response Codes) are the connection between online and offline marketing. With the advancement and acceleration of smart phones, consumers have the ability to scan and interpret this barcode with their mobile phone. Originally created by a subsidiary of Toyota, Denso-Wave, the QR Code technology has been around for over a decade.

Versatility is QR Code’s middle name.

The amount of data that a QR Code can hold is approximately 7089 Numeric characters or 4296 Alphanumeric characters as stated on Wikipedia.

This allows for the encoding of URLs, phone numbers, full contact information, SMS messages, links to launch YouTube videos, display static text… to name a few options offered by this revolutionary technology.

How Can Advertisers Use QR CODES in Printed Materials?

Believe it or not, your entire marketing piece can be designed around a QR code.

Want to inform your customers of a GRAND OPENING? Create a Google Places Page which provides you with a pre-made QR Code that contains a link to your Google Places Page, Your customers can scan the code and visit your Google Places Page on their mobile phone. Once there, your customer will find all there is to know about your business and directions to your location. Scan the QR Code above and see for yourself!

Do you have a product demonstration video? Include a QR Code in your postcard, brochure or even next to the product in your catalog that will direct the customer to view a product demonstration video on their mobile device. This also gives you the chance to direct the customer to a landing page on your website before or after the video is viewed, reinforcing the sale.

Want to make it easier for that potential customer to retain your contact information? Generate a QR Code that contains all of your contact information and include it on your business card. When a customer scans your QR Code with their mobile device, depending on the QR Code Reader they are using (see “QR Code Readers” below), your contact information will be displayed and saved to the “contacts” or phone book of the mobile device.

Depending on your product or service, QR Codes can serve a variety of customizable uses in your marketing scheme.

Where can Custom QR Codes be Generated?

We must be thankful (to Denso-Wave) for the use of QR Codes being free of any license. This has given developers the ability to create online QR Code generators…FREE TO USE! Of course you will find some out there that want to charge to use their generator or allow for Non-Commercial use only, but here is a list I compiled to help you get started generating QR Codes and better yet… more sales conversions!

beQRious – Extensive Options – Featured: QR Code with Embedded Image
ZXing Project – Extensive Options – Featured: Wi-fi Login Information
QRStuff – Extensive Options – Featured: Google Maps Directions
Delivr – Extensive Options – Featured: URL shortening
Mobile-Barcodes – Extensive Options – Featured: Email Composer
Mofuse – Simple Generator – Featured: Generates Hosted Image Link

Here are some helpful links to download QR Code readers for your smart phone:

View this article via your mobile phone to download and install directly to your mobile device.

I-nigma – I use this one myself.

Scanlife

NeoReader

How have you used QR Codes in your marketing?

Colorful Collection of Poster Designs for Inspiration

When promoting a band, a new product, service or simply to convey information, a full color poster will STAND OUT like capital letters in any text message.

Posters are designed to be hung on walls and many other large flat surfaces. Their large format allow for both text and images to promote events, use as an informational guide and can even be educational.

Posters can be printed on many different substrates. To name a few: vinyl for durability, art canvas to give it an “artsy” finish or even acetate for more creative works. Posters can even be mounted on different materials or framed. Foamcore and Gatorboard are frequently used and allow for the poster to stand on its own or be displayed on an easel.

Here is a collection of beautiful and colorful posters that will hopefully strike a spark in your brain and ignite a creative fire that will make your next poster design STAND OUT beyond it’s size…

[box title=”Word To The Wise” color=”#333333″]Get Inspired, Design Something Amazing and Have it Professionally Printed. Call us 516-334-1603[/box]

12 Months of Continuous Daily Advertising – Custom Calendar Printing

[note color=”#FFCC00″]

September Savings! – Buy 10 Calendars – Get One Free

You heard it right! For every 10 Custom Calendars that you order, we will print an extra one for free. Use Code STB13CL when requesting your quote or give us a call now at 1-877-mmprint! [/note]

Custom printed calendars can be an invaluable asset to your marketing strategy.
When designed properly and made useful, a calendar is a guaranteed 12 months of daily advertising that you pay for only once. No pay-per-click, pay-per-view or pay-per-anything! Have your full color calendars printed all at once, distribute them to your customers – be it new prospects or loyal customers – and that is it. Do you have a graphic designer in-house? If so, the only costs you incur for 12 months of daily advertising is printing and distribution.

Advantages of Custom Printed Calendars

A standard calendar is generally composed of 24 inside pages and a cover. Seven 11″ x 17″ sheets are folded to 8.5 x 11 and saddle stitched (stapled). This is the most basic of calendars and includes small variations in paper thickness. There are many types and layouts for printed calendars all having either a standard or versatile use. Assign a specific product to each month, provide monthly coupons, display specific information that relates to your product or service for that month, or you can utilize images provided by your customers. A custom calendar can be used as a catalog, informative brochure or handy tool for your customers.

Calendar Sightings

Calendars can be found just about anywhere. Offices, homes, home-offices, gas stations, restaurants, garages, retail stores, the list goes on and on. The key question here is HOW are they used and/or displayed in these different settings. Households for example, typically use them as decoration that changes month to month. Therefore, a calendar made for households should contain beautiful imagery or art. Some businesses use calendars as an organizational tool: Scheduling meetings, staying aware of deadlines, jotting down notes, employee birthdays or days off. A calendar for a business setting needs to be practical and have room for writing notes.

One great example is the calendar that one of our paper vendors sends us every year. It is a desktop calendar that I keep on my desk throughout the year, it has lots of room for notes, writing down print jobs that are due on a certain date, and just doodling in general . In fewer words, it is extremely convenient.
So what does this do for the vendor? Well, their logo and contact information is always available to me throughout the year. Whenever I am taking sales calls and get a request for a specialty paper, who do you think comes to mind first?

Just the thought of having to go through my boss’s Rolodex to find a vendor’s information……..

“Convenience and Practicality” – Apply this concept when creating a plan for your calendar and the rest will fall into place. Enjoy these charming custom calendar designs and may they influence your design and productivity:

Calendars and Beyond

Here at mmprint.com, we decided to “theme” our 2009 calendar with inspirational art and design quotes jazzed up with beautiful stock photos that coincided with the quote and season. We received a colossal amount of positive feedback from customers.
This year we decided to showcase one of our newest products by placing our 2010 calendar on a custom mousepad! We also added a functional ruler to max out our space with usability.

Do you have a custom calendar that you have designed or printed and would like to share?

Please comment below…

Design and Print a Stunning Catalog – Solid Product Promotion

Catalog: (n) a book, usually illustrated, containing details of items for sale.

As simple as this definition may sound, the reality is that designing a catalog requires preparation, specification and of course, a little imagination.

The following paragraphs will provide you with a basic idea on how to prepare for your design, specify product descriptions and adding a bit of magic in your design to make your customers want to continue browsing thorough every single product you have.

Before you begin

It is important to pay attention to the smallest details when creating a printed catalog.
All Images need to be high resolution.
Headlines and description have to be concise and relevant to the product.
The paper and finish you chose will play an important role in the success of your catalog.
Make sure to have your final draft proofread a couple of times by different agents in your company; Grammar and/or simple errors can reflect poorly upon your brand.

High Resolution Product Images

“In their splendor, images effect a very simple communion of souls.” – Gaston Bachelard

When presenting your products within a catalog, in essence, you are producing an extension of the physical product for your customer. Therefore, it is of upmost importance to have clear, high resolution, quality photographs and/or clean vector images. The goal is to make a connection between the viewer and the product as if they were holding the product in their hands.

Compelling Headlines and Informative Descriptions

Concise: (adj) brief in form but comprehensive in scope.

The purpose of a headline is to solicit the reader’s attention, engage his or her interest and finally, entice them to keep reading. Keep it short and to the point. A headline should not be misleading; It should be utilized as a tool for the reader to find what they seek quickly, all the while trying to spark an interest they were unaware of.

The product description is the opportunity given by the headline, to capitalize and make the sale. Depending on the type of products you are promoting, a description can be a block of text or just bullet points.

Here are a few tips on what a description should include:

Physical description: Remember the product image does a great job of this but the conversion lies in the details
Manifest the need: Justify the reasons why the customer “needs” your product and the benefits that accompany the purchase
Technical Details: Provide sizes, manufacturing materials, quantity, everything relevant to the product
Additional details: Include any copy regarding where to find warranty information and how to contact a knowledgeable associate regarding the product

Catalog Spot Varnish Cover — Catalog Cover Spot Varnish

Spice Up the Design and Content with the Appropriate Finish

With so many incredible finishing options available for catalogs, finding a combination that suites your products and design is certainly a crucial step. This choice is best determined once the design has been completed or at least when the design has been planned (except for size and orientation).
Layout, size, colors and budget all play an important roll in this equation.

The following is a list of popular finishes available for your catalogs:

Coating

UV Coating – High Gloss
Spot UV – High gloss in specific areas of the design
Aqueous Coating – Matte (less expensive than Varnish, full coverage only)
Varnish – Matte
Spot Varnish – Matte in specific areas of the design

Binding

Saddle Stitching (Staples)
GBC Bound (Comb)
Spiral Bound (Plastic Coil)
Wire-O (Double-loop Wire)
Perfect Bound (Spine Glued to Cover)

Catalog Printing Saddle Stitching — Saddle Stitching

Color Consistency – Pantone Matching System

In this article I would like to talk about the Pantone Matching System (PMS) and its various uses. For those of you who are not familiar with the CMYK and PMS color processes, please visit our infocenter pages to learn more about the Pantone Matching System (PMS) or our page on CMYK and color separation.

Coca Cola®

Pantone Colors and Branding

Now, just about everyone in the world is familiar with Coca-cola print ads and the use of the color red in its branding. What most people might not realize is that the red is a specific color “tint” that is used consistently throughout Coca-Cola’s advertising, a variation between PMS 484 and 485 although no specific Pantone color is specified (CMYK values can vary as well). This “Coke Red” color is claimed as “a feature of the mark” as written in Coke’s trademark with the USPTO.

In some cases, differences between a logo’s use of color or symbols (including type) as it applies to their memorability do exist and can lead to a hefty discussion. In my opinion and in this case, Coca-cola has made great use of both color and symbol (type) to leverage “Brand Stickiness”.

Color and Purpose

Establishing a color scheme before starting a print project is key to providing the client with the most effective design possible. A logo for example, should be easily printable in either color or black ink only. Budgets and the purpose of the print can vary and will affect how the logo will be printed. When printing an NCR Form, the difference in price between full color (CMYK), PMS colors or black ink only can be quite significant. Most NCR forms are used for record keeping such as receipts, not as a marketing piece. Therefore, having a full color logo printed on an NCR Form might just be a waste of money that could in turn be used for marketing! On the other hand, having a CMYK version of your logo will come in very handy when printing full color brochures or full color postcards. Some clients might have a strict branding plan that demands the use of say a 2 PMS color logo to be printed with a full color brochure which basically renders a costly 6 color job. But hey, some budgets allow for that and as a designer or print buyer, it is your duty to consider these possibilities when establishing a brand.

Converting PMS colors to CMYK in Adobe Illustrator®

Using a Pantone Matching System Conversion Swatch is quite easy. As is using the Adobe Illustrator® swatch panel.

In Adobe Illustrator®, Pantone (PMS) colors are recognizable in the swatches panel by a white triangle in the bottom right corner which also has a black dot in the center.

– In your swatches panel, double click the PMS color and you will find that a dialogue box pops up titled “Swatch Options”.

– To change or view the corresponding CMYK values, simply click on the drop down menu labeled “Color Mode”, select CMYK and the value will be shown.

-Last but not least, click on the “Color Type” dropdown and select “Process Color”. Click the OK button. You will notice that the black dot in your swatch panel has disappeared and only the white triangle remains.

This small but significant Illustrator® function can come in very handy for designers when a PMS swatch is not available.

Have you ever had a customer supply you with artwork in PMS format to be used in a CMYK print project?

Please share your advice on how you would convert the PMS colors into CMYK value by commenting below.

Bookmarks the Spot! – Bookmark Design Inspiration

Bookmarks discreetly make their way into our lives. They accompany us, readers, and help us get back to where we left off, whether we are talking about light romance novels, or bulky academic materials. Bookmarks can display information about your company that you would like customers to keep at hand, such as your contact information, upcoming promotions, and new products of interest. A bookmark from your company will keep you and the services you provide in your customer’s mind, helping you make a faster and smoother connection when doing business with them.

Bookmark Design Inspiration and Printing Recommendations:

Size Matters– It is not about big or small, it is about the perfect size to represent your message. You can print big or small bookmarks, both with great outcomes, but you must know what you want to say and what size reflects that the most. Custom sizes –by request– that may truly make your company be a cut above the rest. Keep in mind who your customers are and what they need, as well as how much you can invest. Oversized bookmarks may be more noticeable, and small bookmarks may be more appealing, but the perfect bookmark will simply reflect who you are and who you want to reach. Make it more than advertisement, make it a useful tool.

Color With Audacity– Catch the eye of your customers by using vibrant colors. Bookmarks can print in full color on both sides to create a more eye-catching promotional item. If your budget is limited, one side of full color will still delight and impress by its quality. It is important to keep your products bright, colorful, engaging, and constantly putting your brand in a good light. For outstanding results, we strongly recommend using images with at least 300 dpi.

Do Not Shy Away– Adding fuzzy decorations to your bookmarks can help them stand out form the rest. Attaching tassels and other materials can be a wonderful way to compliment your bookmarks, and help your customer locate their pages more effectively. Bookmarks can have holes drilled in different sizes. Just make sure to specify the right size beforehand, so you can easily add your decorations later.

Be Unique and Daring– With custom bookmark sizes, a variety of paper types, and multiple finishes available –including rounded corners of a 1/4” or 1/8” radius- bookmarks can be special and distinctive and/or simple!

Free Resources:

You can find Print-ready bookmark templates for many standard sizes by visiting our Bookmark Templates page
Make sure your files are print-ready by following our Print-Ready Checklist

Do you have any must-see bookmark designs you would like to share?

Post your comments below…