3 Printing Trends You Need to Follow in 2020

Color Trends 2020 in Printing | MMPrint.com

These three trends are taking off in the new decade.

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

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

Personalization

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

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

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

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

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

Pantone (PMS) Color of the Year 2020 | MMPrint.com

Pantone’s Color of the Year: Classic Blue

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

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

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

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

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

Minimalism in Design 2020 | MMPrint.com

Minimalist Design

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

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

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

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

  1. Identify and Cut the Excess

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

  1. Include Plenty of Whitespace

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

  1. Choose a Simple Color Palette.

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

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

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

Printing Terms Infographic – Color Quick Guide

We strongly believe that an informed customer can make all the difference in print jobs going smoothly and without misunderstandings. I’m sure it goes for any industry.

We strive to offer a unique and pleasant experience when working with us. By providing our customers with informative collateral we not only educate our customer, but we also ease the lines of communication which instills confidence in our customer that what they are ordering is exactly what they want. It’s logical, it makes sense.

With the recent popularity and practicality found in infographics, we decided to release a series of Quick Guides of printing terms and print related infographics to offer to our customers and anyone else who can use them. Please feel free to share this!

For a more in-depth look at color, visit our Colorful Guide to Understanding Color.

Printing Terms Color Quick Guide

 

 

 

 

Color Consistency – Pantone Matching System

Pantone Matching System PMS SwatchIn 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 Logo using PMS
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”.

Pantone Matching System Color Schemes

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.

Pantone Matching System PMS Illustrator Swatch Panel

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.