Printing By Design

If you have a business with lots of individual products, one thing is for sure in most cases: You will be printing a catalog of your wares that you have for sale. You may be a manufacturer, distributer, or retailer, but more than likely you will require catalog printing.

Let’s look at some of the many unique ideas for catalog printing that could win you new business and maybe an award for creativity?

Continue reading “Unique Catalog Printing Ideas: Depart From The Usual” »

CERTAINLY NOT! Believing that the cheapest bid is always the best one, is like believing in the tooth fairy.  The problem with this thinking is that it is extremely anal, and like adding blinders to your powers of reckoning. Cheap is not always best as if you wanted a new pair of shoes would you simply buy the cheapest pair you could find? What if in order to get the shoes for the lowest price you had to cram your size 12 footsies into a size 11 shoe? Did you then get the best deal and is that deal worth living with when it causes you pain? CERTAINLY NOT!

What are the factors that help make the printing company with the bid that was not the cheapest more “cost effective” in the long run?

What is your time worth? How often must you remind the printing company about the same thing or worse, the same mistakes? Was your job delivered in a timely fashion or not? Did the printing company do everything in its power in order to keep your job on track? Did you get the feeling that someone was there who understood your requirements and, assuming they were realistic of course, leave you with a feeling that all was being done that was possible in order to meet them?

Did the printing company have the correct equipment? If they did not, here is where you get that analogy about “tight shoes” again. The “wrong” printing press can create a longer completion time for your job, mess up the registration of it and can cost you more due to the fact that it was not a very economical press to be running on. An example would be that if a very long run 8 page document were run on a half web vs. a full web, many times the half web, while a bit slower on the run time, would save you money as it is a much less costly press, with start ups and all, to run than a full web printing press. Commercial printing presses come in many “shapes and sizes”. The printing company should educate you about your choices and which is the better printing press to run your job on.

Did the printing company provide “value added service”? These are the little things that when printing companies can spend time with you in trying to understand your business model that can be offered to you to help you grow your business. What sets these printing services apart from the standard “quote it, print it, get it out the door” policies of some commercial printing companies, are the little extras that come from taking the time to look at your business model and understand what you are trying to accomplish with your commercial printing materials. Because a printing company has been dealing with these types of printed materials for a long time, those insightful suggestions can be extremely helpful to the print buyer.  Many times there are little extras that can be given the customer along the way and at no cost, which also can add value to the printing job.

Did the printing company explain running costs?Web printing presses can have as much as a third of the cost of a job being the “start-up” of the press. Therefore once running, the “impressions” cost less than those at the beginning of the job where the costs to crank up the web printing press are first factored in. Were these factors explained to you, whether on a web printing press or sheet fed press and how you could benefit by changing your run quantity? Many people go on and off press several times a year? It is in your best interests to not do this but to print for the longest period possible without the materials you print becoming dated.

Are the bids “apples to apples”? Did all of the bids you received cover all of the work you require? Does each quote provide a favorable timeline for you? Is the paper the same in all quotes, not just by brand, but by weight and grade? Are there things excluded which could cost you more later on? Have you seen the work of the other printing companies quoting your job? Many printing presses simply do not maintain their equipment properly and may go well beyond the recommended commercial printing maintenance schedules in order to save money. This does not lend itself to quality work anymore than a less experienced pressman will.

In the final analysis, price is determined by many factors and at the end of the day or year, your overall commercial printing costs are many times with the best printing company and not necessarily with the cheapest printing companies.

These are some things for you to consider before you commit to your next commercial printing job and hopefully can guide you as to where your next printing project should be placed. Speaking of which Contact Us Now by visiting us at  www.pbdink.com or go right to  PBD Quote Request Form in order to find out how you can benefit from web printing your magazine, book or catalog with PBD! Let us be YOUR web printing company!

Stay in touch with us @ and don’t forget to like us on: 

Twitter    FaceBook     LinkedIn    Google +1

Web printing is an amazing technology. It is fast, given the right parameters it is cheap and with today’s modern high speed web presses, you cannot tell the difference in quality between web printing printing, except maybe for the glossier sheet to the paper coming off the web printer’s rolls, which tend to pick up a bit more “polish” from the run. So, when does one rely on web printing to run a and sheet fed commercial printing job and no longer consider the one sheet through the press at a time of sheet fed printing? Answer: When you have sufficient quantity and/or page count and can work within the stricter variables of web printing.

Let’s take a look at some of the variables that should enter into your decision in order to choose between a web printing company and a sheet fed printing one.

1-      Quantity: Generally speaking this can vary between half webs, full web printers, cold set web and heat set web, so my answers will in fact be general at this time. Suffice it to say, that the less expensive to run cold set web printing press, would be able to run large page counts, with smaller overall quantities than heat set web printing presses. This is why you see many book printing web printing companies quoting jobs starting at one thousand books.  That said a typical starting point for a heat set web printing press would be a 64 page periodical at about 5,000 copies at full page size or 10,000 at digest size.

2-      Price: Per the above, it may be a tossup sometimes whether web printing or sheet fed may come in best price wise at the bottom quantities, but once running, web printing will rule. The problem with costs on a web printing press is that the startup cost to run these behemoths are massive as compared to sheet fed. But once running, it is the cost per impression that brings the price way down with web printing, once you are past the initial start up costs. As an example 100,000 of the same 64 page booklet may be a quarter to half the cost on a web printing press than on a sheet fed one.

3-      Quality: Moot, so long as you are on a modern digital web printing press, with direct to plate technology quality is no longer an issue. It may have been prior to the economy going south, when ad agencies wanted to print with spot colors in addition to process ones for an effect, but then it was a waste of money and now it is simply not affordable.  There are many more six color, as it is the state of the craft, sheet fed presses, than web printing presses.

4-      Press Checking: Here is a sticky point, in that simply due to the start up and running costs of a web printing press, if you insist on a press check, you better have two things going for you: 1-your files were perfect and 2-your knowledge of printing is perfect, otherwise if the press check takes forever on a web printing press, you will not be overly welcome back. If there ever was a phrase that is well put, as in web printing, it is “time is money”!

5-      Usual Suspects: The items one associate most with web printing due to quantity and page count, are books, magazines, catalogs, manuals and even brochures if the quantity is large enough. Runs with post cards, business cards, flyers in most cases are generally relegated to the sheet fed press.

6-      “No Sheet, I Did Not Know That”: Many periodical web printers do not have sheeters at the end of the press and that printing press produces folded signatures at the end of the web. This way it is best suited for magazines, books or catalogs, as the bindery just has to “marry” each signature, usually anywhere from 16-32 pages with double web press, and bind. This makes it difficult to produce things like poster printing on a web press, unless that rare web press has a “sheeter”, which is capable of cutting the roll into sheets without folding them first into signatures.

7-      Paper Stocks: A great advantage over a sheet fed press is had by a web printer due to the fact that the paper comes in roll stock and does not have to be fed, sheet by sheet through the printing press, the web printer can run very light paper stocks. Typical would be news print at 27.7 pounds or 32# gloss for mass run magazine printing. Sheet fed must start with 60# gloss book, or 50# uncoated offset as the minimal weight that can be run through a sheet fed printing press. Even then many printers do not like to run the 60# as it jams the printing press and will charge the customer the same price to run 70# due to the waste from the lighter paper stock.  The converse is also true in that web presses cannot run heavy stock to the same extent as a sheet fed printing press. Most web printing companies will only go to 9 pt (approx. 100# cover) and then only run C2S, as the uncoated side of C1S leaves too much dust in its wake on the web printing press. Many sheet fed printers will run 24 pt cover.

8-      Automation:  Here is a great advantage, which also adds to the speed of the web printing press. The modern web printing presses, as an example can do plate changes, with adjustments to color and registration within ten minutes versus the same on a sheet fed press which could be an hour or longer to do the same. As this saves time it saves money for time is money and thus you save some as a result of press efficiency.

These are just some of the differences between web printing and sheet fed and hopefully it can guide you as to where your next printing project should lay. Speaking of which Contact Us Now by visiting us at  www.pbdink.com or go right to  PBD Quote Request Form in order to find out how you can benefit from web printing your magazine, book or catalog with PBD! Let us be YOUR web printing company!

Stay in touch with us @ and don’t forget to like us on: 

Twitter    FaceBook     LinkedIn    Google +1

There are many bogus opinions about what can and cannot be done in magazine printing. I would like to set the record straight by addressing some of them here. Magazine printing is highly dependent upon the  nature of the printing company’s equipment and as a result you either fight the tide at midnight or you work with the equipment at the printing press. I have always felt that with commercial magazine printing it is always easier to swim downstream. Continue reading “The Seven Deadly Sins of Magazine Printing” »

Nothing beats the (well) written word or some great pictures (a thousand words) in order to tell your story! Beyond that absolute, the only remaining question is what commercial printing vehicle suits your business best as well as which company to choose from the many printing companies out there. Let’s explore both issues in some detail.

I use the term commercial printing as opposed to that of its younger sibling, “quick” printing, as the latter offers inexpensive yet simplistic approaches and in small quantities to your business printing requirements. My intention is to focus exclusively on the commercial printing aspects as not only does it afford the print buyer with a more sophisticated choice of approaches but does not make your “brand” look as if you could only afford the work of a copy shop and not the professional quality printing of a color offset commercial printing company. So, with that said, let’s look at some of your options: Continue reading “Which Printed Materials Are Best To Market My Company?” »

Web offset printing differs from commercial sheet fed printing primarily in three ways: 1- It prints on continuous feeding roll paper and 2- It prints at extremely high speeds, much faster than a sheet fed press.   3- Web printing presses in most cases fold the signatures as they come off the end of the press, although some web presses are capable of sheeting to flat sheets. Due to the speed efficiency of the web printing press it therefore is more suited to printing higher runs of multiple page documents than a sheet fed press, such as magazines, books, newspapers or catalogs. It like sheet fed printing is a form of offset printing in that both first transfer the inks to a “blanket”, which then transfers the inks to the paper. In the case of both, digital printing is synonymous with “direct to plate” filmless printing. Continue reading “Web Printing: Always Swimming Down Stream” »

There are many fallacies about what can be done in commercial printing and if you believe them you are walking down a very dangerous path that will create for you poor work and higher costs. I have come up with a list of ten of the most widely spread fallacies concerning the commercial printing process and will share them with you here. All of the points made herein will be relevant to book printing, magazine printing, catalog printing and every other form of commercial printing.

  Continue reading “Ten Fallacies about Commercial Printing Requirements” »

If you are about to publish your own book or a book by one of your writers that you publish, you are faced with two scenarios that you of necessity must conquer. The first is cost in book printing. Are you getting the best deal once you put your specifications out to bid to your book printer and are you doing everything in your power to deliver the most cost effective print files? Secondly, are your book printing files set up right for the book printer? Is the layout “print friendly”? Both of these things, costs and files, are inter-related in that poor files will cost you money due to poor efficiency and potential press mistakes as you will want to make sure that you are printing in the most press efficient manner possible. Continue reading “Book Printing Check List: (Did I Get The Files Right and Am I Getting The Best Pricing?)” »

There are many great and fun ways to use posters in order to emphasize your message, or make a person or an event shine. Your business or personal message as conveyed with poster printing can be an inexpensive and larger than life way of promoting your product, service, thanks or love for another. There are many creative ways that are both fun and impactful that can make for a great idea in poster printing. You can take classical posters that you have seen over a life time and reinterpret them with your own art and message. Poster printing can be fun and beneficial to your business or personal life. Continue reading “Poster Printing Fun-Damentals” »

Most businesses will and should promote their products or services with a catalog, magazine or brochure. Some even become expert authors and write a book about their expertise in their niche, as people like doing business with experts. Now, you can have twice the impact when you print with Printing by Design, as with any catalog, magazine, brochure or book printed with us, you will receive an online version of the same item at no additional cost to yourself. Continue reading “Promote Your Business Twice Over With Our 2fer Sale” »

It is not that difficult to create a business calendar in order to avail yourself of an additional tool to promote your business and a tool that also has a side benefit of creating good will when you send it to your customer base.   Everyone needs a calendar, so why not send them yours?

Let’s look at the very first steps in order to easily organize all of the ingredients to create a calendar for your business. The basic ingredients of the calendar printing stew are as follows:

Continue reading “I Want To Create A Calendar To Promote My Business, But How!” »

The problems one faces when preparing to print a catalog are compounded by the fact that the average catalog has many pages with many items and there is a massive amount of detail which may trip up the           lesser able when catalog printing. Here are some of the biggest mistakes that people make when setting up a project for the printing of a company catalog.

Continue reading “The Seven Deadly Sins of Catalog Printing” »

Being a printer we of course are getting files all of the time for the printing of books and while many are appropriate, quite a few are less than so. I will do my best here to list some of the pitfalls along with  adding some help on the proper way to handle the situation so that your book printing comes out to the best of your expectations. Here are some, but not all, of the mistakes folks make with their book printing project.  My intent here will be to cover printing issues and not publishing ones. Continue reading “The Seven Deadly Sins of Book Printing” »

As a result of getting many files that “are not right” from designers that are for output in commercial printing, many times, more than I care to even think of, the files are poorly constructed. The designer looks at the files on screen thinks “nice job, I think I deserve a pat on the back”: Wrong, how about a slap upside the head? Well, I thought long and hard and with the help of some very cool and knowledgeable folks in the Communication Arts group I have composed my list of the Seven Deadly Sins of Commercial Printing. Continue reading “The Seven Deadly Sins (of Graphic Design for Commercial Printing)” »

Pardon my play on words using the James Brown title, but as I wanted your attention for my presentation, what better way to do so in order to discuss the value of using the “presentation folder” to present  your printed message with?  The presentation folder makes a bolder statement about your materials when presented inside of one. It not only shows quality, but that you deeply care about your message and the products or services that you have to offer.

Let’s look at some of the uses, styles and benefits of presentation folders: Continue reading “Display It Out Loud, I Rock N I’m Proud! The Art of Presentation” »

Let’s just say this is the first time you stepped up from the printing work you have done in the past from the quick printer you had dealt with on your smaller printing runs. Or, maybe your boss just dumped this whole thing in your lap and asked you to plan the job and get the printing quote. So now what do you do and more to the point what do you need to know about planning your commercial printing job?

These are the categories of commercial printing that you will need to have knowledge of as well as some tips and choices for them: Continue reading “How Do I Plan For A Commercial Printing Job?” »

This is an interesting question, sort of like Godzilla vs. Rodan, who fought each other in those black and white Japanese films from the sixties. It almost sounds like minutia when you first think of it. In fact, who would really think about it? Well, it just may be something to look at as each offer a different perspective as to how to display your wares. Let’s take a look and compare the advantages of each. Continue reading “Conundrum: Should I Utilize A Catalog or a Magazine Format To Promote My Products?” »

Nothing is better to get your brand or message out in front of passing eyeballs then the time honored tradition of poster printing.  Posters were first created by the French, in the middle of the 1800s, as a method of product advertisement and quickly spread to the rest of Europe.  While quickly being utilized as a promotional tool for the theater, it took Jules Cheret, credited as the “father of the poster”, to first use it for artistic purposes via lithography. Posters have been used ever since as a fabulous form of advertising and promotion, with many of the earlier ones becoming quite collectible. Continue reading “Poster Printing as a “Big” Way to Get Your Message Out and Brand Recognized” »

You can benefit by printing calendars as a promotional tool for your business. By doing so you not only can get your message out about your products and services but do so in a way that lasts all year,  while only investing in the production of the calendar once.  If you want to promote your business and aim it on an upward growth pattern, then as all business must, promotion and advertising is a business necessity.  What can separate your message from your competitors is if you do it in style and with a twist, your business message cuts through the crowd. In addition, it is a nice way of staying in touch with your customer base as well as using calendar printing as a tool to attract new customers with. Continue reading “Calendar Printing As an Effective Marketing Tool” »

 In the course of our day we supply many magazine printing quotes to potential publishers who feel they have a basis for success. Many never can get it off the ground, as they hit the business obstacles as they try. So I thought I would consider what the steps are which hopefully may add to the success of a potential magazine for a new publisher and these are some ideas for your consideration. Here are 8 great tips to start you off with. Continue reading “CREATING A SUCESSFUL MAGAZINE” »

There is something about a bound manual in your hand that reeks of the word “official” to your employees or trainees. Since you must hold it in your hand, and it may or may not require two hands, it becomes a stark place holder for one’s attention, not like online versions where the hopeful reader, can skip from the manual to Twitter, favorite game or other distractions from the work load. There are many times when a computer is not even available, such as a seminar or class and then the printed manual becomes all important. The key here is that it is easier to grab one’s attention with manual printing than with other means. Continue reading “The Benefits of Manual Printing” »

Real Estate marketing is on top of the list in the business of selling property. Many agents tend to not pay enough attention to the materials they are creating and printing to market their homes and buildings.

What is your marketing plan?  How often are you getting your brand out there? How often should you be sending your message, either by brochure printing, postcard or magazine printing to potential buyers?

Real estate printing can many times be costly, but there are ways to keep those costs low. You can successfully print brochures, postcards and more by doing so smartly and save lots of money.

 First let me enumerate the types of printed materials available to you: The tri-fold brochure, which is a single sheet flyer, printed on both sides and folded in a third, another is the real estate magazine. There is the multi-page brochure and of course the old stand by the postcard. The direct mail postcard is a great promotional tool and an inexpensive one. You can even mail at discounted first class pre sort rates for less money than larger ones mailed at bulk rates. When done correctly, they can succinctly deliver your message and garner a great response. Continue reading “Real Estate Marketing Ideas: Are You Getting Your Message Out?” »

I am sure your company is blogging today as a method of getting your message out about your product or services. Have you considered the benefits of publishing your blogs as a basis for a company magazine?

There are many benefits to publishing your own company magazine, whether as an in house periodical or to also send to your client base. An in house magazine builds camaraderie and loyalty among the employees as well as an excellent place to exchange ideas within the company. It is also a convenient and attractive place to disseminate your documents and information.

  Continue reading “The Benefits Of Your Own Company Magazine” »

Now you switch hats moving from writer to promoter, or you at least tip your hat towards your left brain from your right. It is a very different thought process but can also be creative. There are several things you will need to set in motion: Distribution, Marketing, Press and Retail Outlets among others. Once again, it is time to use that same work ethic you used when you wrote the book. Therefore let’s look at some of the items you will need to tackle. Continue reading “My Book Is Back From My Book Printer, But Now What? Part. 2” »

You just finished writing your book and you are happy with its content and feel that it can entertain or be of benefit to others. You then ask, what is my next step? How do I get it out to the public? How do I get it beyond family, friends and co-workers? How can I make money with it? Essentially you have two choices, find an agent that is both connected to the top book publishing companies and is willing to work hard to get your book placed and if you cannot the “next step” is to self publish your book. However, you may also want to consider it as being your first step!

First let’s look at some of the reasons to even self publish or have a company publish your book.  Most folks write a book as a creative endeavor and then seek a publisher or book printer to bring their work to market. However, there is another reason to publish a book and that is to promote your business or services. The reason being, aside from whatever inherent profit there is to publish creates an aura about you and/or your company. It depicts you in the eyes of those you would like to do business with as an expert. “Hey, he wrote the book on it” is a phrase you would benefit from. People like doing business with experts.

  Continue reading “Why Consider Self Publishing And Printing Your Own Book?” »

Let me tell you a story from my own personal experience of which I have shared at the time with my own clients and would now like to share with you. I have a hobby and it  
is collecting antique mantle and carriage clocks. Mid 2008 I decided to sell them for profit and started a “labor of love” business, with a brand new website called ValuableClocks.com. Since I specialize in building websites to facilitate our commercial printing business Printing By Design, which specializes in magazine printing, catalog printing and book printing  and have been doing so since 1994, I have learned a few things about “building them so they come”.

Continue reading “My Personal Story For Surviving This Economy” »

I often get the question, “do you offer digital printing?” The question usually comes from people who do not truly understand the meaning of the term “digital printing” and thus everyone has a different interpretation of it, and as a result using their “unique interpretation” for digital printing are assuming by requesting digital, that it will fill some specific requirement that they have.

So, let’s take a look at what digital printing really is. The answer to this question is that it is in reality several forms of digital printing and not just one. The general assumption of most people who ask “do you do digital printing” is that it is file to paper and in many cases that is not true, as the wider use of the term implies. Let’s then talk about all of the forms of “digital printing”.

Most presses today are “so called” digital printing presses and that encompasses a wide area of printing. Our L.A. facility has “digital” web presses. Our Docutech Facility has “digital direct to paper” presses. Thus, how do they all differ is the real question as well as how the consumer can take advantage of each type of press based upon their requirements, time schedule and budget.

  Continue reading “What Really Is Digital Printing And How Does It Benefit Me?” »

After the printing of  your magazine, catalog, book or other printed material, the services you can receive are many. You can benefit from a myriad of them that you previously may have thought you needed to find a second vendor or more in order to complete your project. 

Drop Shipping:

Once you place a single order for printing, the order, upon completion can segregate your magazines, catalogs, books, or other printed materials and ship them to multiple locations right from the printing plant. If your clients are in, let’s just say a dozen cities across the country and each location needs 5,000 catalogs, you don’t need to place a dozen different orders. Simply provide your printing company with your drop ship list and advise them of any prefered drop shipping instructions so they may completely arrange to have your catalogs shipped to all of the different addresses. This takes the hassle out of your shipping requirements and does so with optimal rates and services, due to the experience and knowledge of one who ships daily.  Continue reading “After Your Magazine, Catalog Or Book Is Printed…” »

You know it would be a fabulous idea to have a magazine in order to promote your company’s message or even to attract advertisers but you are stumped when you pose the following questions: What the heck do I know about producing a magazine? Where do I start and what do I do? Well, believe it or not there are some easy answers thanks to today’s technology.

WHAT IS MY STARTING POINT?

The very first thing you need to do is to understand and be able to define the niche you are seeking to promote with your magazine. What is my message? What product or service will my magazine be able to promote for me? Who is my audience that I want to reach? Can I attract advertisers?

Once you have defined your audience and your message to be incorporated into your magazine start going through all of your emails, notes, writings, memos, blogs and all written materials where you have focused on your message and the benefits of your product and/or services to your specific audience. Magazines are successful when they have a defined audience, who especially have an affinity or need for your product or services. Make sure to digitize any of your writings and create an overall PDF. If you need to organize them in any fashion, Adobe Acrobat will allow you to manipulate pages by moving them around with your computer mouse.

Continue reading “ANYONE CAN CREATE A MAGAZINE, EVEN YOU!” »

There is more to creating great catalogs and brochures then just wonderful pictures and descriptions. First of all, ask yourself what should be quite obvious; what is the purpose of my producing a catalog or brochure? The answer will come to you in a second; to sell your product or services! Therefore what are the tools you need to best sell them? You will need great photos, accurate descriptions and COMPELLING COPY. In most cases, people tend to focus on the images and descriptions in their catalogs and brochures, but neglect to add compelling copy. Most likely this is because they are experts in the production of their products and or services, but not in the language of sales.

So where does this leave the creator of the catalog or brochure? It leaves you with only two thirds of the job done in order to get your message across to your intended purchaser. We can produce a wonderful printing job of your catalog or brochure, but what do you then have:  A fabulous picture book? Is that enough? No, it is not! Continue reading “Catalogs, Brochures And The USP” »

Whether your business has a magazine or brochure to promote your message and could use an online adjunct, or you do not currently have one, you can benefit from our amazing new online “PBD-eEdition” for your company magazine, brochure or even your book. Please click the links below for an example of what can be your “PBD-eEdition” to promote your business. Just give us a PDF file and we convert, upload and house for you.

• Basic Edition: $395.00 (if we print your publication, it may even be free to you).

• The basic edition can have live links, if created by you in the native application, to your website or email address, and contain up to 64 pages.

• Additional pages are $15.00 per 16 pages beyond the 64. We can add live links for $5.00 per link.

• You will receive up to 3 months housing on our server, or for $15.00 per additional 3 month periods.

• You will also receive absolutely FREE, a CD Rom burnable file, with your presentation included.

• We can replicate disks, with label copy and packaging of your choice at an additional cost to you.

Contact us NOW for your AMAZING “PBD-eEdition”

SEE SAMPLES: http://www.pbdink.com/cd.html

Stay in touch with us@

pbdink

Twitter

Facebook

Linkedin

Some recent questions by a skeptic were recently posted on one of the social networking sites:

• Does that convert to acquiring paying customers?
• Does it gain any reaction like instant calls to me re business?
• Is it creating new prospects who will call me?

Continue reading “Is Social Networking Worth The Time Spent On It?” »

In real estate or in any other business, your first impression counts mightily. The first cold call, interview or brochure you send out is meant to tell people who you are and convey your message in its most positive light. How do you know it is working and that your message is getting through? Unless you are on the web and using sophisticated analytics and with ROI charts, your only way to know is that the door either opened or slammed in your face. You either successfully made your opening gambit, got the deal, the listing, the sale or you did not. With “direct mail”, or any other direct form of advertising, the rule of thumb is that you should expect a two percent return. If not your message needs an adjustment.

Continue reading “FIRST IMPRESSIONS CAN GAIN OR LOSE YOU CLIENTS” »

Real Estate Magazine

Magazines can come in a variety of sizes and page counts. The two most standard for longer web run magazine printing are 8 3/8 x 10 7/8” or 5 3/8 x 8 3/8” and commonly referred to as “digest size. The first is larger, allowing for more prominent pictorial displays and the smaller allowing for a larger page count, for close to the same money as the larger. You can have cost savings options such as using the lighter paper grades, or heavier weight if you are promoting luxury properties and want that “heft”.  Standard page counts can be 8/16/24/32 and jumping in increments of 8 or 16 pages. Sixteen page jumps give you a better per page cost as a result of using the full printing signature as it goes through the press. Continue reading “THE BENEFIT OF REAL ESTATE MAGAZINES” »

With real estate printing, like any other, the two most important things you can generally expect from your commercial printing company are quality and price. However, there still is another thing you should be seeking, and which we excel at. That is our  ability, as a unique printing and graphic design company to help you discover all of the many real estate printing avenues that can be at your disposal and help you to understand which fits your niche, wallet and overall best interests. As we have the widest range of printing capabilities from small digital presses, should you care to test market your concepts, through the sheet fed presses for your brochures and postcards, all the way up to web printing capability for your longer runs such as magazine printing or book printing.

HOW CAN YOU BENEFIT ME OR MY COMPANY?

Simple, by supplying you with the widest range of real estate commercial printing services to benefit your exact marketing needs and help you win those sales and listings you seek with the finest presentation possible. Some of our capabilities are as follows: Continue reading “Real Estate Printing And Direct Mail Ideas” »

1-LONG RUN WEB PRINTING

This is where you want to be for the absolute best pricing. The problem is that you must commit to minimum runs and page counts in order to rationally utilize a press the size of a freight train. The smallest run we consider on web would be 500 books with at least 80 pages, at a “trade paperback” size of 5 3/8 X 8 3/8”, in order to make it cost effective. To my knowledge, most other book printers would not start that low, and probably would consider printing a book starting with 1,000 or more. Generally speaking, unless you have screens in your file (dots from images or illustrations or even gradations), web printing is the standard in book Continue reading “Your Quick Guide To Book Printing Part 4: Which Press?” »

There are several ways you can create a PDF file that works for the printing press. Many book printers will have very specific requirements for their pre press department, and it is not my intent to give you a list here, but simply to provide the most general settings and procedures used for book printing.

Book Printing

1-      What is a PDF? PDF stands for Portable Document Format.  The purpose for creating a PDF is to allow one person to give to another a document, where each may not possess the same “native” application. One may have Quark Express and the other not. The PDF thus allows one person to give to the other, with dissimilar applications on their computers, a document that each can read and in many cases, especially with the latter Acrobat versions, can even edit. This is especially important for your book printing company. Book printing tips from your book printer www.pbdink.com

Book printing tips

1-     File Types

The first thing you must know about file preparations is what type of file is acceptable to the book printer in book printing. Generally speaking the answer is ONE and one only and that is a print ready PDF. This means the “printing press” settings when making a PDF and if images, all 300 dpi if on a color press and if cold set web book printing, 200 dpi maybe acceptable. This does not mean that a Quark, InDesign or Illustrator file will not be accepted by the book printer, but that you will be charged upwards of $10.00 per page as a high, if a PDF is not provided. Word to the wise; ask your book printing company what their settings are for the PDF that they will accept. Generally speaking, Microsoft Word, or other word processing files are not acceptable at all.

Continue reading “Your Quick Guide To Book Printing Part 2: How To Prepare Files” »

book printing

You are writing or have completed writing your book and are now faced with getting it into production so you can either sell a whole bunch or give copies to family and friends and ask: What do I do now? What are the steps in the process?

1-Be ready to give your book printer the most economical layout to quote on. Book printing companies print on large parent sheets that are cut from fairly standard size rolls of paper on a web press (this is not relevant to short run digital book printing).  Therefore you must address yield. The yield is how many pages you can print on a standard press sheet. Thus if an odd sized book you will have waste and less press efficiency, thus higher costs in printing. If you, for example have a 7 x 10” page size, you would be far better served increasing it to 8 3/8 x 10 7/8”, reducing the page count and avoiding waste. Another example would be a 6 x 9” book printing page size is less economical than if you slightly drop down to 4 3/8 x 8 3/8” as you will have more pages produced from the press form/signature. Continue reading “Your Quick Guide To Book Printing Part 1: What YOU Can Do To Control Costs” »

Book Printing

With today’s newest equipment, short run book printing is not only viable due to unit pricing that can match some web press pricing, but the quality many times is superior. Generally speaking the paper grade is better than the standard stock used for book printing on a web press and if you have any dots in your file (images with screens) the digital book printing press may be even superior. The covers today also can rival an ink press if your book printer is utilizing the latest equipment by Canon or Xerox.

With the newest Canon or Xerox IGen presses, covers for printing books can be done inexpensively as well as with high quality. With book printing one also benefits by using UV coating or film lamination for durability and professional appeal. Now with the newest machines for short run book printing you can benefit with the same finishing.

Continue reading “Short Run Book Printing Works!” »

The next time you decide to print your catalog, here are a couple  tricks to make your catalog printing more user friendly.

CATALOG TABS:

Rather than using costly die cut tabs, that must be folded in for the final binding of your catalog printing, try marking the pages of each section on the opening edge border with a solid color. You will need to do this on both sides of the page. You can add copy to the solid with either a black overprint if a light color ink or white knock out area for copy if you are using a dark color. It is best if you change the color for each section of your catalog. During the trimming process, the blade smashes down on the trim edge and the ink bleeds over, in part, into the edge of the paper. Thus, when you look at the trim edge of your catalog, you will be able to see sections in different colors. catalog printing

1- Check Out Their Capabilities

Which press meets your needs? Not every magazine printing press has the same equipment on their floor, so first you must understand which press can best fit your requirements. You will base this on the size, page count, and quantity as well as paper stock you need for your magazine.

If your quantity is low, usually if 5,000, with a page count of 64 on the average you will be best served pricewise on a 40” sheet fed magazine printing press. If the page count goes up significantly, then a modern web magazine printing press, with fast changeovers from signature to signature will most likely price better than sheet fed. Continue reading “How Do I Choose The Right Magazine Printing Company?” »

1-Utilize The Signatures You Pay For

With book printing you will have your page count rounded up to be at least 8 pages for the last signature, so rather than blanks use it to your advantage, whether for images, credits, “notes” etc.

2-Provide Correct File Types

Most book printers today only want high resolution PDF files. It is more cost effective for them to RIP (process) and you will pay more if you only provide native files. Each press has different PDF requisites, so ask before sending your files. Continue reading “Smart Book Printing Tips” »

With magazine printing, unlike most other forms of printing, your product is based on, among other things, the cost per page of the magazine. The reason for this, is that you are selling advertising and need not just the best price per page but a consistent cost, so that your advertising rates are accurate and each page brings you in a profit.

Understand your per page cost. With magazine printing this factor is crucial and things can either boost or lower your cost of production based on the specifications you seek.  The things that can affect your final production cost are size, page count and paper stock. Continue reading “Magazine Printing Tips” »

You are tasked with creating and handling the catalog printing for your company and you are determined to do the best you can do, as maybe your next raise or even your job is contingent on this coming out well. What to do to ensure you wind up with the best catalog possible, in order to bolster your status at work. Well, here is some catalog printing food for thought, and some educated food at that.

Continue reading “Great Tips For Creating A Catalog” »

1- Explain with copy and visuals the benefits of doing business with your company. Understand that you are creating a message about your product or service. Explain the benefits of your product or service. Let people know how your product or service will benefit them, how they can save money and why they should be using your product or service rather than your competitors. When you are printing flyers, offer these questions, answers and benefits to your reader, so they can chose you for the benefits you can offer them.

2- Use an eye grabbing question or statement as a caption at the top of your flyer. Ask a question that one is compelled to answer. You are not just printing flyers to show your images, but to sell your product or service. Therefore, use language that compels and sells. Continue reading “Some Quick Points For Creating And Printing A Quality Flyer” »

Since presses print in large signatures it is important to swim downstream and work with the press equipment when printing books, magazines, catalogs or other periodicals.  When finalizing your files you must keep in mind not just how many pages you end up with but how many signatures for the best pricing on the press. Odd signatures are more expensive then complete ones. Commercial presses today print in 16, double 16’s (32), 48 and 64 page signatures (the last two for smaller page sizing of books). Continue reading “Why Are There Blank Pages In The Back Of The Book?” »

People are many times perplexed with offset printing on how to send files to the printer as well as how to judge if they are appropriate to print the quality they seek in the end from the files they are turning in. This is not unimportant, as bad files can wreck your whole day!  Plus they can wreck your wallet, the quality of the printed piece and totally kill your schedule, should you have a tight one, if the files go into the printer incorrectly.

As of this writing I will be offering some new tips and also invite the reader to pose specific questions, which as I collect them, will be the basis for some of the new blogs I write. For now, I will be my own inquisitor and pose the questions and then answer them right afterwards. Continue reading “Three Key Offset Printing Tips from PBD Printing” »

No they are not!

Then how does one tell the difference? Why this company or that one? How does one judge? Well, the answer lies in several areas. Sometimes it is just the relationship has with one’s printer. Do you trust the person you are dealing with? Can you your printing company on the phone easy enough? Do you enjoy dealing with that person and is the quality of the work OK? However in these tough economic times, where every penny counts and you are trying to get the most bang for your printing buck you can, then other factors kick in. Ask yourself this question: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME I REQUESTED A QUOTE AND THE PRINTER CAME BACK AND OFFERED BETTER SOLUTIONS TO SAVE MONEY? Probably never, as it is just not in the mind set of most printers to be that creative and do so. Continue reading “Are All Printing Companies Created Equal?” »

1- Use full signatures. Large commercial presses print either as a single web 16 page signature (also known as a press form) or as a double web 32 page signature. Some like our book press, print 48 page signatures. When you use a complete signature, even if it means dropping four pages from your publication, you are swimming downstream and working with printing press efficiency in your favor.

2- Do not use Pantone colors in addition to CMYK inks. With the exception of a bright red, bright orange, fluorescent and metallic inks, the process CMYK inks can reproduce all other colors reasonably well. Continue reading “The Ten Hottest Tips On Saving Money On A Large Printing Run!” »

OK, so you need to print your message and are confused on where to start the process. The first thing of course is to choose the type of printed piece that best can convey your message or idea(s). It could be a simple postcard, to a complex magazine or book printing. This of course is more of a marketing decision than a printing issue, and once you have decided upon it, the question again is; What is my starting point. Continue reading “The Big Question In Planning Your Print Job: Where Do I Start?” »

FOILED AGAIN

If you try to run a foil through a press it will be destroyed by the heat. Foiling is only done following printing. You cannot run foil on an offset press, inline. Foil and inks require two different types of presses, one offset and one letterpress. Continue reading “Some Answers to Questions I Have Been Asked Over The Course” »

All printing quotes are not created equal and if your yardstick is the lowest bid, than you are making a choice based on the narrowest of criteria and you owe your self or company better. Usually by implication, smarter companies never take the bottom quote on the assumption that in the final analysis they will get less in the way of service or quality. However, if you have the time to look at the companies that you are getting bids from and talk to the one who presented the bid to you, then you will garner more of the insight needed for your final choice. Continue reading “All Printing Quotes Are Not Created Equal” »

The single best way to save money on a commercial printing job!!! If you were to ever ask me what is the single most way I could optimize your commercial printing project and the costs to you, I would simply answer you by saying: “Swim Downstream”. If you are a computer geek, than the similar phrase would be K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid) and one of which you would have heard before. Continue reading “The Best Ways To Save Money On A Commercial Printing Job!!!” »