When I was a kid and I was told that I had to wear glasses for the first time. I thought that it was the end of the world; I just did not want them… I thought that I would stand out from the rest of my classmates. Then the doctor said that that I would be able to see much better; almost like x-ray vision. I went to school the next day and I thought that I was hot stuff, since I had these cool glasses. I looked at my text book a little differently since I could see much clearer.  I, also, could see the writing that was on the next page… Man, I was really excited. I could actually see the print on the next page through the page I was looking at…. Being a third grader with x-ray vision was really going to be cool until I realized that it was just certain books that I could do this with…

Obviously, I did not have x-ray vision but the school had purchased a cheaper grade of book and the paper opacity was such that you could read through the pages.  Opacity is the “non-transparent property of paper that prevents or reduces light transmission and printing to show through”.  The thickness of the paper has something to do with the opacity but, also the chemical composition has something to do with it as well. The cost might be slightly more but, the appearance of your document could more than make up for it.

So, do you want your material to stand out by having x-ray vision or do you want it to look professional? When having your document printed, be sure that the price does not include cheap x-ray paper.

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Here is a little background on today’s story. You see, most people don’t realize that when you purchase a printer that you are limited to how much coverage is on the paper. Most printers don’t print all the way to the edge of the paper. Their internal mechanisms just don’t go out that far, plus the ink might get on the rollers and then gum up the works.

If you want a document that has edge to edge color, you need to print your document on a larger piece of paper and then cut it to size.  This is a problem for most people since their printers will only print up to 8.5 inch and 11 inch paper. So if you wanted edge to edge coverage your final size would be 8 x 10.5 inches (a rather odd size document).

The better option is to print on paper that is the next size up, which is 11x 17 (some office printers will print this size). In fact, you would want to print your document 8.75 by 11.25 and when it is cut down to size the edges are covered. This extra quarter of inch is called a “BLEED”.  You are bleeding the color off the page.  This allows for trimming of the document with a little tolerence to make sure the color goes from edge to edge. Most graphic and printing companies require a  1/8 to ¼  bleed to help with automated processing… if you don’t have this, then some of the white area that is not covered could be included in the final trim size and everyone would be disappointed.

Here is when the fun begins… We had a client come to print an 11×17 poster for a personal project. When we opened it, we realized that the color went to the edge but no further. There was no bleed. When we asked if the color should go to the border, the client indicated that she wanted to have a white border around the poster. That is the way she printed them at her office and the office printer had that white border feature automatically set. Everyone in the office refrained from laughing but it did open the door for an educational experience. We explained about how printers work and explained why the border was there.

The final outcome was that the client appreciated the education and printed a flawless piece that was edge to edge since it shows that it was professionally printed. She also educated the people at her work place and now they are having icardNow print their posters to make them look a little more professional as well. We thought that this was a win/win/win situation for everyone and that’s why we wanted to share the fun printing story of the week.

If you have a story about printing or a question that you would like to ask our staff, just let us know… we will be glad to answer or highlight fun educational opportunites.

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Today we are going to talk about when to Score…. No, there are not going to be any sport analogies and any other references. We are talking about folding your brochure, flyer or even a business card.

It’s not as simple as you might think. Folding is an art… There are people that dedicate themselves to the art of folding (http://www.foldfactory.com).  A fold can look very different as well. Hand fold something and you might not be consistent, machine fold and you might not fold on the “Dotted Line”.

Worse than these minor folding violations, is having your printed brochure look shoddy with a major violation.  Paper is easy to fold but if you have heavy coverage (a lot of printing with graphics and text) that prints over that fold, the ink that is there might not like being bent in half. What happens?, you ask…it cracks.  Just like paint that is on something pliable, it will crack and the color that you once had on the edge will look poor since the under lying paper is just screaming to get out.

This is a sure fire way to look bad in front of a prospect.  Rest assured we have a solution for you… drum roll please…. The SCORE.  This process of scoring is make indentions in the paper so that when it is folded it looks GOOD. Better yet since the paper and ink have worked together through the scoring process, the ink is less likely to leave its friend behind. Everyone is happy: Paper is not trying to escape, Ink is looking young and your prospect is looking at your content and not just a brochure.

If you are making a tri-fold marketing brochure with a lot of graphics ask your printer if they can score the seams before they fold… They will know that you mean business.

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I ran into an old friend the other day and it was great to get caught up on life… Unfortunately, he shared with me that he had just been laid off. While I was sorry to hear about his circumstance, he wasn’t. He said that it was the best thing that ever happened to him. He started a new business that he would never have the guts to do before being “Let go”. He was so excited that he gave me his business card and started to explain what his company does.

As he was doing so, I just sat there in disbelief… he had printed his own business cards. How could I tell; Well, the tell-tell sign was the extra paper at the corner and the rest of the edges were frayed. He had printed a sheet of business cards that came in a sheet and were perforated. Good for the “80’s” but not these days.

I stopped him mid-sentence and asked him how he was going to run an upscale business while making a bad impression… This stopped him in his tracks… I pulled out my business card that was on a thick glossy stock with a graphically designed logo. I explained to him that this is my personal icard. (Did you catch that? personal, as in not business) I went on to press the point that in this day and age business cards and icards (personal business cards) are inexpensive but look expensive. For fewer than twenty dollars, he could make his business look fantastic and more importantly leave a better first impression.

I am glad to report that with new icards in his hands that his business is making strong headway into a successful business. People, please don’t let friends perforate!

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Paper can be interesting to work with on various projects. Some papers work really hard to look their best, while others are just plain mean… Not many people in the industry are willing to expose uncoated paper for what it will do. I am here to make a stand, and let you know that Uncoated Paper can make a difference in your life if you just trust it for what it is…

First, Uncoated Paper just feels different from coated papers. I know this goes without saying but when offering a business card or brochure, the impression that you will give is different based on the tactical feel of the paper…Money feels good in your hand; it’s uncoated.  Uncoated Papers feel like a good book. Something that we enjoy handling…

Second, Uncoated Paper can come in heavier weights than coated paper. When handed a heavy weight paper you know it immediately. It commands attention and deserves a second look. Think about some of the business cards that you have gotten in the past. Maybe someone printed them off at home and was passing them out at a networking meeting. The very next business card might have stood out a little more since it was thicker.  I am just saying….

Third, Uncoated Paper is easy to write on. If you are using a one sided business card, you can use the back side for taking notes. Or you could use a business size card as an appointment card. You definitely want to be able to write out an appointment time without worrying that it is going to smear. Enough said.

Here is a half secret… Some Logos and Designs just look better on an uncoated card. If your design does not have a lot of color, use the uncoated stock to make it get noticed. (See number one and two) If your brochure doesn’t have a lot of coverage (more graphics than text), then you might be better off with an uncoated paper.

Well, there you have it ‘3.5′ dirty little secrets about Uncoated Paper. I am sure there are more secrets that will be exposed as I get to know the whole family. But for now, let’s just shed some light on these elements. When you are designing a business card, note card or brochure; make sure to take into account what the final product is going to be and what it will be printed on… until next time..Happy Printing!

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icardNow has started a new venture to show off your hobby wheels (you know those cars that rarely get driven but cost more than your regular car).  Your Wheels Now is a great place to order business cards, Calling Cards, Note Pads, Note Cards, Canvases and Banners.

We premiered our website and services at the World of Wheels Convention in Atlanta, Georgia the last week of January 2010. We have been running to catch up with all the orders ever since…. Thanks for the support and the great ideas about this new venture.

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Just wanted to get your attention since the news section was new…. We added this to share some of the ideas of why we at icardNow think small run digital printing could and does save you money… We will try to come out with a new article every week about the printing business that should help you with current projects or give you ideas for future projects.

Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Robert Taylor
Editor

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