What's Ahead for Printing?

Despite the predicted demise of printing, it's alive and well and evolving alongside other technologies.  Read on to find out why printing isn't going away.  Then, let us know what you think.

Reduce Your Print Project's Envrionmental Impact: It's Easy and It Will Make You Feel Good

When it comes to commercial printing, a few small steps can go a long way toward minimizing the impact your printed piece has on the environment:

1. Whenever possible, choose papers that are certified for sustainability. Your printer can help you identify options that are right for your project, right for your budget and right for the environment.

2. Go with an aqueous coating instead of one of the traditional UV coatings or laminates. Water-based aqueous coatings provide the same resistance against scratches as other coatings, but without the harmful impact on the environment.

3. Ask for a "soft proof" instead of a traditional proof. You'll save yourself time and money while reducing the use of energy and materials used to create a hard proof.

4. Recycle outdated and unused print materials, and encourage your audience and associates to do so, too.

For more about printing and the envionment, visit Priced Right Print.

Reinventing the Wheel (The Color Wheel, That Is)

If you're fascinated by color (like we are) check out Pantone's blog, which features an article from IMPRINT magazine.  Titled “The Wonderful Color Wheel Part 1 and Part 2,” it traces the development of the color wheel and other color organizational systems over the past 200 years.

Sound too weighty?  At least take a peek at the amazing pictures! 

The images are representations of the thinking and the technology of their times, illustrating an intertwining of art and science, of inspiration and mathematics. We're showing you one here; to see the rest go to Pantone's blog.

Green Marketing: How Well Are We Really Doing?

After years of being hailed as the next big trend, green marketing has moved well beyond consideration as some sort of newfangled fad and become a cornerstone in best practices for a growing number of brands.

According to Jerry Cerasale, senior vice president for government affairs for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), "Marketers are doing a better job in reducing the number of mailings that are duplicates and/or undeliverable as addressed. In addition, an increasing number have begun to reduce the amount of paper used in packaging."

Learn more about the state of green marketing.  And, see what we've done to make our business greener.  Then, (and this is the important part) please tell us...what is your company doing to make its marketing activities more eco-friendly?

Why Are More of Us Saving Our Digital Memories to Print?

Could it be that there's something enduring about print? 

Some said the Internet would mean the death of print, so it always catches our attention when we see the different ways people preserve their digital memories and other important documents by transferring them to print!

Check out this printed poster featuring all of the Facebook user's friends...fans...subscribers or whatever they're being called today.

Where Did John Doe Go?

When the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2010 results, the data validated what many of us already knew: that the notion of an “average American” is just that...a notion.

According to demographic analyst Peter Francese, key population changes are forcing marketers to re-think how they do business.  In a report commissioned by Advertising Age, Francese highlighted these transformational trends:

• There’s no longer an “average American.” Previously, marketers focused on what was widely accepted as an even society; one in which the majority of people had the same needs for the same consumer products and services.   
• We’re now a multi-segmented nation and a multi-generational society. In our 10 largest cities and four states — California, Texas, New Mexico and Hawaii — no race or ethnicity is a majority anymore.
• The multi-cultural shift is driven by immigration, and the fact that the non-minority part of the population — white non-Hispanics — is aging very rapidly. This is in contrast to the past decades during which well over two-thirds of U.S. births were white non-Hispanics.
• More than ever before, marketers will need to treat each generation or age segment as independent entities. It will be essential to address the multi-dimensional nature of our society today, and to use greater precision in identifying customers and developing messages.
• Despite the tremendous growth in digital media, tools that reach people in their homes and in their own languages will continue to produce strong results.  Direct mail, especially when combined with QR (Quick Response) codes, is expected to be among the most effective in this category.

See the Advertising Age white paper for specifics on population trends, and check out our site for more information about direct mail and other targeted marketing tools.  Then, let us know what you're doing (or what you've seen) that responds to the latest population shifts.

Amp Up Your Print Marketing Materials with Color

It's out.  Pantone's award-winning catalog, featuring everything a design enthusiast needs to know about color NOW.  Even if you don't spec colors, check it out anyway.  It's eye-candy at its best and well worth your perusal.  View it from our link at http://tinyurl.com/3b6norl, and let us know what you think!





The Experience is the Brand

Check out this quick video about the importance of the brand experience.  Well worth the minute and 22 seconds.  Promise.

Social Media Revolution 2011

Erik Qualman, the author of Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business, has done it again with his latest video about the future of social media.  Be prepared to be blown away. 

Here are some hightlights:

1. Over 50% of the world’s population is under 30-years-old

2. In 10 years over 40% of the Fortune 500 will no longer be here

3. Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web

4. Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the U.S.

5. 1 in 5 couples meet online; 3 in 5 gay couples meet online

6. 1 in 5 divorces are blamed on Facebook

7. What happens in Vegas stays on YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook…

8. 2009 US Department of Education study revealed that on average, online students out performed those receiving face-to-face instruction

9. If Facebook were a country it would be the world’s 3rd largest and 2x the size of the U.S. population

10. 80% of companies use social media for recruitment

How do you use social media for your business, school or personal communications?

Social Media Set to Transform Our Lives

Erik Qualman, the author of Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business, compiled these astounding statistics. Watch the video for his complete list and tell us what you think the future holds.

1. Over 50% of the world’s population is under 30-years-old

2. 96% of them have joined a social network

3. Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the U.S.

4. Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web

5. 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media

6. iPhone applications hit 1 billion in 9 months

7. If Facebook were a country it would be the world’s 3rd largest ahead of the United States and only behind China and India

8. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year-old females

9. Generation Y and Z consider e-mail passé – some universities have stopped distributing e-mail accounts

10. The ROI of social media is that your business will still exist in 5 years

Marketing Budgets Holding Ground

Ready for some good news? According to a recent survey by Zoomerang and GrowBiz Media, small businesses owners are planning to maintain their marketing spending in the year ahead, with increases in a few key areas.

Within overall budgets, owners expect to put more of their resources toward website development, direct mail, email marketing and social media.

According to the survey's creators, "The results show an evolution of the technology and tools used in small business marketing. Email and social media marketing continue to grow in popularity, whereas many forms of print marketing remain strong."

Reduce Your Print Project's Envrionmental Impact: It's Easy and It Will Make You Feel Good

When it comes to commercial printing, a few small steps can go a long way toward minimizing the impact your printed piece has on the environment:

1. Whenever possible, choose papers that are certified for sustainability. Your printer can help you identify options that are right for your project, right for your budget and right for the environment.
2. Go with an aqueous coating instead of one of the traditional UV coatings or laminates. Water-based aqueous coatings provide the same resistance against scratches as other coatings, but without the harmful impact on the environment.
3. Ask for a "soft proof" instead of a traditional proof. You'll save yourself time and money while reducing the use of energy and materials used to create a hard proof.
4. Recycle outdated and unused print materials, and encourage your audience and associates to do so, too.

For more about printing and the envionment, visit Priced Right Print

We Answer, Listen, Respond.

It seems so simple. You call, we answer. But the truth is you have a better chance of winning the lottery than you do getting other online printers to answer your phone call. And, the odds of getting a return call--or even an email response--aren't a lot better.

We feel your pain. We know that there are times when you'll have questions. That's why we promise that when you contact Priced Right Print, a customer service rep will answer your call or email, if not immediately, within 24 hours.

At PRP, we understand that you have tight deadlines and long "to do" lists. We're committed to responding fast, giving you what you need and letting you move on to your next task.

See for yourself how responsive we are.

Call 877.747.7471
Or email customerservice@pricedrightprint.com

Learn more about our printing services at our website: http://www.pricedrightprint.com/

Hot Color Trends for 2010 -- Color Marketing Group Weighs In

A color that used to be strictly for fashion is the Group's pick, set to be the year's biggest star for everything else. What is it? The leading international organization of color design professionals says its GRAPE.

Officially called "Mardi Grape," it is "a sophisticated crossover between purple, brown and gray. It comes from fashion and has European roots."

According to CMG's president, James Martin, "Purple has been with us for awhile now, but the big story is that we're seeing purple as a neutral for the very first time. The purple is browner and grayer, a neutral we can love long-term."

CMG also predicts these trends:

Red - Strong with pink intuition; bright and clean with energy and excitement -- a clean pop to go with neutrals.

Orange - A rich, sophisticated color that moves away from earth-based colors to an optimistic orange, seasoned with a touch of gray.

Yellow - A greener, more natural yellow, softened with gray.

Green - Optimistic and uplifting, a clear and bright accent green with a slight shift toward blue.

Blue - A saturated blue with gray influences; rich without being too luxe.

Beige-Brown - A true chameleon to complement darker hues, it can be either matte or metallic.

Neutral/Gray - Gray with a touch of purple, drawing inspiration from mineral, concrete and steel.

The Color Marketing Group, the leading international non-profit association of color design professionals, has been accurately predicting color trends for more than 45 years.

Learn more about our printing services at http://www.pricedrightprint.com/.

View Our Latest Newsletter

Check out our latest newsletter with tips for "Getting Your Message Heard," and "How to Make Your Print Project More Environmentally Friendly."

Find it on our News and Media page.

Want newsletters, marketing tips and special offers delivered to your mailbox? Sign up on our online printing homepage.

Online Printing Estimated to Grow 24% This Year

"Online print is a trend that will only continue to expand," said Barb Pellow, group director at InfoTrends. In 2007, print jobs that moved through the Internet made up 14 percent of the total U.S. printing market; since then online printing has grown at an average rate of 24 percent per year.

According to InfoTrends, the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the document technology industry, the surging interest in online print is dramatically changing the relationship between print buyers and print service providers.

"Consumers understand the benefits associated with online printing, including lower printing costs, shorter turnaround times, better tracking, less unnecessary printing, and better brand management," Pellow added.

New Newsletter: Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your Print Materials

Sign up to receive the first in our newsletter series, this one featuring copywriting tips and ideas to help make your print projects greener. Also, learn how to save big on the print projects you need to produce the results you want.

Put me on the list now.

How to Decide Which Press is Right for Your Printing Project

Get straight answers -- once and for all -- about the advantages, economics and drawbacks of the three major commercial printing processes, sheetfed, web and digital.

NewPage's great printing site sheds light on this and other topics that will help you successfully manage your print projects.

Posters, Door Hangers and Booklets... Now Available

Poster Printing Puts Your Message Front and Center

Use A four color poster as a highly visible marketing tool that gets your message out to many people -- with a single piece and at a cost that is far less than many other marketing mediums. In fact, in high-traffic areas, there's no better, more affordable way to promote, advertise or inspire.

Door Hanger Printing Services Make It Easy for You to Target Your Prospects and Customers

Whether you're introducing a product, announcing a grand opening or just reminding your audience that you're eager to have their business, there's no more direct way than with a door hanger. And, you can easily target neighborhoods and geographic areas without having to buy lists or collect names. For business to business marketing, you can distribute door hangers to office buildings and even in hotels.

Outclass Your Competition and Make Your Products Shine with a Custom Booklet

Imagine your customer with two items in-hand. One is a full color booklet, printed on glossy, bright white paper and peppered with photos that practically pop off the page. The other is flimsy, dull, and utterly forgettable.

Which booklet do you want associated with your company? Let us show you how our color booklet printing services can energize this major promotional piece.

What You Need to Know About Commercial Printing Inks

Priced Right Print uses state-of-the-art Heidelberg presses to produce vibrant, four-color (a.k.a. full-color) pieces, with or without aqueous coating.* Choose from the following options:

4 over 4 color -- Full-color printing on both sides of the sheet of paper

4 over 4 color with aqueous*-- Same as "4 over 4 color" with a protective, water-based coating

4 color over black -- Full-color printing on the front of a sheet with black ink only on the back

4 color over black with aqueous*--Same as "4 color over black" with a protective, water-based coating

4 color over none -- Full color printing on the front of a sheet with no printing on the back

4 color over none with aqueous*-- Same as "4 color over none" with a protective, water-based coating

*About Aqueous Coating

Aqueous is a clear, fast-drying, water-based (and environmentally friendly) coating that is used in offset printing to protect finished pieces. It provides a high-gloss surface that helps prevent fingerprinting and scuffs, and improves the durability of pieces that go through the mail or are subjected to other types of wear and tear. In addition to protection, aqueous gives extra "pop" to color and imagery, and makes any piece look more impressive.