Freshen Up Your Dated Goods for the New Year

The New Year is rapidly approaching, so now is a good time to talk to your customers about refreshing their date stamps and embossers while they prepare to order other dated goods like calendars, planners, and appointment books.

Most businesses work with documents that must be dated. From checks and mailings to dated forms, a date stamp can save your customers time and formalize the documents they use every day. Our collection of date stamps has an option perfectly suited to your customer’s business.

Xstamper pre-inked date stamps can be used thousands of times before needing to be re-inked. Our 2000 PLUS Self-inking stamps are great for high-volume use and can also be used thousands of times before their built-in ink pad needs to be re-inked or replaced. Every dater we offer is guaranteed for the duration of its date band, so your customers are sure to enjoy their date stamp for years to come.

Does your customer need something a little more durable this year? We’ve expanded our line to include Comet and Pullman stock band stamps. These heavy-duty stamps bring together an industrial-grade body and a long-lasting band, making them a durable option for daily and repeated use.

Does your customer sell a product that has an expiration date? Dater stamps are one way to make sure that date is clearly marked. These stamps are ideal for small businesses that sell food, like independent bakeries or butcher shops.

The New Year is also a great time to ask about new notary stamps and embossers for your customers who are certified as a notary public. Because their stamps or embossers need to be updated periodically, checking in with these customers is a good way to make sure they are prepared for the new year.

For more information about the daters and embossers, you can offer your customers, take a look at the stamp and embosser sections on our website.

Create a Winter Marketing Strategy that “Wins”

We’ve talked through marketing strategies for the rest of the year – now it’s time to plan for this winter! As the weather gets cold and, for many of us, snow becomes a constant topic of conversation, it provides an opportunity to start our planning with a blank canvas. Winter is the perfect time to regroup, set goals and much more. Here are our tips for creating a winter marketing strategy.

“Start Early!”
If your customers order print for a business that has seasonal services, this is the time to remind them that their marketing should start early. For example, if you work with customers in the lawn care industry, they should be laying the groundwork for new customer relationships before the first blades of grass peek through the snow. Talking to these customers about the necessity of starting early is a good way to boost your business and theirs.

“Be Visible!”
Step up your social media to reach out to more customers when the weather doesn’t allow you to get out as much as you’d like. Or simply give your customers a call. If things have slowed down due to the weather, consider giving a call to your customers.

Make Sure Your Emails are Polished
Consider updating your email signature to include your photo or company logo and using fonts that work well with your branding to add style to your everyday emails. You should also work to ensure that any promotional emails like newsletters look good, too—use photographs and be sure to show the best of what your business has to offer.

And speaking of digital promotions…

Online Options
One of the best ways to market to your customers is to give them a way to browse your product offering without having to brave the snow. One in-depth way to do this is to create a website that allows your customers to order online, but there are small ways to give them online options, too. PDFs of product flyers or customized digital catalogs can both be sent through email and ensure that information about your product offering is only a click away.

Want to get started on these simple online options? You’re in luck—Navitor offers free online flyers and digital catalogs. Visit Zoomcatalog to get started on personalizing your copy of the Navitor catalog or check out our free digital flyers for more information.

How do you promote your business when you’re snowed in? We’d love to see your winning winter marketing strategies in the comments below.

The Best Folder Experience

Are your customers looking for ways to increase their business success? Are you looking for a way to boost your bottom line? If so, FolderWorks™ has the answers to both of these questions!  We are confident that our products, solutions, and services will deliver success for both you and your customers and provide you with the Best Folder Experience.

Created for your Customers
Believe it or not, presentation folders are an effective tool for your customers to market and promote their business.  They present information in a professional and organized fashion to both employees and customers and are a great way for your customer to present the informational, educational, or promotional materials you are likely already providing for them.

A Boost for Your Business
Importantly, the average retail dollar value of one presentation folder order is almost $800.  If you aren’t selling folders, you are missing out on a product line with high sales (and income) potential!  And, if you aren’t using FolderWorks™, you are missing out on the Best Folder Experience in the industry!

Numbers Your Business Can Count On

  • Orders are produced On-time more than 98% of the time.
  • Customers rate our quality at 99% on orders purchased
  • We answer the phone within 5 seconds of your call.

The Best Folder Experience is our commitment to being fair and honest to all our customers. This is a significant differentiator among our competitors and key to providing high ticket/high profile products like presentation folders! We focus on the following key issues that impact your presentation folder business:

We don’t believe a +/- 10% over/under policy is fair to you. We send you the quantity you order. No shortages and no automatic additional charges if there happen to be extras.

We aren’t afraid to talk to you, in fact, we encourage it! We know presentation folders are high ticket and high profile products and we want to help you find the perfect folder for your customers!

We know your time is valuable! Our friendly and knowledgeable sales associates and customer service representatives strive to answer your call within 10 seconds. In fact, since 2017 our average speed to answer is 5 seconds!

We do NOT sell to your customers. We are your silent partner and you can trust that we will never contact your customers.

Want to know more about how FolderWorks™ is supporting you as a silent partner? Take a look at our non-branded materials that help you increase product awareness and help build your brand loyalty. Want to learn more about new market opportunities? We’ve created this flyer to help you. Or, if you’d rather call us, we’d love to hear from you. Give us a call at (877) 294-5028 to ask your question and try us out!

Adding a Touch of Luxury to Announcements

A personalized announcement delivers more than an invitation to a big event, holiday greetings, or thanks. It elevates your customer’s message to a new level, whether your customer is looking for a traditional announcement for their grand opening or a luxurious specialty announcement for their biggest events. Here are our tips for adding a touch of luxury to your customer’s print order.

Capture the Look of Gold or Silver Leaf with Foil Stamping
Nothing says “luxury” quite like a metallic, and bringing that metallic to your customer’s design is a great way to give it a touch of luxury and to emphasize their message or their logo. Whether your customer wants the tried-and-true look of gold foil on an ivory or white stock, pairs the sheen of foil with muted colors for a vintage look, or is seeking the sophisticated and chic look of foil paired with darker hues like black or jewel tones, foil stamping is a great choice. It makes an especially big impact on Announcements, where it shows off that high end feel with every invitation delivered.

Add Depth With Enhanced Finishes
An alternative to traditional foil is the variety and luxury provided by Enhanced Finishes. Choose Spot Gloss to add a glossy finish, Raised Foil to add depth and shine, or Raised Spot Gloss to provide a tactile element to a spot gloss finish.

Choose a Heavyweight Stock for a More Substantial Feel
Sometimes, luxury is something you have to feel, and heavyweight stocks are one way to convey that luxury if your customer wants to use a full color image in their print. Extra thick stock can give business cardsannouncements, or postcards a substantial feel that instantly makes an impression, and color core pairs that heavyweight feel with a vibrant colored core that shows along the edge of the print piece. Choose the color core stock that matches their design, or use a black core to add a sleek touch that matches any design.

Make Something Really Extraordinary! Consider our Crystal Glitter Stock
If your customer wants something completely unique and eyecatching, they should consider a design that takes advantage of the heavyweight thickness and unexpected pop of color that comes from color core stock with the sparkle of a glittered surface! The crystal white finish of our glitter stock is more than just sparkly. It has a subtle, iridescent look that adds depth and visual interest to the glitter finish. And we are pleased to note that the glitter stays put on the stock’s surface—this means that it won’t lose its sparkle before it’s been handed to the customer.

The glitter also adds a textured surface to any business card, announcement, or postcard that uses glitter stock, adding an extra touch of tactile appeal. This means that when a design features heavy ink coverage and the glitter itself is covered by that ink, there is an appealing textured surface on those areas. And because of the colored core, Crystal White Glitter Color Core stock will weigh in at an impressive 45pt. thickness that is sure to stand out from the crowd.

We are offering a special deal just in time for the holidays 25% off the new crystal white glitter color core and color core announcements and postcards from now until December 31st. Visit Navitor.com to save automatically through our online ordering tool.

How do you help your customers decide what print products and processes are best for them? Do you have any suggestions to share? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

The Power of Giving Back

Giving back, a simple term that can pack a big punch! Each year Label Works makes a commitment to give back by volunteering time, donating funds and providing necessary resources – and this year was no exception. We strive to support and connect with our local community and our employees never disappoint.

This year, employees engaged in a wide variety of activities that were not only fun, but also benefitted many great causes. In March, employees tested their basketball skills and competed against each other to raise funds for LEEP – an organization aimed to enhance the quality of life for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities through inclusive education, recreation and healthy living opportunities.

We also organized our annual weeklong rally benefitting the Greater Mankato Area United Way. Throughout the week, employees were served up a delicious breakfast and baked potato bar, competed in a chili cook-off and indulged their sweet tooth in a bake sale. Company-wide bingo and Wheel of Fortune games were played all week for tons of great prizes. Rounding out the week was a silent auction in which employees of each department worked together to gather items for their themed baskets – with the closing bids on Friday boasting a combined $600 contribution.

Upcoming annual fundraisers include events and activities to benefit the local ECHO Food Shelf, Toys for Tots and Salvation Army’s Coats for Kids. Giving back is so important to Label Works and the success of our community; our employee’s generous nature and kind hearts continue to inspire us year after year.

As we enter in to the holiday season and reflect on all that we have to be thankful for, consider giving back to local groups in your community that help those in need. Not sure where to start? Just ask! Contact an organization in your area with your desire to get involved.

6 Reasons to Check Out Holiday Greetings


There’s a lot to love on Navitor.com, and we are introducing new Holiday Greeting Card options! If your customers create greeting cards for their holiday mailings, they should consider these new products, available to Navitor dealers through our website. Here are six reasons your customer should check out holiday greetings this holiday season.

1. One Price, Many Options
Your customer can keep things simple with clear, readable black print if they choose, but special touches like envelope printing, personalized verses, and foil stamping are available at no additional cost. There are no additional fees for the special touches that make your customers’ holiday mailings merrier.

2. These Cards Make the Design Process Easy
If your customers are looking for a way to create stylish holiday mailings but want to simplify the design process, holiday greeting cards make it easy. Pre-designed cards and a selection of stock verses will give your customers a selection of high-quality design options to choose from, letting them get back to their busy holiday preparations.

This streamlined design process will also keep things simple for you, which can be a gift in the busy holiday season. Need something a little more custom we’ve got you covered.

3. Custom Messaging is Still an Option
If your customer wants to make their greeting a little more personal, they can create a custom message and pair it with their favorite pre-designed card image. This gives them plenty of personalization potential but allows them to use the ready-made designs.

4. Ready to Mail
An upgrade to Fastick envelopes is available with every order, and they can be printed with your customer’s return address free of charge. This means that your customers can check envelopes off their to-do list as well.

5. High-End Greetings Look Elegant
In addition to making your customers’ ordering process simple, these greeting cards are high-end pieces of print that add an elegant touch to your customer’s holiday mailing efforts with minimal effort. Your customer’s personalized text on the card and the envelope can be printed in their choice of ink colors or, for added flair, choose foil.

6. Ordering is Easy—For Both of You!
Holiday greetings make the ordering process simple. For your customer, they make the design process smoother—simply select one of the stock designs. For you, they allow you to create a card online with just a few clicks—simply log on to your Navitor.com account to order through our online ordering tool.

Are you ready to explore these new greeting card options? Click here to explore our new selection, and to place your order.

Do your customers send announcements or greeting cards in the holiday season? What details are their favorites? We’d love to hear more in the comments below.

3 Ways Custom Printed Post-it® Notes Will Drive Repeat Business, Solve Problems and Build Awareness

The holiday season is fast approaching—do your customers have the print they need? Not only is the holiday season a great time to order your customer’s tried-and-true favorites, it’s also a great time for them to get creative with their print orders. In that spirit of creativity, we wanted to share a few ways that customers have use Post-it® Notes to solve a challenge.

1. Pizza Chain Builds Repeat Business with Coupons
A well-known pizza chain was looking for a better way to deliver coupons to customers while ensuring that the coupons would stay visible until the next time their customer placed an order.

Needing a solution that could be applied at the time of purchase, then removed and reapplied to another surface limited the options available to them.

Unlike other products, Post-it® Notes are repositionable and have the added benefit of sticking to stainless steel finishes, like a refrigerator. What they found is that in many cases their coupon was the only thing on the front of the refrigerator, keeping their company top-of-mind for everyone in the household. When it came time for another purchase, their coupon was more likely to be used.

As a result, the franchise location was able to participate in a program that was affordable and allowed them to keep multiple coupon variations on hand.

2. Custom Printed Post-it® Notes streamline in-flight drink service
A benefit of engaging in your surroundings may just land you your next order! When a National Sales Representative was traveling on a business trip she noticed the flight attendants struggling to record drink requests.

Observing the process she asked the flight attendant if she had considered a better way to record orders. The flight attendant indicated that having a way to attach the drink requests to the back of the device used to charge credit cards would be ideal. The sales representative requested a sample of what was currently being used to help explore options to improve their process.

Custom Printed Post-it® Notes, displaying the PAX Seating Chart and other necessary form fields, was pitched to the airline and they were immediately interested in the solution. The flight attendants on the review panel recommended moving forward with the idea and are now able to take and deliver drink orders faster.

3. Regional Food Drive Increases Donations with Custom Printed Post-it® Notes
A youth organization that holds an annual food drive was experiencing a decline in annual donations. Previously the organization left custom printed plastic bags on doors throughout their community. The bags, which were previously donated, were imprinted with directions on how to donate. This year the organization needed to cover the cost of the bags and were looking for a more affordable alternative.

By utilizing Post-it® Notes the organization was able to adhere the information to the front door. The Post-it® Notes allowed the homeowner to take the note from the front door and reposition it on their refrigerator or cabinet; making it easier to locate and remember.

The use of Post-it® Notes resulted in a highly visible reminder of the food drive. The size of the reminder was perfect for transferring from the door to a calendar and then to a grocery bag for the donation. The organization’s feedback was the Post-it® Notes served as a wonderful reminder, kept their costs down and drove an increase in donations.

Do your customers get creative with Post-it® Notes? What’s their favorite use? We’d love to hear more about their favorite uses in the comments below.

5 Ways to add a Touch of Luxury to Business Cards

Whether your customer is trying to reach out to a more upscale clientele, updating their brand with a more luxurious feel, or wants to promote a particularly stylish event, adding a touch of luxury to their print order is a good way to create that high-quality feeling. What print products can they use to achieve that look? Here are our tips for adding a touch of luxury to your customer’s print order.

Capture the Look of Gold or Silver Leaf with Foil Stamping
Nothing says “luxury” quite like a metallic, and bringing that metallic to your customer’s design is a great way to give it a touch of luxury and to emphasize their message or their logo. Whether your customer wants the tried-and-true look of gold foil on an ivory or white stock, pairs the sheen of foil with muted colors for a vintage look, or is seeking the sophisticated and chic look of foil paired with darker hues like black or jewel tones, foil stamping is a great choice. It makes an especially big impact on business cards, where it shows off that high end feel with every networking event or sales meeting.

Add Depth With Enhanced Finishes
An alternative to traditional foil is the variety and luxury provided by Enhanced Finishes. Choose Spot Gloss to add a glossy finish, Raised Foil to add depth and shine, or Raised Spot Gloss to provide a tactile element to a spot gloss finish.

When in Doubt, Paint it Black
Black never goes out of style, and there is a reason for that! Black can be elegant or edgy depending on your customer’s style—use black ink to print text paired with foil stamping or embossing to emphasize classic elegance or use heavy black coverage and a glossy finish for an edgier style.

Choose a Heavyweight Stock for a More Substantial Feel
Sometimes, luxury is something you have to feel, and heavyweight stocks are one way to convey that luxury if your customer wants to use a full color image in their print. Extra thick stock can give business cardsannouncements, or postcards a substantial feel that instantly makes an impression, and color core pairs that heavyweight feel with a vibrant colored core that shows along the edge of the print piece. Choose the color core stock that matches their design, or use a black core to add a sleek touch that matches any design.

Looking to Make Something Really Extraordinary? Consider Crystal Glitter Stock If your customer wants something completely unique and eyecatching, they should consider a design that takes advantage of the heavyweight thickness and unexpected pop of color that comes from color core stock with the sparkle of a glittered surface!

Do your customers look for luxury touches for their print? Which ones are their favorites? We’d love to see your recommendations for luxurious print in the comments below.

Shelf Appeal with Custom Labels

With just seconds to grab a consumer’s attention, are your product labels doing their job? Labels generate shelf appeal. Shelf appeal generates sales. Whether you find yourself gravitating towards products that are bright and flashy or clean and simple, labels play an important roll in getting your product noticed.

Traditional 1-color to Process color labels offer a classic approach with bold designs. Add a touch of elegance by simplifying your design to a foil and/or embossed imprint. With quick turnaround times and low minimum quantities, these labels are a cost-effective solution for short-run, seasonal or variable applications.

Want the look of a foil imprint AND process color printing? Our Color-Logic™ labels allow us to produce up to 250 different metallic colors using five inks on a single print run. Create stunning dimensional effects and gradients that bolster added excitement not found in traditional process color labels. A little shimmer and shine is sure to get your product noticed.

On a shelf full of standard shaped labels, achieve an instant impression with a uniquely shaped label. Our freeform™ laser cut labels allow you to create attention-grabbing, custom shaped labels without the custom die or setup charges! And with low minimums and quick turnaround times, we make it fast and effortless to be unique.

Like the idea of disrupting the shelf, but want to take it a step further? Try Limitless Unique Labels! Create one-of-a-kind labels that offer individual customer experiences. Our software crops, scales and rotates a single art file to create randomized outputs – leaving your product with a 100% uniquely custom label every time.

With a combination of stocks, adhesives, sizes and process options, we’ll find the right label solution for your product!

  • Digital & Flexographic printing
  • Foil stamp & embossing
  • freeform™, Color-Logic™ & Limitless Unique Labels
  • Liner side & adhesive side printing
  • Variable data, consecutive numbering & barcoding
  • UV & moisture resistant varnishes
  • Gloss & matte laminations

Give our label experts a call today at 800.522.3558 or visit www.labelworks.com to learn more and order online.

Want to Start 2020 on the Right Foot? Take a Look Back at the Best of Years Past

Sometimes the best way to make the New Year a success is to take the best lessons from the past. With that in mind, we’re celebrating the last quarter of the year by highlighting some of our favorite articles from past Insiders. We hope this will let you start the New Year right.

What’s in store for you? In October, we’ll be showing off articles from 2016. November will be looking back at the best of 2017. December will feature the favorites from 2018. Be sure to sign up for the Navitor newsletter to stay up to date, and keep an eye on your inbox to get weekly reminders of these favorite articles alongside new ideas, new product announcements, and more!

To get the ball rolling, we’d love to hear if you have any favorites! Let us know in the comments below.