Bring Colorful Stocks and Substrates to Your Customer’s Print This Spring

Posted on February 28, 2019 Written by

yellow green business cards ASTROBRIGHTS stock colorful printWhether things are still snowy in your area or it’s already a warm day, spring is a great time for your customers to embrace color in their print order. Vibrant color can help bring eyecatching style to print for upcoming events, capture attention for spring sales, and might even be something that becomes a favorite for year-round use. And while every print piece is a chance to print a colorful image, colorful stocks are another great way to bring vibrant color to their upcoming print orders. Here are just a few of the products that allow your customer to embrace colorful stocks and substrates.

Business Cards
In the past few years, we’ve introduced a number of ways to bring color to add vibrant color to business cards using stock choice, and these stocks are a great way to bring an extra pop of color to your customer’s spring print orders. Consider using color core stock that coordinates with their logo to create a substantial business card for important upcoming business meetings, and vibrant ASTROBRIGHTS® papers are a good choice for business cards with allover color. Speaking of these vibrant stocks…

Announcements and Postcards
A lot of the stocks we’ve introduced to our business card selection have also joined the stock selection for announcements and postcards. ASTROBRIGHTS® stocks make for eyecatching postcards, and that makes these postcards a great fit for attention-grabbing promotions for spring sales. Color core stock, on the other hand, has a subtler look that can add a touch of unexpected charm to postcards and announcements.

Badges and Signage
Does your customer love the classic look of engraved badges and signage? They should consider using a colorful stock! Because engraving gives your customer a wide variety of stock options, it’s easy for your customer to choose a stock color that appeals to them.

Promotional Products
When your customer is preparing for an upcoming tradeshow or other event where they will connect with prospective customers, promotional products are a great addition to their print order—and those promotional products are yet another chance to add color! Most promotional products, from pens and pencils to bags and water bottles, are available in a wide variety of vibrant colors.

Do your customers love colored stocks and substrates? We’d love to hear more about the colorful print options they love in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Design, News, Print Products, Promotional Products, Resources, Stationery

Which Informational Print Piece is Right For Your Customer?

Posted on February 27, 2019 Written by

Your customer’s spring and summer events are coming fast, and it’s time for them to prepare the print that they need to run tradeshow booths, mailing campaigns, and more. Your customer’s informational pieces—whether brochures, sales sheets, or postcards—need to be ready, and making their information more impactful starts with choosing the right product. Here are just a few of the questions you can ask to learn which informational print piece is best suited to your customer’s need.

How Much Information Do They Have?
The most important thing to consider is the amount of information that your customer wants to share. They might want to create an in-depth list of services available at their business, or they might want to illustrate only the must-know information about a new product. Knowing how much information they will need to include is a good way to narrow their options.

If your customer has a lot of information to share or wants to go into detail about a concept, then they’ll need enough space to let that information breathe. Brochures and sales sheets are a great choice, as are oversized postcards.

On the other hand, if your customer wants to focus on high-level information, a smaller print piece might be a better fit. Postcards, rack cards, and door hangers are a good option for these uses because they offer the same full color style but provide a more compact canvas for your customer’s information.

How Will It Be Distributed?
Once your customer knows what size their piece will need to be, they should consider how they will be distributing this information.

If your customer is going to be handing out the informational pieces in person, they have a lot of flexibility in their options. For settings where they will be handing out a large number of informational pieces—for example, if they want to create a piece for each product—they might want to focus on brochures or rack cards that will be easier to keep organized. If they want one big, splashy print piece, then a sales sheet will make a big impact at tables or booths.

If your customer intends to mail their informational piece, on the other hand, they want to consider how well each piece will mail. A postcard—whether traditionally-sized or oversized—is a great choice that is ready-made for mailing, but pieces like rack cards and trifold brochures are also a great choice because they are well-sized for mailing envelopes.

Do They Want to Get Creative?
We’ve focused mostly on traditional informational pieces, but there are creative options, too! When your customer wants to branch out from these more traditional pieces, there are a number of options they can consider. Magnets are available in a wide variety of different sizes and make a creative alternative to rack cards and sales sheets. For pocket sized informational pieces, consider business cards or trading cards. Door hangers, bookmarks, and announcements are other creative options.

Which informational print pieces do your customers love most? We’d love to see your suggestions in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News, Print Products, Resources, Stationery

What’s New at Navitor Specialty Products? Acrylic Signs!

Posted on February 21, 2019 Written by

In our efforts to bring you a wider variety of products, we’re pleased to announce that acrylic signs are joining the signs and badges offering from Navitor Specialty Products (NSP). And not only is acrylic stock a sleek and fresh way to update your customer’s full color signage, it’s available in six different products!

Why Acrylic?
Our new acrylic stock is a great fit for customers looking for an upscale feel and modern design touches. The clear acrylic is printed in full color on the back of the sign, with the clear stock between the print and the viewer adding depth and shine. It’s a contemporary look that brings full color print to your customers in a whole new way.

Freestanding Signage with Modern Appeal
Is your customer looking for a sleek sign that will add an upscale feel to tabletops, desktops, and more? Full color acrylic desk table tents and pedestal signs are freestanding options that are a great way to display office hours at the front desk, employee names on desktops, instructions for when a lobby is unattended, and much more.

A Touch of Metal with Steel Standoffs
While many of our acrylic sign options are freestanding, full color acrylic desk signs, wall art, and wall signs feature an added sleek detail: stainless steel standoffs. These steel standoffs add a touch of silver tone metal to your customer’s signage and add a subtle, modern framing touch to employee names, company logos, photographs, and the wide variety of other full color designs your customer might create.

Get Coordinated with Badges
Does your customer love the look of these new acrylic signs? They can even add acrylic stocks to their uniform with clear acrylic badges. They’re a great way to add a modern touch to any name badge order, and they’re even better when designed to coordinate with other acrylic signage for a polished and professional look.

Want to learn more? you can check out these new sign and badge options in the new product supplement from Navitor Specialty Products (NSP).

What do you think of these new signage options? We’d love to see your response in the comments below.

Filed Under: News, Print Products

Quiz: Pens, Pencils, and Promotions By The Numbers

Posted on February 14, 2019 Written by

personalized custom promotional pens pencils full color metal lightTake a look at your desktop. If it’s anything like mine, you probably have a cup full of pens, pencils, and markers at the ready for taking notes, signing forms, and more. And chances are that at least some of your pens or pencils will be branded promotional pieces. Your customers might be interested to know just how effective pens and pencils can be at promoting their business.

So, do you know the numbers behind promotional pens and pencils? Take this quiz to find out.

1. Writing utensils like pens and pencils are some of the most effective promotional products around. How many times are pens used every day?
A) 3 to 4 times per day.
B) 1 to 2 times per day.
C) 11 to 12 times per day.
D) 6 to 7 times per day.

2. While writing utensils are lower in cost than many other promotional products, they still have a big presence in the market. Writing utensils make up about how much of promotional products?
A) 5.67%
B) 6.67%
C) 7.67%
D) 8.67%

3. There’s one region of the United States that owns more logoed pens than the average U.S. citizen. Which one?
A) The South
B) The Southwest
C) The East
D) The Midwest

4. Let’s get into demographics. According to a study conducted in the southeastern portion of the United States, who are more likely to own a logoed pen?
A) Democrats
B) Republicans

5. Speaking of demographics, do men or women own more logoed pens?
A) Men
B) Women

6. Of course, the promotional products market is all about value, and that’s about being seen. How much does each impression or viewing of a promotional product cost the company it promotes?
A) 1/20 of a cent
B) 1/10 of a cent
C) 1/5 of a cent
D) 1 cent

7. Let’s go international for the last question! Which of these cities has the highest consumer response to promotional pens?
A) Berlin
B) Mexico City
C) Paris
D) London

ANSWERS:
1) A. Logoed pens are used an average of 3 to 4 times per day throughout their lifetime.
2) C. According to PPAI, pens and pencils amounted to 7.67% of promotional product sales in 2017.
3) D. According to ASI, 68% of consumers in the Midwest own a logoed pen.
4) A. Democrats are more likely to own a logoed pen, with 74% of them owning these pens when compared to 65% of Republicans.
5) B. More women than men own logoed pens in the United States, though the gap is smaller than it was between political parties. 58% of women own logoed pens compared to 54% of men.
6) B. The cost per impression in the United States is less than 1/10 of a cent—that’s a lot of views per penny!
7) D. ASI says that 56% of people in London had received promotional pens in the last 12 months and rated them highly.

How did you do? Did you learn something new about pens and pencils? We’d love to hear about your score in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Misc, News, Print Products, Promotional Products

Rising Demand for More Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Labels

Posted on February 13, 2019 Written by

Every year, the world produces 1.3 billion tons of waste. That’s a staggering amount, especially when you consider that from 2017-2018, the world produced 745.8 million tons of wheat and 479.8 million tons of rice. As a planet, we produce more garbage than we do wheat and rice combined. Holy landfill! By the year 2100, projections indicate yearly waste generation could reach 4 billion tons. That’s enough garbage to fill Busch Stadium from top to bottom four times a day. It makes one wonder if we won’t be living in space by then to escape all the garbage!

To put things bluntly, we have a garbage crisis on our hands here on the blue and green planet. And every small piece of refuse adds to the landfill plight. Recycling and reduction in waste have become paramount. Sustainability of the planet depends upon coming up with innovative ways to reduce the amount of garbage being sent to landfills. Labels are no exception to this endeavor. Consider the vast number of labels on bottles, cans, boxes, and other disposable products. Label backers contribute to the landfill problem, as does material waste from the creation of label stock. Are we destined to become one large landfill divided by ocean water?

Luckily, there are a growing number of green options today for labels and packaging. All of these options help reduce the impact on our planet, while helping boost sustainability. The job of protecting our planet doesn’t fall squarely on the shoulders of environmentalists. Consumers are looking for options that are eco-friendly and promote sustainability. Curious about label options for eco-conscious companies? Read on.

First, it’s important to consider where the packaging and labels will ultimately end up. Landfills? Compost bins? Recycled? Different stocks and/or adhesives can be chosen depending on the ultimate destination of the packaging and label. For biodegradable packaging, it only makes sense to select a biodegradable label as well. Compostable adhesive labels work well on packaging that is certified compostable. One toss into the compost bin – label and all! These types of labels are becoming more prevalent as the interest in composting rises and the tide slowly turns from single-use plastics.

Earth-minded companies that are committed to using packaging that is recycled are often interested in labels that are the same. Recyclable adhesive labels can be recycled right along with the packaging, and do not have to be removed. This cuts cost, work, and helps drive home branding messages that speak of commitment to recycling.

Newer practices in production allow labels to be created using a reduced amount of materials. Again this help cut waste, which reduces the manufacturing impact on the environment.

At Label Works, we’re committed to broadening our eco-friendly and sustainable label and adhesive options. This includes choosing stocks that come from well-managed forests. This provides environmental, social, and economic benefits. And this doesn’t mean just one or two options. These stocks are all FSC® certified stocks that are smartly sourced with our planet in mind:

  • White Gloss
  • White EDP
  • White Matte Removable
  • White Laser
  • White Laser Removable
  • Direct Thermal
  • White Semi-Gloss
  • 100% Recycled – Produced with 100% Post-Consumer Waste
  • 30% Recycled Semi-Gloss – Produced with 30% Post-Consumer Waste

We also have recycling-compatible adhesives on stocks:

  • 100% Recycled – Meets the TLMI testing protocol RCA LRP 2v5 for recycling compatibility

Offering sustainable label options isn’t where we stop, however. At Label Works, we recycle all cardboard, paper, plastics, and liner waste facility-wide. Our liner waste is shipped to a recycling facility where it is shredded and then burned as fuel at a local facility rather than taking up permanent residence in a landfill.

Want to learn more about ways in which labels have evolved to become more earth-friendly? Contact Label Works to discuss label options that are eco-conscious, while being as impactful as ever.

SOURCES:

Production of Wheat

Production of Husked Rice

Filed Under: Education, Labels, News, Print Products

5 Print Products Perfect for Retail Locations

Posted on February 8, 2019 Written by

It can be easy to think of a storefront in terms of larger print pieces like signage, but signage is really only the beginning of the print possibilities! If your customer works in the retail sphere, they might be missing opportunities to reinforce their brand in smaller ways. Here are five of our favorite print products that are perfect for retail locations.

1. Pens and Pencils
From signing receipts to taking notes, writing utensils will be used a lot at your customer’s retail location, and having a personalized pen or pencil on hand is a great chance to add another touch of brand recognition to customer interactions. Not only are pens and pencils a good addition to the checkout process, they double as great giveaway items when your customer wants to promote their business.

2. Name Badges
Is your customer looking for a way to bring their branding to every customer interaction? Name badges are a good addition to their print order. Not only can name badges be created to match their branding, signage, and more, but they are a good way to bring branding to the table when employees don’t wear uniforms.

3. Plastic Bags
If your customer is looking for a way to add polish to their retail location, there’s nothing better than a personalized printed bag. These bags are a great way to bring your customer’s brand to every purchase. And with full color plastic bags back in our product offering, your customer has even more versatile print options for their personalized bags.

4. Reusable Bags
If your customer wants to encourage their clients to be more ecofriendly, reusable bags are an increasingly popular option that they might want to consider. With a wide variety of tote sizes available, your customer can choose the size that best matches their product selection. Then they can give these bags to top customers or use them to promote their business in the community.

5. Business Cards
Your customer might not immediately think of business cards when they are ordering print for their retail location, but with a little bit of creativity they will find that business cards are a very versatile print piece. They can, of course, leave business cards near their checkout to encourage repeat purchases or tuck a business card into the bag with purchases.

With creativity, your customers could create even more for their business. They could also use business cards to create a punchcard for a simple rewards program—simply choose a lightweight stock for the card and stamp or punch it at the point of purchase. For boutique settings, business cards could be an ideal product tag. For customers who want to make a big splash with big clients, business cards could be a great canvas for a colorful, high quality coupon or referral card. And if your customer works in a store that offers clothing fittings, business cards could be a good way to mark future fitting appointments.

What print products do your customers in retail love? We’d love to see your suggestions in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Education, Marketing, News, Print Products, Promotional Products, Stationery

How to Design a More Effective Brochure

Posted on February 6, 2019 Written by

Whether you design print pieces often or simply advise your customer as they create designs for their print pieces, making that design more effective is an essential part of ensuring that their print order shines. How can you help them design a more effective brochure? Here are our tips.

1. Know Your Folds
Trifold brochures are a classic for a reason, but there are a wide variety of other options that your customer should consider! They might prefer the simplicity of a half fold brochure, the unique look of an engineer fold, or the engaging look of a closed gatefold, or something else entirely. Each fold brings something different to your customer’s brochure, and the way that the piece is folded should be the foundation of any good brochure design.

2. Use Photos for Full Color Flair
From manufacturers looking to highlight the quality of their work to nonprofits looking to show the good that they do in communities, full color photographs are an ideal addition to brochures. Photographs help reinforce the text on the brochure and can be exciting, inspiring, and engaging all on their own.

And speaking of text…

3. Avoid Using Too Much Text
It can be easy to get too wordy on a brochure, but that might not be the most effective way to use text on a brochure. If your customer is creating a step-by-step guide with their brochure, they might want more in-depth text. However, if they are ordering a brochure to introduce new products or to give a preliminary guide to their business, keeping the text simple and short will work better.

Why is keeping it short a good idea? One of the biggest reasons is because it allows consumers to get the information they need at a glance. This will make it easier for your customer’s message to get across. It also makes it easier to keep the message clear—after all, when your customer has to focus in on just the most important information, there is less risk that their message will become muddled.

4. Use Headers
Whether you’re trying to create a compelling cover or guiding readers through the brochure itself, using a good title and headers for different sections can make a big impact. Not only do headers for sections of the brochure make it easy for readers to browse, they also help highlight your customer’s biggest points.

5. Include a Call to Action
What’s the next step? Does the person reading the brochure need to give your customer a call? Is your customer asking for a donation? Including a clear call to action to close out the brochure makes it easy to take that next step.

For more information about the brochure options that Navitor offers, check out our catalog or website.

What makes an effective brochure? Do you have any tips? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Design, News, Print Products, Stationery

Product Highlight: Full Color Plastic Bags are Back!

Posted on February 1, 2019 Written by

custom printed full color plastic bagsIf you haven’t sat down with your 2019 Navitor Catalog, you might not have noticed that one of your favorite products is back in our product offering. That’s right—full color plastic bags are back!

What You Need to Know
Full color plastic bags are available now through our catalog. Every bag features full color print on one side and a die cut handle. Your customer can choose from three different sizes of bag to create one that perfectly suits their need.

The Possibilities of Full Color
One of the best reasons to utilize full color is that it’s such a flexible print process. Does your customer want to highlight a product? Full color lets them personalize their bags with a photograph. Do they want to include a colorful logo? Full color print delivers. Are they looking for a way to match their event décor or create something eyecatching to celebrate a sale? Full color is versatile enough to do all that and more.

How Can Your Customers Use Full Color Bags?
Printed plastic bags are a great option if your customer is looking for a product designed for limited use, and this makes them a great way to highlight your customer’s brand as bags for purchases at their storefront. They are also great promotional pieces if your customer wants to connect to a wide audience at their next event—not only are they lightweight, but they are also a practical piece that will be carried throughout an exhibitor hall. That’s not all, though. Full color bags are a creative way to package raffle prizes at a charity event, informational packets for new homeowners, library reading program rewards, and much more.

Want to know more about full color plastic bags? You can check out our catalog for more information.

Are you excited about the return of full color plastic bags? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, News, Print Products, Promotional Products

4 Creative Uses for Trading Cards

Posted on January 25, 2019 Written by

When you think of trading cards, the first thing that you think of is probably sports teams, but that’s only the beginning. With a little creativity, a trading card can be a great canvas for a wide variety of different small-scale print pieces. And, thanks to full color print, the design possibilities are nearly endless. Here are four of our favorite creative uses for trading cards.

1. Employee Profiles
When your customer relies on their employees relationships with their clients, printing employee profiles is a creative way to build a personal connection. This could be a good, informal way to introduce police officers to kids in the neighborhood, real estate agents to future homeowners, or individual salespeople to potential customers. Because a trading card features full color print, it can include a photograph as well as important contact information.

2. Celebrating Educational Milestones
Whether in a classroom or in an afterschool group, celebrating milestones is a good way to motivate students. Trading cards could be a creative way to motivate and mark their progress! One example would be to create a series of trading cards that will be given after a student passes tests on their multiplication tables in math class. Another example would be creating one for each monthly meeting for a new organization.

Trading cards are an especially good choice for this because they are lightweight but pack a big, colorful punch. Full color print can make them kid-friendly and colorful, and they can also serve as a reminder of previous lessons so that students can keep up their learning momentum.

3. Miniature Informational Pieces
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and a well-chosen picture on a trading card could speak volumes about new products or services! With a photograph and a product description, they are a good fit for a preview of new products or a high-level summary of what a new product can do.

If your customer has a short season for their sports team, a trading card could also make an excellent pocket-sized game schedules. Simply use a team photo or mascot image for the front of the card and personalize the back with a miniature version of the season’s schedule.

4. Something Different for Tickets
Does your customer want to create a ticket for their next event that will double as a keepsake long after the doors have closed? One eye-catching option is a trading card. Printed with artwork from event posters or performers’ photos, trading cards could be a fun, creative ticket option for plays, concerts, sports events, fundraisers, and more.

Ready to get creative? Click here to get started with your online trading card order or visit the marketing materials section of our catalog for more information.

Do your customers order trading cards for their business? How do they get creative with these print pieces? We’d love to see your suggestions for creative uses in the comments below.

Filed Under: Design, News, Print Products, Promotional Products

Get to Know Stock Texture

Posted on January 23, 2019 Written by

linen laid wove glossy coated paper stock texture for business cards, letterhead, envelopesPrint has a lot of features that can be replicated on a digital screen, but one feature simply must be experienced in person: texture. Texture might be a nearly unphotographable element of your customer’s print order, but whether your customer is looking for a glossy finish or subtle elegance, stock texture is an essential part of their print pieces.

So, how can your customers use texture in their print orders?

Wove
Paper with a wove finish is one that has no specially manufactured texture, which results in a smooth stock good for everyday use. Wove is a low-key texture that lets other elements of your customer’s design take center stage.

Linen
Linen paper has a look and feel reminiscent of fine linen fabric. The texture of linen paper is a crosshatch pattern similar to the feel of woven fabric. This fabric-like texture is a great fit for customers looking to create a classic, elegant look for their print and to show off the quality of their business. Consider this stock for personal stationery, business letterhead, or even menus for restaurants looking to convey a sense of quality.

Laid
Laid is a finish that emulates the look of fine hand-crafted paper. This stock texture is made up of fine ribs known as “chain lines.” These lines are created using a wire cylinder called a “dandy roll” that presses the pattern into the paper during the manufacturing process. Like linen papers, laid papers have a classic appeal that are ideal for letterhead or other print pieces that your customers need to feel important or authoritative like reports, presentations, and official business communication.

Coated
Coated stock creates a smooth, often glossy texture. If your customers aren’t familiar with coated stock by name, they’re probably familiar with it due to its common usage in mailings, magazines, and other glossy print pieces. Not only does coating create a smooth texture, glossy coating also gives the color additional depth and adds a sleek shine that is a good fit for designs featuring photographs and for other marketing pieces.

Want to give your customers an even more up close and personal look at their options for stock textures? Be sure to have your swatch book on hand when they order. Not only will this be a great introduction to stock textures, but it also

How do your customers use different stock textures? We’d love to hear more about their favorites in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Design, Education, News, Print Products, Stationery
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