So you've read what lamination is...(if not, read here). Isn't that the same as Encapsulation? Well the simple answer is... not really.
Showing posts with label Blue Star Print Solutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blue Star Print Solutions. Show all posts
Friday, 6 April 2012
Folding & Creasing
There are so many different ways your print can be folded.
The most common folds are shown below.
Paper of around 170gsm and above should be creased before it's folded, this is to prevent it from 'cracking' down the fold. This involves scoring the paper before it is folded. Creasing can be done in a few ways - the most common is on a folding machine that creases just prior to folding this allows for a faster turnaround as it's reducing the amount of offline processes. The alternate way is to run it on a separate machine that presses the same score line into the paper.
Cracking occurs when coated paper is folded - it can sometimes purely be aesthetic but at the same time can also lead to a total failure along the fold. Cracking is made worse by heavy coverage of ink across the fold.
The most common folds are shown below.
Paper of around 170gsm and above should be creased before it's folded, this is to prevent it from 'cracking' down the fold. This involves scoring the paper before it is folded. Creasing can be done in a few ways - the most common is on a folding machine that creases just prior to folding this allows for a faster turnaround as it's reducing the amount of offline processes. The alternate way is to run it on a separate machine that presses the same score line into the paper.
Cracking occurs when coated paper is folded - it can sometimes purely be aesthetic but at the same time can also lead to a total failure along the fold. Cracking is made worse by heavy coverage of ink across the fold.
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| Most Common Folds |
Monday, 2 April 2012
Registration
So just a quick post today on what the term Registration means in the world of print.
Registration in its simplest form is the method of correlating overlapping colours on a single image. When printing an image with more than one colour (depending on the method of printing) each colour is placed onto the sheet at separate points. To make sure each of these colours are applied in exactly the right spot we use a method of alignment to keep consistent registration.
If you take a look at a press sheet - you'll notice various markings on them that won't necessarily on your artwork.
Registration in its simplest form is the method of correlating overlapping colours on a single image. When printing an image with more than one colour (depending on the method of printing) each colour is placed onto the sheet at separate points. To make sure each of these colours are applied in exactly the right spot we use a method of alignment to keep consistent registration.
If you take a look at a press sheet - you'll notice various markings on them that won't necessarily on your artwork.
You may wonder how we're able to measure alignment from one colour? - Well Registration as well as being a method of checking alignment of colours - is actually what we call the above colour which is actually made up of 100% of each of the colours (CMYK). From this - you'll see any slight movement between any of the printing plates.
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
What IS all the difference between prices...?
So you've been searching for the best quote you can find (naughty naughty, you shouldn't be doing this... read here why!). You've got all these prices in from different printers and wondered why they're so varied...!
Monday, 26 March 2012
Do YOU do cheap?...
... It still surprises me that 'cheap' is a term most businesses aspire to when they describe themselves.
Friday, 23 March 2012
Socialising
Are you socialising in business yet? How about your tweeting or posting to Facebook? What about videos...?
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Customer Spotlight - Jo Blackwell Photography
This month we're taking a look at Jo Blackwell Photography.
Based in Northampton, Jo Blackwell is a storyteller. If you will allow her at some stage it would be an honour for her to tell your story in beautiful, contemporary portraiture and fun, candid imagery that can be cherished for generations. Whether it's Weddings, Children or Family or Portraits (personal or business) - they're there to help.
You can visit jo on her website www.joblackwell.co.uk
Based in Northampton, Jo Blackwell is a storyteller. If you will allow her at some stage it would be an honour for her to tell your story in beautiful, contemporary portraiture and fun, candid imagery that can be cherished for generations. Whether it's Weddings, Children or Family or Portraits (personal or business) - they're there to help.
You can visit jo on her website www.joblackwell.co.uk
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| Jo Blackwell |
Monday, 19 March 2012
Resolution
This one always seems to have the last thought when producing print. It's most likely down to the computers we work on as to why it's sometimes forgetton. Resolution is a very important part of printing and without a hi res image or text sometimes your item will look pixelated or fuzzy.
Friday, 16 March 2012
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Colour me Good!
Colours are extremely important when you're thinking of designing your printed items. Here we'll look at a few colours.. what they mean and help you choose what's best for you.
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Print Management vs Print Companies
While it’s often the case in business that you want to cut out the middle man where you can, it just isn’t the case when you have a lot of expensive machinery that needs to be running constantly!
A print management firm will work out deals with a range of suppliers work inside profit margins on individual sales in return for a guaranteed stream of income. Rather than having to spend on expanding their sales teams, commercial printers make the calculation that it’s more cost effective to sell their products for less in exchange for the sheer volume of business that a print management firm will generate for them
When a client approaches us with a a quote request we analyse the item & contact the best fit suppliers which suit the job. Any one supplier we contact will know that we’ve put the exact same request to a number of their competitors, but they won’t have any idea who, or how much they’re going to quote. In order to guarantee their income stream, therefore, it’s in their interest to offer the best price they possibly can.
The majority of printers know that print management businesses will keep their presses in operation even if they don’t have time to seek the business themselves, clients & customers know that a print management business will take the hassle out of ordering, and that they’ll be able to offer a better price for the same product. Is this sounding ok?
So why does it makes sense to use a print management business?
A print management business makes sure that you’re getting the most out of your resources - they'll ask you questions about what you're printing and why.
So why does it makes sense to use a print management business?
A print management business makes sure that you’re getting the most out of your resources - they'll ask you questions about what you're printing and why.
Hell... it's convenient
Tap into the expertise of people who handle print for a living & avoid disappointment. We're here to advise, that's 95% of our work day - the 5% is the actual order of print.
Tap into the expertise of people who handle print for a living & avoid disappointment. We're here to advise, that's 95% of our work day - the 5% is the actual order of print.
The Bottom Line
Use our purchasing power and experience to reduce your bottom line & get the most out of your resources
A print management firm will work out deals with a range of suppliers work inside profit margins on individual sales in return for a guaranteed stream of income. Rather than having to spend on expanding their sales teams, commercial printers make the calculation that it’s more cost effective to sell their products for less in exchange for the sheer volume of business that a print management firm will generate for them
When a client approaches us with a a quote request we analyse the item & contact the best fit suppliers which suit the job. Any one supplier we contact will know that we’ve put the exact same request to a number of their competitors, but they won’t have any idea who, or how much they’re going to quote. In order to guarantee their income stream, therefore, it’s in their interest to offer the best price they possibly can.
A client’s view
As of March 13th 2012 a google search for ‘online printer’ threw up this information:
As of March 13th 2012 a google search for ‘online printer’ threw up this information:
It might have taken Google less than half a second to find them all, but how long is it going to take for you to find the best printer for you? A print management company like Blue Star Print Solutions has done all the research already – we know who can be relied upon to keep their promises on turnaround and most importantly quality. On the other side of it - we know who not to use!
Our company exists purely to get the best deal possible for our clients, with a focus on customer service and making the printing process as easy, and as stressfree as possible. We focus on these things because happy customers who receive high-quality products for a reasonable price are more likely to use our services again in the future. Our suppliers specialise in keeping a printing press running, we specialise in building client relationships & finding the best solutions for their printing needs.
Convenience
When all’s said and done.
You wouldn’t use a hammer to drive a screw, and you wouldn’t MOT your car yourself. Your printing is no different – if you use the right tool for the job you’ll get better results, for a better price, with less hassle. Blue Star Print Solutions is that tool. If you want to get the job done, correctly get in touch.
Convenience
When all’s said and done.
You wouldn’t use a hammer to drive a screw, and you wouldn’t MOT your car yourself. Your printing is no different – if you use the right tool for the job you’ll get better results, for a better price, with less hassle. Blue Star Print Solutions is that tool. If you want to get the job done, correctly get in touch.
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| Think of us as your helping hand |
Monday, 12 March 2012
Such a Creep...
... If the title had you wondering, then don't worry - this Blog post is all about a print term called 'creep' or push out or shingling or even feathering.
If you're not sure what creep is then i'll try and explain that first. Imaging you're printing a stitched brochure - a reasonable amount of pages and can be any size. Now this part you can do on your own. Grab a handful of paper (i'd say over 20 sheets so it's exaggerated), now just bend them in half like you're about to fold them... do you see the movement of the middle pages..? They all start to extend past the first piece of paper to the thickness of all the sheets you have.. That's creep.
Now imagine you have artwork on all those sheets that have been set up with the same guides as the first sheet! You'll end up having parts of the artwork chopped off. This doesn't really happen until you're at least 48 pages in on around 100gsm paper. There are various ways to prepare for creep - printers can have automated processes involved in their prepress to crop for the page creep or you can adjust the pages yourself. It's always best for this to be accounted for at the design stage so that everything is within your control. If you're creating a brochure and you're not sure about creep - then always ask for a paper dummy from your printer - this will be an exact reproduction of your final brochure and you'll be able to account for the amount of creep needed per page.
If you're not sure what creep is then i'll try and explain that first. Imaging you're printing a stitched brochure - a reasonable amount of pages and can be any size. Now this part you can do on your own. Grab a handful of paper (i'd say over 20 sheets so it's exaggerated), now just bend them in half like you're about to fold them... do you see the movement of the middle pages..? They all start to extend past the first piece of paper to the thickness of all the sheets you have.. That's creep.
Now imagine you have artwork on all those sheets that have been set up with the same guides as the first sheet! You'll end up having parts of the artwork chopped off. This doesn't really happen until you're at least 48 pages in on around 100gsm paper. There are various ways to prepare for creep - printers can have automated processes involved in their prepress to crop for the page creep or you can adjust the pages yourself. It's always best for this to be accounted for at the design stage so that everything is within your control. If you're creating a brochure and you're not sure about creep - then always ask for a paper dummy from your printer - this will be an exact reproduction of your final brochure and you'll be able to account for the amount of creep needed per page.
Friday, 9 March 2012
The BIGGEST revelation in print...
it's not just ink on paper... that certainly got your attention didn't it?
Well it should. I wanted to talk today about the huge separation that exists these days around print. You'll notice I use the generic term 'print' there, I could say Business Card or Brochure but lets face it - there's no real difference - it's all print right? WRONG!
If we're going to start bringing value back into our printed material and inevitably our businesses we need to realise that the items we're procuring are not just ink on paper. You're not just buying the cheapest and quickest piece of paper that you can get your hands on purely because it's the cheapest... are you?
Think about it the other way round - if money wasn't an issue and you had to choose the same final result... would you still have the same cheapest item produced - or would you look closely at the quality, at the production method and the way your message (the ink) gets placed onto that fine material you've chosen (the paper)...
Let me put it this way, when you have a business card produced - you're not just creating a bit of card that you think everyone in business needs to have. You're creating a contact, an avenue of communication, an image for yourself and your business in the absence of your real self - should this really be the cheapest item you can get your hands on - or something that will represent you and your business the way it should be, with quality.
We place that same onus on each item you need printing. Nowadays there are so many various presses out there that can in the simplest sense - lay ink on paper, that the majority of businesses are becoming blinded by price and ignoring quality. Something that, as a lot of people in the print industry will know, has led many companies to have to close its doors.
When you can sit down and positively, hand on heart shout - "I know I'm buying more than just print" - you'll be unstoppable. You're not buying a business card - you're buying communication... You're not buying letterheads - you're buying a relationship... You're not buying a brochure - you're offering an insight into your company...
I can safely say we're not just ink on paper, we have a passion for quality
Well it should. I wanted to talk today about the huge separation that exists these days around print. You'll notice I use the generic term 'print' there, I could say Business Card or Brochure but lets face it - there's no real difference - it's all print right? WRONG!
If we're going to start bringing value back into our printed material and inevitably our businesses we need to realise that the items we're procuring are not just ink on paper. You're not just buying the cheapest and quickest piece of paper that you can get your hands on purely because it's the cheapest... are you?
Think about it the other way round - if money wasn't an issue and you had to choose the same final result... would you still have the same cheapest item produced - or would you look closely at the quality, at the production method and the way your message (the ink) gets placed onto that fine material you've chosen (the paper)...
Let me put it this way, when you have a business card produced - you're not just creating a bit of card that you think everyone in business needs to have. You're creating a contact, an avenue of communication, an image for yourself and your business in the absence of your real self - should this really be the cheapest item you can get your hands on - or something that will represent you and your business the way it should be, with quality.
We place that same onus on each item you need printing. Nowadays there are so many various presses out there that can in the simplest sense - lay ink on paper, that the majority of businesses are becoming blinded by price and ignoring quality. Something that, as a lot of people in the print industry will know, has led many companies to have to close its doors.
When you can sit down and positively, hand on heart shout - "I know I'm buying more than just print" - you'll be unstoppable. You're not buying a business card - you're buying communication... You're not buying letterheads - you're buying a relationship... You're not buying a brochure - you're offering an insight into your company...
I can safely say we're not just ink on paper, we have a passion for quality
Thursday, 8 March 2012
QR Codes - Quick Overview
• QR Code stands for Quick Response Code, it's intended to allow it's contents to be decoded at high speed.
• A QR code is a matrix code (or 2 dimensional bard code) created by Japanese corporation Denso Wave in 1994.
• The use of the QR code is free of any licence, clearly defined and published as an ISO standard.
• Back in 2010 QR codes were more common in Japan, and were the most popular type of two dimensional codes. This was largely driven by the fact that most japanses mobile phones can read this code with their mobile phones. Luckily this is now pretty standard with UK smartphones.
• So what can you do with a QR code? Well it's not only restricted to URL's or PURLS.. you can send an email - create a text message or as a contact card.
• If you want to start using QR codes - it couldn't be easier. Search for a simple QR Code generator and get creating. If you need help - we'll always be here to help where we can.
This space is left for the first person to comment on how they've started using QR codes in their material - and how it's helped them. You'll get the choice of your website or twitter QR code to display here. Just leave which one you want with your comment.
• A QR code is a matrix code (or 2 dimensional bard code) created by Japanese corporation Denso Wave in 1994.
• The use of the QR code is free of any licence, clearly defined and published as an ISO standard.
• Back in 2010 QR codes were more common in Japan, and were the most popular type of two dimensional codes. This was largely driven by the fact that most japanses mobile phones can read this code with their mobile phones. Luckily this is now pretty standard with UK smartphones.
• So what can you do with a QR code? Well it's not only restricted to URL's or PURLS.. you can send an email - create a text message or as a contact card.
• If you want to start using QR codes - it couldn't be easier. Search for a simple QR Code generator and get creating. If you need help - we'll always be here to help where we can.
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| Get your camera around this... |
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| ...how about this... |
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| ...or this! |
This space is left for the first person to comment on how they've started using QR codes in their material - and how it's helped them. You'll get the choice of your website or twitter QR code to display here. Just leave which one you want with your comment.
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Paper Weights
So you've probably come across the term, GSM before. If you're ordering print of any kind. Whether that's business cards, brochures, posters or flyers you'll have already used the term, maybe without knowing it!
GSM means Grams per Square Metre. Basically it's the measurement of the weight of paper. This means we can be a little more precise when we speak in terms of thick, thin or firm, flimsy!
It also allows us to mark against your item a specific measurement of what your item is printed on. Allowing for easier reprints exactly as we did them previously.
So if you're new to this term - how can we make it a little more relative... well have a look below at the normal items and their standard paper weights.
• 400gsm - This is the weight of a premium business card. Not to be confused with some online printers that provide only around 280gsm card.
• 350gsm - A standard for Bar or Club Flyers. Needed for standing up to a night out.
• 180gsm - 250gsm - Imagine a Magazine Cover with this weight of paper.
• 130gsm - 170gsm - The majority of posters are printed using this paper.
• 90gsm - Majority of magazine text pages are using this.
• 35gsm - 55gsm - Newspaper paper weight
Hopefully that will give you some idea as to paper weights and what these numbers mean the next time you see them on your screen or in a print spec.
Remember we're always here to help you if you do have a query regarding paper stock. So just give us a call or drop us an email.
GSM means Grams per Square Metre. Basically it's the measurement of the weight of paper. This means we can be a little more precise when we speak in terms of thick, thin or firm, flimsy!
It also allows us to mark against your item a specific measurement of what your item is printed on. Allowing for easier reprints exactly as we did them previously.
So if you're new to this term - how can we make it a little more relative... well have a look below at the normal items and their standard paper weights.
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| Paper Weights explained |
• 350gsm - A standard for Bar or Club Flyers. Needed for standing up to a night out.
• 180gsm - 250gsm - Imagine a Magazine Cover with this weight of paper.
• 130gsm - 170gsm - The majority of posters are printed using this paper.
• 90gsm - Majority of magazine text pages are using this.
• 35gsm - 55gsm - Newspaper paper weight
Hopefully that will give you some idea as to paper weights and what these numbers mean the next time you see them on your screen or in a print spec.
Remember we're always here to help you if you do have a query regarding paper stock. So just give us a call or drop us an email.
Monday, 5 March 2012
Full Colour Printing (CMYK)
You may be surprised to find out that when any photos or pictures are printed they're printed out of 4 inks. CMYK.
C for Cyan
M for Magenta
Y for Yellow
K for Key or Black
CMYK is the standard print terms for professional print, most of the time it's referred to just as four colour process.By overlaying each of these colours you can create a wide range of colours
If you really want to get into the science of it, feel free to click here.
C for Cyan
M for Magenta
Y for Yellow
K for Key or Black
If you really want to get into the science of it, feel free to click here.Thursday, 1 March 2012
Fancy a trim?
Trimming is the process of cutting a document down to its finished size.
Commerical printing presses cannot print to the very edge of a sheet of paper so in order to achieve this effect, your design is usually printed onto a larger piece of paper. The excess unprinted border is trimmed off after printing using a guillotine.
If you are creating artwork for print, you will need to add an area of bleed to your design which is the part that's trimmed. If you're not sure what bleed is, take a look at our article 'What is Bleed?' for more information.
Commerical printing presses cannot print to the very edge of a sheet of paper so in order to achieve this effect, your design is usually printed onto a larger piece of paper. The excess unprinted border is trimmed off after printing using a guillotine.
If you are creating artwork for print, you will need to add an area of bleed to your design which is the part that's trimmed. If you're not sure what bleed is, take a look at our article 'What is Bleed?' for more information.
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| A guillotine operator at work |
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Lamination
Laminate is a very thin sheet of clear plastic which can be applied to one or both sides of a sheet of paper. It provides protection from handling and prevents ink from smudging or coming off on the hands (this does not apply to most digital printing which use a dry ink toner). Lamination is commonly used on the outer covers of premium brochures, corporate folders & premium business cards.
Lamination is also a great way to bring out either texture printing or Spot UV.
Lamination is also a great way to bring out either texture printing or Spot UV.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
What Does Your Business Card Say About You?
I want each of you now to reach into your back pocket - or your bag and pull out your business card.
Take a look at it as if you were handed this at an event by someone else. What are your immediate thoughts? What does it say about you, not just in the text - but in the design and the quality?
If you're not sure - follow this step by step thought process.
• Whats the paper it's printed on like? is it thick - does it feel premium, or does it feel a little flimsy and cheap? is it protected with a laminate?
• Whats the print like? Are the colours sharp and crisp? or is the line up of colours (registration) off? Has it been printed off on a home printer?
• Now what does it say? Has it got your attention or it a little hard to read?
• What about the design - does it look personal to the company or is it a generic template? Does it look professionally designed?
• Now how about the size, is it within the standard (85mm x 55mm) or is it slim and long or too big to fit into anyones business card holders?
• This one often gets over looked - are the details all professional? i.e. The address isn't a PO Box, there's no sign of a gmail or hotmail address anywhere? It's so easy nowadays to set up a domain and email address that no-one should be using these for business anymore.
All these items may seem a little bit detailed and over the top - but I guarantee you, you'll make these observations in seconds when looking at someones card AND you'll make judgements about their business.
The same can be said for yours. The next time you hand yours out to a potential client - they will be judging your business based on this. This is (most of the time) the first & lasting piece of business marketing that stays with a client when you've gone home - YOU NEED to make it stick.
• What about the design - does it look personal to the company or is it a generic template? Does it look professionally designed?
• Now how about the size, is it within the standard (85mm x 55mm) or is it slim and long or too big to fit into anyones business card holders?
• This one often gets over looked - are the details all professional? i.e. The address isn't a PO Box, there's no sign of a gmail or hotmail address anywhere? It's so easy nowadays to set up a domain and email address that no-one should be using these for business anymore.
All these items may seem a little bit detailed and over the top - but I guarantee you, you'll make these observations in seconds when looking at someones card AND you'll make judgements about their business.
The same can be said for yours. The next time you hand yours out to a potential client - they will be judging your business based on this. This is (most of the time) the first & lasting piece of business marketing that stays with a client when you've gone home - YOU NEED to make it stick.
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| What Does Your Business Card Say About You? |
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Customer Spotlight - Fong Spa
This month we're taking a look at Fong Day Spa in Northampton. Owned and run by Yin Jeune, Fong Spa is a haven of retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Your health and wellbeing is at the heart of Fong Spa and their aim is to ensure every client always feels welcome and special.
Fong has two lifestyle solutions, Fong Beauty and Fong Spa.
They strive to provide a friendly, personal and professional service with highly trained therapists, whether you are visiting for a quick eyebrow wax or a full day spa package. They even have some great packages suitable for men as well.
Yin wants you to leave Fong Spa feeling relaxed, refreshed and revitalized! If you'd like to find out more about Fong Spa check out their website www.fongspa.com.
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