Unigraphics Limited

04/23/2013

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04/19/2012

Amazing how far paper production has come. Paper is really green now. Paper producers have Tree Farms just like farmers have Wheat farms. They grow it, mature it and then harvest it and replant.

What would you rather have more of... Tree Farms or Server Farms?

04/19/2012

Did you know that 63.4% of paper was recovered for recycling in 2009? That's pretty cool with all the paper out there!

03/29/2012

This kind of goes with the Preflight post below. This is a great online preflight tool to use as a second look at your files.

Is my file ok? That is the question... Fortunately, we can give you the answer! Technical requirements vary depending on project and printing technology. The process of verification is performed according to one of the most popular profiles for offset printing. Preflight report is not only the answe...

03/29/2012

Preflight Tip

Are you ready to print? Here are a few things you should check about your file before sending it in:

- Graphics are 300 dpi (or at least really close).
- Pages are rotated and scaled the way you want them to print.
- Image formats are EPS or TIFF (both better than JPG) and they are linked properly in the design program you are using.
- Spot colours are tagged as spot colours, not CMYK.
- Spelling has been checked. (Printers generally don't proof read. We print what we get unless we notice some error that really stands out).
- Remove any trapping.
- Transparency is flattened.
- You have bleeds (generally 1/8" inch).
- Fonts are embedded in the PDF (or at least zipped up with the native files being sent).
- There is no protection on your PDF.

Having these checks done can save you time and money when getting your job printed with any printer out there.

03/27/2012

Design Tip

When designing for our digital devices (Xerox 800, iGen3) do not convert your spot colours to CMYK. These machines have their own Pantone libraries and will convert the colours better if left as is. To do this, when exporting as a PDF from various programs, look for the colour option that says "Leave as is", "No Change" or "As is".

Since each printer has it's own calibrations and settings, it is always best to let the machine do the conversions for you.

03/26/2012

Design Tip

Make sure you use images that are at least close to 300 dpi or higher for print designs. Most of the images you grab off the web (google images) are only 72dpi and will not print very clean. Increasing the dpi in pohotoshop doesn't really help much either.

Clip art and stock photo sites often have print ready graphics you can buy. You can also use vector graphics for great quality and nice crisp lines and edges.

03/23/2012

Wow... never really thought the environmental impact of digital media like this before:

According to McAfee (Anti-virus/spam company), spam emails alone use 33 billion kilowatt hours (KWh) per year worldwide. That many KWh is enough to power 2.4 million homes and produces the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as 3.1 million cars.

This is from a paper vs. pixels article in the Graphic Arts magazine.

03/21/2012

10 reasons to Print: #10

Print is everywhere.

Print has been in present in our lives since the day we were born. It has been newspapers, mail, greeting cards, posters, billboards, menus and more.

This means that we are all comfortable with print. It is familiar. It is accepted. The is no more accepted form of media out there. Some people love digital communications, but others hate it or don't understand it. Some like TV and radio broadcasts, others ignore those channels with PVRs or satellite radio. Print on the other hand, is used by all.

03/20/2012

10 Reasons to Print: #9

Print is personal.

We are not just talking a direct mailer with your name and address on it. Print can be much more personal than that. It all depends on the data you have about the customer. We have the ability to make each piece you mail truly unique.

Put a picture of the product someone just bought on it, an offer for males, a different one for females. break down the message for different age groups.

Let's look at how a bike store could use this. A customer comes in and buys a bike for their 5 year old. By gathering a bit of customer information, you can now follow up with "time for a tune up" messages after a few months. After a few years, now it is "How did your kid like their first bike? Time for a new one though, right? Come see what we have new in!". Knowing what bike they bought, you could even offer a trade in incentive.

This kind of personalization does wonders for repeat business, referrals and customer loyalty. The mailer is effective, relevant and personal.

03/19/2012

10 Reasons to Print: #8

Print puts the customer in control.

We all know what telemarketing phone calls are like. They always seem to come at the wrong time, the person on the other end has a whole script to get through before you can get in a word and you can't wait to get off that calling list.

Print isn't like that. It is a friendly, unobtrusive message saying "If you like what I'm about, contact us this way, at your convenience." No harm done to a relationship and the customer has the control to say yes or no right away.

03/15/2012

10 Reasons to Print: #6

Buyers seek print.

Studies have shown that print drives more sales than any other channel. A study by the Direct Marketing Association showed that 42% of total sales were brought in through catalogs, where retail was only 20%, websites were 26% and other methods accounted for the reaming 12%.

Think about this for example... how many of you use the flyers you get every week to plan your shopping trips? Figure out what you need then look at the flyers for details. Large purchases like TVs, Cars, Computers and the like may be done online, seeking out reviews and specs, but the day to day necessities are driven by print.