Blog: ACE-Design, Printing, Mailing and Promotional Products

Transform Your Copies Into Business Building Tools

2/27/2015

0 Comments

At ACE Printing and Mailing Services, we think that the exciting part is what you can do with your copies.

To spark your imagination, here's a short list of the business tools you can transform your copies into:

Presentation Handouts:

This is the simplest tool you can create, and our copiers can make the process fast and easy. How fast? Some modern digital copiers can shoot out over 100 pages per minute. We just set the machines to collate and staple your copies, and you get professional information packs to hand out at your next presentation.

Marketing Kits:
Your marketing collateral can be easily customized to a prospect's needs when you have copies of key information sheets on hand. Throw the right sheets together into a folder with your brand (which ACE can also help with) and you have exactly the information the prospect wants, ready to send.

Notebooks, Proposals & Manuals:
Sometimes simple spiral, wire or coil binding is the perfect answer to create a simple, effective booklet. Whether you need employee manuals and operating procedures printed, or are giving away informational booklets at a seminar, affordable bound products like these are easy to create at ACE.

Books:
New digital technology makes it simple to get a perfect bound paperback book, just like you see at the bookstore. ACE is your local resource for bringing that dream of publishing a book to reality. We can also aid in designing the cover with our in-house design services.

With any of these services, your humble copies become an ingredient in a powerful business tool.

One extra advantage is that since the copiers are digital, most of these projects can be completed by phone or email, saving you valuable time.

Curious about what other transformations your copies can make?

Call or visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services today at 415.460.2800.

0 Comments

Your Digital Printing Cheat Sheet

2/23/2015

0 Comments

Last time we gave you the details about traditional offset printing, but now there's a contender for your printing dollars. Digital printing has been advancing rapidly. It is now the technology of choice for small, quick runs, and is a better choice for certain print jobs. Here's a digital printing cheat sheet, so you know when it works and when it doesn't-that way you get exactly the printing you want.

Benefits

Speed: Digital printing goes straight from the computer to the machine. The setup is almost nonexistent, which means a project can go to press faster and have a rapid turnaround.

Variable Data: Want to send a mailer with each prospect's name? Or tailor the information to their interests? Digital printers will let you do that. This is a trick that traditional presses can't perform, and it's one of the best changes of the digital revolution.

Cost: For a small number of pieces, digital printing delivers at a lower cost than traditional offset presses. This is great if you want to print just a few pieces, or test different marketing pieces on your prospects.

Instant Proofs: Digital printers provide instant feedback on your design. You can get a single copy that will look like the finished product and know that you're happy with the result before spending the money on a full order.

Consistency: Because of the physical application of ink to paper on traditional presses, minor variations sometimes creep into the finished product. You would only notice it comparing them side-by-side, but with digital printing, every piece is identical.

Less Waste: Digital printers work like high-powered versions of your personal printer. The only thing that goes in is paper and toner. There are no leftover plates or test runs that have to be thrown away.

Drawbacks Color: Colors can vary slightly between digital presses, and may not look exactly like they do on your computer. Large areas of solid color may also pick up slight inconsistencies, rather than being a single tone.

Quality: The digital process doesn't bond ink to paper in the same way, so the finish is easier to damage. Folds will usually introduce cracking to digitally printed images.

Resolution: With current technology, images just aren't as clear as an offset press can create. But they get closer with every new machine.

Large Runs: Offset printing has a scalability benefit. As you print more pieces, the setup costs get spread out more, so the cost per piece goes down. Digital presses are the same price for every piece. Eventually they catch up with the costs of traditional printing for large runs.

When to Use Digital

You want it now!
Each piece has to be personalized
You are printing a small number of pieces
The budget is an important factor

The digital revolution gives you more choices when it comes to printing, but you need to know exactly what you're getting.Most online discount printers only print digitally, which may not be the best choice for your project.

Always ask your printer how they are going to handle your printing, and find out if that will meet your needs. Many times, a simple conversation with one of our printing experts can help you determine exactly which printing process to use.

We're always available to help you figure out how to make your business look good.

0 Comments

Your Offset Printing Cheat Sheet

2/20/2015

0 Comments

We understand that not everybody is excited by the beauty of CMYK, or comforted by the rhythmic working of the presses. But every business uses printing in some way, so we wanted to share some of our expertise to help you get the best quality printing for your advertising dollar.

The digital era has brought a flood of new technology and choices to the marketplace, but it has also come with its share of confusion. Our next few articles will be a series of cheat sheets on printing processes for the non-printers we love to support.

Traditional offset printing is still king in many ways, and for good reason. We'll start off the series by discussing its benefits and drawbacks, as well as when it's your best choice.

Benefits of Offset Printing

Quality: Offset printing still offers a higher level of quality than most digital processes. That quality applies to each aspect of the printing, from image clarity, to color, to finishes. Projects are more resistant to bleeding, fading and scratches, and they won't crack at folds the way digital prints will.

Image Clarity: Offset creates clearer, sharper images and text. Digital printing sometimes has streaks across images that offset avoids.
Color: When colors matter, go with offset printing. Colors can be matched more precisely and consistently when compared to digital. Solid fill (spot) colors are consistent, without any dotting or shifting in tone.

Flexibility: Offset allows a larger variety of paper stock and size, while most digital presses are limited in size. Offset works with a larger variety of paper stocks and still has more options with finishes as well. Offset can also be used on surfaces other than paper.

High volume: Large runs work very well on offset presses, where machines are still faster. You also get the benefit of unit cost reduction. Since the press only has to be set up once, the unit cost goes down as the quantity goes up.

Drawbacks of Offset Printing

Setup Costs: Because offset is a more complicated process, it can be more expensive than digital to print in small numbers. Lead Time: Setup also means that turnaround is typically slower for offset printing. Proofing: With offset printing, it takes more effort to get a physical proof of the final product.

When to Use Offset

Quality is your primary concern

You need colors matched exactly

You are printing a large number of pieces

Your design uses a unique paper stock or size

Many times, a simple conversation with one of our printing experts can help you determine exactly which printing process to use. We're always available to help you figure out how to make your business look good.

Call or visit ACE Printing and Mailing Services today at 415.460.2800.

0 Comments

Five Ways Thank You Cards Can Grow Your Business

2/16/2015

0 Comments

With the fast pace of business today the simple act of sending thank you cards is becoming a lost art. Personalized thank you notes sent to customers and business associates make a stronger impression today because of their increasing rarity. They're an easy way to stand out from your competition. But are they worth the time and effort? Here are 5 reasons we say, "Yes."

1.     They make you look good. A timely, custom designed thank you card makes you look like a thorough professional. This small gesture tells customers that you handle your entire business with the same attention to detail. It shows that you will go the extra mile for them, and that will bring repeat business worth many times the cost of printing thank you cards.

2.    Appreciation builds relationships. By sending thank you cards, you are expressing more than just appreciation. You are showing customers respect by acknowledging that they could choose your competitors instead of you. They will also feel that you value them as a person, and there is no better way to increase customer loyalty.

3.     They're a chance for feedback. Thank you cards are a great way to ask customers to tell you whether you're living up to their expectations. Here at ACE we inserted customer surveys into some of our thank you cards. A few responses told us about problems that the customer had never mentioned. We fixed the problems and regained those customers.

4.     They get you seen. Thank you cards obviously put your business name in front of your customers one more time. But they do it in an unexpected format that makes people pause. That means thank you notes get more focused attention than a sales message and are more likely to be kept.

5.     They can lead to referrals. Your customers may already trust you with their business, but showing appreciation helps them to like doing business with you. And when your customers like you, they're more likely to refer you to their family, friends, and coworkers. You may want to thank them again for the new business. Don't overlook this powerful tool to grow your business this year. It's a simple habit that will have a big impact on your bottom line.

For the professional edge, ACE can provide custom designed thank you cards with your company logo and branding. Professional design distinguishes your brand and personality. There is also the peace of mind knowing that you're working with an environmentally responsible company. We can also save you time and money by mailing batches of cards from our mail-house. And when you print and mail with us, you save on sales tax.

Call us TODAY to design, print and mail your customized thank you cards and make your clients feel exceptional.

0 Comments