



Ok, we know our website is all things to all people but don’t let that put you off! We have been delivering bespoke printing services since 1978 – which means that we are pretty good at understanding what our customers want and how to deliver it.
At the end of the day there is only so much that we can publish on our website as a product that can be ordered online. Some items are just too unique or complex for us to attempt to sell online. But that doesn’t mean we don’t print them. Far from it in fact. Almost two thirds of our business comes from bespoke printing – from foil blocking to packaging to promotional printing.
It’s time to look at what your business card can do for you. As a company that has been printing business cards for close to 40 years we have a few tips that we can pass on to get the best from your card. Not the actual printing and boards; that they have to be excellent goes without saying (or it should!) What we are going to share with you is some tips on guerrilla marketing and how your business card can help.
The opportunity to print your own postcards is too good to pass up. They are such a fabulous medium for getting your message right in front of the very people you want to impress – your prospects and customers. As a piece of direct mail the postcard is the one printed product that gets a welcome when it is delivered, as it generally goes hand in hand with an offer, a promotion, an event or something exciting newsworthy.
We are often asked if we can print wrapping paper on kraft paper - and the answer has always been no. Until now. Prompted by an obvious desire for kraft wrapping paper printing we have come up with the cheats answer - print the background in a kraft style. Obvious really :) There are many benefits to this. Read on for more information.
Here is some food for thought:-

• Global Industry Analysts Inc predicts that the global market for stationery products will exceed $226 billion by 2020.
• The UK based Greeting Card Association market report for 2015 shows greeting cards were sold with a value of over £1.6 billion at retail and that the total value of single cards sold in the UK in 2014 stood at £1.39 billion, up 7.77%
Wow – those are impressive figures!
At A Local Printer we have seen our online customer base change from predominantly promotion and marketing print with some businesses printing to retail driven. One trend that is very heartening to see is the increase in letter writing stationery – after all, what is nicer than receiving a handwritten letter that someone has taken the time and effort to write.
At A Local Printer we are often involved in creating and refreshing brand identities for our clients, but something that we have only toyed with when it came to our own!
Preparing for your January Sale need not be a nightmare. OK, so December is going to be a mad and busy month, but January deserves your attention to. Start planning for your New Year/January Sale now and it will certainly pay off.
When someone says white do you think boring, cold, clinical, nothingness? Or do you think of fluffy clouds scudding across the sky, soft peaks of meringue or a soft falling of snow?
According to Pantone, the world authority on colour and colour systems, the colours for autumn 2015 are ‘earthy neutrals with a range of bold colour statements and patterns to reflect a landscape of hope, fun, fantasy and all things natural.’ Wow – who knew that colours could say so much? Well, we all do. Every time we decide to redecorate a room the first thing we reach for are the paint colour swatches. Generally we already have an idea of what effect we want to achieve (calm, vibrant, luxurious) and then pick colours that we feel achieve the effect we are after. Suffice to say whilst there will always be differences of opinion on what a particular colour says, some colours are renowned for creating a particular feeling - blue for calming, green for relaxing, yellow for energy.
Improvements in technology give us many different ways of keeping track of time, with calendars on our phones, laptops and desktop computers. However, traditional calendar printing is still relevant today and has a firm place on the podium of promotional items. So whilst technology may be king, the printed calendar still rules the roost at home and in the office for recording important dates and events.Your calendar is a marketing king!