As I hope you all know, eco-printing is what we are all about. We have been successfully selling it online since 2006, with a growing product range and customer base. Today I thought it would be interesting to do a review of eco-printing and write a blog about the changes that we have seen since those very early days when recycled paper was almost impossible to source and vegetable oil based inks were in their infancy. My first port of call is Google - for a browse through any industry white papers covering this topic. The search term entered ‘Is there still a place for eco-printing’. Read on to see what I learnt today...
As we enter 2017 we thought it would be fun to have a look back at 2016 and find out what are the favourite products we printed, as picked by a cross reference of each department. After all, they are the ones that see every item that passes through our factory and have hands on experience with all of them. Have a scroll down to see which items were Top of the Pops as far as we are concerned. Perhaps they are your favourites as well.
When we first launched A Local Printer we commissioned an online game about printing which essentially allowed users on our site to virtually print a range of products. They had the option to choose from different types of materials, select the weights of paper, decide if their printed project was to be printed litho or digitally and what the colour make up was. It was a bit of fun designed to help our customers understand a bit more about the printing process – after all, when we launched our website in 2006 we were one of only a handful of printing websites and printing was a largely unknown process to most of our early customers. (Don't ask me what the relevance of being chased by a rabbit is, I have no idea!)
Today that has all changed and printing is widely understood and ordered confidently online or as a bespoke job.
Before designing your charity leaflet there are two fundamental questions you need to investigate and answer. Do you understand your supporter? What is your message to them?
Understanding your charity’s supporters is paramount if you want to communicate with them successfully. Your supporters will have different ‘triggers’ depending upon whether they are directly affected by the charity you represent or whether it is an altruistic interest. Knowing how many supporters are actively involved in the charity, whether it is through fundraising, attending events or promoting petitions will help you to determine which type of leaflet is likely to be most successful.
At Christmas time all thoughts turn towards making special purchases – whether it is festive food, perfect presents or dazzling decorations. And whilst we are spending more time browsing online seeking those objects of desire it really is very nice, and often easier, to flick, ruminate and ponder over an assortment of enticing Christmas brochures.
Before you know it we will be in December and suddenly all the time that we thought we had to prepare for Christmas will begin to disappear rapidly! One thing that we can help you with is getting your personalised Christmas cards printed and on their way to you in plenty of time to make the last post. But don’t be fooled in to putting it off – your bespoke Christmas cards need your attention now!
As one of those talentless people who would really love to dance but can mess up the hokey cokey I am in awe of anyone who can not only make dancing look fun, easy and achievable, but who also takes on the challenge of teaching us ordinary folk how to swing like winners.
At A Local Printer we have had the pleasure of working with Swing Patrol since the early days of their quest to teach the world to dance right through to the stardom of world record holding, dance teaching, exhibition giving all round hopping and swinging success! Read on for more toe-tapping insights in to this energetic company.
There is no getting away from it – printing on kraft board and paper has been inspirational and injected a new lease of life in to more than just the eco and craft movement. Its traditional appearance has been embraced by the hippest and most contemporary of designers who have used the retro brown material as a counter to their modern designs. And it works brilliantly well. From packaging to invitations and flyer printing, kraft board has found a new place in the world of print.
Considering that a presentation folder is a key tool in your marketing portfolio they don’t get as much love and attention as they should. All of the effort goes on designing the items that go in to the folder, leaving the folder itself as an afterthought. Poor folder! If you rely upon your sales and marketing material to garner new leads and business, then ensuring that your folder is inspiring, noteworthy and attractive will guarantee that the documents inside are looked at. It is like the doorstep challenge when you are selling your house – if it looks unloved on the outside then you lose crucial curb side appeal!
One of the very best things about having an on-line business is that you get to 'know' your customers and take an interest in what they are doing and how they are progressing with their own business. From the first orders placed as a' toe in the water' through to regular repeat orders as their business grows and prospers; I have had the pleasure of watching some of my favourite customers flourish to become successful ventures.
So I decided it was about time I got down to the nitty gritty with a handful of them and found out what makes them tick. First up, our Q&A with unique map makers Herb Lester.
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As I hope you all know, eco-printing is what we are all about. We have been successfully selling it online since 2006, with a growing product range and customer base. Today I thought it would be interesting to do a review of eco-printing and write a blog about the changes that we have seen since those very early days when recycled paper was almost impossible to source and vegetable oil based inks were in their infancy. My first port of call is Google - for a browse through any industry white papers covering this topic. The search term entered ‘Is there still a place for eco-printing’. Read on to see what I learnt today...
As we enter 2017 we thought it would be fun to have a look back at 2016 and find out what are the favourite products we printed, as picked by a cross reference of each department. After all, they are the ones that see every item that passes through our factory and have hands on experience with all of them. Have a scroll down to see which items were Top of the Pops as far as we are concerned. Perhaps they are your favourites as well.
When we first launched A Local Printer we commissioned an online game about printing which essentially allowed users on our site to virtually print a range of products. They had the option to choose from different types of materials, select the weights of paper, decide if their printed project was to be printed litho or digitally and what the colour make up was. It was a bit of fun designed to help our customers understand a bit more about the printing process – after all, when we launched our website in 2006 we were one of only a handful of printing websites and printing was a largely unknown process to most of our early customers. (Don't ask me what the relevance of being chased by a rabbit is, I have no idea!)
Before designing your charity leaflet there are two fundamental questions you need to investigate and answer. Do you understand your supporter? What is your message to them? 
At Christmas time all thoughts turn towards making special purchases – whether it is festive food, perfect presents or dazzling decorations. And whilst we are spending more time browsing online seeking those objects of desire it really is very nice, and often easier, to flick, ruminate and ponder over an assortment of enticing Christmas brochures. 
Before you know it we will be in December and suddenly all the time that we thought we had to prepare for Christmas will begin to disappear rapidly! One thing that we can help you with is getting your personalised Christmas cards printed and on their way to you in plenty of time to make the last post. But don’t be fooled in to putting it off – your bespoke Christmas cards need your attention now!
As one of those talentless people who would really love to dance but can mess up the hokey cokey I am in awe of anyone who can not only make dancing look fun, easy and achievable, but who also takes on the challenge of teaching us ordinary folk how to swing like winners.
There is no getting away from it – printing on kraft board and paper has been inspirational and injected a new lease of life in to more than just the eco and craft movement. Its traditional appearance has been embraced by the hippest and most contemporary of designers who have used the retro brown material as a counter to their modern designs. And it works brilliantly well. From packaging to invitations and flyer printing, kraft board has found a new place in the world of print.
Considering that a presentation folder is a key tool in your marketing portfolio they don’t get as much love and attention as they should. All of the effort goes on designing the items that go in to the folder, leaving the folder itself as an afterthought. Poor folder! If you rely upon your sales and marketing material to garner new leads and business, then ensuring that your folder is inspiring, noteworthy and attractive will guarantee that the documents inside are looked at. It is like the doorstep challenge when you are selling your house – if it looks unloved on the outside then you lose crucial curb side appeal!
One of the very best things about having an on-line business is that you get to 'know' your customers and take an interest in what they are doing and how they are progressing with their own business. From the first orders placed as a' toe in the water' through to regular repeat orders as their business grows and prospers; I have had the pleasure of watching some of my favourite customers flourish to become successful ventures.
