The future of printing was hotly contested at last month’s IPEX – the printing world’s annual get together at Birmingham’s NEC. The topic on most people’s lips was that of the ongoing battle between B2 digital (inkjet) and litho press (offset) printing.

Fujifilm remains the inkjet’s biggest advocate with their launch of the Jet Press 720 at IPEX. Keith Dalton, Graphic Systems director at Fujifilm, claims the Jet Press 720 fulfills a need in the short-run market. Furthermore it is claimed that the inkjet can cut paper waste by 50% and has a carbon footprint around 25% smaller than offset, giving digital a more environmentally friendly appeal.

This positive sentiment is echoed by Tim Taylor, marketing manager at Screen Europe. Taylor believes there is a definite need for more cost effective short-run work which the B2 inkjet provides. Adding to this the inkjet allows for personalisation, something which Taylor believes all companies should at least have the option to do.

However, there are many that believe the existing offset already caters for the short-run needs that the inkjet is targeting. Neil Handforth, from Apex Digital Graphic says the existing offset can handle the short run jobs with their “very effective and efficient turnaround times.” Andrew Tribute, a PrintWeek columnist agrees with Handforth and remains unconvinced by the inkjet. Tribute claims the only advantage of the inkjet is being makeready, which cannot compensate for the higher costs associated with digital. The full PrintWeek Article can be found at printweek.com.

So with all this debate, where does Solopress stand on the issue? Well we believe that in the past litho has been superior to inkjet, in both quality and cost at high runs. However, now inkjet is quickly becoming a real contender with more flexibility during the run and easier personalisation: inkjet makes it possible to print 1,000 leaflets with different names on each, in any font, style or colour.

We support the Fujifilm argument that for short runs, digital is better in terms of cost effectiveness. We have managed to lower our short run prices because we have invested in two Xerox machines. This proves that the main challenge of inkjet cost is being overcome.

Essentially there are advantages and disadvantages with both inkjet and offset. Litho offers cheaper prices for long run and higher quality. Digital is still very much up and coming, but offers shorter print operator training times, and as prices continue to drop and quality increases it is sure to become a real competitor. Here at Solopress we believe the future does seem to be digital.

If in doubt please ask us which method we believe is best for your job.  We’ve got an experienced client team who can give advice and balance your budget requirement against quality control.

Why is it that typos are so obvious once the print job is complete?  We don’t know but we have seen rather a lot of embarrassing or just plain daft printing blunders in our time at Solopress.  As the author we do appreciate that mistakes can be particularly difficult to spot so here are a few simple tricks of the trade to ensure all errors are quickly identified and corrected.

To begin, use the computer spell checker to eliminate simple typos. Remember to check that the computer has the correct language selected i.e. UK vs. US.  Computers do not always get it right though so having a printed dictionary to hand is also useful.

Each subsequent reading of the document should be focused on a different aspect. First, read the document to see if it is complete with all the information needed, this could mean dates and times for an event on a flyer or thorough explanations of services in a brochure, either way make sure it is all there.

Next, read the document to see how it sounds. Listen to the sound of the voice in your head or read out loud to see if the sentences make sense as a whole. The tone and flow of a document are important to ensure the audience remains interested and receives the right impression of the company or promotion.

A third reading can be used to identify other spelling and punctuation mistakes. Before this reading is undertaken it can be helpful to read something else in between to enable the mind to return fresher. A top tip is to read the document backwards when checking for spelling mistakes.

Finally, check all content outside of the main body of the text or that which is formatted differently such as headers and footers. Often this ‘outside’ text is additional information such as telephone numbers, dates, company names etc. and these items can be easily overlooked.

At least one of these readings should be done in hard copy as mistakes can be missed on a computer screen.

Here is a list of the most common typographical mistakes:

- Homophones – these are words which sound the same but have a different spelling and meaning. Right and write, deer and dear.
- Leaving out silent letters – Febuary and February, lisen and listen.
- Adding an Ending – mistakes can be made when changing the tense of a word by adding an ending. Hopeing and Hoping or Submiting and Submitting.
- Missing words – most commonly with smaller words, to, it, is, of, a, etc. Or sometimes these words are used incorrectly in exchange for one another.
- Ordering of letters – the most common of typos is for letters to be the wrong way round.
- Punctuation – apostrophes are the most common punctuation mistake. They should be used in two ways, for the possessive e.g. Peter’s ball, and to replace missing letters e.g. it’s or don’t.
- Amalgamating words – some words should be separate ‘a lot’ rather than ‘alot’
- Verbs – adapt the verb to a singular or plural subject for example ‘I was’ and ‘we were’ not ‘I were’ and ‘we was’.
- Should of/should have – the latter is correct.

Once the document has become free of all its mistakes and is as correct as it can possibly be it is ready to go to print. All you need now is a high quality printing company to match your high quality proofreading…

We know that it’s been a tough time for many businesses and so we thought we’d provide you with a few cost savings tips to help keep your budgets in check this summer:

1. Think about the shelf life of your item.  Could you print a higher volume and save money in the long term? For example our double sided 130gsm gloss leaflets are £40 for 100 but only £65 for 1,000.  If you kept printing individual runs of 100 it would cost £400 for 1,000.
2. Business cards: keep budgets down by excluding job titles as it can be costly to reprint in accordance with staff promotions. Similarly consider having identical cards for everyone with just the contact details of the business itself.
3. Swap a full colour brochure for a folder with inserts as it can be more easily adapted as and when your business changes, for example as product ranges grow or shrink and company services alter.
4. Produce stickers or labels that can be added to company stationery for a set amount of time to attract attention to award wins, accolades or special offers.  Much cheaper than reprinting all stationery.
5. Keep designs simple and swap photographs for other graphics.  This could mean you can exchange four colour printing for two colour and save money.
6. Pantone colours do not always need to be used at 100% saturation. Tints of the same colour at 25%, 50% or 75% can be used to give impact without the expense of the four colour process.
7. Limit the paper size as much as possible and use standard finishes rather than super glossy or laminate.
8. The above factors also effect the weight – something else to consider if your items are being posted.
9. Proof read, proof read and proof read again!
10. Ask for a printed proof to see what your items look like in full size. It can be difficult to fully appreciate the finished look on a smaller printer that may not be able to reproduce your item to full size or resolution.

So why would we help you to spend less with us? Don’t worry we haven’t lost our marbles but time and time again we see obvious ways that clients could make small changes to get the most out of their budget so we thought we’d share our tips with you.  Didn’t someone once say ‘every little helps’?

There can be no denying that times have been tough for the whole economy in recent years – the global recession that was triggered by the explosion of the sub-prime mortgage business in the US has been painful for everyone and we are not out of the woods yet.

At Solopress, we are also facing a less publicised issue that poses a real challenge to the printing industry as a whole – the price of paper that we need to print is soaring.

In an economic environment of cost control and low inflation, the rocketing price of paper is a serious concern as prices have risen by as much as 12% in 2010 already, with further increase a real possibility.

The underlying causes of the price increase are quite complex, with a number of factors (from reduced wood and pulp capacity following a harsh winter and earthquakes in Chile to Finnish port and paper mill strikes) combining to create a global restriction on supply that is especially acute in the UK where a weak pound leads to poor market pricing when compared to markets such as North America and Russia, where demand is strong.

We are therefore facing higher prices and the real risk of paper shortages. What does this mean for our valued customers?

Most UK printers are increasing their prices to cover the increased costs but we are pleased to say that we are committed to keeping our prices at our current level as we know how tough it is for businesses in the UK.

If you are looking for business cards, letterheads, flyers or any printed stationery, now is the time to order – not only can you benefit from our quick turn around, but you can enjoy the same prices despite the rapid rise in paper prices.

If you are in the process of choosing a business printing service, in my opinion there are a few factors that you should consider before you can make an educated decision:

Printing Quality:
One of the main concerns when ordering business stationary is the quality of the finished products; after all you want stationary that represents what your company stands for and that you are not ashamed to send out to your clients and business partners. A quality printing company, will not just try and satisfy their customers – a quality commitment should mean that all business contacts with the company, even those to suppliers and sub-contractors should be professional and of a high standard.

Good Customer Service:
Good customer response times certainly constitute part of a quality service. But not just the timeliness of a response is important, the quality of the reply is too.

Good Printing Value:
Money does not always guarantee you high quality and vice versa. You should have a look around and get an understanding for what the best prices are. If you are planning on getting a stationary bundle this might get you a good discount in comparison to buying your business cards, letterheads and other stationary separately.

Printing Speed:
Sometimes in business, speed is of the essence. Having a printer that can deliver a 24 hr turnaround on their printing orders provides you with flexibility and less planning related admin. You do not want to have to worry about your stationary when you have money to make!

Convenience:
Does your printer have a website and online ordering facilities? If not try a printer that does, and see what difference it makes to the ease of ordering your company stationary online.

Suitability for your needs:
Does your printer have the products you are after? Do you like the materials they use? Does the finished product look as you would like it to and do they help you out with any design questions you might have?

Printer Location:
Where are your printers located? It is always good to know where they are as it gives you an idea of who you are dealing with.

Environmental Friendliness:
This is connected to the locality of the service, as if you order your stationary from another continent, obviously this will create a larger carbon footprint than if the finished printing products do not have to travel very far too reach you. Do they offer recycled products and environmentally friendly inks? Not only will this consideration give you a good conscience, it will also make an impression on your business partners, clients or customers.

As Lithographic & Digital printers we are well aware of the confusion that can occur when talking about printing your marketing brochures, business cards, flyers & leaflets. There are so many choices in paper weights, paper finish and paper colours – there are also different printing processes!
How do you know which one is best for you and your business? While there are advantages and disadvantages to both, we have tried to explain the difference between the two most common processes below.

Digital Printing vs. Lithographic Printing

Digital printing is the reproduction of digital images on physical surface, such as paper or photographic paper, cloth, plastic, etc.
Litho printing is a technique where the inked image is transferred from a metal plate to a rubber blanket, Typically, printing plates are attached to a cylinder in the press. Ink is applied to the plate’s image area and transferred directly to the paper.

Digital can be differentiated from litho or offset printing in many ways, such as:

Every impression made onto the paper can be different, as opposed to making several hundred or thousand impressions of the same thing from one set of plates, as in traditional methods.
The ink or toner does not absorb into the paper, as does conventional Ink, but forms a layer on the surface. It generally requires less waste in terms of chemicals used and paper wasted in set up.
Digital is a excellent solution for quick turnaround, or small print runs!!
Offset printing is most commonly used for high volume printing as its image quality is much higher and more consistent than that of the digital press.

Still not making sense? Call us…01702 460047 we would be happy to discuss in more detail!

(… in London…)
If you are in a band that is trying to make it in London, you have some stiff competition, as in London there are a lot of existing bands and many more forming every day, as the nearly 10,000 ads on Gumtree prove. This high density and competition has created a very lively gigging scene, especially in the areas in and around Shoreditch, Camden and Islington. Firstly, to make it in this environment you have to genuinely be good and stand out.

Once you have reached the level where you can play a few songs, you should get out there and make some noise, play as many gigs as possible and build up a fan base. Most signed and unsigned bands have an active MySpace site, which allows them to post songs online without having to worry about illegal downloads and interact with their friends and fans – in addition MySpace is free. Some, especially bigger bands have a stand-alone official band website. Further you could try and get your songs onto iTunes so people will actually pay for downloads! These are great ways of spreading the word as links get passed on, but another approach is to have something handy to give to your fans when they come to see you at your gig.

You could start off with some inexpensive flyers. If they have seen you and liked you, but you were in one of many bands on stage that night, likely after one or two beers they will forget your band name. You can find inexpensive leaflet design and flyer printing services online, but maybe if you are of a creative nature (likely, as you are in a band!) you can take care of the design yourself and just submit the completed artwork to your printer.

Many bands/musicians carry demo-cds on them wherever they go. These are not just handy in case there is a music-exec in the crowd – and you never know who you might bump into – many times you will talk to an enthusiastic new fan after your gig. If you can hand him a cd with your music, you can help him spread the word for you. If you have a clever printer you can even print a customised cover for these, but it depends on how many you hand out how much time you want to spend on customising these.

Another idea is to invest in some band posters. You could ask venues where you are going to play to put these up a couple of weeks before the gig. Many pubs and smaller venues will welcome some well-designed and attractive wall deco as it makes them look good too. This will make folks recognise your band name, which is half the way to making a fan – now they just have to like your music! Have a look – large format poster printing is a lot cheaper than you might think.

Another good idea is to take part in as many competitions as possible. For example Glastonbury Festival this year offered unsigned bands the opportunity to play on one of the smaller stages at the festival this summer. Keep your eyes peeled and don’t be shy. Imagine how proud your mum will be when you tell her that you are playing at Glastonbury!

It has become a common practice to exchange your business cards with people you meet or to pass on to someone who you would like to meet, although in the UK it is not considered rude if you don’t have a card to hand over, it is definitely more professional if you do.

Remember a business card is as much as a first impression as you are, but will last longer than your presence with your clients and contacts. It says a lot about you and your business; you want it to do so in a professional, engaging and useful way.

What should you have on your business card?

You should have your full name, title, full address including postcode, telephone numbers, fax number, email address and if you have one – your twitter address.
Also, if you have any honours don’t be shy to show them off.
Not everyone can tell your profession just by the name of your business or your title, so if in doubt put it on your card, tell them you are professional deep tissue sports masseur or a chauffeur.

If your profession has many parts to it you can always use the reverse of the card to give more information, however try not to make it too busy as a busy business card can look unprofessional and cheap.

Pictures are fine, just as long as you remember these are business cards and not flyers or leaflets, the idea of the business card is the first contact, your brochure or website can have the nice photos.

How your card should look
The appearance and style of your business card is key, only a cheap suit looks worse than a cheap business card.

Other Tips
If you want to design your own business card, don’t try and design in Microsoft Word, get the correct design programmes such as Photoshop, Illustrator or Indesign or use some design online templates, alternately you can pay between £20.00 – £40.00 and have it done by an expert. Solopress also offer some free business card designs.

If you are printing your cards on your home printer, make sure you buy decent quality business card paper and don’t use less than 300gsm, it looks bad when passing over a flimsy, faded business card that has been cut using fabric scissors. Cards printed on less than 300gsm are not robust enough and will dog ear very easily.

Business card size
A perfect size for your business cards is 85 x 55mm (credit card size), These will fit into all business card holders, wallets, purses & pockets. Think have you ever had a very funky but over large/ small card that does not fit into your Rollodex or business card case, because it does not have standard business card dimensions – what do you do with t it keep it or discard?

How many business cards should I order?
It’s a saying you have heard many times before, but it’s true. It’s better to have too many than run out.
Always order more than you need, most of the time the difference in cost is minimal, that’s not the case however when you have to reorder 6 months later.

How many should I carry?
If you think 10 is enough take 30, it’s always best to have a stash, they don’t take up much room so don’t leave yourself short.

Movie posters play a big role when it comes to promoting new movies. However, there are times when the poster itself is a disaster – giving you a premonition of what to expect of the movie. Together with the trailer, the movie poster will help determine whether the movie will be a blockbuster or a flop. By having an appealing and engaging design, the movie will interest the public that as a result will stream into the cinema, but with a bad design, the movie is off to a bad start. Sometimes, looking at theses posters, it feels like the marketing people must have spent more on the large format poster printing, than the actual design. After all large prints are not the cheapest. This is why it is so important to have movie posters printed that actually encourage viewers see the movie, rather than having an off-putting effect, before the poster print has even had a chance to dry!

With so many movies and their respective posters all over the world, we have come up with our own top 10 worst movie posters ever printed:

#10 – Corky Romano
We are not sabotaging this movie, but what can one say in favour of this cheap looking full colour poster print? It looks as if the man in this poster, which happens to be Chris Kattan, looks so stiff it’s as if he hasn’t had any bowel activity in days. With the fake grin, how is the poster going to influence anyone into watching the movie? And what is the movie about?

#9 – Brick
When someone is hoping to pull off a bad movie, you get a bad movie poster printed…. You use the image of the lead actor. Then suddenly, you have an idea. Ah, we can even see the penny dropping. Your idea is to scratch out the image, leaving only the outline. If I was the actor I would be really upset and I think so would be the actor’s mother. There is the actor’s name but no face to show. Nothing more to say.

#8 - Live Forever

This is a poster to promote a movie that was filmed on a tight budget. The budget for poster printing and design was equally not very high up on their priority list. In the end, they came up with this poster. I think they hired school children to actually sketch this whole thing so that the producer can save a few cents. Either that or it is a teenagers first attempt at a tattoo design. Like we are going to live forever after seeing this poster.

#7 – Alice
This poster looks very eerie. Specifically, the eyes of the woman featured on the poster. It is like she is about to step out of the poster and put a hex on you. Plain scary and not encouraging unless you like to be creeped out! It is a Woody Allen film!

#6 - Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2
Another example of a title and poster aimed at a less than intelligent audience. One can only assume that the movie follows in a similar way. A clear example of a misnomer is a movie called ‘Superbabies’, with some kindergarten-age kids on the front of the poster print who are still wearing diapers. Some posters are fabulous deterrent saving critics a lot of work!

#5 - Hercules in New York
The title is amusing. The poster is hilarious. The man is a mutant. We don’t hate Arnold Schwarzenegger, but some of his film-choices have been more than cheesy. Interesting fact: At first this film was going to be called “Hercules Goes Bananas”. I could not find anywhere you can buy this movie if you should want to… Go figure.

#4 – The Aristocrats
Usually you get a few reviews featured in a poster. This is useful as it shows the interested observer that someone has found this film worth watchable before. But only putting reviews on a poster is a little strange, especially when they do not tell us anything about the movie apart from how hilarious it is. You can see nothing else other than blue and red words all over it. It’s dull, boring, and very forgettable.

#3 – Big Momma’s House 2
Never heard of “big momma’s house 1” so very surprised at spotting this sequel poster. What was Martin Lawrence thinking? Probably: “I need money… Hey! There is a cash cow I can milk!” While the next poster we look at is outrageous – this one is unbelievable.

#2 - Outrageous!
Looking at the title, one would expect the movie poster to be really outrageous, only to find the opposite. It is plain, simple and non-outrageous. Perhaps the movie is not really outrageous and the poster would have shown that. I would not know – I have not seen it – and chances are, you probably haven’t either! NEEEXT!:

#1 – Superman III
This is a prime example of how making a bad choice when printing a poster can really mess it up. Superman III is actually quite a good movie but no one would expect that, looking at the poster. Which raises it above the other 9 bad poster prints in our Top Ten, making it the overall winner. It looks cheap and unappealing.

I believe that business cards have an important role to play, both in private and in business circles, as after all, they represent an introduction to who you are and what you stand for! Business cards represent part of our identity!

To demonstrate what I mean, here is an example: For me there are few TV scenes as memorable (especially ones that involve business cards!) as the “American Psycho” business card scene – the high flying investment banking executives of this New York company comparing their not so cheap business cards! In my opinion, this scene showcases a prime example of fine acting, something I am not so surprised about seen that it comes from Christian Bale.

If you don’t know what I am talking about, just check it out for yourself (click on the image below):

If you want to find some nice design ideas on the web you do not have to go far. The title of this website for example was taken from the above mentioned film scene: “It even has a watermark“. They understand the importance of image and have therefore dedicated their website to the display of a variety of exciting business cards. You can check out their various sections ranging from creative to custom business cards. And if you have a business card design that you yourself are proud of – why not upload it and add to the collection?

If you are not a design aficionado and just a mere mortal, I believe that this is a good place to start and look for some inspiration before you decide on your next business card design! In our custom business card section you can upload your own creative artwork and be your own designer! Try it out – just decide between gloss, silk or pulp material and add your own artwork- an easy way to get completely individual and cheap business cards!

But do you have to spend a lot of money to get a product that looks good? Not all of us are investment bankers – and even investment bankers are selling their posh pads and toning down their business cards! Of course there are limits to what you can do with a certain budget but we believe that business cards from Solopress will make you look good for less and not just image is important – your wallet is too!