From the Heart and Not From Hallmark

Take a moment and try and recall the last time you purchased a commercial greeting card, such as a Hallmark card. Did you enjoy paying the exorbitant price? Were you satisfied with its clichéd message? How many times have you picked up a birthday card or thank you card and thought to yourself, “Wow, I can do better than that!”? Personalized greeting cards can be purchased for a myriad of reasons and for virtually any occasion; they can send a sincere message and impress people with your efforts.

Personal – You'll no longer have to make do with the lame selection at your local drugstore. You can make the ultimate birthday card and order it in bulk, or personalize individual greeting cards for select special people in your life. They're great for birthdays, anniversaries, and even to use as thank you cards for that post-holiday rush of gifts. Custom greeting cards are more than just some piece of cardboard with writing – they're a representation of the effort you put into all aspects of your life. It takes time, thought, and preparation to make one, but it will mean more because it's unique.

Business – Greeting cards are also great to use for your business. However, you should probably use them selectively and send them to your most frequent customers, as they are most likely to come back to you. By sending out a custom greeting card right before the holiday season, you are not just wishing people “Happy Holidays,” you're also reminding customers of your existence during a time when they are going to be spending more money than usual. Remember, it's a consumer frenzy during the holiday season – a frenzy you will want to capitalize on as a business.

There are plenty of places you can purchase custom greeting cards, and you will be able to put pretty much anything on them, including photos. You can probably even make some musical, or larger than life for jokes. Whatever the occasion, custom greeting cards will warrant a warm, sincere feeling from whoever is lucky enough to receive one.

Add Credibility with a Professional CD Label

CD labels can be used for a variety of things. While it may be confusing and add to the mess in your home or office, not labeling discs that contain certain data – such as music – may not be the end of the world. However, anyone that uses CDs as part of their business or professional projects had better put a label on them. If you fall into any of the following categories, you may want to look into creating some custom printed CD/DVD labels:

The aspiring musician/filmmaker/writer:

It isn't easy to break out into something like the music industry; merely possessing talent isn't nearly enough these days. Finding someone who matters to actually give your band/solo act a listen is extremely important – and also extremely difficult. Such people probably get a ton of CDs everyday, so you are going to want to stand out in some way. Having custom printed labels for your CDs is definitely the way to go; they're going to make you look like you mean business, and perhaps help to catch the eye of that music exec you've been stalking!

The same goes for anyone in involved in making films or writing. Literary agents and publishers dealt with manuscripts in the past, but many more are receiving manuscripts on disc nowadays. It saves paper and it's much more compact, but you're still going to want your CD to stand out.

Anyone else:

Pretty much anyone else can make use of CD labels for something. For instance, many people burn music to listen to on a CD in their car. And anybody who needs to pass important information off to their clientele on a disc had better make sure it looks professional – and that includes a label.

There are infinite options when it comes to custom CD labels. You can go bold with graphics, make it simple and informative like a business card, or simply let a picture say a thousand words. Whichever creative path you choose is sure to make you feel proud of your work, and make others take notice of it.

Tips for an Effective Catalog

The Internet age makes catalog marketing a little bit tricky, since everything is online now. However, if you're up for the challenge, utilizing a color catalog as a marketing tool still has its benefits if you design with purpose. Here are some tips for you to keep in mind when designing a catalog for your business:

• Length – First decide how many pages long you want your catalog to be. Too little and it can look like a brochure, too many and it's more like a novel with pictures. You want enough pages to include all your best products and then some; there need to be options, but not an overwhelming amount.

• Font – Try to sustain one font size throughout most of your catalog. Things like detailed descriptions of products can be smaller than the norm, and products that you think will do well can be in a slightly bigger font. Use your largest fonts sparingly so they have more effect. It doesn't really matter what style the font is as long as it is legible; it may look pretty, but avoid cursive writing at all costs.

• Amount of Products – Don't put every last product you have into your catalog; if you do, chances are that it's going to be too much. Choose products somewhat selectively, and put them in order with some amount of logic. For example, you can order them alphabetically, or group them into categories.

• Incentive – Add incentives. Make sure to give consumers a reason to look through your catalog. Give them a reason to purchase from you and not from the competition. This means – you got it! – discounts, special offers, limited time deals, and so forth. Quality over quantity applies here as well. It's better to have a few, or even just one, really solid deal than several minuscule ones.

• Printing and Distribution – A common mistake made by businesses is printing too many catalogs. Catalogs are a fairly pricey form of advertising, and they're going out of style. Using them selectively is the best way for them to function. Don't give them out to just anybody either. The people most likely to buy from your catalog are those who have purchased items from your business in the past. They are the people who are less likely to look at it as just another catalog before carelessly flinging it into the nearest trash bin

By abiding by these simple tips, you are more likely to print catalogs that will result in a successful marketing campaign. One last word of advice: Before ordering in bulk, have one copy printed and go through it carefully to make sure everything comes out the way you envisioned.

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Add Some Value to Your CDs and DVDs by Labeling

Since the addition of a CD/DVD burner to practically every computer model out there, consumers have found every use imaginable for it. The demand for blank compact discs suddenly rose, as did the amount of clutter in the home, office – and beyond. CDs may be filling up the car, flung on top of the desk, or accidentally used as coasters – and none of them are labeled. You might be about to listen to Bach or Barney, and the difference there is huge!

Here's a novel idea: Stick a label on those blank discs so that next time you find yourself fumbling with a handful of slippery blank discs you are able to find what you are looking for. Got a birthday or anniversary coming up? Create custom CD/DVD labels or home movie and present it as a gift; it will likely be treasured for much longer than the turtleneck you were about to buy. Or give them to friends on minor holidays. The ideas are virtually endless.

Labels are also great for the musician putting a mark on his/her CD. Think anyone's going to want to listen to something that doesn't even have a label on it? Add credibility to your project with a professional label, because if your work looks professional, then so will you. A label is more than just a set of words or an image; it's also a big part of the branding process for any successful endeavor. Perhaps you are a wannabe filmmaker and you are trying to get someone to watch that short movie you slaved over for weeks. Having a professionally printed label for the DVD makes your work appear more legitimate. CDs also store files, so anyone in business that needs to hand vital information to a client had better make sure it's labeled. Putting labels on things is just part of staying organized, no matter the project.

In short, a couple of labels will go a long way towards the success of whatever it is you may be working on. Be it for your own personal use, or for the use of your business, you may want to get a handle on all those blank discs that are slowly taking over every empty surface in your office or home. If you are using the disk for promotional purposes, you should print CD/DVD sleeves to help add credibility.

Online Printing Services: Choosing an Online Printer

In many ways, choosing online printing services can be more complicated than simply working with your local printing shop. There are many businesses online that specialize in design services and printing services, so you may be confused about which company to choose. On the other hand, because of the many businesses offering such services as calendar design, you will be likely to find competitive prices for the best quality products. Generally, choosing the best printer to accomplish the services involved in designing and producing advertising items is using common sense. Here are some of the qualities to look for in choosing an online printer.

Reputation

Choosing online printing services for any type of advertising printing that you need means checking out the reputation of the short list companies. For example, if you are in the market for catalog design, you can review the reputation of companies that mention this type of product on their web site. The companies who do a specific printing product or even a range of products can be checked through Better Business Bureau or similar organizations to ensure that previous clients have had good experiences with their printing purchases. You can also check out online forums to see whether the company you are considering has a reputation for producing good work.

Experience

You should look for online printing services that have considerable experience in doing the type of work that you will be requesting. The design part of any printing job is just as important as the technical execution of the job. Choosing a letterhead design that helps to tell the story of your business or organization can be a simple as incorporating the same business logo throughout all your marketing efforts. Whether it is a newspaper advertisement or a logo on the side of your building, you will get the best results from an experienced designer.

Cost

Cost is always a factor in your marketing campaign. Even a simple printing project such as a door hanger design can have an impact on your business or organization advertising budget. Look for online printing services to find the most economical choice for your printing jobs. Because online companies tend to have a lower overhead than similar organizations in the real world, you can take advantage of significant savings on your printing jobs. Increased time efficiency with an online company will save set up and design time as well.

Size

The size of the online printing services company can often make quite a difference in the price that you expect to pay for your envelope design project or other printing activity. A large and well-equipped commercial color printing business is more likely to have the investment in equipment and personnel to ensure that your printing design and execution is of the highest possible quality. Further, due to economies of scale, you will gain additional savings on your project. At the same time, you maintain the quality of the finished project. Another size aspect in choosing the right printer is the size of the job you are trying to finish.