Author: BlockbusterPrint.com

High quality online printing servicing businesses large and small at the fastest production and delivery speed in the industry all while providing the lowest prices. From postcard mail marketing that helps expand a business's clientele to in office printed products for day-to-day business operations. Are your full service one stop shop for anything print.

Professional Printing Basics: Which Printed Materials to Choose for Advertising

If you are considering getting a professional printing service provider, you need to know which products to print out in the first place. If you are newly building your brand, for example, you must order business cards so that potential customers would know how to get in touch with you. If you are launching a new product or service, brochures will give you more space to tell readers about your new offering. The good news is that there are many professional printing companies where you can order business cards and other printed promotional materials. You just need to know which among these products you should have printed out first:

• Business Cards

The standard size of business cards in the US is 2” x 3.5”. With very little space available, you only need to include only the essential contact information. When you order business cards and you don’t have a physical store, there is no need for you to include an office address. If you’re a purely online business, you must include your website, email address, and social media accounts. If you’re a solo entrepreneur, you must include your name and job title when you order business cards.

• Brochures or Flyers

The smallest brochure measures 4.25” x 11” while the smallest flyer measures 4” x 6”. These two can carry more information than when you order business cards, making it a good choice if you have a lot to say. Brochures are great for introducing a company, while flyers can be used for introducing a new product or service.

• Postcards

Another product of professional printing companies is postcards. These are usually mailed out to customers as greeting cards and they can double as discount coupons. Regularly mailing out postcards is an effective way of building customer loyalty.

• Rack Cards

Rack cards are usually seen in hotel lobbies and they have a specialized display case. The design of rack cards should be attention-grabbing, and they are usually displayed in areas where there is heavy foot traffic.

• Menus

If you are in the food business, you should look for a professional printing company that specializes in creating to go menus. These are perfect as inserts for supplier receipts, mailers, and should be included in every delivery or to go order.

Whether you order business cards, brochures, flyers, or all types of printed materials for a full-blast promotional campaign, it is important to work with a professional printing with plenty of experience in the field. This way, you can get professional results while also getting the best value for your money.

On a Tight Budget? Inexpensive Business Cards to Choose from

You already have an eye-catching design and you only plan to order inexpensive business cards. But if you want to make a lasting first impression, you need to think about the base material as well. The overall look of your business card will be remembered by the recipient of the card, so you need to come up with a cost-effective option that still looks mighty impressive. So what are your options? The good news is that there are many inexpensive materials for business cards, as well as finishes that would not cost so much, but the end result would still look great.

Here are a few examples:

• 14-pt. Business Cards

There are printing companies that can create inexpensive business cards for you, without compromising on quality. 14-pt. card stock business cards have 43% the thickness of a credit card. In terms of finish, you can go for smooth matte, glossy, or silk spot UV. Smooth matte business cards are a simple but elegant option. If you want a bit of flare, choose glossy business cards – especially if your design has photos or illustrations on it. The application of gloss enhances the colors in a photograph. For designs where there is a stark color contrast, silk spot UV business cards are your best bet. For this, a flat gloss layer is added onto the logo or a name, to highlight that specific portion.

• Cheap Business Cards with a Pearl Metallic Finish

Another elegant yet inexpensive option is pearl metallic business cards. These also use 14-pt. paper stock, while the base material is a metallic cotton blend. The resulting texture is that of a brilliant pearl color with a metallic sheen to it – similar to what is used in wedding invitations.

Even if you are on a tight budget, you do not have to end up handing out cheap-looking, cardboard-thin business cards. By choosing a suitable material, coming up with a striking design, and choosing a reliable printing company, you can have elegant-looking cards that will truly impress your business clients.

Steps to Follow when You Order the Best Business Cards

Would you like to order the best business cards but don’t know where to start? Here are a few easy steps that you can follow:

1. Know what information to include in the business card.

Whether it’s your first time to design a business card or if you simply want to update your existing one, it pays to do your research and learn which information to include. Business cards are a representation of your work as a professional or your company if you’re an employee. For entrepreneurs, it is important to include your company name and logo – as well as your name and position. If you’re an employee, the company logo and your job position should be included.

Also consider including your website URL, telephone or mobile number, office address, and email address. You don’t have to include everything, however. If you are running a purely online business, for example, there is no need for you to include an office address. You can also include cool features like a QR code which, when scanned, will lead customers to your website.

2. Come up with a design.

Next, come up with a design that suits your brand’s image. If you are printing out personal business cards and you’re in real estate, for example, you might want to include your photo or a collage of the properties you recently sold. If you are selling handmade jewelry, make sure that the design of the card is as creative as your line of products. Those in the legal industry may opt for a more formal design. The gist is that you should use a design that complements your brand and industry.

3. Decide on the paper stock, size, and finish.

Next, choose the size of the business card. The standard is 3.5” x 2”, but you can go with square business cards or European size which is a bit larger than the standard US size. In terms of paper stock, the thicker the paper, the better. When it comes to finish, you can choose from linen, suede, cotton, silk, brown kraft, metallic ink, foil stamped, spot UV – the possibilities are endless. You also have the option to go with a non-landscape orientation or rounded edges to make your card stand out.

4. Look for a reliable printing company.

Finally, when you order business cards, make sure to look for a reliable printing company with extensive experience in the field. There are digital and offset printing service providers out there. Digital printing is good for small batches but if you’re ordering in bulk and you want more professional-looking results, offset is the way to go. These make use of huge printing presses and can produce hundreds to thousands of copies almost instantaneously once the design is set. Also check on the turnaround time, costs, minimum order, and quality of customer service offered.

By following these steps, you can order the best business cards to represent your brand with.

Luxuriously Smooth: Soft Touch Business Cards

Did you know that with a special lamination process, paper can be turned into something with a fabric-like texture, examples of which are suede business cards? Similar to silk and linen, suede business cards are finished using a lamination process to achieve that fabric-like effect. When you give business cards like these to your clients, they will truly be impressed because of how luxurious the material feels once held. Another advantage of going with soft touch business cards with a fabric-like finish is that they are made from thick paper stock. Soft touch suede business cards, for example, are made using 19-pt. laminated cardstock which has 60% the thickness of a credit card. When combined with high-quality offset printing, you can have an impressive business card that will last for practically a lifetime.

Special Add-On Finish for Soft Touch Business Cards

When looking for printing companies to create your soft touch business cards, make sure that they use the offset printing method. Unlike digital printers, offset printers can handle complex laminating processes – and the printing results are more professional-looking. If you would like to order soft touch laminate business cards from printing companies, here are the top three finishes that you can choose from:

 

1. Ultra-Soft Touch Matte Suede

If you think that your design would not look good on shiny surface, go for ultra-soft touch matte suede business cards. These have the same thickness as other soft touch business cards, minus the shine or gloss.

2. Raised Spot UV Gloss Suede

For elegant business cards with a formal design, raised spot UV gloss suede might just be the finish you’re looking for. The uncoated surface is designed with chrome foil on top to achieve a metallic color which can be gold, silver, or copper.

3. Raised Foil Stamped Suede

If you want to have an almost engraved effect on your business card, go with the raised foil stamped suede finish. Unlike raised spot UV gloss, this effect can be done in non-metallic colors like blue, orange, yellow, purple, red, or pink. This is perfect for business card designs for more creative industries.

If you’re planning to have business cards made, which of these soft touch finishes would you choose?

High Impact, Low Maintenance: Why It Pays to Invest in Silk Cards

When you compare handing over a business card printed in thin linen cardboard with thick, laminated business cards that have professional-looking print – which do you think will impress customers? The latter, of course. These days, branding is all about image. If a customer perceives your business card as cheap and haphazardly put together, they will equate the same characteristics to your business. On the other hand, if your business cards are luxurious, thick, and professional-looking, customers will be equally impressed with your brand. This is precisely the reason why it pays to invest in silk cards.

Silk Cards are High Impact, Low Maintenance

Depending on the design and colors that you will use, here are the types of finishes that you can go with when having silk business cards printed out: Depending on the design and colors that you will use, here are the types of finishes that you can go with when having silk business cards printed out:

1. Matte Silk

Matte silk business cards are non-shiny, but the surface retains that silky-smooth finish. If you want something that’s straightforward, this is for you.

2. Foil Stamped

Silk If you want to highlight your company name or logo and you have a bold business card design, foil stamped silk is the way to go. This lamination process uses heat rolling to add red, blue, silver, gold, black, or copper-colored foil on the card. This is great for those who want their business cards to stand out.

3. Silk Spot UV

There’s also the spot UV treatment where a flat layer of gloss is added to specific areas on the card. This could be the border, the brand name, or logo. This is a great choice for business card designs with highly contrasting colors.

Silk cards are usually made from 17-pt. cardstock which has 54% the thickness of a credit card. This feels thick to the hand, while the silky-smooth surface of the laminated paper feels extra luxurious. Another advantage of going for this type of business card is that the lamination process makes the material ten times stronger than non-laminated cards.

All in all, silk business cards high impact – which means that they leave a lasting impression and they’re also low maintenance because of the durability of the material. What more can you ask for from a printed promotional material?

Smooth Matte Custom Business Cards: An Oldie but Goodie

There was a time when the default choice for printing custom business cards was linen cards which could be made from either thin or thick paper stock. These days, you can choose from different sizes, materials, and finishes. If you want to go with an oldie but goodie, however, smooth matte business cards are a great option.

Here are the characteristics of smooth matte business cards if you are interested in having them printed out:

• As the name implies, these business cards have a smooth matte surface. Unlike glossy business cards which have a shiny surface or uncoated business cards which have no shine at all, smooth matte cards have zero glare when placed under the light. They are also smooth to the touch, making them a still luxurious option when it comes to business cards printing.

• You can take your pick from different paper stocks: – 16-pt. premium paper- 17-pt. silk laminated paper – 19-pt. soft touch suede paper These paper stocks have varying thickness and different finishes. The most popular is the 19-pt. paper stock, although you can always go with the thinner varieties.

The smooth matte finish may be a classic choice, but you can add a twist to it by going for special features. For instance, instead of choosing a standard-sized card measuring 3.5” x 2”, you can go for square business cards, slim skinny business cards, or European size business cards. Instead of a landscape orientation, you can design the card in such a way that it is laid out with a portrait orientation. You can also go with a unique material like clear or frosted plastic, with rounded or straight edges.

When looking for a business card printing, don’t hesitate to go with a seemingly traditional choice like smooth matte. It may not be as showy as super-shiny business cards, but it does not hurt to stick with a classic. With smooth matte business cards that are well-designed, you can leave a lasting impression to whomever you will give the card – one that also reflects perfectly on your brand.

A Wide Array of Ways to Use Custom Postcards for Marketing Your Brand

Did you know that according to the United States Postal Service, custom postcards are marketing materials which are most likely to be scanned or read? Also, more than half of customers said that they have read postcards over sales letters, and more than 23% said that they have responded to postcards which are relevant to them. These numbers mean that if you are not using postcard printing as part of your promotional campaign, you are clearly missing out.

Numerous Ways to Use Postcards for Marketing

As you may already know, postcards are printed marketing materials sent to customers over the mail. There are many printing companies that can create cheap postcards and even mail them out for you. The question is, how will you use the postcards in order to push your marketing agenda? Here are a few creative ways to utilize them:

• Distribute postcards to announce an in-store or website event. Whether you have a physical or online store, you can mail out postcards to announce a store opening, an online store sale, or similar event.

• Turn postcards into discount vouchers or coupons.

Customers will not even bother reading your brochure or flyer if they will not get anything out of it – so use postcards to offer benefits. If you’re using an envelope, indicate that there is a discount coupon or voucher inside. Recipients are more likely to open the mailer and keep the postcard for future use if there’s something in it for them.

• Use them as greeting cards to build customer loyalty.

Postcard marketing is effective if you will send out postcards with just the right frequency: not too often that it feels spammy, but not too infrequent that they will totally forget about your brand. One way to increase the frequency of your mailers is to use postcards as greeting cards, especially during the holiday season. This is a great way to establish customer loyalty.

• Send a postcard birthday greeting to your customer, and make sure to include freebies.

Who wouldn’t want to receive freebies during their special day? When you are first getting the mailing address of a customer, have that person include his or her birth date and mention that you send out freebies for such occasions. It can be a discount on your products or services, or a buy one get one offer.

• Use postcards to introduce a new program, product, or service.

When you’re cooking up something new, introduce it using postcards. These are cheap enough to produce but are really effective marketing tools.

With a multitude of creative uses, there’s no reason for you to say no to the prospect of using postcards for marketing your brand to your target audience.

Looking for a Provider of Online Printing Services? Here’s What You Need to Know

Unlike online printing services that have an automatic ordering system, it used to be a big hassle to have printed promotional materials made. If you need 200 pieces of postcards made, for example, you need to go to the printing office to check out their equipment. You must come up with a design which has to be set up on the printing press. Then, you have to choose the material, paper thickness, and finish. After approving the proof, you have to wait for the job to be finished before you can finally pick up your order.

Today, you can do away with all these steps because there are professional printing companies that have a purely online ordering system. This means that you don’t have to visit any printing office – you just need to come up with the design, choose the materials and the finish, and wait for the materials to be delivered straight to your doorstep.

What You Need to Know about Online Printing

Whether you need business cards, brochures, flyers, menus, rack cards, post cards, letterheads, or any other printed promotional material, here are the essentials that you need to know:

 

• You can take your pick from different printing processes. Two of the most common are digital and offset printing. With digital printing, desktop digital printers are used. These are good for small jobs but if you need to order in bulk with a fast turnaround time, you should go with offset printing. For this, huge printing presses are used where a metal plate transfers or ‘offsets’ printed images onto a rubber blanket, which is then rolled onto the paper. Think of it as being similar to using a stamp pad on paper. Once the design is set, you can easily have hundreds or even thousands of copies made within a short span of time. Another advantage of offset printing is that it produces more professional-looking results. The more that you order, the lower the per-piece cost is.

• You need to focus on the design and content. Make sure that the text does not overcrowd the available space on the business card or letterhead – and it should feature your logo plus a short marketing tagline. The overall design should suit the image that you would like to project for your brand.

• You can choose from different materials, paper types, finishes, and sizes. Business cards, for instance, have a standard size of 3.5” x 2” but you can take your pick from different paper thickness and finishes like satin, ultra-smooth silk, soft touch suede, smooth matte or spot gloss.

• You have to go with an experienced, reliable printing company. For this, it pays to do your research so that you can choose a cost-effective printing package without compromising on quality.

By keeping these things in mind, you can look for an online printing service provider that will give you exactly what you need when it comes to printed promotional materials.

Should I Pay Extra for High Quality Business Card?

A 14-pt. smooth matte business card will set you back around ten cents apiece; while high quality business cards with the same thickness as a credit card will cost you around four or five times that. When you compare ordinary with high quality business cards, is the extra investment worth it? To answer this, here are a couple of questions that you can ask yourself:

• Do you prefer high quality business cards because you are offering products or services on the higher end of the price spectrum? If yes, then you definitely need to order the best business cards online. On the other hand, if you are trying to come off as an affordable brand or if you want customers to see your products or services as a lower-priced yet quality version of a direct competitor, you may not necessarily need to spend extra on premium cards. Just because a card is plain or uncoated does not mean that it comes off as cheap. You can always design the card in such a way that it looks standard but still excellently made.

• Do you have the budget for high quality business cards? If yes, then go for it! Nothing beats quality especially when it comes to the impression that you are creating for your brand. From best business cards online companies, you can select from cards that: – are made from thick paper stock, ranging from 14-pt. to 32-pt. – have unique features like rounded edge, painted edge (for super-thick business cards), spot UV gloss, foil stamping, plastic cards, and non-standard sizes.

When ordering high quality business cards, it is better to go with the offset printing option. Digital printers might offer cheaper prices, but the quality cannot match that of offset printing presses. The best business cards online are made with close attention to detail, and only high-end printing equipment can handle complex lamination jobs. Other things to consider when ordering the best business cards online are the turnaround time, costs, paper weight and thickness, finish, and quality of customer service offered.

All in all, it does pay to invest in high-quality business cards especially if you will order them from the best business cards online company. With impressive cards, you can leave an equally lasting impression about your brand.

 

Are Premium Business Cards Worth the Extra Investment?

In today’s business environment where everything is all about image and perception, there is still a need for you to invest in premium business cards. Printed promotional materials may be considered old school, but what’s good about business cards in particular is that that they contain all your information in one nifty package. If you’re running an online store, your business card can contain your website’s URL, business name, email address, and your social media handles. The overall look of premium business cards is also important because it ties up with the image that you would like to project as a brand.

If you are asking whether it is worth the extra investment to have ultra thick business cards made, let us analyse what regular business cards project in the first place. Let’s say that you are portraying your brand as an affordable option, you might want to stick with linen business cards with a straightforward design. This gives off a vibe that your services or products are equally affordable and fuss-free. On the other hand, if you want to project a high-end image, something more luxurious like ultra thick business cards is what’s expected of you.

The good news is that there is no need for you to spend an arm and a leg for premium business cards. There are many offset printing companies that can print ultra thick business cards for you at pretty reasonable costs. Basically, ultra thick business cards have these properties:

– The 32-pt. cardstock is as thick as a regular credit card.

– There are different sizes available: standard US (3.5” x 2”); European size (2.125” x 3.375”); and square (2.5” x 2.5”).

When it comes to finish, ultra-thick premium business cards are available in non-coated, foil-stamped, and painted edge variants. Uncoated ultra thick business cards have a simple, clean look. If you want something more drool-worthy or attention grabbing, foil stamped cards can highlight certain parts of the card in chrome gold foil. For something that stands out but is still unique and elegant, painted edge premium business cards are perfect. The thick edge can be painted with metallic hues like gold and silver; or a subtler shade of yellow, red, purple, pink, or orange.

Indeed, premium business cards are worth the extra investment if you want to give off an equally high-end vibe for your brand.