“Fight Attrition with Direct Mail” is an article from Acxiom, a company specializing in database marketing services. It highlights how direct mail is still an important part of any company’s marketing mix. With so many channels – social media, sponsored searches, email, web banner ads – it’s easy to overlook more traditional channels such as direct mail, outbound prospecting and face-to-face networking compliment e-marketing.
Read the article here.
October 29th, 2009
One of the best features of any software is the community that develops around it. From beginners seeking information on how to get started to experts sharing their knowledge. A neat product Adobe created called “Kuler” (pronounced “cooler”) is web based tool that allows you to create and save color palettes. These colors can be imported as swatches in your Creative Suite programs, saved and shared with others. It’s very easy to use and is worth trying for your next project – put in a color value and have Kuler show you other colors that will work with it. You can also search for color palettes created by other users based on a theme.
The Kuler website is http://kuler.adobe.com/ and a short video on using Kuler with Creative Suite is http://www.channels.com/episodes/show/3180460/Get-Kuler-with-Pantone
October 26th, 2009
We work with many fund raising and membership based non-profits that are looking to make their print dollar work as had as possible for them. One of the resources we direct people to for stock photos is MorgueFile. http://morguefile.com/. It’s not only a free resource for photos, but a community with many bloggers offering advice and techniques on creating and using photos. Click on the “Classroom” tab at the website to see the lessons available.
October 19th, 2009
We often get requests for small quantities (<100) of paper for special applications that prove too costly to produce on a one-time basis. If you have need for a small quantity of membership cards, certificates, display stands for small signs, or pre-numbered tickets for an event or door/bottle hangers.
Even an office supply store would only have a limited selection of papers and sizes. One of the best resources we’ve found is BlanksUSA from Minneapolis Minnesota. Visit their website at www.blanksusa.com
October 12th, 2009
Most software programs have little known features that can simplify your tasks or get you out of a jam. InDesign’s Data Merge is a tool that works like “Mail Merge” found in MS Word that you may already be familiar with.
Last week we were able to help a customer with a tight deadline complete 600 numbered raffle tickets done in full color in less than 24 hrs using Data Merge. The customer had designed the raffle tickets in Quark Xpress, we had them output a Press Quality PDF and place it as a picture in InDesign CS4. We created a list of numbers 001-600 in 2 columns for the numbering. One numbered position was on the tear off stub, the other was on the ticket. The sheets were printed on a digital color printer, perforated and cut apart.
To find the Data Merge tool in InDesign, click on the Window menu,
Here are two videos that show how to do the Data Merge process. The first one shows a simple data merge for a product catalog. The second one shows how to merge pictures along with text.
For this video, click the link and scroll down the page until you see “Click Here” below the MS Excel picture.
InDesign CS4 Beyond the Basics: Datamerge Putting your data into InDesign By David Blatner
Data merge with pictures from theInDesigner.com blog
September 21st, 2009
If you are asked to help co-workers or customers with “computer questions” over the phone you’ve probably wished there was a way you could see their screen.
In the past, more expensive software like PCAnywhere had to be installed on both machines in order for you to see someone’s screen to help them. Free alternatives like RealVNC required the same – a client and a server program to be installed before being able to help. These installations usually required answering configuration questions about “ports” and “IP addresses” that every day computer users are not comfortable with, especially if they were already frustrated by the problem at hand. Thankfully much less expensive and easier to install alternatives exist.
Customers often call us while they are working on a project with a “how do I do that” type of question. From setting the correct panel widths on a brochure, to a technique in Photoshop to get better RGB to CMYK conversion, to setting their desktop scanner options for the best results when scanning photos or articles for a newsletter.
We’ve come across several solutions that help us collaborate with customers. These tools work on both Windows and MAC computers and work well with firewalls, as opposed to built in operating systems tools.
1) “Share My Screen” in Adobe CS4 programs (found under the FILE menu) – this is a free service that allows you to “host” a meeting and invite up to 3 other people to connect. A dial in phone number is provided if you need better quality audio conferencing than your office phone can handle. It does require a free AdobeID account. If you have CS4, you probably already created an AdobeID when you registered your software.
2) GoToMeeting.com – This software installs from your browser. You can invite people by sending a link via email to click on. It allows up to 15 people to connect and allows a dial-in conference call as well as using your computers’ microphone and speakers to participate. At $49.95 a month, with no long term contract, it’s a bargain for the features. They offer a discount if you pre-pay for 12 months of service.
3) GoToAssist Express – If you’ve contacted your computer maker for tech support, chances are they gave you an access code and asked you to enter it at a website to be able to see your screen. Currently at $69.95/mo it allows you to see up to 8 different computer screens at once. One of the nice features is they allow you to purchase a “Day pass” for only $9.95 – an inexpensive way to use this tool on an “as needed” basis.
We’re always looking for more ideas to share, please comment below on how you use software to help co-workers, clients and friends.
Rob Cullum
July 12th, 2009
In advertising or promoting an event it’s always a good feeling when your efforts are successful – it’s why you did it after all! In April this year we printed a brochure and insert for Tri-City BMX to promote their open house in May.
The brochure advertised their track location, summer race schedule, and offered answers to frequently asked questions – such as “What is BMX?” and “What equipment do I need so I can race BMX?”. Inserted into the brochure was a 3.5″ x 8.5″ stuffer promoting their May open house to introduce people to the sport of BMX. The insert described the debut of BMX as an Olympic sport, as well as a confidence building and fun family activity.
So far you are probably wondering what’s special about this project? Was it the design? the colors? the fonts? the size? the paper? the copy? – nope…..
In my opinion their printed pieces has the right message, but it was the distribution that was the key to their success.
They aimed the distribution squarely at their target market – elementary and middle school age kids. They contacted the schools surrounding their track location and asked for permission to distribute the brochures in the homerooms to promote this family friendly activity. They didn’t mail it to the parents, they went straight to the kids.
Over 100 people turned out for the open house. 22 new riders signed up that day, and a total of 81 new riders have joined through June 15. The majority of the new riders are 6 – 12 years old.
This is a great example of an organization aiming their offer effectively at their core prospects!
July 1st, 2009
There are many Quark XPress resources available on the web.
Here’s the Quark YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/QuarkXPress8 There is a nice tutorial on a creating a “Pop Out”, where one image appears to come out of another image. This tip will save you time by not having to go to an image editing program, such as Photoshop, to create the effect.
Other resources can be found on Quark’s homepage, just look under the Community heading at the top of the page. One of the best resources is the Forums, where users help users. Chances are if you are having a problem, or are not sure how to do something, someone else has already asked the question and received an answer here.
April 29th, 2009
PBR Graphics, Inc Announces Successful Energy Reduction Initiative
For Immediate Release
Albany, NY – April 27, 2009: PBR Graphics, Inc. today announced the fruition of a energy saving initiative.
Since 1980, PBR Graphics, Inc. has supported more efficient use of resources. Internally, the Company has increased its efficiency in many ways. Some have been small, such as placing recycling containers throughout the office. Some actions have been more significant, including a 9 month program to “virtualize” the entire datacenter that runs our website’s file transfer, order placement and reorder system.
A plan that was initiated over two years ago with a goal to cut power consumption by 50% — while still offering our customers the same reliable, high speed web-based file transfer and ordering — has grown into a complete redesign of the datacenter. Working with our vendors, installation of new state of the art hardware and specialized software has now been completed. The result is a power consumption reduction of more than 65%, beating our goal substantially. As a bonus, processing speeds for our customers print jobs are now faster than before. PBR Graphics is proud to announce its continued efforts to be more efficient and green.
PBR Graphics is the only printer in Albany that qualified for the prestigious CPrint(r), Certified Printers International designation. CPrint(r) is available only to printers who demonstrate exceptional quality and service by maintaining standards in operations, training, equipment and software as well as worker benefits and working conditions. This program requires annual onsite recertification as well as participation in continuing educational programs.
CPrint(r) is an organization of independently owned family-based businesses that strive for professionalism and performance among small business that commonly lack highly developed systems and leadership. Companies from throughout North America participate in the program.
PBR Graphics, Inc. is a full service printing and graphic communications company, offering design, printing, copying, mailing and electronic information distribution for it’s clients in the Non-Profit, Association, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Distribution sectors. Located at 20 Railroad Ave, Albany, NY 12205 the company has been in business for over 29 years serving the Capital District. For more information, Rob Cullum, President, can be contacted at 518-458-2909 x202 or by emailing rob@pbrgraphics.com.
April 27th, 2009
We’ll be using this format to publish news about our company, tips to help you work with popular programs such as Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator & Dreamweaver), Quark Xpress, Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft Word. We’ll highlight tips for using direct mail, printed newsletters and email newsletters, to help you reach out to your customers and prospects.
Our first item is a great website from Adobe. Many people may not realize that Adobe has published a series of tutorial videos that shipped with their software products on DVD.
They now publish it at tv.adobe.com Check it out to refresh your skills and learn some new ones from very talented users of these applications.
If you have something you’d like us to cover, please send me an email at rob@pbrgraphics.com
Rob
April 26th, 2009
