PRINTING SERVICES FOR STARTUP BUSINESSES

A budget for a marketing plan is most important first step in developing a new business. This is your path to reaching new customer. Of course the best way to start is to use cross marketing, both printing and internet to attract customers. But with a low budget many small business can’t do both.

Full color printing online is cheapest and faster way to getting your message out to lots of people in a short time. Every business needs business cards to hand out. Most business use direct mail postcards, flyers and brochures as standard marketing tools to advertise promotions and new products and services.

Custom printed top quality full color business cards make an impressive first impression. You will need to attract attention, get noticed and remembered. There are many business card options to choose from.  A standard business card should be printed on 14 or 16 point card stock with products on 20 and 21 Pt  plastic stock with round corners. Anything less will feel cheap and flimsy and if it’s heavier it will be to stiff. Inexpensive business cards should be printed in full color with choices of high gloss UV coating, matte / dull coating or no coating. You can write on matte or uncoated cards. High gloss spot UV coating on selected areas on your can add flair to your business card with cards to create a matte / high gloss effect.  It’s a little more expensive but worth it if you want to stand out.

EndurACE cards and flyers on printed on 10 Pt. water proof, tear and fade resistant synthetic paper. It’s the perfect solution for harsh environments both indoors and out.


If you want a truly unique business cards that is so unforgettable it will be remembered even if your name is forgetting choose a WOW FACTOR supper card with eye candy. Choose an elegant smooth silk laminated card that is water and tear resistant. Add spot UV coating and / or stunning gold or  silver foil.

Akuafoil cards print every CMYK color into foil. They are printed  on heavy 16 Pt. card stock and you You can make as many foil colors you want and mix them to make solids, blends, gradations and halftones. You can choose between no coating, UV coating or spot UV  coating. Foil cards are not as expensive as you may think. They use a cold foil process that does not need expensive dyes or hot foil stamping. The foil is printed on the business card using a process using a process the was reserved for book covers, labels and packaging. This foil printing service is not available for business cards, postcards and flyers.

Plastic cards are very popular because they are an eye magnet that’s sturdy. They are available in clear, frosted and white plastic. They last for a long time. They come with rounded corners in your choice of 1/8 or 1/4 inches.  Standard business card size is available on 20 pt stock or

Lenticular cards can tell a story in 2 or 3 flips. They are printed on 21 Pt. card stock and come with rounded corner  to protect for sharp edges. Most lenticular card are printed in China so thay have to go through customs and take a long time to be delivered if there is a problem you will have to pay to print them again. We print lenticular right here in the United States and they are a 100% guaranteed to be printed correctly from you files.  


Postcards are a  great marketing tool. Most of the business card effect are available with postcards.
Local businesses can take advantage of Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM), a USPS service the distributes mail to every home and home and business in your selected carrier route for $ .175 each piece.

When compared to building a website and paying for design, programming and expensive constant search engine optimization and content writing as well as social marketing that’s necessary to get a high ranking to keep you on the first page if you can get there which is unlikely if you have a new url. First page can never be guaranteed no matter how much money you spend on pay per click unless you ready to get in a bidding war with your competition. The truth is very few people ever click on paid ads.

PRINTED CAMPAIGN PRODUCTS THAT HELP GET OUT THE VOTE

It’s campaign season and candidates are getting ready for elections. Business cards, bumper shirts, t-shirts and postcards are necessary items to promote candidacy. Prospective congressmen, senators and other elected officials need name and face recognition and what better way than with printed promotional products.

Business cards with the candidate’s face, slogan and important information such as QR code to website or email and phone information to sign up are essential. But campaign finances must kept low so finding a high quality printer with cheap low prices are important. Price alone is not the only consideration. Candidates must also make sure that what is printed does not appear cheap and flimsy because this will reflect on them. Business cards printed on 14 or 16 PT stock will give the impression of quality that is passed on to the prospective official.

Postcards must be sent out on a regular basis in order to make sure name recognition grows. Postcards can be sent using EDDM. Political campaigns can customized their mailings regionally targeting their demographics at a small fraction of the traditional direct mail marketing costs. Every Door Direct Mail Retail is a USPS cheap and effective direct mail marketing solution for targeting political campaigns, nonprofit organizations and businesses with affordable direct mail services. You can target local area mailings for only $ .175 cents for each piece. EDDM Retail is a strategy that produces very high returns on a very small investment. It's simple and easy to take advantage of this cheap direct mail service offered by your local post office. You don't need bulk mail permits, mailing lists or address imprinting. You choose the zip codes, city or mile radius and quantity you want delivered. Your message will go to every residential address and business or just residential address in that zip codes, city or mile radius of your choice. Rules for everydoor direct are specific so be sure to check them out.

Bumper stickers are a cheap way to make sure your slogan and candidacy is remembered. They get fast and easy attention.  It is an affordable way to get your message out. Cheap to produce, bumper stickers are cost effective marketing and advertising. Besides bumper stickers, posters and yard signs help keep awareness.

Buttons and t-shirts are also important campaign products. Buttons are a must for any political ad campaign and are great giveaways. But buttons alone should not be used for low cost advertising, t-shirts are a vital election item too. Campaign workers wear custom t-shirts with pride and show their support of their candidate. It makes a great keepsake and can make a political statement that lasts.

Doorhangers, letterheads and envelopes add to the list of political printing.  Reaching people where they work and live, doorhangers are a great alternative to a direct mail piece. Let's not forget that custom printed stationery is also imperative. Custom printed letterheads and envelopes gives validation to campaigns and can carry requests for support.

Whether you are using cards, buttons, banners, bumper stickers and more, these political printed materials all work to increase awareness, gain recognition, or speak your mind. Campaign time is here and now is the time to get started.

FOR POSTCARDS THAT ATTRACT ATTENTION - ADD A WOW FACTOR

Postcards target your messages directly to prospective customers. An important reason why they still work today is the fact that postcards are passive. They take no action on the part of the receiver to be seen. Postcards just need to pass before a reader’s eye to get noticed.An offer with a specific closing date as a call to action can be used immediately for a fast return on your ROI. Responses can be easily and quickly measured. Postcards can be printed in a variety of ways, in various sizes and for varying costs. But in order to get a return on your investment (ROI), your postcard needs to stand out from your competition and all the other distractions in your mailbox. Of course, the content is important but more important than the message is the design. It does little good to have a great offer on an uninteresting, boring design. The first thing your card needs to do is attract instant attention so your message is noticed and the reader takes that second look. By getting your postcard noticed, you can guarantee an upsurge of interest. Attention can be achieved by having a high quality full color postcard printed on heavy 14pt or 16pt quality card stock. This choice can make a lasting impression showing quality that transfers to your product. For added interest, you may want to use a Wow Factor effect so that your post card will stand out and get your company noticed.

Wow Factor effects are new state of the art printing techniques that raises the interest level and attract additional attention. Three new affordable gang run Wow Factor printing effects are Spot UV coating, lenticular cards, foil cards. To learn more about these effects and how to create them, click on the product.

1. Spot UV coating is a high gloss laminate coating that can be applied to selected areas of your card. Spot UV coating can be applied to type, a photo or illustration and also be used on a solid color background to give a high/low effect. Spot UV coating creates a combinations of glossy and dull finish effect to focus the eye and makes the card more appealing.

2. Silver or Gold Foil is used to add interest and a special elegant richness to a standard 4 color card.
OR  Colored Foil that can show gradients and blends as well as combine other color foils. By using this new technique you are able to increase the colors in the traditional 4 color pallet and create effects never seen before. The possibilities of using these effects is only limited by your imagination.

3. Lenticular cards that produces visual images that are more appealing due to their surprising motion, animation, depth and 3D effects. Take your images and create a swapping effect, each image vanishing and then reappearing from one to another as you move it up and down. The image you create appears to change or move or morph as it is turned creating dramatic animation or depth.



Wow Factor effects are very unique and require special technology to produce. They are only offered by a very few commercial printing companies so it is not common and over used. If you looking for an attention driver, you have to learn more about these hot new printing techniques. Find a printer that offers Wow Factor effects and see how it raises the bar and changes the game. You can’t sell yourself without getting the customers attention. Unfortunately, Wow Factor effects do not reproduce on monitors, so you can’t see them online. But if interested, request free samples from printers offering this great attention getters and see for yourself what these card can actually look like.

The internet and technology have changed the way business is conducted, but don’t underestimate its effectiveness. Some of the old more traditional ways such as direct marketing have produced large profits in the past and continue to do so today. A printed 4 color post card will never go out of style, just keep getting better.

LENTICULAR CARDS ARE THE MOST UNIQUE AND EFFECTIVE PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT

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Lenticular cards such as business cards and postcards from Color Printing Pros are very effective promotional products. Research has shown that 3D and 4D pictures attract more attention 6.5 times more than ordinary flat pictures. People will stop and examine these objects for a long time. Many will save them as souvenirs to show others. Rarely are they thrown in trash like ordinary cards. Isn’t that what you want? This increased interest is more effective marketing than ordinary cards.

Lenticular cards are a new product that offers you dimensional print to deliver twice the message in the same print. This card is a Lenticular product that allows you to have two or three different pictures in one. You take your images and create a swapping effect, each image vanishing and then reappearing from one to another as you move it up and down. There is a backing that can also be printed in normal 4 color process. Total thickness with both plastic LenTek viewer and backing is 21pt.  Only the front side will have the lenticular effect. Your images will transition from one to another as you move the card up and down. Right now these cards have only a vertical transition or flip. Need information as to how to create a lenticular card, there is a help page for you.

Consumers are bombarded with marketing messages every single day. From the often annoying ads that they see on TV to billboards on the side of the road to the banner ads that are present on virtually every website, consumers are constantly being told to buy, buy, buy. As a result of this constant bombardment, consumers have to filter many of these messages to avoid being overloaded. Because they filter many marketing messages, companies that rely on generic marketing approaches are not going to be able to effectively reach consumers.

In order to bypass consumers' marketing filter, your marketing needs to get their attention. By taking a unique approach that grabs their attention, they will turn off their filter and actually absorb what you have to say to them. The best way to get this crucial marketing edge is to set yourself apart with WOW factor effects. By using WOW factor effects like a lenticular 3D card, you can rise above your competitors and grab the attention of your potential customers.

POSTCARDS - A Cheap and Effective Marketing Tool

Postcards are one of the oldest direct marketing tools that are still effective today.

In our high tech digital world low tech postcards are still the best, fastest working direct marketing tools ever. If you don't believe me, check your mailbox. Don't think the companies that stuff your mailbox are stupid. If they didn't make big bucks, you wouldn't get all that mail from the same companies over and over again.

Postcards Get Noticed

A well-designed inexpensive postcard campaign with strong call to action copy will keep your company at the top of the mind of customs.

Postcards Are Cheap

Postcards when compared to other marketing tools are the cheapest to print than they ever have been. Online printing companies make it easy to find the best value cheap postcards without spending a lot of research time. As a matter of fact, full color postcards are cheaper than two color cards were just a few years ago, so you get more bang for your buck. You can buy 5,000 4.25 X 6 high quality full color postcards for under $160

Postcards Are Read By Almost Everyone

It's harder not to read an interesting postcard than to avoid reading it. An eye candy design and a compelling offer can catch your eye and it's difficult not to read it. Nothing else in your mailbox can capture that much attention except a large check from the government. Most junk letters never get opened unless they looks official. People don't have the time or care to read. Flyers can also have too much to read and they instantly get tossed. On the other hand, postcards are noticed and read because the message requires just a second to decide if you're interested or not. They don't have to be unfolded and they don't waste time with a lot of words.

Postcard Campaigns Return a High ROI

If you plan on sending only one postcard, you may be wasting your money if you are trying to determine the results.You don't have to have a huge mailing list to monitor your postcard stats. If you don't have a lot of money to test the direct mail marketing waters- and what small business does-, you can print wholesale inexpensive postcards in short runs of 100, 250, 500 or 1,000. The trick is to send them every 4-6 weeks to the same list. Each time with a different offer. It's not the quantity, but the frequency that keeps your brand in front of your customer.

Postcard Effectiveness Testing is Fast and Easy

Use short run postcards to try different ideas and see which ones have the best returns. Once you know what works slowly increase your mailings and keep on checking results. The best value for short run postcards is about $55 for 1,000. You can send as few as 100 cards at a time to spread your mailing cost. Just make sure you change lists.

Postcard Printing Tips:

1. When buying cheap postcards online, don't buy the cheapest deal you can find. Cheap looks cheap, feels cheap and can represent your company as cheap. Considering the size of a postcards, the paper stock should be the issue unless you are printing hundreds of thousands. The minimal card stock weight should be a heavy 14 Pt or extra heavy 16 Pt.- either UV or matte coated card stock.

2. If you're distributing the card through the mail, the address area should NOT be UV coated. UV coating is a liquid laminate that can't be overprinted with a personalization or address for mailing. There are two solutions for this issue. Order your cards with UV coating one side matte coating one side or pay a little more have your cards printed with spot UV coating so you can decide what is to be glossy. Spot UV coating is an eye candy wow factor effect that will catch attention so your card has a better chance of standing out and getting noticed.

3. Bigger is better when it come to postcards and diamonds. Postcards are available in many sizes. Small 4 X 6 and 4.25 X 6 postcards can be sent at lower postcard postal rates. You'll save money but lose impact. If you're going to do it, do it right.

4. Print "SAVE THIS CARD," you'll be surprised at how many will then save it. If you say it, they will be it.

5. Be sure to put a time limit on your offer. Add a tracking code so you can identify the mailing you sent out. The offer should be redeemable only with that code. Customers like to receive codes because they are identified as being special.

It doesn't matter if you have a small local pizza takeout or you're selling tours to Europe nationally, the key is to make sure you have a "can't refuse" offer and your card looks impressive. You don't have to spend much money to get a postcard campaign going. Plan to send six different postcards in 6 months and you will make money fast and easy once you get your program started. Remember it takes money to make money and cheap but high quality postcard campaigns will make you money and a high return on what you have spent.

POSTCARDS PRODUCE PROFITS

The old line, ten percent of the fishermen catch 90 percent of the fish couldn’t be more true than when we are in a deep recession. Competing for the trophy fish doesn’t require hard work as much as planning and new tactics. If you have a small business, you have an advantage. You can quickly change strategic plans to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing economy. Large companies with strong corporate cultures and long term planning have difficulty breaking contracts for advertising. They can layoff workers to save money but remember large ships cannot make quick turns. With this said, if you have a small or medium sized product or service business don’t give up hope, try to better target your market, offer discounts, free services and other promotions that attract sales.

It isn’t easy to sell a product that people think they don’t have the money to buy. By describing the benefits of your product or service you are offering a solution to this problem that may improve your customer’s life and/or save them money in the long term. For example, local laundry/ drycleaner customers were not coming in as regular as before due to the economy. The drycleaner created a targeted list of old customers as well as others in their zip code service area. They retrained their behind-the-counter associates, stressing strong customer service. They offered a prepay 30% discount card and registration at the store in case you lost your card. They sent out an inexpensive postcard offering the benefits of this offer and within two weeks of the mailing, business picked up 15 to 20%. This increase in business easily paid for the cost of the mailing and got them many new customers. Two months later they sent out a new mailer offering the same service, planned driver routes and add a free local pickup and delivery. That created a local buzz in the area and their business was actually better than a year ago.

This laundry/dry cleaner had a local web site. They put the same offer on their site and got no response. Why? People don’t normally do this kind of business on a web site. On their next postcard mailing, they offered their new free pick up and delivery service online. Now it made sense to order your laundry services on the internet and business picked up again. They expanded the list to include businesses in the area and customers from outside the traditional residential area and their customers found it was easy to put their laundry in the car and have it picked up and delivered at work.

The reason all this worked so well is that it used passive sales techniques with the postcards. People needing laundry services respond much higher to receiving the offer in the mail than having to take the proactive step of going online to find the service. Once they accept the idea of ordering this service online, it was possible to reduce mailing costs and use more email promotions. But you always use both if you wish to be successful.

In order to use postcards effectively you must ask yourself a couple of questions. The first question always is how much will it cost, and can I afford to do this. The next question is how much can I expect get in return for my investment. Postcards can be cheap but be sure to get quality as well as price. The postcard’s feel can impress your customers to expect quality from your service. Some printers offer 10pt or 12pt cards. These cards lack the feel and usually do not stand up well. A printer who offers 14pt or 16pt postcards with free UV coating is offering a superior product. One that will stand up to wear, shows you care about quality and can help your company be remembered. Isn’t this what you really want from a postcard?

Remember online advertising is great. But to achieve the maximum return, you need to combine it with passive advertising- a printed piece. Use postcards wisely. Let them draw customers to your business and then have a followup with your online service or site. In today’s world, you need to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing economy with good strategic plans. You have to take advantage of all the resources available to you both passive and proactive to promote your business properly.

Be sure to visit us at: http://www.colorprintingpros.com