Archive for November, 2007

Custom Printing Ideas: Drown Out the Crowd and Stand Out

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

Uniqueness is quite an appealing feature – it makes you stand out from the ordinarily, the dull and the outright boring. This is not to say that common is good, but common doesn’t quite cut it for marketing, advertising, brand building and all the things that go into it. The only solution to this is impeccable design and custom printing.

Custom printing is a very advantageous service provided by printing companies. This allows you and everyone else’s to realize their own visions for their prints. Many print products can be customized. It even goes far enough for you to create your own print product if they don’t have it on their stock.

Use you innovative ideas and invest in them. There’s nothing like custom printing to shape out the prints that you want. However, as much as this service is popular for graphic designers and those who are daring enough to explore, at times, people don’t really know the risks and the great rewards involved.

The Different Poles of Being Different

There are always upsides and downsides to things. Using custom printing as your means to realize your goals is one thing. But how you fashion your prints, how different these can be might raise some applause or eyebrows.

With custom printing, you can set new trends that people haven’t explored before. Contemporary advertising draws in a lot of interest and attention. It gives your events, projects, businesses and others that buzz you need.

However, as much as creativity and expression are welcomed, it too can be frowned upon. Even though custom printing is technically a process, its products range from classy, normal ones to really ’surprising’ ones. It only goes to show that even for prints, there are certain norms.

Breaking the Ice

* Custom printing is not just about promoting radical ideas. Think of it as a platform, an open stage where you are free to produce and express whatever you want.

* Custom printing is about setting your identity. Through specific colors, you can establish your brand and logo more. Through die cutting, you can shape your prints into highly visual materials that will set you apart.

* Custom printing too provides you the avenue to break apart from the competition. With you original ideas, you can set yourself apart from the rest successfully.

* Custom printing gives you high-quality products that in itself, makes itself standout. Nothing is more impressive than looking at fine-crafted articles, even if it is just a label, business card, catalogs or poster. It only makes looking at these print products all the more worth while.

* And more than ever, custom printing products promotes opportunities for you to create solutions. Creative solutions that are as it gives you the ability to form, shape and create.

Common is not a bad thing. It works for certain people and industries, especially the conservative ones. But even they need custom printing to set themselves apart from the crowd.

Start thinking differently about custom printing. Start thinking creatively and realize the doors that open up when you choose custom printing. Gain more popularity and memory retention that would boost you up.

Uniqueness is a quality everyone desires. Like in all aspects of life and creation, uniqueness comes at a price, but not too high with custom printing. With that, comes quality you can truly afford. And if you’ve got the best strategy laid out, then your custom printing project is a sure bet that will laeryour career, business or any goals off.

The Verdict on Digital vs. Offset Printing

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

Before we go on to extol the virtues and to scrutinize the weakness of these two printing technologies, let us first take a look at their background and the process they undergo. Knowing just what offset printing and digital printing can offer can variably affect the results we want to see.

An Overview on Digital and Offset Printing .The digital printing is a more recent technology and is said to be the successor of offset printing. It uses the computer technology that transforms data into electric signals the computers translate into understandable commands. The computer transfers these data electronically to the printer. The result is rich photographic quality prints without the use of plates.

Offset, on the other hand, also involves digital technology but still involves a different process. It relies on the science that water and oil do not mix. This makes for accurate prints that are run through different rollers under different color towers.

A number of plates are also used to produce the final colorful design on the flyers. All of these are not present in digital printing.

Speed Most of the things digital printing can do, an offset printing can likewise do. But one of the advantages of digital printing is speed. The ink is already dry as soon as the printer stops printing. This means, the print out can be cut and bound in a matter of a few minutes.

Another important process is that it skips the process of plate-making, allowing a drastic reduction in printing time. This is important in urgent print jobs.

In offset printing, the ink is given time to dry, or be coated before it proceeds to cutting, sorting, and binding. When printing large quantities however, the offset printing is faster than the digital print. Whereas digital printing prints per area at a time (per line) the offset just rolls the paper through very quickly.

Volume Offset printing usually requires large orders to be cost-effective. It has to recoup the cost of making the plates and the prepress process. When the cost is spread over thinly, the price per unit becomes too high. When the volume involves more than a few dozens, the cost of printing offset becomes more cost-effective than digital. The cost of individual prints in digital printing can be relatively expensive. Printing digital is most workable when printing short runs or small orders. It is also ideal for printing individual custom made pieces, such as installations, posters for trade shows, etc.

Quality

It used to be consensus that offset printing has a far better quality than digital prints, but recently, digital printing is catching up. While it prints with the same vibrant colors and high contrast, it is now moving towards achieving an a more accurate color palette. However, review of the digital ink seems to show that the digital print cracks and flakes more easily when the paper is creased. Apart from that, the offset printer shows more consistent solid screen colors.

Digital and Offset printing have their own strengths and weakness that will help businesses and individuals on different occasions. They provide for different printing needs. Most printing companies now use both printing technologies. It is best to ask your printing company for quotes on both, and consult with them which is best for a particular print job.

Textile Printing in India – Traditional Approach

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

India is a country of diversities. It is rich in various embroidery techniques and printing techniques. Indian tradition is even rich in paintings and we can see that from the paintings of Ajanta murals and miniature paintings. In ancient times, the art of weaving and dyeing on cotton had been well developed, but it developed on silk later. In the fifth century, floral and geometric designs were popular in India and we can find that from the trade between India and Egypt. India is the first one who introduced the art of dyeing and printing with fast natural colors for the first time. For foreign travelers, indigo dyeing was a mysterious process because when the fabric is dipped in indigo bath, there is no color observed. Only when the fabric gets exposure to open air, the colors develop.

The purpose of printing is for the adornment of the textile. Correct co-ordination between human skills and printing machinery is required. Many kind of printing techniques are there, among which screen printing is important one.

Earlier, screen printing was known as silk printing. In that, silk gauge was being used as a screen for printing, so it was known as the silk printing. The design was engraved on the silk gauge and then the color was spread on that. The main benefit of screen printing is that it is cost-effective and large-scale production is possible with it. Screen printing is more advantageous than dye sublimation and inkjet printing. It is normally used for banners and flags. The pioneer of screen printing is Guy Mc Roy.

Printing groups

Hand-block printing is a reputed art and it has been handed down through generations. Ahmedabad in Gujarat is a very important centre for trade of this kind of printed textiles. The South region also has several centers which are well known for prints on cotton. Printing and dyeing were earlier developed in Rajasthan. In Gujarat, wooden block printing was more common. Block printing is rich in vibrant colors, so it became more popular. The processes of creating colors were very simple. A very surprising thing is that the same motif can be used in different forms. Madhya Pradesh also has a different style of printing, which reflects its culture.

Display Fabrics & Printing Processes

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

Printed fabric can be incorporated in a number of ways into signage, trade show displays, lobby displays, museum displays and more. In fabric printing for displays, a decorative pattern or design is applied to constructed fabric by dye sublimation or direct digital printing methods. Here’s a quick breakdown of each type of textile printing: In dye sublimation printing, an image is digitally printed in reverse with special dye sublimation toners or inks onto regular media, such as paper. The image is then placed on top of a polyester-based or coated fabric, and subjected to high heat and pressure from a heat press. The dye sub toners or inks “sublimate” (when a material goes directly from a solid state to a gaseous state, without becoming liquid)and flow into the fabric, dying the threads. In direct fabric digital printing, fabric is fed directly into an inkjet printer. Of course, the fabric must have a special inkjet coating on it, and then it will accept the ink the same way inkjet paper would. A nice variety of fabric is available with inkjet coating, ranging from canvas to stretchable polyester to satin.

Most Popular Fabrics for Displays

Since we are focusing on fabrics used in displays, let’s take a look at the most popular fabrics for displays and why they are so widely used.

PolyTwill 64″ wide
A favorite for trade show banners, backdrops, table throws and fitted table clothes. It is an excellent material for four color process printing, and is wrinkle-resistant and washable. It is also an excellent material for four color process printing, and is wrinkle-resistant and washable. It meets the NFPA-701 flame test standards so it’s safe for use with close range lighting.

Poly Knit (5 oz. or 9 oz.) 118″ wide
Two thirds of the weight of poly twill this material is primarily used for banners, POP back drops and lined curtains. This fabric provides excellent print quality, and is similar to nylon in look and feel. It is also an excellent material for four color process printing, is wrinkle-resistant, washable and meets the NFPA-701 flame test standards.

Poly Lucent 118″ wide
1.8 oz. Flame retardant lightweight sheer. This fabric is a good choice in displays that wish to convey a semi-transparent look, use silhouettes or specialty mood lighting.

Poly Satin 58″ wide
This fabric is elegant and used to obtain a silk-like look. Most commonly used in point of purchase applications, this material also meets the NFPA-701 flame test standards.

Poly Poplin 60″ wide
This fabric is used to print most banner stands. It is very durable, and does not fray on the edges.