Friday, 29 January 2010

Getting the message out there

Whilst the efficiency of electronic communication is clear, and initiatives to reduce waste are to be encouraged, Print Hut have recently joined and now support two sides which has members spanning the whole Graphic Communications Supply Chain, is concerned that incorrect and damaging impressions are being given by Uk’s largest Organisations and Plcs about going paperless and the environmental benefits.
It is increasingly clear that electronic communication and in particular the energy requirements of the increasing worldwide network of servers which are necessary to store all the information needed for immediate access, has a significant and increasing carbon footprint. Electronic document storage and communication must be recognised as delivering efficiency but not sustainability. In the UK it has been suggested that PCs and servers may consume up to 50% of the countres energy requirements in the next 10 years.

Too many organisations state that paperless Billing is environmentally friendly - less paper, less shredding, less recycling, but do you know the cost of requiring your customers to keep PCs on to receive your information? It is estimated that over 60% of home PC’s are left on permanently and that, in order to distribute information, 2% of the UK's current energy requirement is demanded by data centres today. (Roughly the same as the airline industry). A significant number of recipients of e-information also print at home; with a higher environmental unit cost than a centrally produced and mailed document.
Paper is a renewable and recyclable product that, if responsibly produced and consumed, is an environmentally sustainable media.

Charlotte Abbott
Finance Department
Print Hut!
Plenty of Print for Everyone!
The UKs ONLY Ultra Wholesale Printing Company
01480 216 331
Call Free 0800 9545 014
http://www.printhut.co.uk/
charlotte@printhut.co.uk

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Direct to Garment Explained

Tshirt printing in small to medium volume, onto a wide range of colours including darks has become a far better business to be involved with, thanks to the invention & improvement of direct to garment printers, also known as DTG printers for short.

Direct to garment printers, are inkjet printers which have been made to be able to print directly onto Tshirts and other garments.
Initially when DTG printers came onto the market, they were very expensive, slow, and the results were not as good as with other processes, however over the past few years the speed & quality has increased dramatically - and the costs have decreased, meaning that direct to garment printing is now a great way to improve your T shirt printing business.
This new technology allows full colour printing onto any colour garments with no transfers. Liquid ink is printed directly onto the garments. The machine produces an automatic white under base as used in screen printing to allow for bright vibrant colour images including pure white on black shirts. Until now this has only been possible using conventional screen printing, the problem is setup costs make it near impossible to produce short runs economically.
An average print time is less than 1 minute for a light shirt and four minutes for a fully under based dark shirt. Typically a garment digitally printed on the T-Jet is higher quality with a screen printed feel but costing much less for print runs from 1 to 500.
Another benefit to direct to garment printing is limitless customisation, as no setup costs exist there is no penalty for making each garment individual with either a name or some type of variable data. But it doesn’t end here ! You can now print onto any surface from fabric to breeze blocks, as long as it is no bigger than 450mm x 1150mm x 120mm deep it can print any image onto any surface. Golf balls are printed 60 at a time, mouse mats, canvases, jeans you name it can be printed on..........

Monday, 25 January 2010

Be wary of the months beginning with J!

Print Hut, The Uks Only Ultra Wholesale Printing Company is giving 2010 a cautious welcome. However watch out for months beginning with J!!

It could be argued that nothing is ever certain in print, but as 2010 was ushered in with restrained optimism. It is all but certain that the UK exited recession in the last quarter of 2009, there is no certainty about the speed of the recovery and there are still tough times ahead.

Talk of depression that dominated the headlines at the start of last year was of course baloney, but 2009 will still be remembered as an annus horriblis for printing companies. Things are much improved, but serious question marks remain over when, the economy will recover.

Green shoots

However, there are significant signs that the UK print industry is emerging from the recession with overcapacity in the industry in steady decline,

There are also signs that printers are adapting well to the market conditions. The gap between those printing companies reporting a fall as opposed to a rise in margins was at its narrowest for seven quarters, apparently

January is often the cruelest month for print, closely followed by June and July, but the bloodbath that plagued the industry at the start of last year marks a stark contrast to the start to 2010. With a general election on the horizon, there are reasons to be optimistic. However, challenges remain. Interest rates will rise in the coming months wont they? And what impact that will have on the ability of businesses to borrow to invest ?

So the start of 2010 is uncertain -YES, but the uncertainty we now have is about the speed of the recovery, not the depth of the fall. Isn’t that is certainly something to be cheerful about?

Charlotte Abbott
Finance Department
Print Hut!
Plenty of Print for Everyone!
The UK’s ONLY Ultra Wholesale Printing Company
01480 216 331
Call Free 0800 9545 014
http://www.printhut.co.uk/
charlotte@printhut.co.uk

Friday, 22 January 2010

Going green

An fact here on recycling, which I think I should share with you. If you are in any doubt about the printing industries green credentials, then please read on.

‘Today, the average recycling rate across European countries is over 62%, representing more than 50 million tonnes of used paper collected each year.

Paper fibres can be recycled up to six times, and recycling is certainly the best way to keep waste paper out of landfill. Where the UK is unable to use all the waste fibre collected, the material is exported, thus reducing the worldwide need for virgin fibre.’

So I reckon paper has excellent credentials as a renewable, sustainable and recyclable product, and managed paper production has a positive environmental impact. At the same time, a responsible use of paper and attitude to recycling will have an even greater environmental benefit.

'When people use more paper, suppliers plant more trees. If we want bigger commercial forests, then we should use more paper not less. Our policies should directly protect important wildlife habitats, not try to reduce our demand for paper.'

So keep it green!

Charlotte Abbot

The 'Penny Pincher'

Print Hut - The Uk's Only Ultra Wholesale Printing Company

Plenty of Print for Everyone!

www.printhut.co.uk

0800 9545 014

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Printed item of the week 20.01.10

Ok, here is it the iconic A5 24pp booklet. The World's favourite printed item by far. Robust, heavy with content and high in hapticity!!! Goes everyway from inside envelopes, into plastic bags ,through letterboxes and into leaflet dispensers. Of course with Royal mail's 'price in promotion' it also is classed as a letter costing at little as 26p to mail out.
This particular example was printed as a 'self cover' with the weight of the outer cover being the same as the inner text pages. This is the more economic version than its more expensive cousin; having a heavier cover section to the text pages. Either version is economically assessible costing as little as 35p each. Lead times were 5 days from receipt of artwork to delivery.
Printed onto silk paper it gives off a soft sheen allowing the images to bounce of the paper.
Well done to the production team who hit target dates and budget....

Monday, 18 January 2010

Print Hut TV. Have you got a Corporate ID horror?

What's the difference between sales and marketing?

So whats the different between sales and marketing?

Marketing is a concept that can sometimes cause confusion. But quite simply, its the process of getting your product or service out there and wanted.

You ll often hear the words sales and marketing spoken in the same breath, but its useful to be aware of the difference between them.

A sale happens at the end of a well planned and thought out marketing process. The sale might occur following a conversation during which you close the sale, or it may happen online with the click of a button. Regardless of how the sale is made, its marketing that ultimately led you to that end result the sale and more importantly cash in your pocket.

How does marketing work?

As a result of your marketing efforts you ll grab your potential customers attention and build a beautiful relationship with them. Whenever they see or hear about you (provided its positive of course), that relationship will blossom and you ll become quite attached to one another. The more time you spend together, the more you become firm friends. And if all goes to plan, your new found friend will at some point turn into a loyal, paying customer. They ll turn into a loyal customer not just because you have a product or service they want, but because they want to buy that product or service from you and loyalty goes a long way in business.

So, how can you market your business?

There are several forms of marketing, and a combination of all is recommended to grow your business. Never rely on just one. Marketing activities include networking, public relations, advertising, search engine marketing, direct mail and newsletters.

Charlotte Abbot

The 'Penny Pincher'

Print Hut - The Uk's Only Ultra Wholesale Printing Company

Plenty of Print for Everyone!

www.printhut.co.uk

0800 9545 014

Tip for the Week small Business!!

Remember the print process is actually a number of separate stages:
1. design
2. reprographics
3. plate-making or electronic equivalent (for low quantities, digital print processes now enable high quality printing direct from a computer)
4. printing
5. finishing (stapling, folding, etc if relevant)

Generally it is not possible to undo a stage and return to the previous one without re-originating at least the previous stage, so take care when signing off each stage. If your instructions to an agency or printer are not correct you will end up paying for the time they spend re-originating and amending, so think things through before you start the process.

Friday, 15 January 2010

What has the greatest impact on Planet Earth Print or Web media? 3 Guesses

A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact that human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, that have arisen through the manufacture and distribution of a product or service.

Reading a newspaper can consume 20% less carbon than viewing news online
A single person reading a daily printed newspaper in Europe uses the equivalent of 28kg of CO2 per year
For a person reading web-based news for 30 minutes a day, the global warming potential is the equivalent of 35kg per year

So put that in ya pipe and smoke it...

Monday, 11 January 2010

Yay or Nay

Call Print Hut Free with any printer's quote and we will tell you if we think it's worth it or not. Within 1 hour your 'printhuteer' will email through either a green light or red light! So even if you choose not to use Print Hut we will help to get your business the right fair price. Don't spend unnecessary money on your printing bills

How to make most from your business card

A business card is often the first impression a potential client has with your company and you want it to be the best. The business card design and message will ultimately determine whether it gets thrown in the bin or filed for contact later and hopefully it is the latter!

Size: Does your business card conform to the traditional size of 3.5" by 2"? Anything greater will not fit in wallets or most business card holders, end result in the bin.

Paper Quality: Is your business card design of professional quality or is it flimsy with perforated edges?

Ink: Drop some liquid on your business card. If the ink runs, it's in the bin.

Colour Test: Colourful cards can add to your professional image. Though, too much colour can be detracting. Bin your card if it is black and white or has more than 3 colours unless it's a photograph.

Message Design: Your business card should clearly tell people what you do and offer a meaningful benefit. No clear message adds confusion so your card ends up in the bin.

Image Match: Your business card design should match your business image. If your card is out of date with your image, time to redo it.

Font Size: Is your card crammed with too much information? White space on the card will make it easier to absorb your message. If you have a lot to say, add it to the back of the business card.

Contact Information: Your clients or potential clients should have as many means as possible to contact you based on their preference. Your business card design should include: phone, fax, email, and website. Lack of contact information puts your card in the bin.

You only have one chance to make a great first impression. Make sure you invest in the best business card design you can afford. The business card is your introduction to a client and hopefully new business, for the low cost per card that is money well spent.

Charlotte Abbott

Finance Department

Print Hut!

Plenty of Print for Everyone!

The UK’s ONLY Ultra Wholesale Printing Company

01480 216 331

Call Free 0800 9545 014

www.printhut.co.uk

charlotte@printhut.co.uk

The fib to Print Hut's Great Turkey Trivia was number 3

Whilst normal restrictions apply during Ramadan itself, there are no restrictions on eating Turkey during the festival of Seker Bayrami.

You'll be able to sleep at night now.

http://www.printhut.co.uk/news/2009/12/eat-ham-day.html

Print Hut, the Uk's Only Ultra Wholesle Printing Company

0800 954 5014

www.printhut.co.uk

Thursday, 7 January 2010

7 Small Business Marketing Tips

Here are 7 low-cost but highly effective marketing tips to help any small business find customers and generate sales quickly.

1. Don't Advertise Like a Big Business
Big businesses advertise to create name recognition and future sales. A small business can't afford to do that. Instead, design your advertising to produce sales ...now. One way to accomplish this is to always include an offer in your advertising - and an easy way for prospective customers to respond to it.

2. Offer a Cheaper Version
Some prospective customers are not willing to pay the asking price for your product or service. Others are more interested in paying a low price than in getting the best quality. You can avoid losing sales to many of these customers by offering a smaller or stripped down version of your product or service at a lower price.

3. Offer a Premium Version
Not all customers are looking for a cheap price. Many are willing to pay a higher price to get a premium product or service. You can boost your average size sale and your total revenue by offering a more comprehensive product or service ...or by combining several products or services in a special premium package offer for a higher price.

4. Try Some Unusual Marketing Methods
Look for some unconventional marketing methods your competitors are overlooking. You may discover some highly profitable ways to generate sales and avoid competition. For example, print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market. A small ad on a postcard can drive a high volume of traffic to your website or generate a flood of sales leads for a very small cost.

5. Trim Your Ads
Reduce the size of your ads so you can run more ads for the same cost. You may even be surprised to find that some of your short ads generate a better response than their longer versions.

6. Set up Joint Promotions with Other Small Businesses
Contact some non-competing small businesses serving customers in your market. Offer to publicize their products or services to your customers in exchange for their publicizing your services to their customers. This usually produces a large number of sales for a very low cost.

7. Take Advantage of Your Customers
Your customers already know and trust you. It's easier to get more business from them than to get any business from somebody who never bought from you. Take advantage of this by creating some special deals just for your existing customers ...and announce new products and services to them before you announce them to the general market.

Also, convert your customers into publicity agents for your business. Develop an incentive for them to tell associates and friends about the value of your products or services. An endorsement from them is more effective than any amount of advertising - and it is much cheaper.

Wednesday, 6 January 2010

Top ten tips for leaflet design

To help you get the most from your leaflet campaign Print Hut have compiled what we believe are the top 10 points to consider when planning your leaflet design and production

1. ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR WRITTEN BRIEF
Know who your audience is and what you want to achieve with the leaflet. And write it down. The better the brief for your designer the better the end result for you.

2. MAKE YOUR HEADLINE STAND OUT
Known as the Shelf Shout the top 3 inches of your leaflet are what people see when your leaflet is in the stand. If they dont make an impression and grab the attention of passers by, that is all they will ever see of what you have to offer. Make sure it includes the name of your attraction.

3. GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS
You need to convey your message with immediacy, brevity and clarity. The copy should not be in bulky paragraphs you need short, sharp statements, bullet points and bold headings.

4. A PICTURE SAYS A THOUSAND WORDS
You do not want to overwhelm the reader with your leaflet; the idea is to whet the appetite. Go for one or two strong images on the front cover for maximum impact. Inside use images as a visual aid to reinforce your message.

5. DOES IT MEASURE UP
The most universally accepted leaflet sizes are 1/3 A4 (DL) and A5 leaflets folded down from A3 or A4 size. They can be pocketed for later reference which makes them popular with the public. They are also the optimum sizes for inclusion in display racks.

6. FLOP OR NOT
Use a good quality paper for your leaflets, this stops them flopping which obscures the image in the display racks. Make sure that the paper is cut down the grain not across. Leaflets should have the spine down the left hand side, ensuring they stand up straight and dont make it too tal,l the optimum height is 21cm (DL).

7. INCENTIVISE TO MAXIMISE AND MEASURE
Incentivising your leaflet with special offers gives the public a good reason to visit and maximises your return on investment, It also allows you to measure the effectiveness of your campaign.

8. CHECK, CHECK, CHECK AGAIN
Nothing says amateur like spelling mistakes; it might seem obvious but copy checking should be standard for anything going out to the public. Check it yourself, get someone else in your company to check it, and finally get an outside opinion.

9. AIDA IS NOT JUST A FOUR LETTER WORD
This simple but effective advertising formula can help you gauge how effective your leaflet will be. Attention, Interest, Desire, Action - does your leaflet tick all these boxes? If the answer is yes, you are 90% of the way there.

10. PRINTING AND DELIVERY
It is advisable to view your job on the print press before it is produced if possible. Mistakes cost money. You should also consider that the printers will cut your leaflet down to size, allow a 2mm bleed margin around your design, so the message is not lost.

Tuesday, 5 January 2010

Career Opportunities in the Print Industry

The UK printing industry invests some 750 million pounds every year in new equipment and systems. We are amongst the most innovative and high tech industries in the world and printing today involves extensive use of digital technologies and computerisation. From spectrophotometry systems to measure and adjust colour balance on printing presses, to variable data software which enables digital pictures to be personalised to make every printed copy unique, to computer to plate systems and even direct press imaging without the need for platemaking, the modern printing industry has embraced new technology like no other. We need computer-savvy young people to get the best out of this new technology, to design and implement new applications for equipment manufacturers and to maximise the return for companies which invest so much in capital expenditure every year.

There has never been a better time for young people to join the printing industry. We are facing a real dilemma – the average age of a printing employee in the commercial sector is 52 and in newspaper printing is even older. Since printing is a well paid industry, many print employees are retiring before the age of 65 so we are facing a huge skills gap unless we attract new young blood into the industry. Our dilemma is their opportunity. Career advancement opportunities abound for talented young people who are prepared to work hard. There are countless examples of managing directors and even some chief executives who have risen to the top from the shop floor, starting their careers in composing, printing or finishing departments, often as apprentices.

Printing also offers young people the chance to diversify their careers. The days of demarcation are long gone and flexibility is the key to successful businesses today. If young people are willing to be flexible and to become multi-skilled, they will become more employable and can expect to earn more and reach higher positions than those who just stick to one skill.

Careers in the Printing Industry
The printing industry needs bright, enthusiastic young people with different skills, and from all areas of society, to help it continue to forge ahead. So if students are looking for a career in a busy, highly skilled, technologically advanced and creative industry, which is also ranked among the highest paid in the UK, then the printing industry is the place to be.

Total Annual Salaries in the Printing Industry (taken from the BPIF Salary Survey Report 2007 based on medium sized companies - 5m-10m turnover)

Managing Director 85,000
Production Director 64,000
Commercial/Marketing Director 62,000
Finance Director 59,000
Sales Manager 40,000
IT Manager 40,000
Sales Executive 37,000
General Manager 35,000
Quality Manager 32,000

These figures are a little out of date but give a good indication of how the printing industry rewards individuals who are prepared to work hard and demonstrate commitment and flexibility.

If you wish to discuss any opportunities Print Hut or Prosis Print Management may have to offer the right person, please call 01480 216 331 for a discussion

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