Delicious Fonts: The Bread and Butter of Appealing Designs

For every Olympic Games, there has been an accompanying logo that brings a unique identity to that particular year while allowing the host country a special place in the global spotlight.

A good Olympics logo should reflect both the host country’s culture and the time period of the games. The 2012 Olympic logo caught a lot of flak for failing in both of these goals. Composed of bright pink and yellow colors, weird shapes, and a jagged, angular typeface, it smacked of an 80’s funk vibe rather than British culture or the London lifestyle. When it was revealed in 2007, a petition circulated Great Britain (signed by over 48,000 citizens) to have the £400,000 logo scrapped a redesigned.

Ije Nwokorie, managing director at the design firm that created the logo, defended the bold look:

“We wanted the logo, in particular, to make people reconsider Olympics, to think about them in a different way,” he said. “London is this kind of dissonant place that you discover new angles and new dimensions to things. In its highest level, this brand was an expression of that.”

Overall, the logo and font sparked more dissonance with the viewers. Many believe it went down in history as a failed experiment.

How to Pick the Best Font for Your Page

Typefaces are the personality on the page.

The way you represent words shapes the style and readability of your content. A font choice can have far-reaching effects, which is why brand style guides are extremely helpful.

But if you don’t have a grid to work from, the endless choices can feel daunting. Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips:

Set the Tone

What is the style of the document? What vibe should the content communicate?

Often the audience you target will shape the personality of your font choice.

Keep it Simple

Unless you are designing an art piece, stick to one or two typefaces. If you are designing for a document, like an annual report, you might need a sans serif and a serif for variety and legibility.

If you need lots of different headings and subheads, choose a font with a variety of weights (like Bahnscrift or Sabon). Display fonts are fun but don’t offer many choices when it comes to weights.

Make the Best Even Better

Want to inject personality in your text without getting too weird?

Customized fonts work beautifully for logos, headings, or a tagline splashed across the page. Try customizing your favorite fonts with tiny alterations, like this:

• Shorten the descenders on letters like y, p, and q
• Make the crossbars on a letter stop short on one side and cut the corners off letters at an angle (like a capital ‘A’ or a lowercase ‘e’
• Use a bold header and a blurred, slightly transparent subhead
• Erase or add to the font by uniquely featuring something relating to your brand (for example, a baker might use a font where a bite is taken out of every ‘B’)

Don’t Be Trendy

Marketers often choose a typeface because it seems cool at the moment, but the flair can quickly fade.

Like bad wallpaper in your grandma’s kitchen, faddish designs don’t age well. One rule of thumb is this: “If a typeface is quirky, your design might be a turkey.”

Classic fonts that have endured over decades include Bodoni, Bembo, Caslon, Clarendon, Helvetica, Gill, Univers, Baskerville, Perpetua, Futura, News Gothic, and Optima.

From selling products to creating brand loyalty, fonts create a smooth, intuitive journey for people to follow. A little adjustment to your fonts can go a long way!

Need some fresh ideas? Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

     Creative Ways To Use Print Marketing to Boost Your Business 

There are many ways to increase business through marketing with print.

Although the world has experienced an unparalleled technological revolution, print media’s importance in reaching customers remains an uncontested force.

According to Forbes, print marketing is more recognizable, memorable, and decipherable to consumers than its digital counterpart.  

As old as advertising itself, print media is an invaluable resource. A host of strategies have yielded results over time; however, unique print marketing campaigns have ultimately proven the most successful. 

Utilize Social Media’s Simplistic Design

Most companies have adopted digital media into their marketing repertoire.

Customers enjoy simplistic layouts, separating information and graphics. Plus, it has become a recognizable feature of this media-minded society.  

Easy ways to incorporate digital inspiration into print marketing include (but are not limited to): 

• Signage on or around your business
• Business cards
• Mailing materials
• Promotional handouts 

Incorporate the Magic of Multiple Mediums

The Louvre famously employed a simplistic roadside billboard campaign in 2017.

It emulated the orientation, scale, and minimalism of a typical social media post that billions of users are familiar with. However, the museum also took the additional step of including non-conventional aspects to complement their high-way gallery. They set their roadside advertisements up to sync with three local radio stations. The audio component allowed drivers to hear a 30-second artist introduction. Along with attracting more visitors, the Louvre also gained international recognition for its creativity. 

There are endless undiscovered frontiers companies are exploring every day.

One of the best parts of print marketing is its versatility. Virtually anything can become a canvas to market your business. Marketing can also be seen in other lights. For example, a print media campaign does not have to include conventional forms of print advertisements.

While signage, business cards, and mailers are fantastic ways to reach customers, marketing can also be done through creative and more indirect ways. 

Printing Is the Best Marketing Route

Regardless of the methods you employ, finding the right printer to begin your next successful and innovative marketing campaign is simple.

To truly transform your business, join forces with an experienced team of print marketers. We're here to help.Need some fresh ideas? Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

 Standard Sizes for Print Products: Your Ultimate Guide

Print products come in a variety of sizes. From 3.5” x 2” business cards to 36” x 120” event banners, many of them have standard dimensions that provide  good reference points for printers, designers, and clients. While some standard sizes for print products have been formally acknowledged (like 4.125″ x 9.5″ for #10 envelopes), some sizes are considered standard simply because they get a large amount of orders (like 2” x 8” bookmarks). Popularity can gradually turn certain sizes into unofficial standards for the industry, or at least into good guidelines to follow when advising clients.

It can be a hassle to keep track of all these sizes or pull them from different product pages. That’s why we’ve created a collection of standard sizes for print products that are the most common. Please note that these standards are based on common North American print products dimensions.

Standard Sizes for Print Products

Standard Business Card Size

• 3.5” x 2”

Standard Postcard Sizes

• 4” x 6”
• 5” x 7”
• 5.5” x 8.5”

Standard Flyer Sizes

• 8.5” x 11”
• 5.5” x 8.5”

Standard Brochure Sizes

(flat size)

• 8.5” x 11”
• 8.5” x 14”
• 11” x 17”

(finished size – approximate)

• 3.67” x 8.5”
• 4.67” x 8.5”
• 5.5” x 8.5”
• 7” x 8.5”
• 5.67” x 11”
• 8.5” x 11”

Standard Bookmark Sizes

• 2” x 8”
• 2” x 6”
• 2.5” x 8.5”

Standard Presentation Folder Sizes

(flat size)

• 12” x 18” with 3” or 4” pockets
• 14.5” x 18” with 3” or 4” pockets

(finished size)

• 9” x 12”
• 9″ x 14.5″

Standard Booklet Sizes

• 8.5” x 11”
• 5.5” x 8.5″

Standard Greeting Card Sizes

(flat size)

• 5.5” x 8.5”
• 7” x 10”
• 8.5″ x 11″

(finished size)

• 4.25” x 5.5”
• 5” x 7”
• 5.5” x 8.5”

Standard Rack Card Sizes

• 3.5” x 8.5”
• 4” x 9”

Standard Ticket Sizes

• 2″ x 5.5″
• 3.5″ x 8.5″

Standard Wall Calendar Sizes

• 11” x 8.5”

Standard Lawn Sign/Yard Sign Sizes

• 36″ x 24″
• 24″ x 18″
• 18″ x 12″

Standard For Sale Sign/Real Estate Sign Sizes

• 24″ x 18″
• 24” x 6” (SOLD sign)

Standard A-Frame Sign Sizes

• 24″ x 36″
• 24″ x 18″

Standard Banner Sizes (for banners without frame or stand)

• 48” x 96”
• 36” x 120”
• 24″ x 72″ (for a 6” trade show table)

Standard Retractable Banner Size

• 33” x 80” (extra 1” goes inside the stand)

Standard Magnet Sizes

• 3.5” x 2”
• 3” x 4”
• 4″ x 6″
• 5.5″ x 8.5″

Standard Car Magnet Sizes

• 10″ x 20″
• 12” x 18”
• 12″ x 24″

Standard Poster Sizes

• 11″ x 17″
• 18” x 24”
• 24″ x 36″

Standard Door Hanger Sizes

• 3.5” x 8.5”
• 4.25” x 11”

Standard Folded Business Card Size

(flat size)

• 3.5” x 4”

(finished size)

• 3.5” x 2”

Standard Tent Card Sizes

(flat size)

• 4” x 16.5″
• 5” x 16.5″

(finished size)

• 4” x 6.25”
• 5” x 5.5”

Standard CD Cover Size

• 4.75″ x 4.75″ (for a 1-page front cover)

Standard Letterhead Size

• 8.5” x 11”

Standard Envelope Sizes

• 4.125″ x 9.5″ (#10)
• 4.375″ x 5.75″
• 9″ x 12″
• 10″ x 13″

Standard Notepad Sizes

• 4.25” x 5.5”
• 5.5” x 8.5”
• 8.5” x 11”

Standard Address Label Size

• 1″ x 2.625″

Standard NCR Form Sizes

• 5.5” x 8.5”
• 8.5” x 11”

What About Other Sizes?

Take these standard sizes for print products simply as some of the most common dimensions instead of rules that are set in stone. You can certainly print sizes that are not listed here. So if your clients are looking for something a little more out-of-the-box, get creative with size and choose a less common one.

The Print Cafe prints both standard sizes and custom sizes for all the products listed above at great prices. Need some fresh ideas? Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

 3 Non-Negotiables for Stellar Customer Service

Want to build connections that bring benefits?

You can do this everywhere you go by using people’s names. Career Coach Joyce Russel shared a story about a friend recovering from an injury. This man was staying in a rehab hospital and was not particularly happy with his care from the therapists and staff.

Unsympathetic, his wife noted that he hadn’t treated the hospital staff with particular kindness, “Do you even know the names of the people who are helping you?” she asked him. “No, why should I learn their names?” he replied. She reminded him that just by learning and using people’s names, he might get better care.

Sure enough, it helped!

Keep Your Best Customers Coming Back

Personal attention brings powerful results.

If you want a no-fail tactic to increase your sales, one of your best strategies is to entice proven customers to buy again. Here are just a few ways to keep customers coming back:

Greet People by Name

When you want to build loyalty, learn and use the names of your customers.

There should be a distinct difference between how you interact with your consistent clients and those you meet for the first time. Even if you don’t remember someone’s name, let them know you recognize them and are happy to see them. Say something like, “Well, hello! It’s great to see you again.”

When you take a phone call, the person on the other end usually identifies themselves immediately. Use this to your advantage and try to speak their name in conversation as the call progresses. As Dale Carnegie often said, “Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

Keep Your Eye on the Customer (Not the Profit)

Clients want to be recognized as people, not as potential profits.

In what ways can you be helpful regardless of profit? If a VIP customer needs a minor repair or replacement part, could you offer it at no cost? If a valued partner is considering a service upgrade, could you provide a free month of benefits? Small gestures (like carrying someone’s bag to their car) cost very little, but they add up over time.

People will continue taking their business to places they feel valued, and they’ll tell their friends too.

Keep Your Commitments

Reliability is the foundation of good customer relationships.

If you make a promise, keep it. If you say, “your new grill will be delivered and assembled by Saturday,” make sure it does. Never make claims you can’t back up with certainty.

The same rule applies to client appointments, upcoming sales, deadlines, etc. Think before you speak because broken promises are a slight on your character and your business's reputation.

Need some fresh ideas? Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

   Add Depth and Drama to Your Page with 4 Riveting Techniques

 

Tension. There’s just nothing like it to prompt emotion in relationships, film, and art.

Steven Spielberg demonstrated this masterfully in the classic 1993 film Jurassic Park. While young siblings Tim and Lex hide in an industrial kitchen, two raptors creep inside and begin prowling and sniffing the perimeter. As the children silently crawl on their knees and cower under stainless steel countertops, the toenails of the raptors click . . . click . . . click . . . along the floor behind them.

Though some would classify Jurassic Park as a children’s film, you can be sure the tension of this scene had every adult breathless as the raptors prepared to pounce.

Create Rhythm and Release in Your Page

As plot twists are to a story, visual tension is to design.

Visual tension is an aspect of composition that uses unexpected color, shape, or scale to create energy. While visual tension can be used to evoke anxiety, typically it is used to add depth and create a more dynamic viewer experience. This pattern of building and releasing tension is one of the most ingrained patterns of human experience.

Here are four ways to weave visual tension into your next design:

1. Go Off the Grid

Most shapes or pages have a sort of “structural skeleton” running through them.

In a square, the axis points would form a letter X through the center of the page. Elements placed along any major axis (or in the center) will appear more stable. Objects placed outside these major grid points will carry a greater sense of tension. If you place a logo underneath the invisible X of a square page, your design will feel a bit more exciting.

2. Use Jarring Color Combinations

While monochromatic or complementary colors are soothing, dissimilar or bold combinations create a unique energy in your designs.

The possibilities here are endless! Try gray suede and cheetah print mixed with white and gold. Or electric orange interspersed with neon pink. A rule of thumb is to favor one color over another (like using a dominant color for the background and the secondary color for accents). To tone it down a bit, use both colors for accents against a neutral shade.

3. Try Something Unexpected

Is the sky always blue?

It doesn’t have to be! Designs spur emotion when you do something unexpected, like adding a hot pink filter to a nature landscape. Try something surprising, like placing a giant head on a tiny body, coloring a chicken blue, or creating a visual puzzle (using concepts from the Gestalt principle) within your logo design.

4. Employ the Spatial Properties of Color

Colors create movement and affect the way we perceive an image.

Did you know that warm tones appear to advance in three-dimensional space? If you want to highlight a focal point in your image, you can increase the size of this object or also use a warm color such as red, orange, or yellow to bring it forward. If you want to reverse this effect, use a cool color (like blue or purple) on the closer, larger object and a warm color like red on a distant, smaller object. Viola! Tension created.

Engaging, Irresistible Images

Balance and tension are at the heart of every creative endeavor. Build hierarchy, focal points, and flow as you create a visual tension that makes your image irresistible!

Need some fresh ideas? Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

Make Ideas Fly Before They Die

When facing a life or death decision, do you think the opinions of others would affect your behavior?

Social proof is a powerful phenomenon. People constantly look to the opinions of others to help them live wisely and navigate uncertainty. The behavior and preferences of your peers can shape every choice you make – from the vehicles you drive to the candidates you vote for. But surely some of that superficiality would fade in more critical situations, right?

Not necessarily.

More than 40,000 people in the United States experience end-stage kidney failure every year, with bodies that cannot filter toxins and adequately remove waste products from their blood. These people are dependent on dialysis treatments as they wait desperately for a kidney transplant. Often more than  100,000 patients are eagerly waiting for a new organ.

Surprisingly, research shows that 97.1 percent of kidney offers are refused, and nearly 1 in 10 transplant candidates refuse a kidney in error. How could this happen? The research of MIT professor Juanjuan Zhang points to social proof. Say you are the one-hundredth person on a transplant list. If the first 99 people turned down a viable kidney, often people lower on the list conclude the organ must not be very good (“if someone else doesn’t want it, then neither do I”). They infer it is low in quality and wait for a “better offer.”

Zhang found this psychological trigger – a follow the crowd mentality – prompts thousands of patients to turn down kidneys they should have accepted.

If Something is Built to Show, It’s Built to Grow

Do you want to sell more products, grow attendance in your community group, or get momentum for your idea?

The more public a product or service, the more it triggers people to act. Visibility boosts word-of-mouth advertising, and this informal person-to-person marketing has a significant impact on others. People rely on peers to help them decide what movies to see, which vet to use for their pet, or the best software to buy. For example, recent studies show that more than half of adults under age 50consult online reviews before making a purchase decision, and 88% of people read reviews to determine the quality of a local business.

Reviews and testimonials are powerful, but you can also build influential triggers into small things like your product packaging, stickers, and more. Social influence is stronger when behavior is more observable.

Here are just a few ways outward symbols have made personal choices more public:

--Polling places that distribute an “I voted” sticker to those who cast a ballot

--Devices that attach a mini advertisement to every email (like the classic “sent using BlackBerry” tagline)

--TV shows that used canned laugh tracks to prompt more emotional buy-in from viewers

--Bumper stickers or yard signs sharing political ideas or coffee preferences

--VIP purchases that convince participants to wear conspicuous wristbands instead of using a paper ticket

--Fitness trackers that automatically post progress to a person’s social media page

--Grocery stores that distribute beautiful branded reusable bags

Monkey See, Monkey Do

It has been said that when people are free to do what they please, they typically imitate others.

How can you build more social currency into your marketing? Whether you choose recognizable product colors to selfie photo booths at your events, make it easy for people to share your brand through social media or when they’re just “doing life” in the public square.

When something is built to show, it’s built to grow.Need some fresh ideas? Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com

 

How to Keep Brand Value

 

Your brand is everything.

It’s what makes potential buyers and customers recognize you and helps set you apart from competitors.

It’s important to maintain the value of your brand in order to make the most of your business marketing. Keeping brand focus and consistency is key. If customers know what your brand stands for, they’ll end up appreciating it more, and you’ll gain more organic traffic.

A strong brand value helps tell your company’s story, creating awareness, loyalty, and excitement for the consumer.

Sales and marketing trends will continually change over time. However, building the power of your company’s brand is an investment that pays for years to come.

3 Ways to Keep Your Brand Value

1. Business Visuals

Your logo is at the forefront of your company.

Anyone who knows your business knows what your logo looks like, including the color palette, typography, imagery, and graphic elements. These brand visuals are most important to maintain throughout your business advertising.

When marketing for your business, continue to use these same characteristics of your logo throughout. Over time, after creating enough brand awareness, you should simplify your logo, and people will still know exactly who you are. For example, the Chevrolet logo doesn’t need the word “Chevrolet” next to it for people to know who they are. They’ve been around long enough and created a strong brand value to be able to pull that off.

2. Business Values and/or Mission

Brand values and/or the mission of your business are just as important to show and maintain as the logo characteristics.

Use your values to strengthen your advertising, show what you stand for, and create awareness. When people see an advertisement, they should be able to tell what company it’s for before even showing a logo or a name.

3. Business Style

Your company’s style fits in with your brand value and is important to maintain across all marketing consistently.

Does your building’s interior design use a modern appeal or more of a rustic look? Does your website use a white and clean look or a dark and textured theme? Use this style as a part of your print marketing and other advertising. 

The Ultimate Marketing Combination

All of these things; your logo, values, and style all play an important role in maintaining brand value.

Used often and strategically, these brand elements will help strengthen your brand so that your business is better known, and you’ll gain more traffic online and in person.

Need some fresh ideas? Contact us today to get started! 516-561-1468 or FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR MARKETING PRODUCTS GO TO:www.printcafeli.com