Three Simple Tips for Designing a Better Form

Posted on March 22, 2019 Written by

When your customer comes to you for a form, they have a lot of options to choose from. This is especially true if they are ordering a custom form where their form can truly be a canvas for anything they want to print. With so many options, you might be called on to help your customer create a custom form, and designing a form for them is a great opportunity for you to help them create an even more effective form. Here are our tips for designing a better form.

1. Make it Clear What Information Your Customer Needs
Your customer’s form is, first and foremost, a practical piece of print. It’s the essential information for a client’s order, the receipt for a catered event, a record of services provided, or some other important documentation. That’s why it’s important to make it very clear what information the reader needs to provide. Use simple words like “name” or “zip code” and use readable fonts.

And, when you’re creating a custom form, it’s also important that you don’t include information that doesn’t need to be there. After all, why make space for information that you don’t really need? Not only will unused information make the form look cluttered, it can make it more difficult for the person filling out the form to navigate. Streamlining the form can help make it even more clear how the form should be filled out.

2. Avoid All Caps
Including text in all caps creates a very uniform look, but it makes forms much harder to read! This means that the forms will be much harder to fill out, and that will make them take longer to fill out and to process.

3. Embrace Personalization
Your customer has worked hard on their brand, and if you’re creating a custom form for them you should highlight that brand! Not only does this give them a chance for better brand recognition among their clients, but it gives them a new promotional opportunity with every form. They can highlight their logo, include full color photographs of new products, and more.

Do you design custom forms for your customer? How do you ensure that they are effective? We’d love to see your suggestions in the comments below.

Filed Under: Design, News, Print Products, Stationery

Announcements vs. Postcards: Which Should Your Customer Use?

Posted on March 13, 2019 Written by

When your customer comes to you for help in creating a mailing for their business, they have a lot of print options to choose from. How can you help them narrow down their options to find the perfect print piece for their project? Here are a few questions to ask.

How Formal is Their Mailing?
This is probably the biggest deciding factor when your customer wants to create a piece to be mailed. Postcards are generally a more informal style of communication, which makes them a good fit for more informal events like real estate open houses or for in-store events like sales. The wide variety of stock options for your customer can create a look tailored to their mailing. ASTROBRIGHTS® papers, for example, are a great choice for energetic events or eyecatching sale promotions, while color core or extra thick stock are a good fit for adding a touch of professionalism.

Announcements, on the other hand, are a great fit for a wide variety of events—the real deciding factor is their design! They can create something colorful and casual for a fun event, or something a little more elegant for events that need additional polish. They can also use the elegant nature of an announcement to highlight the quality of new products or services that your customer is announcing.

Does Their Message Need to Make an Impact Quickly?
When your customer creates their mailing, it’s important to consider the person who will be reading that mailing. For some customers, a personalized envelope is a perfect touch of polish to a more formal communication, but it can also make that message easier to set aside and forget. This means that an announcement used for a mailing has to be chosen because it’s the right fit for your customer’s use.

Postcards, on the other hand, put nothing between the reader and the message your customer wants to get out. This makes them a good choice for communicating short and impactful messages like promotions for sales.

Are They Looking for Specialty Print?
Of course, your printed piece isn’t finished without print, and knowing your print options can also help your customer make decisions about which print product is right for them. Postcards allow your customers to get creative with their print using full color either in short or long run quantities. Full color print can be used to create simply colored minimalist images, or highlight photographs. They can also use spot color print on vibrant ASTROBRIGHTS® papers.

Announcements can be created using full color print for vibrant images, photographs, and more. They can also be printed  using spot color print for a stylish and simple announcement or a variety of specialty printing options like foil stamping or embossing that help add an elegant feel to invitations to banquets, galas, and other big events.

How do you help your customers know which print pieces are right for their next mailing? We’d love to see your tips and tricks in the comments below.

Filed Under: Marketing, News, Print Products, Stationery

The Long—And Short—of Post-it® Notes Orders

Posted on March 6, 2019 Written by

When your customers think about personalized printed Post-it® Notes, they probably think about notes printed in high quantities for promotional use. However, if your customers are looking for just a few Post-it Note pads, our short run quantities could be the perfect option! With full color printing, your customers can take advantage of the same personalization potential available in larger quantities.

Why Short Run?
One of the advantages of short run Post-it® Notes is that the lower quantities open up new possibilities. Your customers can use notes for a wider variety of uses when they have a wider variety of quantities available. And for you, short run Post-it® Notes also open up new possibilities for customer connections. Because you can offer low quantities of these classic sticky notes, you can work with a wider variety of customers and expand your customer connections.

Small Quantities, Big Possibilities
The quantities on short run Post-it® Notes might be small, but the possibilities are really big! As I mentioned, smaller quantities give your customers a chance to use these notes for a wider variety of uses.

Does your customer have a smaller business? Small quantities are a great fit for them! They can create notes for their office, perfectly-sized packs of promotional Post-it® Notes, and more.

For customers looking to create a promotional item for only their top customers or for only the attendees of an event, short run quantities could be the solution. Quantities range from 6 to 120, making it easy for your customer to choose a quantity that works for their audience.

Does your customer want to create a coupon for short-term spring sales? Not only do Post-it® Notes stick securely to the receipts that accompany a purchase, small quantities make it easy for your customer to print only as many notes as they need.

If your customer is looking for a perfect Post-it® Notes gift for their employees, short run quantities allow them to easily create personalized pads. They can create branded notes with their employee’s name for work anniversaries, holiday gifts, or simply to create a more personalized notepad for sales staff looking to make a personal connection with customers.

And if your customer simply wants to create personalized Post-it® Notes for personal use, short run quantities are perfect for that, too. Not only will these quantities better suit their budget for personal use notes, but smaller quantities are a better fit for everyday personal use. With quantities as low as six available, it’s easy for your customer to create a quantity of notes that is just right for them.

Ready to place an order? You can order short run Post-it® Notes quantities through our catalog, or in full color or spot color through Navitor.com.

How do your customers use short run Post-it® Notes quantities? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Marketing, News, Print Products, Promotional Products, Stationery

Bring Colorful Stocks and Substrates to Your Customer’s Print This Spring

Posted on February 28, 2019 Written by

yellow green business cards ASTROBRIGHTS stock colorful printWhether things are still snowy in your area or it’s already a warm day, spring is a great time for your customers to embrace color in their print order. Vibrant color can help bring eyecatching style to print for upcoming events, capture attention for spring sales, and might even be something that becomes a favorite for year-round use. And while every print piece is a chance to print a colorful image, colorful stocks are another great way to bring vibrant color to their upcoming print orders. Here are just a few of the products that allow your customer to embrace colorful stocks and substrates.

Business Cards
In the past few years, we’ve introduced a number of ways to bring color to add vibrant color to business cards using stock choice, and these stocks are a great way to bring an extra pop of color to your customer’s spring print orders. Consider using color core stock that coordinates with their logo to create a substantial business card for important upcoming business meetings, and vibrant ASTROBRIGHTS® papers are a good choice for business cards with allover color. Speaking of these vibrant stocks…

Announcements and Postcards
A lot of the stocks we’ve introduced to our business card selection have also joined the stock selection for announcements and postcards. ASTROBRIGHTS® stocks make for eyecatching postcards, and that makes these postcards a great fit for attention-grabbing promotions for spring sales. Color core stock, on the other hand, has a subtler look that can add a touch of unexpected charm to postcards and announcements.

Badges and Signage
Does your customer love the classic look of engraved badges and signage? They should consider using a colorful stock! Because engraving gives your customer a wide variety of stock options, it’s easy for your customer to choose a stock color that appeals to them.

Promotional Products
When your customer is preparing for an upcoming tradeshow or other event where they will connect with prospective customers, promotional products are a great addition to their print order—and those promotional products are yet another chance to add color! Most promotional products, from pens and pencils to bags and water bottles, are available in a wide variety of vibrant colors.

Do your customers love colored stocks and substrates? We’d love to hear more about the colorful print options they love in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Design, News, Print Products, Promotional Products, Resources, Stationery

Which Informational Print Piece is Right For Your Customer?

Posted on February 27, 2019 Written by

Your customer’s spring and summer events are coming fast, and it’s time for them to prepare the print that they need to run tradeshow booths, mailing campaigns, and more. Your customer’s informational pieces—whether brochures, sales sheets, or postcards—need to be ready, and making their information more impactful starts with choosing the right product. Here are just a few of the questions you can ask to learn which informational print piece is best suited to your customer’s need.

How Much Information Do They Have?
The most important thing to consider is the amount of information that your customer wants to share. They might want to create an in-depth list of services available at their business, or they might want to illustrate only the must-know information about a new product. Knowing how much information they will need to include is a good way to narrow their options.

If your customer has a lot of information to share or wants to go into detail about a concept, then they’ll need enough space to let that information breathe. Brochures and sales sheets are a great choice, as are oversized postcards.

On the other hand, if your customer wants to focus on high-level information, a smaller print piece might be a better fit. Postcards, rack cards, and door hangers are a good option for these uses because they offer the same full color style but provide a more compact canvas for your customer’s information.

How Will It Be Distributed?
Once your customer knows what size their piece will need to be, they should consider how they will be distributing this information.

If your customer is going to be handing out the informational pieces in person, they have a lot of flexibility in their options. For settings where they will be handing out a large number of informational pieces—for example, if they want to create a piece for each product—they might want to focus on brochures or rack cards that will be easier to keep organized. If they want one big, splashy print piece, then a sales sheet will make a big impact at tables or booths.

If your customer intends to mail their informational piece, on the other hand, they want to consider how well each piece will mail. A postcard—whether traditionally-sized or oversized—is a great choice that is ready-made for mailing, but pieces like rack cards and trifold brochures are also a great choice because they are well-sized for mailing envelopes.

Do They Want to Get Creative?
We’ve focused mostly on traditional informational pieces, but there are creative options, too! When your customer wants to branch out from these more traditional pieces, there are a number of options they can consider. Magnets are available in a wide variety of different sizes and make a creative alternative to rack cards and sales sheets. For pocket sized informational pieces, consider business cards or trading cards. Door hangers, bookmarks, and announcements are other creative options.

Which informational print pieces do your customers love most? We’d love to see your suggestions in the comments below.

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, News, Print Products, Resources, Stationery

5 Print Products Perfect for Retail Locations

Posted on February 8, 2019 Written by

It can be easy to think of a storefront in terms of larger print pieces like signage, but signage is really only the beginning of the print possibilities! If your customer works in the retail sphere, they might be missing opportunities to reinforce their brand in smaller ways. Here are five of our favorite print products that are perfect for retail locations.

1. Pens and Pencils
From signing receipts to taking notes, writing utensils will be used a lot at your customer’s retail location, and having a personalized pen or pencil on hand is a great chance to add another touch of brand recognition to customer interactions. Not only are pens and pencils a good addition to the checkout process, they double as great giveaway items when your customer wants to promote their business.

2. Name Badges
Is your customer looking for a way to bring their branding to every customer interaction? Name badges are a good addition to their print order. Not only can name badges be created to match their branding, signage, and more, but they are a good way to bring branding to the table when employees don’t wear uniforms.

3. Plastic Bags
If your customer is looking for a way to add polish to their retail location, there’s nothing better than a personalized printed bag. These bags are a great way to bring your customer’s brand to every purchase. And with full color plastic bags back in our product offering, your customer has even more versatile print options for their personalized bags.

4. Reusable Bags
If your customer wants to encourage their clients to be more ecofriendly, reusable bags are an increasingly popular option that they might want to consider. With a wide variety of tote sizes available, your customer can choose the size that best matches their product selection. Then they can give these bags to top customers or use them to promote their business in the community.

5. Business Cards
Your customer might not immediately think of business cards when they are ordering print for their retail location, but with a little bit of creativity they will find that business cards are a very versatile print piece. They can, of course, leave business cards near their checkout to encourage repeat purchases or tuck a business card into the bag with purchases.

With creativity, your customers could create even more for their business. They could also use business cards to create a punchcard for a simple rewards program—simply choose a lightweight stock for the card and stamp or punch it at the point of purchase. For boutique settings, business cards could be an ideal product tag. For customers who want to make a big splash with big clients, business cards could be a great canvas for a colorful, high quality coupon or referral card. And if your customer works in a store that offers clothing fittings, business cards could be a good way to mark future fitting appointments.

What print products do your customers in retail love? We’d love to see your suggestions in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Education, Marketing, News, Print Products, Promotional Products, Stationery

How to Design a More Effective Brochure

Posted on February 6, 2019 Written by

Whether you design print pieces often or simply advise your customer as they create designs for their print pieces, making that design more effective is an essential part of ensuring that their print order shines. How can you help them design a more effective brochure? Here are our tips.

1. Know Your Folds
Trifold brochures are a classic for a reason, but there are a wide variety of other options that your customer should consider! They might prefer the simplicity of a half fold brochure, the unique look of an engineer fold, or the engaging look of a closed gatefold, or something else entirely. Each fold brings something different to your customer’s brochure, and the way that the piece is folded should be the foundation of any good brochure design.

2. Use Photos for Full Color Flair
From manufacturers looking to highlight the quality of their work to nonprofits looking to show the good that they do in communities, full color photographs are an ideal addition to brochures. Photographs help reinforce the text on the brochure and can be exciting, inspiring, and engaging all on their own.

And speaking of text…

3. Avoid Using Too Much Text
It can be easy to get too wordy on a brochure, but that might not be the most effective way to use text on a brochure. If your customer is creating a step-by-step guide with their brochure, they might want more in-depth text. However, if they are ordering a brochure to introduce new products or to give a preliminary guide to their business, keeping the text simple and short will work better.

Why is keeping it short a good idea? One of the biggest reasons is because it allows consumers to get the information they need at a glance. This will make it easier for your customer’s message to get across. It also makes it easier to keep the message clear—after all, when your customer has to focus in on just the most important information, there is less risk that their message will become muddled.

4. Use Headers
Whether you’re trying to create a compelling cover or guiding readers through the brochure itself, using a good title and headers for different sections can make a big impact. Not only do headers for sections of the brochure make it easy for readers to browse, they also help highlight your customer’s biggest points.

5. Include a Call to Action
What’s the next step? Does the person reading the brochure need to give your customer a call? Is your customer asking for a donation? Including a clear call to action to close out the brochure makes it easy to take that next step.

For more information about the brochure options that Navitor offers, check out our catalog or website.

What makes an effective brochure? Do you have any tips? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Filed Under: Design, News, Print Products, Stationery

Get to Know Stock Texture

Posted on January 23, 2019 Written by

linen laid wove glossy coated paper stock texture for business cards, letterhead, envelopesPrint has a lot of features that can be replicated on a digital screen, but one feature simply must be experienced in person: texture. Texture might be a nearly unphotographable element of your customer’s print order, but whether your customer is looking for a glossy finish or subtle elegance, stock texture is an essential part of their print pieces.

So, how can your customers use texture in their print orders?

Wove
Paper with a wove finish is one that has no specially manufactured texture, which results in a smooth stock good for everyday use. Wove is a low-key texture that lets other elements of your customer’s design take center stage.

Linen
Linen paper has a look and feel reminiscent of fine linen fabric. The texture of linen paper is a crosshatch pattern similar to the feel of woven fabric. This fabric-like texture is a great fit for customers looking to create a classic, elegant look for their print and to show off the quality of their business. Consider this stock for personal stationery, business letterhead, or even menus for restaurants looking to convey a sense of quality.

Laid
Laid is a finish that emulates the look of fine hand-crafted paper. This stock texture is made up of fine ribs known as “chain lines.” These lines are created using a wire cylinder called a “dandy roll” that presses the pattern into the paper during the manufacturing process. Like linen papers, laid papers have a classic appeal that are ideal for letterhead or other print pieces that your customers need to feel important or authoritative like reports, presentations, and official business communication.

Coated
Coated stock creates a smooth, often glossy texture. If your customers aren’t familiar with coated stock by name, they’re probably familiar with it due to its common usage in mailings, magazines, and other glossy print pieces. Not only does coating create a smooth texture, glossy coating also gives the color additional depth and adds a sleek shine that is a good fit for designs featuring photographs and for other marketing pieces.

Want to give your customers an even more up close and personal look at their options for stock textures? Be sure to have your swatch book on hand when they order. Not only will this be a great introduction to stock textures, but it also

How do your customers use different stock textures? We’d love to hear more about their favorites in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Design, Education, News, Print Products, Stationery

Creative Uses for Letterhead

Posted on January 17, 2019 Written by

When your customer thinks about letterhead, they probably think first about the box of personalized paper sitting next to their printer for their official letters, but letterhead is also a great canvas for a wide variety of different projects! With the wide variety of stock and print options available, your customer can create almost anything with letterhead—here are just a few of our favorite creative options.

1. Pre-Printed Letters
Let’s start with something just a little off the beaten path: pre-printed letters! If your customer is working on a large mailing campaign, a pre-printed letter could be a good way to streamline the process of creating that mailing. Simply start with their usual letterhead design, add the text of their letter, and be sure to include a quality image of the sender’s signature to give it a more personal touch. Not only will this ensure that your customer’s letter is on the correct stock, but it will save them time on printing those letters themselves.

2. Menus
Whether your customer is looking for an elegant menu to highlight seasonal specials or drinks or wants to bring the subtle elegance of textured stock to their everyday menu, letterhead could be the ideal canvas for their menu. Not only does letterhead allow them to choose the simple elegance of spot color print for a high end feel or full color print to highlight photographs, it also allows them to choose from a wide variety of different stocks to suit their restaurant.

And if your customer changes up their menu often, letterhead could be a flexible option, too. Simply print their menu template on letterhead, and they can add menu information on their own printer for a more flexible menu option. This is a great way to add elegance to chef’s choice options or nightly specials.

3. Inserts for Folders and Mailings
If your customer is looking for a way to convey more information to their customers while adding a touch of elegance, letterhead could be a great canvas for an informational insert. Whether your customer wants to create a mailer that has an added touch of professionalism, wants a quality marketing insert to get more out of a folder of paperwork, or simply prefers the look of a textured stock, letterhead is a great alternative to a traditional sales sheet.

4. Programs
Does your customer want to create a program with classic appeal? Letterhead is a great option. Whether they are hosting an event for which attendees will need a schedule or are preparing for a concert, letterhead can be printed with all the information they need for their audience throughout the event.

Do your customers get creative with letterhead? What’s their favorite use for letterhead? We’d love to see your suggestions in the comments below.

Filed Under: Design, News, Print Products, Stationery

Added Professional Print Touches for the New Year

Posted on January 10, 2019 Written by

Whether your customer is updating their existing print order or creating something entirely new, the New Year is a good time for them to add a bit of extra polish and professionalism to their suite of stationery products. How can they do that? Here are our four tips.

1. Coordinate
Nothing says “You are in good hands” quite like a well-put-together appearance. From employee dress to consistent signage, your customer has probably considered this already, but they might not have considered the importance of coordinating their image across their print pieces, too.

That doesn’t mean that everything has to match exactly, though. The design they print on white letterhead for everyday use, for example, could feel more stately on an ivory stock. And speaking of ways to make designs feel consistent without making them match exactly…

2. Let Brand Colors Take Center Stage
Whether or not your customer wants to put their logo on a given print piece, using their brand colors for every piece is a good way to make every print piece they use feel like a cohesive whole. For some pieces your customer could highlight their logo, but others could simply feature that logo’s colors to create a different look that still connects back to their brand.

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative
Sometimes changing things up is a great way to pull together a more creative set of print pieces. Does your customer have an abstract or geometric logo? Consider printing it very light across their letterhead for the look of a watermark or letting it extend beyond the cut edge of their business card for a creative accent. Does your customer usually use their logo as the central design in their print—except in one photo-heavy brochure? Consider using that logo as an accent or highlighting it on the back of the brochure alongside your customer’s contact information.

This creativity doesn’t just add visual interest—it allows your customer to be more flexible with their print pieces. After all, with a little bit of flexibility in their brand look, they can create a wider variety of designs for their print.

4. Consider Texture
One way to bring together your customer’s print pieces with style is to use only one or two stock textures throughout their print order. Using the same stock to unify your customer’s business cards, letterhead, and stationery envelopes is a great way to give everything a consistent feel.

And, for additional polish, Navitor offers CLASSIC® Linen and Laid Papers. Not only do these stocks provide a subtle texture that will add a touch of elegant appeal, but the CLASSIC® brand is one that your customers can rely on. Choose linen papers for a cloth-like texture and laid for a handcrafted feel. To learn more about these stock textures, check out the Neenah website for more information on CLASSIC® Linen and CLASSIC® Laid.

How do you help your customers create a polished print order? Do you help them coordinate their print pieces? We’d love to see your tips in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Cards, Design, Folders, Labels, News, Print Products, Promotional Products, Stationery
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