While ordering off the internet can be convenient it can quickly turn into nightmare. When trying to save money, many companies are turning online for their printing needs only to find it can end up being a costly and frustrating decision. Businesses especially, should think twice before ordering their professional print material off the web. Just like your website, your print material is the face of your company and should be high quality and professional. Unlike a local print shop, online printers do not care about the individual client. They serve thousands of customers and gang print jobs together to save them money, sacrificing your job in the process. Many online companies (not just in the print industry) have offices in the US, but the actual printing or manufacturing is done overseas hurting the US economy.

Here at Creative Printing we have many customers that like to create their own artwork or design and email it to us for printing. This is a great way to save you money; however, it is important for the print job to be production ready, meaning the file has to be appropriately set up in order to print.

Our goal is to prevent problems that may delay your production schedule, incur additional expense or produce an unexpected product. To see our full guide to setting up your own print job, take a look at “Submitting Print Ready Artwork.”

1. Call Your Printer First - All printers have different production ready requirements, so call before you start.
2. Resolution - Always use high quality images and graphics. Image resolution should be no less than 300 dpi, and re-sampling does not count!
3. Bleed - If your final artwork has an image that goes to the edge of the paper, you will need to have bleed around the final piece.
4. Color - If your job is printing offset all colors should be converted to CMYK.
5. File Type - Submitting a high quality PDF with fonts embedded or converted to outlines is the best way to submit your artwork.

If you have any question regarding this checklist please call or email us. Our goal here at Creative Printing of Bay County is to help you submit your own files and have them print perfectly!

Did you know that font actually has a psychology of its own? When working on a project, whether it is for the web or print, the fonts need to be legible. Some fonts tend to be more legible on the web rather than printed, therefore it is important for designers and local print shops to know which font is best.

For instance, Verdana is a clean font used more for conferences or seminars, where Eurostyle is more fashionable and used for private events. Remember, fonts have a psychological side and should be chosen carefully and wisely.

When preparing for your next event contact us here at Creative Printing and we will gladly assist you. Our designers will work closely with you to ensure you have the right font.

Below is a graphic to help you decide which font to use for your website or event and why.

Several months ago, we shared a 2 part series regarding How Color Makes You Feel. Now we would like to share what brand colors say about your business. As we all know branding is crucial for your business and how customers/clients recognize you.  Did you know that color is the most noticed and remembered part of your business? It is important to have a matching color scheme across the board, from your logo, website, business cards and more.  Here at Creative Printing we have a wonderful graphics department that will help you develop your brand and have a matching scheme from online to print. Contact us for more information. Feel free to comment below to share how your brand color has helped your business.

Do you want to save money? We all do! Creative Printing is here to help you get the results you want for the right price. Before placing your next print order, take a look at these tips to make sure you get the best price possible.

1. Talk to your local print shop

• Communication is key to carrying out a successful project. Remember, that local printing companies like our own, are here to help you through any type of project. Give us a call before you begin your project and tell us what you want/need and what your budget is and we will help you get started.