Like all of our sister divisions in ARC, we are focusing a great deal on helping our customers create awareness of their services, products and value through the production of outstanding promotions.  If your plans for 2010 include promotion – whether that be a POP display, signage, or other high-impact displays – here are five tips for creating an eye-popping and value-oriented projects.

Tip#1: More dots aren’t always better; it’s the type of dot that counts

Color quality is often assumed to be a factor of resolution – the denser the pixel count, the better. And while that’s a safe bet for computer monitors and television screens, it can be misleading when it comes to printed materials. When you discuss your project with our production staff, make sure to describe what you’re trying to achieve and how the sign or display will be used. Are you looking to impress, capture attention, or simply inform? Will it hang from the ceiling? Adhere to a storefront window? Mount to a frame to be seen from the sidewalk or road?

With a huge variety of output options and substrates (see Tip #2), we can help you determine not only the quality of print you need, but the best output device, as well as the best value for your project. If you can accomplish your goals with a high-end inkjet print and forgo the continuous-tone, photographic-quality print you had in mind, you might be able to reallocate your budget to include some cool mounting alternatives, or a custom cut-out.

Tip #2: What you print it on is just as important as what you print

Toner, like ink, is absorbed into a substrate; how much it’s absorbs often determines how vibrant the color is. Over the years, paper manufacturers have put as much R&D into how papers react to digital printing technologies as they previously did with offset presses, and the differences are huge. Papers with “hard” finishes are typically more expensive, but not always. If you laminate your pieces, any shine you might be looking for from the paper will be overwhelmed by the finishing process, so why pay for it?

Likewise, if you use a “softer” finish paper, too much resolution (see Tip #1) will result in muddy color as the dots bleed and blur as the toner is absorbed in the substrate. A quick talk with our production department can steer you in the right direction.

Tip #3: Cut-outs capture attention

Not every job needs a cut-out of a celebrity in front of it to capture people’s attention, but shaping your display can make a big difference in how it’s perceived. Got a coffee cup that’s prominent in the graphic? Print it separately on a direct-to-substrate printer and have our production department use our high-speed, robotic cutters to slice out everything from the handle to the steam coming out of the cup! Flat displays have their place, but silhouettes and layered graphics add dimensionality that can sometimes draw more attention that the most vibrant color.

Tip #4: Installing your ideas

The graphic that was meant to turn heads can easily be ignored if it’s in the wrong place, lit poorly, or hung upside down (it happens, believe us!). We can’t say it enough: Talk to us about your objectives and the context in which your promotional graphic will be used. We have professionals who can not only fit your print on an arched ceiling, but who can recommend the proper hardware and lighting considerations for all the great work you do.

Tip #5: Choose your supplier carefully (Hint, hint)

Anyone can talk about how good their service is and how talented their people are, but the proof is in the pudding – so make sure to taste the pudding! We’d like to invite you in to see the variety of production options that are open to you. A shop tour can be an eye-opening experience. It can also give you the chance to talk about options, ideas and new techniques or technologies to get you ready for your next big project, before the deadline is bearing down on you. Call us today and schedule an hour in our facilities; we think you’ll walk away impressed and excited about your next promotion.

We’ve got more great information to share with you on how to make your projects work harder. To talk with one of us about your next job, click here.

A client was looking for a way to shield his business from the sun’s heat, but our colleagues in Minneapolis went the extra yard and turned the venerable Rand Tower, a downtown landmark, into a gigantic cast iron frame that met the client’s immediate needs – and also showcased his business and artwork in a bold new way.

Rather than create some random window coverings, our team in Minneapolis opted to take the client’s personal photographs, print them on a suitable substrate and mount them on clear Plexiglas that could be displayed with pride while keeping the effects of the sun at bay.

If you have an office space you would like transformed, Contact Us and we’ll call to discuss the best approach.

Our mission was to create a dramatic backdrop for the customer showroom. A series of panoramic photos at the Pebble Beach Golf course was taken, we spliced them together (careful to account for the curvature of the earth apparent in each splice) and created a visually seamless transition between the actual putting green in the showroom and our wall graphic.

The overall effect is so realistic we wonder if a customer could resist the urge to tee one up and send a ball down “No. 18 at Pebble Beach.” Aren’t sure if we can do this for you? Contact Us and we’ll be happy to show you.

Our Blair Reprographics in Southern California asked Mattel for schematics of a proposed project and Mattel came back with a request for mock-up packaging of their “Combat Rock” sonic blaster.

Blair’s color services team printed the job on one of our GT350 flatbed printers and then die-cut the mock-up on a Zund precision cutter, handing the finished product back to Mattel within 48 hours. ARC technology minimized the client’s set-up time, streamlined their production processes, and greatly reduced the time needed for final assembly.

If you’d like to do the same thing,Contact Us and we’ll be sure to contact you.