Social Marketing Talk from Big Red Printing

Are You LinkedIn?

2012-02-27T08:26:00.002-08:00

Why Every Business Professional Should be LinkedIn: Be found • Find others • Demonstrate your expertise • Give a professional first impression • Join industry specific groups • Keep up with competitors • Research potential customers before your first meeting

What is LinkedIn? LinkedIn is a professional networking site where you can build your resume, add connections, join groups and contribute to conversations. According to their website the network currently has 135 million members. This includes approximately 43% of business people.

A LinkedIn profile is something that everyone should have. Your profile will help you to connect with other professionals in your area or specialty. Having a presence on LinkedIn will help you network with these professionals by exchanging knowledge, ideas and opportunities. Similar to Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn allows users the capability to follow status updates of professionals in their network.

HERE’S YOUR CHALLENGE: I challenge each and every one of you to visit the LinkedIn Learning Center (learn.linkedin.com) to find out how LinkedIn can help you grow professionally and help your businesses grow. When you are done “learning,” create a profile and start networking!

When you are finished creating your profile on Linked In, if you are serious about learning more about LinkedIn, the first person I suggest that you follow is Wayne Breitbarth, a Social Media Trainer, Speaker and Consultant. I first attended one of Wayne’s seminars when I was a member of SMPS (Society of Marketing Professionals) in Wisconsin. He opened my eyes to features of LinkedIn that I had not utilized and he can help you do the same. Wayne posts on his profile daily with useful articles and information on how to effectively use LinkedIn. If you would ever have the opportunity to attend one of his seminars, I would highly recommend it!

PINTEREST “Just a Fad or the Next Big Social Networking Site?”

2012-02-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

Have you heard the buzz about the latest social networking application, Pinterest? Do you know what Pinterest is? Pinterest is a tool for people to organize and share images online. It is basically an online scrapbook of all of your favorite things on the internet, these images are then known as Pins. Users can place their Pins on their own boards and they can label boards with specific themes if desired, such as: wish list, wedding, home decorating, recipes, etc.

Why is the buzz of Pinterest spreading so fast? Pinterest connects users based on shared tastes and interest. Users can browse pinboards created by others, which provides a means for connecting and sharing. This is word of mouth marketing at its best.

Currently Pinterest is still an invite only site (let me know if you would like an invite, melissa@bigredprinting.net). While you are not allowed to blatantly promote your business, many businesses are finding creative ways to promote their businesses though the use of Pinterest. Check out Whole Foods and Nordstrom’s pin boards for real world examples of businesses effectively using Pinterest to market their business.

We recently started using Pinterest for one of our customers. Check it out! www.pinterest.com/thebridesstore.

Social Media IS The New Word of Mouth Marketing

2012-02-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

Word of mouth marketing has always been the most effective form of marketing because, naturally, we trust our friends opinions about products and services that they have used. Social Media has changed word of mouth marketing because now you are able to get opinions from more people than just your social circle. Did you know that product reviews posted by strangers are among the most trusted sources of information?

According to DP Dialogue, “14% of people trust ads, while 78% of people trust consumer recommendations. This means that 2/3 of the economy is influenced by personal recommendations.”

Before today’s consumer visits a store, they grab their laptop, Ipad, tablet, smartphone, or any other wired device and visit social media sites, company websites, reviews sites, and etc. to learn about a product or service. The following are some social actions that consumers take:

• Getting an online referral from a friend

• Becoming a friend or follower of a brand

• Reading blogs where products and services are discussed

• Writing reviews about products and services they have purchased

• Seeing a brand mentioned on a social networking site such as Facebook, Twitter,

or Google+

So, keep in mind that customers are talking about your brand right now, both online and offline. Word of mouth marketing is FREE, but it is your job to get out there and be responsive and interact with your customers.

Marketing in a Social World

2012-02-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

“A fundamental shift in the way we communicate.”

Social media has evolved what used to be a message to consumers to conversations between consumers and marketers. Consumers no longer want to be told what product or service is good for them and their families. Therefore, today’s consumers are heading to the internet to figure out what products and services they should purchase. The Internet allows consumers to find incredible detail about products and services from every possible source, such as: blogs, search engines, social networks, review sites, etc.

Social networks provide marketers a platform to hold conversations and interact with their customers. Social media allows far more options than just loyalty cards for keeping in touch with consumers and driving them to make repeat purchases. Social networks allow marketers to develop awareness for their business, establish expertise, build relationships with customers, and improve customer service by being able to give immediate feedback.

Having a social media presence is so important to marketers because today’s consumers are taking “social actions.” Consumers are getting online referrals from friends, becoming a friend or follower of a brand, reading blogs where products and services are discussed and seeing the brand mentioned on social networking sites. Consumers are spending more time online than ever before and to reach them and stay competitive, marketing online is not an option anymore, it is a requirement!

Your customers are already there, are you ready to go social?

We're Back!

2012-02-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry! We got busy and took a small hiatus from our blog :( Sorry to our followers, but we're going to kick it back into high gear and provide you with the same great information that we promised when we started our blog!

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesdays

2011-10-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Spaghetti Bake
Makes 4-5 servings

4 ounces spaghetti
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbs margarine or butter
1 cup cream-style cottage cheese
1 beaten egg
1/2 pound ground beef or bulk italian sausage
3/4 - 1.1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 - 1 cup shredded mazzarella cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust, cook spaghetti according to package directions. (Can use leftover spaghetti.) Drain. Combine 1 egg, Parmesan cheese, and margarine. Stir in hot spaghetti. Press mixture evenly into the bottom, and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.

Drain cottage cheese; combine with 1 egg. Spread over crust. Set aside.

In a large skillet cook meat till brown. Drain fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Heat through. Spoon over cottage cheese mixture.

Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake about 5 minutes more, or until cheese melts and crust sets. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.

(May add 1/2 cup chopped onion and 1/4 cup chopped green pepper when cooking beef. Also, can use spaghetti leftovers to make pie.)

Cheese Ravioli

2011-08-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper
24 wonton wrappers
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, garlic, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Place 1 rounded tsp. of filling in the center of each wonton wrapper. Brush the edges of a wonton wrapper lightly with water. Fold the wrapper in half, making sure all the filling remains inside. Seal the edges by pinching. Continue with the remaining filling and wrappers.

Add salt to a large pot of boiling water. Gently add the ravioli, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until tender, stirring gently. Meanwhile in a small pot over low heat, cook the tomato sauce. Using a large slotted spoon, place the ravioli into 4 individual bowls, pour the sauce over each serving, and garnish with the additional basil.

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesday

2011-08-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Caramel Apple Bars III
Recipe from allrecipes.com

(Paste this link into your browser)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Caramel-Apple-Bars-III/Detail.aspx

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesday

2011-08-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

Recipe from Kraft Recipes.com

Lemon-Cream Cheese Cupcakes recipe

What You Need

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup water

4 egg whites

2 Tbsp. oil

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar

Make It

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
BEAT first 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer on low speed until moistened. (Batter will be thick.) Beat on medium speed 2 min. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.
BAKE 21 to 24 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.
BEAT cream cheese, butter and juice with mixer until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended. Spread onto cupcakes.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Substitute

Prepare using PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese.

Special Extra

Blend 1 tsp. lemon zest into frosting before spreading onto cupcakes.

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesday

2011-08-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

      The second weekend in August is Kool-Aid Day!
                         August 12th - 14th
             Kool-Aid Sherbet
               (paste this link into your browser)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kool-Aid-Sherbet/Detail.aspx

Idea of the Week: Stretch Your Budget with Self-Mailers

2011-08-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

Companies can save substantial amounts of money by eliminating the need for envelopes. The possibility of creating a self-mailer should be considered with any direct mail piece.

A self-mailer is simply a piece of mail that doesn't require an envelope. All of the necessary mailing information is located on one of the outside panels.

Because self-mailers do not require envelopes, you must be more creative when designing the format, since you don't have the luxury of an envelope to contain any extra sheets of printed material.

Here are some things to consider when designing a self-mailer:

Will the delivery address be printed directly on the self-mailer, or will self-adhesive labels be used?
The amount of written material in the self-mailer will determine the overall size of the mailer.
Information needs to flow quickly and smoothly from the initial pitch to the fine print. The fewer words needed to convey your message, the better.
The type of closure needs to assure safe passage through the mail. Staples are used often, but many people find them unappealing. Miniature self-adhesives are available in many colors, shapes, and sizes.
If perforated sections are used, keep them in mind so that nothing can slip loose while being passed through the mail.

Source: Printer@Work, an electronic newsletter from Big Red Printing

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesday

2011-08-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesday

2011-07-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

July 28th is National Chili Dog Day!!

Chili Dog

The chili recipe makes enough chili for 16-20 hot dogs, which may seem like a lot, but you're just getting a large spoonful with each dog. So, if you have fewer people to cook for, just use the leftover chili as a stand-alone-dish for later. If you're feeding more, just double the chili recipe. You'll be happy you made a big batch. A note on the hot dogs, get the best quality hot dog you can, we tend to look for kosher dogs. The hot dogs themselves only need to be grilled enough to be heated; they are already cooked when you take them out of the package.

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 pounds ground beef
4 chopped garlic cloves
16 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
2 Tbsp molasses or honey
2 Tbsp sweet paprika
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Salt
As many hot dogs as you have people to serve
Buns for the hot dogs
Chopped red onion, for garnish
Shredded cheddar (or jack) cheese, for garnish

Method

1 Make the chili first. Fry the bacon over medium heat until it begins to get crispy, then add the chopped onions and fry over high heat, stirring often, until they begin to brown. Add in the ground beef and stir in well. Cook this, still over high heat and stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned. This will take a few minutes. When the beef is about halfway browned, toss in the chopped garlic and mix well.
2 Once the beef is well browned, add the tomato sauce, molasses and beef broth. Add all the spices except the cayenne and stir well. Bring to a simmer and taste. Add salt or the cayenne if it needs it. You can of course add much more cayenne or chili powder if you like things really spicy, but it’s best to taste first and then add more.
3 Let the chili cook on a gentle simmer for at least 30 minutes before you start grilling the hot dogs. You can cook it several hours if you want to, adding a little more beef broth here and there if the chili gets to dry.
4 Grill your hot dogs over medium heat until they get a light char. Grill the hot dog buns briefly if you want – no more than a minute, as they will burn fast. You can also paint the buns with vegetable oil or butter before grilling if you’d like.
Dog goes in bun, chili goes on top, sprinkle on chopped red onion and shredded cheese, and have at it!

Product of the Week: Coasters!

2011-07-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

You know those thick, paper coasters that come with your drink at your favorite watering hole? Sometimes, maybe on a memorable occasion, you might "accidentally" leave the bar with one in your hand still, how'd that happen?! Steal no more my friend because you can order these functional mementos from Big Red Printing! Pulpboard coasters come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and thickness, as well as one or two-sided printing, and from one to four colors or full color. Personalized coasters can be creatively used in several different ways, "Save The Date" cards and give aways for events are just two examples. Coasters are a fun, new way to market yourself or just give a useful memento for a special occasion.

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesday

2011-06-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

(Recipe from thekitchn.com)

Spring Salad with Baby Greens, Herbs, Meyer Lemon, Almonds and Goat Cheese
serves four
About 6 cups of washed baby greens like arugula and baby spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces
About 1/2 cup of fresh herbs - lemon thyme, lemon verbena, Thai basil, and Italian parsley - chopped
1 Meyer lemon, zested
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or spring garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh scallions
1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds
4 ounces good goat cheese
2-3 chive blossoms
Toss the greens, chopped herbs, lemon zest, and chives and scallions with the almonds. Add the vinaigrette. Divide the salad among four salad plates. Pull the chives apart into small flowerets and scatter evenly over each salad. Top each salad with a lump of cheese and serve.
Meyer Lemon and Honey Vinaigrette
1 Meyer lemon, juiced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Shake or whisk until completely emulsified. Taste and adjust sweetening or oil. Toss with the salad greens and serve immediately.

Product of the Week: Give-Aways!

2011-06-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a useful give-away? And with your businesses logo on the items, you're sure to attract business! Personalized items are also fun give-aways for reunions, company picnics, wedding and anniversary celebrations. We have some fantastic options for summer - sunglasses, visors, plastic cups, even sunscreen. Give us a call to find out about your many options and any restrictions that may apply.

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesday

2011-06-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Great recipe for hot summer days!

Strawberry Freeze

(Recipe from KraftRecipes.com)

Total time: 6 hr 15 min

prep: 15 min

servings: 16 servings

What You Need

12 CHIPS AHOY! Cookies (can substitute with vanilla wafers)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 can (12 oz.) frozen berry juice concentrate, thawed

1 cup crushed strawberries

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

2 cups whole strawberries, cut in half

Make It

ARRANGE cookies in single layer on bottom of 9-inch springform pan. BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Gradually beat in juice concentrate. Stir in crushed berries. Whisk in COOL WHIP until well blended. Pour over cookies in pan. FREEZE 6 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer 15 min. before serving; let stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Top with berry halves.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Substitute

Prepare as directed with CHIPS AHOY! Reduced Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies, PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese and COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping.

Substitute

Prepare using your favorite flavor of frozen juice or drink concentrate, such as raspberry, lemonade, grape or pink lemonade.

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesday

2011-06-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Pennsylvania Dutch Potato SaladHere's an easy to prepare recipe for potato salad. The creamy, homemade dressing requires no cooking.

1 cup mayonnaise
1 T. prepared yellow mustard
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. sugar
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 medium potatoes - peeled, cooked, and diced
1/2 cup - chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 hard boiled eggs - chopped
1/4 tsp. paprika

Preparation -
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, celery seed, salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl, stir the diced potatoes, chopped celery , onion and hard boiled eggs together. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the vegetable mixture. Gently stir all the ingredients together. Refrigerate for at for least 1 hour before serving. Sprinkle with the paprika just before serving.

Promoting Your Social Media Presence

2011-05-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

Just because you build it, it doesn't mean they are going to come! I'm sure most of you have heard this familiar phrase, but it is very true when it comes to social media. Once you establish your social media presence, next comes PROMOTION, PROMOTION, PROMOTION!

Below are a few ideas that you could use in order to promote your social media presence.

This is an example of an advertisement that Debenhams placed promoting their Facebook presence.

We have signs hung up in our building telling people about our Facebook Page.

One of my favorite ways of promoting social media are Meet Me Me cards. They are social media trading cards, but they could be used in place of business cards. They include basic contact information about, a short bio, a quote and a “special power.” It also includes a QR code which you can choose links and websites to direct people to when they scan it.

QR codes are a wonderful way to promote social media. They are up and coming and you will start seeing them more and more. QR codes are so great because you can lead people anywhere, to your facebook page, to a custom landing page, to your website, to a sign up form, etc. Include QR codes on postcards of flyers promoting your social media presence.

Product of the Week: Mailers

2011-05-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

Mailers are a great way to reach potential customers and at Big Red Printing we work with you and the Post Office to find the best way to reach your marketing goal. Please stop in or call and let us help you choose the best way to promote your business with a mailer!

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesday

2011-05-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Grilled Barbecue Chicken Pizza

(Recipe from pillsbury.com)

INGREDIENTS

1 can (11 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated thin pizza crust

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Cut 14 x 14-inch heavy duty foil; spray with cooking spray. Place dough on foil; starting at center, press dough to 12-inch round. Place dough on grill, foil side down. Cook, uncovered, 3 minutes or until bottom of crust is light golden brown. Remove from grill.
Using wide spatula, flip crust over so uncooked side is down. In small bowl, combine chicken, barbecue sauce and chili powder; mix well. Spread chicken evenly over pizza crust. Sprinkle with cheese, onion and bell pepper.
Place pizza onto grill, foil side down. Cook, covered, an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese begins to melt.

A website you need to bookmark...Lynda.com!

2011-05-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

Are you ever in need of a good design tutorial? If so, check out http://www.lynda.com/

From Adobe to Microsoft Office to AutoCad, Lynda.com has software tutorials for thousands of software programs. Below is a screen shot of some of the design tutorials that the website offers. There are 190 design training courses on the site, so as you can imagine, if you have a design question, one of Lynda.com's tutorials can help you. There is a fee to view most of the tutorials, but they give you lots of options to choose from. Check it out for yourself, you won't be disappointed!

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesdays

2011-05-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

May 12th is National Nutty-Fudge day!

Nutty Fudge

Ingredients [ View Metric ]

	2 ozUnsweetened Chocolate
	2 cSugar
	1 tbLight corn syrup
	1 cmilk
	2 tbButter
	1 dsSalt
	1 tsVanilla
	1/2 cPecans; chopped

How to Prepare Nutty Fudge

From: capco@norwich.net (Gourmet Connection) Date: 96-08-18 10:43:17 EDT Butter a 9x5" loaf pan. In medium saucepan, combine chocolate and milk. Cook over low heat until smooth and chocolate is melted, stirring constantly. Add sugar, salt, and syrup. Stir until mixture boils; do not stir again. Cover and cook 1 minute. Uncover and cook to softball stage (236F). Add margarine; place saucepan in pan of cold water to quickly cool to lukewarm (120F). Add vanilla; beat with wooden spoon until thick and creamy and candy loses gloss. Quickly stir in nuts; pour into prepared pan. When fudge is firm, cut into squares. Devour at will. NUTRITIONAL INFO per 1oz. serving 165 Calories; >1g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 6g Fat; 43mg Sodium Recipe Page 18 August 96 From the Gourmet Connection recipe list. Downloaded from Glens MM Recipe Archive, G Internet.

Product of the Week: Catalogs!

2011-05-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

Catalogs are and excellent way to promote your products and company - not only do they give examples of what you have but also ideas of what could be. Catalogs are convenient reminders of what else a person needs - it's always a bad thing for me but great for stores when i go shopping and actually walk AROUND the store, instead of just going to one area. With catalogs, you can't help but check out the other "areas"! And while the internet is being utilized more and more to reach potential customers with products, studies show that people still like holding information in their hands.

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesdays

2011-05-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

May 1-7 Is "Bread Pudding Recipe Exchange Week"

So here's ours.
(Recipe from Allrecipes.com)

Bread Pudding II

Ingredients

6 slices day-old bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Item of the Week: Car Magnets…Promote Your Company While You are on the Go

2011-04-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

What a great way to promote your company…there’s no better place to advertise than on your vehicle that you drive every day! Chances are that you regularly drive around the area where your client base or potential clients are. Include your logo, address and phone number so people know where you are located and how to get in touch with you! Make sure it is designed so people who see it know exactly what you do and can read it even as they are driving by!

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesday

2011-04-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Chicken Fajitas with Spice Rub

by Amy Cotler

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado, cut into chunks and tossed in 1 teaspoon of lime juice
Salsa
Sour cream
Fresh ciliantro, chopped
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
1 small red or yellow pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 8-inch flour tortillas

Instructions

Place your toppings (avocado, salsa, sour cream and cilantro leaves) in separate bowls and set them on your table.
Next, make the rub. Combine the cumin, chili powder, oregano, and salt in a shallow bowl. Lightly rub the spices into the chicken with your fingertips until the meat is coated on all sides. Heat your grill to medium. Grill the chicken on both sides, just until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, slice thinly, and set it on a platter.
While the chicken is cooking, toss the pepper and onion in the olive oil. Set them on the grill, using a vegetable screen, if desired, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, turning once. Remove from the heat and set on the platter with the chicken.
Place the tortillas on the grill for 5 to 7 seconds on each side, turning with tongs, until hot. Set out the grilled chicken, pepper, and onion with the toppings and tortillas. Let guests assemble and roll their own fajitas. Serves 4 to 6.

Tips:: Kid's Steps: Kids can set toppings in bowls and rub the spices into the chicken (washing hands thoroughly afterward).

Before & After Magazine – A Designer’s Best Friend

2011-04-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have been a subscriber to Before & After Magazine for the past two years and I still enjoy every article that I read. If you are a designer looking for tips, tricks and inspiration, then you should take advantage of this great resource.

Recently in addition to their regular articles, they have started doing video tutorials as well. These videos are short and sweet, but are full of great information.

The magazine has articles on brochure designs, typography, creating logos, simplifying business cards, designing with words and pictures and so much more. I have incorporated many ideas and concepts from Before & After Magazine articles in my own designs.

Before & After Magainze is not free, but for a low cost you can either have PDF articles emailed to you or you can be a print subscriber. They also have a great bookstore...one of my favorites that I purchased from them is, "Graphics for Business."

To find out more or to subscribe, visit their website at http://www.bamagazine.com/

Happy Earth Day! Seven Ideas to Promote Your Business During Earth Day!

2011-04-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day Everyone! I wanted to share this great article I found about promoting your business during earth day.

Seven Ideas to Promote Your Business During Earth Day
By Robert Piller

1. Give it Away: Promote your company’s participation in Earth Day by giving away custom-imprinted promotional products, from recycled tote bags, biodegradable sports bottles or imprinted seed packets or imprinted live tree seedlings.

2. Spread the News: Notify the media about the ways your company is getting involved in the green movement. It is newsworthy and favorable news coverage will be the best form of marketing.

3. Donate Green: Donate your green promotional products to a variety of organizations or groups, including schools, non-profit organizations, sports teams, churches and synagogues, etc.

4. Cooperate: Work with other local businesses to coop the cost of your green friendly promotional products. Contact other businesses to put each organizations logo onto a recycled tote bag, for example—spreading the costs among a handful of “green community leaders”.

5. Give to Get: Encourage your employees and customers to recycle. When they bring in a bundle for recycling, give them a free imprinted tree seedling or recycled sports bottle. Encourage the media to visit during this recycling effort.

6. Green Fridays: Have your employees wear imprinted green t-shirts and green caps to promote Green Friday. Make the last Friday of each month Green Friday—where employees wear green and must report how they have done an energy saving activity for the month. Top 5 winners get the afternoon off or a free eco-friendly gift.

7. Car Pool: Calculate the savings that your employees will help to make by car pooling, turning off lights, recycling, etc. You can use the US EPA’s Carbon Calculator to see how much your carbon footprint can be reduced. Keep a chart, much like the United Way posters, to track your organizations carbon reduction for the year and hold a party when your goal has been met.

Let’s Make Every Day, Earth Day. It’s a win-win opportunity.

Source: http://greenspotblog.com/2009/03/16/seven-ideas-to-promote-your-business-during-earth-day/

Item of the Week: Eco Friendly Products

2011-04-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for ways that you can help save the planet? Now you can. There are lots of options out there for eco-friendly promotional products. Some ideas that we love are:

Reusable grocery bags - Not only will your customers see your name every time they pull out their grocery bags, imagine all of the other shoppers who will be exposed to your name!
Recycled pens
Biodegradable water bottles
Earth friendly golf balls - Don't feel guilty about losing golf balls again!
Recycled calendars
Water powered clock - No batteries needed. You never have to worry about power outages making you late to work again!

Check out more eco products...Eco-friendly Promotional Products

What to Cook, Bake or in General to Make Wednesdays

2011-04-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

Bruschetta 'n Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts recipe

Item of the Week: Greeting Cards

2011-04-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

Take a second and picture this. You get home from work and check your mailbox and there is a card or a letter from one of your friends or loved ones. If you are anything like me, this makes you feel special and you rush inside to open it.

With all of the technology that is available to us, it is convenient to get in the habit of sending email after email, because at the click of the mouse, the recipient gets your message. It is apparent that because of the convenience of technology, sometimes we forget the importance of the personal touch. Whether they are thank you notes, congratulations notes or birthday cards, a handwritten note will mean more to a customer then an email. It makes them feel special and like they aren’t just another number on your long list of clients.

From generic to customized greeting cards, there is a plethora of options for you to choose from. So, get out your favorite pen and start sending handwritten greetings to your clients!

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesdays

2011-04-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

DELUXE POTATO CASSEROLE

Printed from COOKS.COM

2 lb. bag frozen hash browns
1 bar Cracker Barrel sharp cheese, grated
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 chopped onion
Salt, very little
Pepper
Fresh parsley
Paprika

Crumble hash browns in a 9 x 13 casserole. Cover with sharp cheese. Combine together remaining ingredients. Spread over potatoes and cheese. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered 2 hours at 300 degrees. Serves 10. Can be made in morning and cooked later.

Developing Your Core Clients

2011-04-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Do you rely on repeat business from current and past clients? If so, have you fully developed your core clients full potential?

Instead of focusing on your “once in awhile” clients, you should focus on the strong base of clients -- the clients that are and will continue to be long-term clients. Research shows that in most business to business companies that 20% of clients produce 80% of profits.

Follow this five-step approach to help your company develop core clients.

1. Identify the most profitable clients.
2. Learn each client’s needs and wants.
3. Analyze the offerings they need and use.
4. Focus marketing efforts on the profitable client types.
5. Monitor satisfaction levels.

Identify the Most Profitable Clients

Go in to your accounting records and look at the revenues each client generates, what it costs to sell to them and to service them. This will help you discover which clients are profitable and which ones are unprofitable. Unprofitable clients are those clients that cost you more to market, attract and satisfy.

Learn Their Wants and Needs

Once you have decided on your core group of clients that you want to focus on, the best approach to find out your clients wants and needs is to ask them. Some ways to gather this information is through written surveys, focus groups, face-to-face visits and in-depth interviews.

Analyze the Offerings They Need and Use

Do your products and/or services meet the needs of your customers? Are there some services that your clients do not utilize? Are there some services that you could begin offering to meet their needs better?

Focus Marketing on the Profitable Client Type

The feedback you receive from your profitable clients should be the basis of your marketing efforts.

Monitor Satisfaction Levels Religiously

To keep ahead of the game, you need to understand your clients future needs, what will they want to do or need in the future. You can do this a few ways, (1) by asking the right questions and listening during your every day interactions and meetings with your clients, or (2) by using focus groups or user groups for feedback on what upcoming trends your customers are paying attention to or interested in.

Source: Selling in Deep Carpet: Developing Core Clients by Clare G. Ross

Item of the Week: Promotional Products

2011-04-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

What better way to say thank you to your customers for their business then giving them a gift to show them your appreciation. Wouldn't it be nice to give them something that will be both useful and will also remind them of your company every time they use the product? A few lower priced items that I have had success with in the past have been as follows:

Tape Measures - You can never have enough tape measures!
Stainless Steel Water Bottles - These water bottles are durable and will keep your drinks cold all day long. I personally use one everyday!
Multi-Tools - The guys love them. A screwdriver and a level all in one place! These are so small that they can fit your glove box.
Jotters and Padfolios - A jotter can fit in someone's purse or glove department and a Padfolio is great for taking to meetings.
Post-it-Note Cubes - These were a HUGE success. There is nothing better then walking into a clients office and seeing your post-it-note cube sitting on their desk. (HINT: Make sure your name is towards the bottom of the pile so they can see it as long as possible!)
Stocking Hats - A great idea for winter, wouldn't you want your customers to walk around town with your logo on their hat!?

A few higher end items that I have had success with in the past have been as follows:

Poker Set - Complete with poker chips, cards and dealer chips.
BBQ Set - Everyone needs a heavy duty set of grilling tools for their spring and summer cookouts.
Car Emergency Set - Jumper cables, flares...anything that you might need if you have car trouble.
Binoculars - A great tool for nature lovers is a high end pair of binoculars!

What to Cook Bake, or in General to Make Wednesday

2011-04-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

Spinach, Tomato, Feta & Egg Wrap

(Reipe from sparkpeople.com)

Ingredients

2 La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Low-Carb/Low-Fat Tortilla, Large Size

1 C. chopped fresh spinach

1-1/3 C. Egg Beaters

1-1/2 T. Athenos Red. Fat Feta Cheese

1-1/2 T. Athenos Basil & Tomato Feta Cheese

2 T. Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes w/Garlic

4 halves sun-dried tomato in oil & spices, chopped

Directions

Spray medium sized skillet with nonstick spray and bring to medium heat. Add chopped spinach and both types of tomatoes. Stirring occasionally, cook for about 1 minute (until spinach has wilted). Add the cheese to the pan and cook for an additional 30 seconds (cheese should be melty). Removed from heat.
Spray a small skillet with nonstick spray and bring to medium heat. Add 2/3 C. of the Egg Beaters, and cook to form an egg patty (flipping and folding until firm). Remove egg patty and set aside. Cook the remaining 2/3 C. of Egg Beaters the same.
Heat tortillas in the microwave until slightly warm. Place 1/2 the veggie/cheese mixture in the center of each tortilla. Place an egg patty on top, and wrap the tortilla up envelope style (folding the sides in first, and then rolling it up from the bottom). Place the wrap in a warm oven or toaster oven (with seam side down and bake for 1 - 2 minutes (until thoroughly heated).

Number of Servings: 2

Designing Visually Pleasing Materials

2011-04-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

Have you ever completed a design and have not been pleased with the end result? If so, it is possible that you are missing one of the four elements of design: balance, visual syntax, unity or proportion. I’m going to explain a little bit about each of these four elements.

Balance – In order to achieve balance, you should focus on optical weight. Optical weight is a visual system of measure. Optical weight is based on the following six rules:

Anything located in the upper left hand quadrant of a layout has the most optical weight.
Large items are noticed more, seen for a longer time and remembered more.
Elements that are dark carry more optical weight.
Color conveys more optical weight than black and white.
White space draws attention to the other information on the page.
Rectangles are normal shapes, everything else conveys optical weight.

Visual Syntax – Typically a person’s eyes go in a Z pattern when looking at a piece.

So, to increase visual syntax, you should try to use a Z page layout. You should include the “What’s in it for me” across the top, filler text in the middle and a call to action across the bottom.

Unity – There are seven elements that contribute to the unity of your piece. They are as follows:

Typography – try to stick to only using 2 fonts. You can have an additional font if necessary, but two is the key number.
Paper – The heavier the paper, the more important people perceive something is.
Style of Art – Don’t mix and match different styles of art.
Color – Don’t overdue it on colors, stick to a color scheme.
Size – 30% of your design should be white space. Let the content determine the size of your piece.
Graphic Elements – You can use repeat graphics throughout the page in order to grab people’s attention.
Grid – Don’t go from 1 column to 2 columns, keep things consistent.

Proportion – The underlying skeleton of your layouts.

To make your piece proportionate, you should consider whether you are going to use a one-column (newsy or important perception), two-column (formal and conservative look), or a three-column (flexible, friendly and casual look) grid layout.

The grid is the key to your design. You can make your piece graphically appealing by carrying headlines, text and graphics through two or more columns.

These are just a few things to think about when you are designing a piece. When you complete your design you should go back and make sure your document has used these four elements correctly.

Why Is Customer Service So Important?

2011-04-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

       You are important to us, and to our business.
   Surrveys show that 85% of customers who take their business to
a new supplier, do so because of customer service issues.
   You're the reason we're in business, so it is our goal to keep you
happy with service and products you receive from us at Big Red
Printing.
   We want your products to meet and exceed your expectations
every time, and the best way to get what you want is to ask, we're
here to listen!
   If you're not sure what you want, we will be more than happy to
offer you our tips and advice.
   We'll be the first to admit that we are not perfect, but when things
go wrong, you can be sure that we'll make it right.
   You're opinion is important to us, so if you have any suggestions
on how we can serve you better please let us know.

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesdays

2011-03-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

(Recipe from "Baked Perfections.com")
These cookies are every bit as delicious as they look.

S'mores Cookies
adapted from Make and Bake

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 dash of cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of hershey bar into each cookies. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Reasons Your Marketing Materials Are Going Unread

2011-03-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

You are using the "We-We" approach. Your marketing materials might be too "we" oriented instead of customer oriented. Your customers are interested in learning about you, but instead of talking about the new and improved equipment that you purchased, explain instead how this new equipment will benefit the customer.

Test - Perform the "We-We" test by counting the number of times you use we in one of your marketing pieces. While it will be impossible to delete all of the we references from your literature, work to cut the number in half.

Too much technical jargon. Depending on your audience, you should dumb-down the language in your literature if it is technical. You can have a technical person write the test for your materials, but you should always have someone in marketing, or a different department, reword the text into layman's terms.

Test - Have someone from outside your company read your marketing materials. If they can't understand what your message is, then chances are you need to rework your wording.

You haven't answered, "What's in it for me." You might be stating too many generalities in your literature. Be sure to focus more on the benefits instead of the features.

No call to action. Have you ever gotten a piece of mail encouraging you to purchase a product, but the literature contained no information on how to purchase the product? Make sure you include a call to action on every marketing piece that you send out.

Poor grammar, punctuation and lack of proofreading. This one doesn't require a lengthy explanation. Bottom line is that if people see mistakes, they will probably dismiss your marketing piece.

Product Spotlight: QR Code Business Cards

2011-03-24T05:45:00.000-07:00

Some may say it’s a fad, but QR codes are here and they won’t be going anywhere any time soon. As I have mentioned in some of my previous blogs, business cards are still one of the most important tools that you can use to promote yourself and make a good first impression! So, what is the advantage of having a QR code on your business card? One distinct advantage of having a business card with a QR code is that you are making print interactive. People you meet have instant access to whatever you choose to share with them. Some examples include, your website, blog, Twitter profile, Facebook page, event sign up, and etc.

Here are some great examples of QR Code business cards that I found on http://bit.ly/bkzpoM.

Geng Gao - QR code leads to his creative portfolio.

Reblis - QR code leads to a live Twitter feed as well as has links to Facebook, Linked In and Flickr.

QR Code leads to his photography portfolio.

Check out the links for each of them to see what creative ways people are using QR codes on their business cards!

Source: http://bit.ly/bkzpoM

What to Cook, Bake or In General Make Wednesday - Beer Cheese Dip

2011-03-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

In honor of National Chip and Dip Day...a Wisconsin Favorite...

Beer Cheese Dip

Source: www.hiddenvalley.com

Servings: 3 cups

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 packet (1 ounce) Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dips Mix
1/2 to 3/4 cup beer
Chopped green onions and shredded cheese, for garnish
Pretzels, Chips or assorted vegetables, for dipping

Instructions:
Combine Cheddar cheese, cream cheese and dips mix in medium bowl. Gradually stir in beer until mixture reaches desired consistence. Garnish with green onion and additional Cheddar cheese. Serve with pretzels, chips or assorted vegetables.

Considering Color when Designing a Logo

2011-03-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Color is an important part of visual arts….more importantly your logo. Different colors have different meanings and are used in logos to convey a specific message. So, when you are designing your logo for the first time or you are going through a redesign, be sure to pay attention to the definitions of colors below and choose wisely!

Red: Action, Adventure, Aggressive, Danger, Drive, Energy, Excitement, Love, Passion, Strength and Vigor.

Red is an extreme and emotionally intense color. It is often used in logos to grab a viewer’s attention, raise one’s blood pressure or make people hungry.

Pink: Appreciation, Delicate, Femininity, Floral, Gentle, Girly, Gratitude, Innocence, Soft and Tranquil.

Pink conjures feelings of innocence and delicateness. It is often used in logos to add a feminine flare.

Orange: Affordable, Creativity, Enthusiasm, Fun, Jovial, Lighthearted, High-Spirited and Youthful

Orange is a common color seen in logos that offers a sense of openness and friendliness. Its bright and cheery nature captures the attention of viewers. Orange is used in logos to create playfulness or stimulate emotions and even appetites.

Yellow: Caution, Cheerful, Cowardice, Curiosity, Happiness, Joy, Playful, Positivity and Warmth

Yellow is the most difficult color for the eye to take in. Yellow is often used in logos to get attention, create happiness and warmth.

Green: Crisp, Environmental, Fresh, Harmony, Health, Healing, Inexperience, Money, Mature, Renewal and Tranquility

Green is calming, refreshing and conservative. You can often find it used in companies that want to portray themselves as eco-friendly.

Blue: Authority, Calm, Confidence, Dignity, Established, Loyalty, Power, Success, Secure and Trustworthy

Blue is the most popular color in logo design. It is used extensively in government, medical and fortune 500 company logos.

Purple: Ceremony, Expensive, Fantasy, Justice, Mystery, Nobility, Regal, Royalty, Sophistication and Spirituality.

Purple symbolizes rank and authority. Purple is rarely used in logos because it is rare in nature.

Brown: Calmness, Depth, Earth, Natural, Roughness, Richness, Simplicity, Serious, Subtle, Utility and Woodsy.

Brown suggests utility, earthiness, woodiness and subtle richness. It is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. It is widely used in legal logos.

Source: http://www.logoblog.org/wordpress/color-psychology-of-logos/

What's In An Address?

2011-03-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

When we use the United States Postal Service (USPS) to deliver our mail, we need to be very specific and give all the information needed to insure the mail piece gets to the intended person(s). This information is placed on several lines of the label or mailing piece.

Line: Type of Information

First Name of person(s) or Company Name

Second Attention line or Address 1

Third Address 2

Fourth City, State, Zip

"Mail prepared by a Mailer Service will process the address data record and add the +4 (digits) to the Zip Code and also add a barcode--POSTNET barcode or Intelligent Mail barcode. Automated mail pieces have a barcode to allow for electronic mail sorting by the post office."

Automated mail systems use the ZIP+4 to sort. Which identifies the city & state. Then it looks at the line directly above the City, State, Zip. This line must tell then the exact place to deliver the mail item. This can be a PO Box number or a location address. There is a +4 number assigned to every location address in each postal area (City) of every State.

The location address (see Third line of address example: Address 2) consisting of:

Example —818 E 23^rd Street or 2408 13^th Street

Primary Number + directional (E,W,N,S) + (name of or number for) + (ST, AVE, BLVD, DRIVE, LANE, ROAD) + (SUITE #, ROOM #, UNIT #, APT #)

Larger cities with high rise buildings begin to add more complex sequence to the address structure, but keep in mind that it is important to have all of the parts to the address to provide complete and correct addresses. We are mailing this important letter to this person. With accurate and complete addresses the mail will arrive on schedule just at the exact location we included in the address block on the envelope.

Watch for discussions when we review considerations for planning, creating and managing our home or business mailing list database.

Questions and comments to:

Gary at Big Red Printing

gary@bigredprinting.net

Design Tutorial: How to Package a File in InDesign

2011-03-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

When you package a file, the folder that you will create will contain all of the images and fonts that are used in your document. Packaging a file means that you do not have to outline your fonts before sending a file to a printer. Be sure to check with the printer to see what Suite of Adobe they are using. If you are using a higher version then them, there will be an additional step that you will have to do.

STEP 1: If you are using a higher version of Adobe then the print shop you will be sending your files to, you will first need to export your file to an IDML (InDesign Markup File). If you are using the same or a lower version of Adobe, then you can skip STEP 1.

STEP 2: Go to File> Package

When you click on package, the screen below will automatically pop up.

It appears that all links and fonts are found. If it appears that links and/or images are missing, you can go to their individual summary pages by clicking on the list on the left hand side of the box.

If any of your fonts are missing, you will be able to correct that on this menu by using the find font feature.

Same goes for links. If any are missing, you will be able to update and find them here.

STEP 3: When you are done checking the details of you document, click PACKAGE. A box will pop up and say that the publication must be saved before continuing. Click SAVE.

STEP 4: After you click save, a Printing Instructions box will pop up. (see below). You should fill in your basic contact information as well as any special instructions you have for the printer.

STEP 5: After you click continue, the Create Package Folder will automatically pop up. Make sure that Copy Fonts, Copy Linked Graphics and Update Graphic Links In Package are all checked. Then click PACKAGE.

After you click package, a warning box will pop up where you have to verify that you have rights to the fonts that you used. Click OK

Below is a screen shot is what your packaged folder should look like.

Once your file is packaged, you can either burn your files to a disk or compress your folder and either upload it to the printer’s website or email the file directly to them.

The CMO's Guide to: The Social Landscape INFOGRAPHIC by @Mashable

2011-03-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

Do you subscribe to Mashable’s Social Media Newsletter yet? If not, I would highly recommend it. It is a great resource for all the latest and greatest happenings in the social media world. I read their newsletter on a daily basis and enjoy every minute of it. In addition to Social Media news, they also have news on the latest Tech & Gadgets, Business & Marketing, Video, Mobile, Dev & Design, Media, Social Good and Startups.

Today I was intrigued by one of the articles that they had up. An infographic of “The CMO’s Guide to: The Social Landscape.” Mashable creates infographics on a number of topics, but I think this is by far the best yet. They graphically display which of the most of the popular social media sites, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Linked In, You Tube, Digg, StumbleUpon and Reddit are good, bad and okay for customer communication, brand exposure, traffic to your site and SEO.

Check it out!

Mashable's Infographic, "Which Social Sites are Best for Which Marketing Outcomes?"

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesdays

2011-03-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

(a Rosarita recipe)
FAJITAS (fa-hee-tas)

Ingredients:
1 LB skirt steak, cut across grain in 1/4" strips - or cubed, boned and skinned chicken
2 TBS each: Corn oil and lemon juice
1 tsp each: garlic pwd. and seasoned salt
1/2 tsp each: ground oregano and pepper
1/8 tsp liquid smoke flavoring
1 c. each: green pepper strips, thin onion wedges and thin tomato wedges
1/2 c. Mild Chunky Taco Salsa
8 hot corn or flour tortillas

In medium bowl, combine first 8 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours to marinate. In a 10" skillet, heat 3 tbs oil over high heat until very hot* Saute half of meat until beginning to lose redness, about 30 seconds. Add half of green pepper and onion and continue cooking 1-2 minutes or until crisp-tender; remove all from skillet. Repeat with remaining meat, pepper and onion, in additional oil if needed. Return all of meat mixture to skillet. Add tomato and 1/2 cup of salsa; simmer, tossing meat and vegetables, 1 minute longer. Serve immediately with additional salsa. Makes 4 servings.
*Note: Oil must be very hot to quickly sear meat and seal in juices.
Serving suggestions: Pieces of fajita meat and vegetables can be wrapped in a tortilla, pick up and eat taco-style.

Design Tip: Prepress Checklist

2011-03-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

Once you have finished laying out and designing a job, you will need to figure out how you are going to send your files to the print vendor that you have chosen. Here’s a great resource for making sure your documents have high resolution and are press-ready. Keep it handy and reference it when you are pre-flighting a job to send to a print vendor.

Preflight Checklist

Ensure that all graphics and images are in their final size and correct resolution, 100% at 300 dpi
Rotate, scale and edit images and graphics prior to placing them in page layout applications such as InDesign, Quark or Publisher
Image file formats should be EPS or TIFF (if possible, not JPEG) and your should verify that you do not have any broken links
All spot colors should be designated as spot colors and not as CMYK
Spell check your document as most print vendors do not take responsibility for editing
Remove any trapping (allow the print vendor to apply the trapping)
Check for transparency and either flatten or notify the printer so they can flatten the file
All bleeds should generally be set to .125 in. unless otherwise specified by the print vendor you plan to use
Gather all source files: fonts, graphics, images and layout documents. Use the Package feature in InDesign or send the print vendor a high resolution PDF
Prepare a mock-up to give the printer as a finished sample

Stay tuned…next Tuesday we will be posting step-by-step instructions on how to correctly package a file.

Source: Digital Job Preparation Guide for Designers, Zimmerman Printing Company

Item of the Week: Meet MeMe Cards

2011-03-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a creative way to compliment your business cards? If so, Meet MeMe cards might be just the product you are looking for.

It's as easy as 1-2-3. Image taken from Meet MeMe Website

Meet MeMe cards are customized trading cards that contain a QR code on the front where you are able to link to as many social profiles or websites as you wish. What a great way to help people remember you long after your first meeting. Anyone with a smart phone will be able to scan your QR code, which will bring up a menu of the links you have chosen to connect your card to.

In addition to the QR code, the Meet MeMe card also offers you the space to include a Bio, a “Special Power” and a Quote. Consider your own personalized Meet MeMe trading card a tangible representation of your social media personality.

Taking Stock of Your Paper Options

2011-03-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

Ahhh paper, I love it! The creative horizon is wide open with so many colors, textures, and prints - it's exciting! An interesting paper can put a personal stamp on any project, therefore, it requires some consideration. Before choosing your paper, decide how it's going to be used and for the purpose of this blog, we're deciding that it's going to be used for print purposes. I've chosen 3 properties to touch on: finish/smoothness, impurities, and opacity.

Finish/Smoothness - this is the texture of the paper, the smoothness or roughness of its surface. A smooth finish is good when copying a photograph or designing with full color in general.
Impurities - specks, spots, and general imperfections that are left over from the paper-making process, which is all very normal. In recycled paper, these imperfections come from inks, adhesives, etc., which are nearly impossible to completely remove. When a best image or a clean look is required, choose a high quality non-recycled paper. Otherwise, the look of recycled paper can be charming as well as make a statement about your ecological views!
Opacity - this refers to how much light a sheet of paper blocks. The importance of this comes into play when your project is two-sided or heavily inked. The higher the percentage of opacity in a paper, the better that paper is for printing on both sides because the images will be less likely to show through.

Whether your project is personal or professional, in the printing world paper is the mode in which your message is carried. Paper can give the underlying impression of class, environmental awareness, whimsy, or sensibility, don't be afraid to express yourself through it!

The New Facebook Pages Layout

2011-02-25T11:30:00.000-08:00

It seems like every time you turn around, Facebook is changing, constantly. Facebook's most recent change is converting all current Facebook Pages to a new layout. You may or may not have switched your page to the new layout, if you haven't...you have until next Tuesday, March 1st to do so, otherwise Facebook will do it for you. So what changes have been made to Facebook Pages?

Facebook pages now have a new layout, which resembles a Facebook profile very closely. Following is an overview of the changes:

Instead of tabs, users can use links to navigate around a page. The links are less restrictive then tabs because they allow for longer "tab titles."
There is now a photostrip on the top of each page. Five of the most recent pictures you either uploaded or were tagged in will be displayed across the top of your page.
Pages can now like other pages!
You can now feature page administrators/owners on your page.
Admins can now use Facebook as a page - they can post and comment around the site under their page.
You can see a news feed from the pages that you like.
Facebook provides recommendations for pages you might like.

Examples of the new features of Facebook Pages.

Josh Constine goes into detail about the changes to Facebook pages in his article, "Facebook Pages Redesign 2011: All You Need to Know." Check it out! http://bit.ly/dZp8Ci

Product of the Week: Labels, Labels, Labels!

2011-02-24T12:28:00.000-08:00

Labels come in all shapes and sizes, different colors and varied uses. The category of label is broad and offers many marketing options, the following are just a few examples:

bumper stickers
die cut vinyl and domed decals
window clings
shipping labels
tamper evident

Labels can be an effective way to promote your business or cause, for more information and pricing please give us a call at 402.379.0616.

Doin' Your Own Thing

2011-02-22T11:30:00.000-08:00

It's fun to be creative and try one's hand at design, especially when it comes to something personal like wedding invitations or business cards. Many people work on Microsoft computers, using the readily accessible programs like Word, Publisher, Excel, and Powerpoint. However, most graphic designers and print companies use Mac computers and getting the 2 systems to mesh can be time consuming and costly. Here are some tips to let you be creative and stay on budget:

give your printer a hard copy printout to compare with your electronic file
save your file in .pdf format
allow for extra time in the pre-flight process, working out the bugs may not allow for same day turn-around

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesdays

2011-02-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

My mom makes these, and I love them!

Pumpkin, Apple, Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 Tb. pumpkin spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 c. pealed apples - chopped

Streusel topping:
2 Tb. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tb butter

Mix your flour, sugar, spices, soda and salt together. Set aside.
In a separate bowl mix eggs, pumpkin, oil and apples.
Combine your wet ingredients with your dry.
Put in greased muffin tins.
Sprinkle with streusel topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy!

Item of the Week: Wedding Invitations

2011-02-17T09:39:00.000-08:00

February is National Weddings Month.

You can get all the printing needs for your wedding from Big Red Printing!

We have custom wedding invitations, envelopes, RSVP cards, accommodation cards and direction cards.

You can also have us print your wedding programs, napkins, party favors and "Thank You" cards.

You can order colors (including full color) and styles to match your wedding theme.

Please contact us if you have any questions, need a quote, or if you would like to place an order.

Printing With Bleeds

2011-02-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

    A "bleed" is printing that goes all the way to the edge of the page. Printed items that have a white border do NOT bleed.
    If you have a job you want printed with bleeds, the file must be created larger than the final cut size, because, we create bleeds, by cutting through the enlarged image.
    To create a bleed, we require that your document be 0.125" larger on all four sides. Example: if you are printing a post card, and you would like the final size to be 4 x 6, then the size with bleeds (bleed size) will be 4.25" x 6.25".
    When creating your file, start by making your document equal to the bleed size. Then place guides (in most graphics programs there are visual guides.) 0.125" from each edge. These guides are where the document/card will be cut. Anything you want to bleed must extend past your guides, if it does not, white may show around the edges of your finished product.
   You can also have our graphic designer set up your documents or cards. Just mention when you order that you would like it to bleed off the edge.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesdays

2011-02-09T06:41:00.001-08:00

This is a great sweet treat for your Valentine! We've made these for various "Big Red" events, and they're always eaten. (recipe from allrecipes.com)

Easy Oreo Truffles

Ingredients;
1 (16oz) package OREO cookies, divided
1 (8oz) package Cream Cheese, softened
2 (8oz) packages Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Directions;
1. Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag, using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.
2. Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (any left over chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
3. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

Tips;
*How to easily dip truffles - Place truffle ball in melted chocolate to coat; roll if necessary. Lift truffle from chocolate using two forks (this will allow excess chocolate to run off) before placing on wax paper.
*Variation - Instead of coating in Baker's chocolate, use white almond bark, mix with food coloring, to make your truffles red and pink for Valentine's Day! (Sprinkles are also a fun touch.)

Converting Text to Outlines – A Must for Press-Ready Files

2011-02-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

Many times fonts can cause problems when files are sent to the press. This is why it is essential that you convert the text in your documents to outlines before sending us your files. Even if you are sending a PDF of a document you have created in a different program…make sure to outline the text in that program before saving it as a PDF. The reason that fonts need to be outlined is because if you have used a font that we don’t have, the document will not print correctly.

How to Convert Text to Outlines in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign*

Select/select all (it is okay if both graphics and text are highlighted)

Go to Type > Create Outlines

(Above) Top: No Outlines, Bottom: Outlines

How to Convert Text to Outlines in Microsoft Publisher*

Page Setup > Printer > Paper Tab

Select your PDF Printer

Properties > uncheck “Do not send fonts to “Adobe PDF”

*Before converting your text to outlines, make sure to do a save as (ex. ABC – outlines). You want to do a save as because once you convert the text to outlines and save the document, you will not be able to edit it. Therefore keep the original file in case you need to make changes to it in the future.

How can you check to see if you have successfully outlines your fonts?

If you open the PDF and can highlight the text as you would in any text editing program, the fonts have not been outlines.

Why Superbowl Commercials Stick

2011-02-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

“A sticky idea is understood, it’s remembered, and it changes something." – Chip and Dan Heath

With Superbowl Sunday only a couple days away, we’re all waiting in anticipation for the commercials! (And the game if you are a diehard Cheesehead from Wisconsin like I am!) Companies spend millions of dollars on commercials, how can they manage to make their 10 to 30-second message stick in our minds?

Chip and Dan Heath’s book, “Made to Stick,” offers some insight on why ideas, such as Superbowl commercials, stick in our minds! The reason these commercials stick in our heads is because all sticky ideas have one or all of the six principles of a sticky idea. These sticky principles are simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotion and stories.

I have briefly summarized the principles of sticky ideas below, but to help you get started, I recommend that you read the book “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath. Also be sure to check out their resources online at: http://heathbrothers.com/resources/. The book is full stories and a wealth of information about the six principles of stickiness!

Principle 1 – Simple

Find the core message you want your audience to remember and keep it simple by using prioritization and analogies!

Principle 2 - Unexpected

You need to keep people interested in your idea by teasing or flirting an idea and making your audience want more.

Principle 3 - Concrete

Use sensory language and paint a mental picture with your idea.

Principle 4 - Credible

Remember the old saying, “You have to see it to believe it!” Help your experience your idea. Another way of adding credibility to your idea is to use statistics. According to Dan and Heath, you should focus on the relationship, not the numbers.

Principle 5 - Emotional

Use your idea to play to people’s emotions. Emotional ideas will make people feel something and care about your idea.

Principle 6 - Stories

Tell your idea with a story. Stories are memorable and will help people personally connect with your idea. Stories cause mental stimulation.

Now that you know the six principles of sticky ideas, get started and get your ideas to stick in the minds of your customers! As you watch the Superbowl commercials this weekend, see if you can see which principle(s) the advertising is using to make their idea stick!

Item of the Week: Promotional Sports Schedules

2011-02-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Have your customers thinking about you all season!

Big Red gives clients complimentary Husker football schedules every season!

You can have business size schedules or larger size magnetic schedules made with your logo on it! It’s a great idea to make your customers think about you each time they pull out their schedule to look up the game time of their favorite team!

High School, College, or Professional sports, you can make a schedule for all of your favorite teams.

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesdays

2011-02-02T07:52:00.001-08:00

This is a recipe we found on "All Recipes.com" We made it for one of our Big Red Printing birthday parties, and everyone loved it!

Caramel Brownies III

Ingredients:
1 (14oz) pkg individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
2/3 c. evaporated milk - divided
1 (18.25 oz) chocolate cake mix
3/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan. In a heavy saucepan, combine caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, melted butter and 1/3 cup evaporated milk, until dough holds together. Press half (or a little less) of the dough into the prepared pan, reserving the rest.
3. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips, pour the caramel mixture evenly over the chips. Crumble the remaining dough over the caramel layer and return to the oven.
4. Bake for an additional 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in refrigerator to set the caramel, before cutting the bars.

Enjoy!

All About Logos - Guidelines

2011-02-01T08:18:00.001-08:00

To follow up on our post last week about photo guidelines, we thought we would post some guidelines on how to send us your logo as a 'print-ready' file.

Scaleable vector file (.ai, .pdf, .eps). The easy way to tell whether or not your file is a vector image is to try and 'blow it up' in any graphics program and print it out. A vector image will stay clean and crisp no matter how big or small you make it, but a raster image (usually .jpg) is just going to look like a bunch of blocks.
High resolution raster file (.jpg, .tif, .eps, .psd)
Not from the internet (usually .gif)

If you have any questions on how to make your logo 'print-ready,' give us a call and we would be happy to walk you through it or help you restore your logo!

Engage Customers in Conversation With Social Media

2011-01-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

Some may call it a fad, others may call it a trend, but social media sites are the current buzz in the business world, and will gain popularity in 2011. Just as fads come and go, the way people do business has changed from traditional business practices to the use of the Internet to sell and engage customers. Instead of the customer relying on businesses to provide them with information about products, with the help of social media sites, and the Internet, they are now able to (a) research products, (b) make a decision on what they are going to buy, and (c) know the price they are willing to pay for the product before even talking to anyone. This is why it is important for businesses to get a presence on social media sites and position themselves as experts in their industry. Social media sites offer businesses endless tools to complement their selling efforts and engage their customers. Social media sites are the new way of doing business, those that do not jump on the bandwagon now will spend lots of time catching up to those that beat them there.

Best selling author Bob Burg once said, “The successful networkers I know, the ones receiving tons of referrals and feeling truly happy about themselves, continually put the other person's needs ahead of their own.” Social networking is one of the keys to a business’s future success. Those who chose not to engage in social networking will find themselves losing customers as well as credibility to their competitors. Businesses must use social networking sites as a way to (a) build trust and credibility, (b) profile customers, (c) generate leads, and (d) make connections. According to market research firm IDC, “more than half of U.S. consumers with Internet access use social networking services.” It is apparent that in the future, almost everyone who is online will be using social networking sites. If businesses give social networking sites a chance, they will see a significant return on investment.

Source: “How to turn,” 2009

Item of the Week

2011-01-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

Business Cards = Making a Professional Impression

With all of the technological advances in recent years, you may
be asking yourself if you still need to have business cards. The
answer is YES!

Why? The top three most important reasons that you need
business cards are as follows:

   1 - You have something tangible to give a person during your
   first meeting.

   2 - If you are at a conference or a meeting with hundreds of
   people, your business card will help others remember your
   name. In addition, they also have instant access to all of
   your contact information.

         a - A trick that I use, is to take notes on the back of a
         persons business card, about things you discussed with
         them. This will help trigger your memory when you are
         looking through the stack of business cards you have
         collected during a show.

   3 - Having a well-designed and professional looking business
    card will help you give off a professional impression.

Business cards are available in a variety of styles, stocks, colors,
and finishes, combined in a way that will best promote your
business!

What to Cook, Bake, or in General to Make Wednesdays

2011-01-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

We thought it would be fun to post some of our favorite recipes once a week, this post happens to fall on Wednesdays. For our first recipe post, Joanna was asked to give up her "Creamy White Chili" recipe, which she got out of the "Nebraska Kitchens Cookbook, Vol. 2". This is a tried and true recipe, as she tried it out on us at our Christmas party and we truly loved it!

Creamy White Chili

1Tbsp Vegetable oil

1 Medium onion, chopped

1 15 oz. can Garbanzo beans, drained

2 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained

1 15 oz. can Lima beans, drained

1 15 oz. can Corn

1 14 oz. can Chicken broth

1lb Grilled or boiled chicken

1 4 oz. can Green chilies

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1 1/2 cup Sour cream

1 cup Half and half

In a large pan, heat the oil and saute onion. Add beans, cooked chicken, broth, corn, chilies, salt, pepper and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and half and half. Return to heat on low, stirring constantly until reheated. Serves 10-12.

Got Pictures or Logos to Send?

2011-01-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

More often than not, you will want some pictures or your company logo to go onto your stationary, brochure, business card, or anything else you might want printed. If you have your own pictures or your own logo, here are some guidelines as to what is usable:

Photographs/Graphics

High resolution (300 dpi or higher)
Not from the Internet. Most of the images you will find online will be 72 dpi, which is much too small for high-resolution copiers and press equipment, and it will come out blurry.
.jpg, .tip, .eps, .psd
If you don't have any photos, print shops have some stock photos on file, or they can purchase stock photos from an outside source.

Tune in next week for the second half of this post which will address logos and emblems!

Welcome to the Big Red Printing Spotlight Blog!

2011-01-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in printing, marketing, design and social media ideas, tips and tricks, then the Big Red Printing Spotlight Blog will be a great resource for you! Stay tuned and look for our first blog next week!