Getting The Most Out of Your Print: Bleed
Do you get confused by the technical terms thrown around when dealing with Print companies? Want to know more about what makes true Press Ready artwork? Then let us guide you through the ins and outs of optimising your artwork for Maximum Impact with our series Getting The Most Out of Your Print.
At Discount Printing, our presses take in large sheets of paper, usually printing multiple copies of your artwork on a single sheet. After printing, stacks of these sheets are cut to your requested size on a large guillotine. It is important for us to achieve a high degree of accuracy at this stage but when cutting up to 200 stacked sheets at once movement of around 1-2mm is unavoidable.
To offset this we ask that you consider adding a bleed around the edges of your artwork. This is an area that extends the background layer of your artwork up to 3mm past where it needs to be cut. Without bleed, thin unprinted edges may be visible on your finished product. For the same reason it is also important to allow an internal margin of 3-5mm to avoid important text or graphic elements being cut into.
A good way to indicate this is through the use of crop marks which indicate where your artwork finishes and the bleed begins. Adding bleed & crop marks in professional design applications such as Indesign or Illustrator is relatively straight forward. Simply look for the settings when you export to PDF. However if you’re using desktop publishing software like Microsoft Word and Publisher these features aren’t clearly supported. Your best bet in this case is to set you initial page size slightly larger and ensure you keep a good 6-8mm buffer between any important artwork elements and the edge of your page.
At Discount Printing we personally assess all artwork that comes in and keep an eye out for issues like bleed. If we think your artwork may not print to your expectations than we will let you know and work towards getting it on the right path.
Quick Tips
Always allow at least 3mm of bleed past the trim edge of your artwork.
If possible use crop marks to indicate where artwork ends and bleed begins.
Ensure you leave at least 3-5mm space for an internal margin.
Discount Printing Goes Mobile
We’re happy to announce the launch of the Discount Printing mobile website.
We noticed many of you were accessing our website from your iPhone / Android or other mobile based device so we decided to make it easier for all of you.
Our new mobile site is formatted for ease of navigation on a touch device. This means no more zooming in or waiting for large graphics to finish loading but the same great access to quotes and all the features you’ve come to expect from our online home.
To access Discount Printing Mobile simply visit m.discountprinting.com.au or find us on google with your touch mobile device.
Presentation Folder Templates
Please choose one of the following templates to download and use for your artwork.
If you have any questions, please call 1300 663 120 or e-mail sales@discountprinting.com.au
What’s the difference between offset litho printing and digital printing?
As we all know, printing can be a confusing topic, and one of these ever-mysterious subsections is the difference between the printing methods of digital, and offset litho. There are three main factors that should be considered when comparing these methods:
Cost - Whereas digital printing will involve little more than minor expenditures in setting up, there is then the matter of a cost for each copy printed using the system.
Offset litho printing involves more setting up and a printing plate to create the first copy, but then the cost per copy is much cheaper. As a general guide, up to 500 items is cheaper printed digitally and over 500 is cheaper using offset litho printing.
Speed - Digital printing jobs are generally turned from order to product in around the space of half a week (working days), whist offset litho projects are seen as slower, with a 5 working days turnaround.
This is because digital print items are printed dry (albiet slowly), but in offset litho, where the actual printing is fast, real, and wet, ink is used in the process, meaning that drying time is needed before packaging.
Colour - Both digital and offset litho printing use a ‘full colour’ process to create different colours, but offset litho can also allow for the use of dedicated ‘spot’ colours, which are very accurate and can include features such as metallic silver and gold effects, or even fluorescent inks.
Overall, it is still difficult to choose a clear and favourable method, but if the user is looking for specific features for their printing, then it is wise to weigh up which printing method is best for their particular needs. However as a rule of thumb. If you only need a few then go digital. Thousands calls for litho printing every time.
Strategic Design Ideas for Flyer Printing
Do you want to perk up your local marketing campaign but don’t know how? Well, you are lucky because there are plenty of marketing techniques these days that will help you with that. If on a limited budget, one good material you can invest in is flyer printing. This may seem so traditionalist but once you consider its cost and practically, you would realize that it is the best material for the job.
A lot of businesses still use flyers when communicating important details or events about their business. You might want to do the same if you want to save a bundle of your marketing dollars. In fact, you can print your flyers on your own if you want to save on printing cost. With the right printer, ink, and paper, you can be sure to come up with an exceptional flyer. However you use this material, for trade events or public shows, it will be a great materials to convey good words about your business.
If you are ready to create your own flyers today, here’s what you need to do:
Create a design that is striking and interesting.
It’s important that your design should capture people’s attention at a glance. It has to stand out so your customers would be encouraged to read through the rest of message. You can put catchy images so you can easily catch attention.
Include complete but concise information.
You don’t need to include a lot of details in your flyer. Just pick the important details and do away with the unimportant ones. Use simple wordings so the details are easy to read. In doing so, you won’t easily lose the attention of your target customers.
Use high quality paper.
It’s important that you invest in high quality paper so your flyers don’t tear out easily. Look for a thick paper that will give your flyer a good impression. You can go for glossy printing to add luster to your material.
Choose the right color.
Using the right color will give your business good impression. It will also help deliver your message in the quickest and most effective manner. It would help if you understand the meaning of each color first so you can effectively pick the right color to use in your flyer templates.
Keep the design reflective of your business image.
You need to come up with a design that will promote your image. If you can create a design that is consistent with your other marketing materials, that would be better. This will allow you to deliver a consistent image to your customers.
Keep in mind that flyers do more than introduce and promote your business. You can always include valuable details on them to boost their functionality. This can include coupons, special promos, or rewards. Put them in your flyer and you can be sure to get better response. If you can put a deadline to these offerings that would be better as this will help create the sense of urgency.
If crafted well, you can be sure to increase your market exposure and get the word out about your business. There’s nothing more effective that having a marketing material that lets you promote in a cost effective manner.
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