New Flash Banners have now been uploaded
We’re here to help YOU and we want to ensure we can find deals that will benefit us all. If you’d like any custom made banner, please email me with what you’d like, and I’ll try my hardest to follow through with your requests. You can also contact me if you think there is any way in which we can help you push your promotions.
Are you looking for a contemporary gift wrapping solution which will make a perfect addition to your parcels this festive season? Then look no further! You can now design your very own Christmas gift tags using the printed.com business card template... or as an alternative, why not order a unique set of self-adhesive gift tags from the new printed.com Christmas Range.
But first, a little background...
The original artwork for these tags has been produced by combining traditional letterpress printing techniques with contemporary printing processes. Each design has been hand-printed using individual vintage wooden typography blocks, before being scanned, manipulated and digitally printed onto high quality card stock.
After a bit of research, it soon became apparent that although there were other companies specialising in gift tags, they either wanted large quantities for their minimum order, had a long turn-around time and/or expensive set-up and further printing costs. I returned to printed.com and decided to try designing a business card, with the sole purpose of it being used as a gift tag—it was after all the perfect size for what I needed.
Creating the perfect tags
Prior to ordering, I requested the free sample packs from printed.com. There are two, one for standard papers (containing the business cards and stickers) and one for the textured paper range (containing Laid, Gesso, Acquerello) which can be used for greeting cards.
After a bit of experimenting, I selected the 325gsm uncoated card stock which has a smooth texture and a matt finish when printed. The uncoated card is more absorbent than the coated paper, which means that printed inks appear flatter and cards have a matt finish. The uncoated stock is a perfect choice for stationery as it's easy to write on and works well with a range of pens.
Since I already had the artwork from the greeting cards I had ordered, it was simply a case of re-scaling it to match the business card template. I set up my artwork in Adobe Photoshop using the 85mm x 55mm business card template which ensured that there was a suitable bleed, any text was 3mm from the edge and that the crop marks were already in place. With a little editing on my part, I was able to avoid any set-up costs and therefore could order more gift tags which would make my budget go further!
Having opened the templates in Adobe Photoshop, I added a new layer before importing my artwork and rescaling it. Photoshop is useful in that you can make layers transparent whilst working on them so you can see that the artwork fits within the template at all times. Working in layers can take a bit of time to master, however it is useful when creating more complex designs or making multiple versions of the same artwork to ensure that they are all consistent.
I added a small pale grey circle on the artwork at the top of each card to ensure that when I punched the holes in them, they were all in the same place. The completed design was then saved at 300dpi in CMYK before being uploaded to the site.
My business card tags were only printed on one side to enable ample space for a handwritten message on the reverse, although printed.com do offer a double-sided option if you prefer!
To make a double-sided tag I advise setting up your artwork using two of the downloadable templates then using Adobe Bridge to make a multiple page PDF. Don’t forget to save any artwork pages in running order. You can also choose different card stocks from the printed.com range and even add fancy gloss or matt laminates if you feel like it. I would recommend the laminates on the front side only, otherwise you might have difficulty writing on them.
Once you receive your completed business cards from printed.com, all you need to do to transform your them into gift tags is punch a hole where you have printed the guide mark, then cut and tie a piece of cotton twine (or ribbon of your choice) through the hole and secure with a double knot. You can then add a hand-written a festive message to the reverse and tie them on to your parcels.
printed.com have also recently introduced self-adhesive gift tags into their new Christmas product range, you can find the templates for those by clicking on New Products, then searching ‘The Christmas Collection’.
The super-speedy turnaround means you have plenty of time to order them in time for this Christmas! Go on then... what are you waiting for?!
Online digital print store, printed.com has announced the launch of their Christmas Collection in preparation for the Christmas trading period.
The festive range includes; Christmas cards, calendars, Christmas gift tags, Christmas stickers and labels, and Christmas invitations. The extensive range is designed to cater to companies ordering stock for the end of year trading period and for their own business use, as well as public consumers wishing to order for themselves. £1.00 commission is awarded to affiliates on all Christmas products.
The printed.com Christmas Collection will feature products which have editable designs and products which require prepared artwork to make the range accessible to the company’s diverse customer base. All the products will adhere to the straightforward printed.com ordering process to continue to allow the company to establish themselves as ‘easy-to-use’. A large range of stocks, finishes and product options means that customers can create a bespoke product to match their own specifications.
Nicholas Green, founder of printed.com says: “Each year we try to give our customers Christmas products which are going to be useful, commercially and personally. I think this year’s product range is the best yet and I’m confident our customers will agree.”
The Christmas Collection launches on Thursday 20th September and will be available all through the festive period. http://www.printed.com/products/89/christmas
Invitations: they’re so much more than a sentimental prelude to a landmark birthday party, baby shower or wedding. Ease colourful cartoon balloons, soaring embossed doves and gold foiling from your mind, the invitation goes business…and we like it!
Planning corporate or business events are a huge task and keeping your fingers and toes crossed for the maximum amount of RSVPs isn’t going to get bums on seats or champagne glasses in hands. Half the battle is convincing your guests that your event is something they’re not going to want to miss out on and a tantalising invite, printed and posted like times of old, is a great way to start.
Getting inspired
Before you write the idea off and reach for your standard email invite, think about the last time you got an invitation through the post. Odds are you felt pretty special, and probably kept hold of it for quite a long time, too. One of the best things about a high quality, printed invitation is not just the effort that goes into creating and printing it, but that all the potential it promises for the event itself.
When dressed for business, invitations can be used to boost attendance for company fundraising events, Christmas and summer parties, for product or project launches and networking events. A far more enticing, professional approach to creating some excitement for the event and really getting tongues wagging.
Possibilities are endless
Invitations are a great way to take your innovation skills for a nice long walk in the park. You’ll be providing your company with the chance to demonstrate how you see things differently, and what you can bring to the table that no one else can.
Use the opportunity to create a buzz around your event by teaming great-looking paper with brilliant designs. Remember— guests, staff and clients are going to rely on your invitations to get a flavour of what’s to come, so it’s a chance to create a real splash.
Work the theme around your business speciality or the theme of the party itself to really get your guests excited. With this in mind, hand-finishing your invites yourself is another great way to create something individual while showing that you’ve out a lot into your event.
Are you feeling inspired yet? Visit our invitations and folded invitations pages to see how you can fill your mail box with RSVPs and have the postman struggling under the weight of all your guests’ eager replies.
Time for a show of hands— how many of you have stood in a shop, torn between two products, and eventually chosen the one with the better looking label? My guess is that the majority of you went for the product which looked better, it’s persuasive copy and attractive design gave the impression that the product was every bit as good as it looked. I’d like to say that it’s not all about looks…but sometimes it is. We’re here to help you get the most out of yourlabels, from label paper to design and printing, get it right a see the effects yourself!
Why labels?
If you are a business that works hard to create or source products which are the best of the best, you owe it to yourself to make sure that your labels communicate this. At the end of day, the proof of the pudding is in the eating and getting your customer to take that first bite is tricky!
If you buy your products in and re-brand them, printing and designing your own product labels are an essential part of making that product recognisable as one of your own. Re-branding or branding your stuff will help customers create the link that is synonymous with you. If you make all your stuff yourself or at home, creating original product labels is a no-brainer. You’ve busted your buns to make something unique, original and from the heart, so it makes sense that you’d want to shout about it and plaster your branding all over it.
What your label paper says about you
Design isn’t just about the colours and font on your label, but also about the kind of label paper you use and the size and shape. Here at printed.com, you can choose from white or silver gloss label paper, white polyester or antique white laid. Before you make a choice, think long and hard about the kind of product you’re selling and how it will be used.
If you’ve got cosmetics, soaps or food products, polyester labels would be ideal— they’re waterproof, tear resistant and incredibly strong, ideal for products which are likely to get wet, scuffed in a makeup bag or attached to plastic wrapping. If you have a luxury food or wine product, antique white laid label paper is great for giving that high end look with a resilient finish. Silver gloss is also waterproof and creates a metallic sheen that you’d expect from something a little bit special.
You’ll also need to think about what the finish on the label papers will do to your designs. Gloss finishes on your labels will give a really bright, slick, strong look to printed colours and uncoated papers like our own antique laid will give a more understated, retro look. You can use the type of label paper to really add to your designs and give your product the kind of finish that you feel your customers would expect from you.
Getting the design right
First things first, get your logo out and take a long, hard look at it. This is going to need to sit on your product label, so it’s no use choosing a load of colours which clash with it. Whether you have a website or store front, you will have worked with a specific colour palette to create the look of your branding, so stick with these. If you are going to deviate to another colour, make sure that your font is the same or your customers won’t recognise the product as being yours.
Part of having really strong branding is to stay consistent, once you’ve finalised a design, stick with it! You want people to see your packaging and immediately think of you, so you have to be 100% happy with the finished article. Once you’ve finished your design it’s worth showing it around to a few people, what looks like a great soap label design to you might look like something completely different to someone else. Get feedback while you can still make changes, a fresh perspective is a valuable thing.
From product labels to the great beyond…
When you’re planning to get your brand into everyone’s homes, product labels and logos are only the first step. Once you’ve nailed your design, fonts and colours, you can try printing up a set of labels for everything which goes out; neat,round labels for branded envelopes, stationery and compliment slips, and address labels for your correspondence and posted packages. Your brand can become instantly recognisable, and it all starts with a product label.
Large format printing—no longer just the playground of companies with large budgets and designers on their payroll— now an accessible form of printing for everyone.
Casting your eye down the extensive list of products, papers and mounting options I can see you starting to panic; how do you know whether you need a hanging banner or a banner stand? Whether a strut card will do the job or if a display board is better? How do you go about printing it and when it arrives, how the devil does it attach to the wall?
Take a deep breath and calm yourself, due to popular request we’ve written up a little something to help you make sense of large format and make the best choice for you!
Which product do I need?
On printed.com alone, there are ten different large format products, not including subcategories of those options. Far from being more confusing, this will actually give you much more flexibility when choosing the right product for the job.
The best way to narrow down what it is you’re looking for will be to decide whether your large format is going to go inside or outside. Next you’ll need to think about what it’s for and the practicalities of the product itself. Below we’ve made a handy chart to help you out:
| Exhibition, display, photo-shoot or video | Banner stands, Backlit graphics, Self-adhesive vinyl |
|
|
Inside use |
Advertisement | Indoor posters |
| Point of sale promotion | Strut cards | |
| Window or floor displays | Self-adhesive vinyl | |
| Floor or company signage | Indoor signs, Display boards |
| Advertisment/promotion | Outdoor posters | |
| Outside use | Signage | Outdoor signs |
| Window display | Self-adhesive vinyl |
Still can’t decide? Take a look at the product pages and read up on the kinds of substrates (the stuff the product is printed on) available to you and get inspired by some of our pictures.
How do I go about ordering something so huge?
If you’re shopping with us at printed.com, ordering large format is exactly the same as ordering any of our other bits and bobs. You’ll be asked to choose your substrate, select what kind of finish you’d like and how big you want it to be. After that you’ll just need to upload your artwork and pay!
Remember, if you’re ordering an A1 sized poster, try to make sure your artwork is A1 too, so make sure you haveeverything sized up correctly with bleed and crop marks added for perfect results.
How do I install it when it comes?
The way you install your large format print will really all depend on which kind of product you’ve ordered and where you’re going to put it. Some of the products we’ve talked about here are pretty self-explanatory: banner stands come with stands, banners have the option to add eyelets so you can hang them anywhere you like with rope or cable ties. Indoor and outdoor posters are made to be attached to walls or large flat surfaces, self-adhesive vinyl is sticky and can be applied anywhere, and strut cards will support themselves on a surface with a strut on the reverse.
The tricky part comes when installing display boards or signs, which have such a range of substrates that you’re going to have to get creative, so here we go:
There you have it; large format isn’t at all as scary as you thought it was! If you get stuck, just give our friendly Customer Service team a call, and they’ll see you right!
Happy New Year! We wanted to update you all that after a great launch on Affiliate Window, you have helped printed.com reach an Earnings Per Click of £1.21 - 3.5 times that of the main competition
We are happy to also report a conversion rate twice as high as the main competition-hopefully giving you more reason to try out printed.com and earn the highest commission available in the print industry. With over £37,000 worth of sales since launch in October, you've helped launch the programme better than we could have even imagined.
Enough patting all of ourselves on the back-let us know what you need to help you work with us? Just email alex@printed.com with your request or ideas and we'll make sure we give you what we can, whether it's exclusive offers, commissions, contests or content.
We have just over 2 weeks left of our £5 off £50 spend for New Customers voucher code - weve seen over 290 redemptions since December, make sure you get your share of the uptake. Details can be found below - see you soon!
Title - £5 off any order over £50 for New Customers
Code: PDC5NC
Dates: Valid 04/12/12 until 31/01/13
Terms: Valid for all new customers, with no previous orders on any order over £50 in basket value. Basket value excludes Vat and Delivery costs. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Voucher may only be used once per customer. Order must be placed before 31/01/13.
New printed.com banners and links for the £5 code are available on Darwin now.
BONUS - We're also offering all affiliates to achieve 10 New Customer sales from now until January 31st a £150 bonus. With conversion rate amongst all affiliates at 24%, its well within reach!
Greetings affiliates
We come with exciting news - printed.com have raised the commission offered for New Customers from £5 to £8 - and to celebrate the launch we've also put together a £5 off any £50 spend for New Customers.
Offer details: £5 off orders over £50 for all New Customers
Voucher Code: PDC5NC
Valid: 04/12/12 - 31/01/13
T&Cs: Valid for all new customers on their first purchase only. £50 is based basket value and excludes Delivery & Vat. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.
We're also offering all affiliates to reach 20 New Customer sales before December 31st a £100 bonus in their account. With this months conversion rate among all affiliates at 22%, its well within reach.
The offer is available to all new customers and we've put together some powerful new Flash and Static banners to support the offer,example below. The full range are available on the printed.com Darwin/Awin profile
£5 off £50 Spend for New Customers - printed.com
Find the full range of new and product banners on the printed.com profile
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Items popular with new customers recently have been:
Contact alex@printed.com for any queries or to talk about exclusive CPA coverage opportunities.
printed.com have launched a highly innovative new tool, that allows businesses to arrange data, print and delivery all in one place.
The MailShot Manager makes sending direct mail easier and more cost effective, as discounts achieved by printed.com for mailing is passed onto the client. Users can select their targets based on a number of business or consumer criteria, including earnings and location, to ensure communications go to the right audience. The product page on printed.com comes complete with tips and advice on setting up a mailer.
Customers can also use printed.com Reward points to buy direct mailing. Basically when a business buys print, they are essentially now buying themselves marketing opportunities.
You can download the official press release here - Printed com Launches Mailshot Manager FINAL
All current affiliate offers, including the Double Points for your audience and £15 commission for New customer sales over £50 (Remember - Average Order Value for first time customers is £61)
printed.com - easy affordable print
Why printed.com is easy to promote and earn:
About printed.com:
Part of the Tangent plc group, printed.com has stormed the print world, growing over 100% over the past two years. With rapidly growing brand awareness and easy-to-use website, the online print shop caters for a large range of printing for small businesses, freelancers, designers and students. No other UK company offers points for buying print that can be redeemed on office supplies, stock imagery, holiday vouchers and even household electronics.
Great Launch Incentive for Affiliates:
Join the programme and earn more whilst promoting extremely competitive offerings
For any questions about the programme, please email Alex on affiliates@printed.com