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Case Studies

Real world examples of how Advertisers Printing can take your print strategy to the next level.

LED-UV Curing: Save Money, Save Time, Save the Environment

When printing with conventional inks, it’s common for customers to request that their projects have an aqueous coating added during the process to make their pieces more resistant to scratches and scuffs. However, there are some drawbacks associated with the use of aqueous coating that, until now, haven’t had a comprehensive solution to resolve. Enter: Advanced LED-UV Curing Technology. Because Advertisers Printing offers LED-UV curing on our newest press, aqueous coating is no longer needed on the vast majority of projects, and our customers are able to receive higher quality pieces, faster, and in a more environmentally friendly way. Here are five of the biggest benefits that go along with replacing aqueous coatings with the LED-UV curing process. UV LED Printing Benefit #1: Reduced Cost – Passed on to YOU! You may be curious if leveraging this cutting-edge technology comes along with an increased price tag or some kind of catch. The good news is that the cost of printing with LED-UV is comparable to the cost of printing with traditional offset, so you’re essentially getting a number of new perks without a big price hike. The other good news is that, for legacy work, we will trim 5% off the bill when you choose UV LED printing over aqueous coating. We’re already well known for our exceptional turnaround time – now we can take it to a new level! The LED UV printing process enables instant curing (drying) of both sides of the print sheet, eliminating any wait time before the job can be sent off for finishing. The RMGT’s Insta.Color automation also cuts make-ready (setup) time by ⅔. Combined, these features make the UV printing process more efficient on the front end and the back end, and throughput time can be decreased by 1-2 days on a variety of jobs. That means, depending on the project, you can expect to receive your printed materials 1-2 days faster when you choose LED-UV over aqueous coating. UV LED Printing Benefit #3: Greater Levels of Consistent High Quality In keeping with our reputation for consistent high quality, instant ink curing via LED-UV allows you to achieve harmonic color (live job matches the exact color specified in the sample) on any substrate. In fact, the only way to achieve harmonic color on uncoated paper is through the LED-UV process. With aqueous coatings, if there is even a slight hiccup such as the coating soaking too much into the paper or ink, there’s a greater chance of “dry-back” where the ink dries faster than it should. Dry-back often results in colors that don’t match up and gloss levels that are lower than desired. Eliminating aqueous coating and choosing LED-UV also permits you to see the contrast between the ink and the substrate being printed by setting the inks before they have a chance to set in. As our designer and creative friends know, this is another huge benefit as contrast is crucial for creating eye-catching pieces that “pop.” This separation also means that the ink-layer thickness is rock hard, making your pieces resistant to fingerprints, scratches, and scuffs during the mailing process and post-delivery. Plus, with LED-UV curing, there are almost no limitations to the types of special effects and superior finishes you can experiment with to enhance your print communications. UV LED Printing Benefit #4: Reduced Environmental Footprint LED-UV curing aligns with our commitment to sustainable operations, providing several significant advantages in this area. The LED-UV process does not emit any ozone and LED-UV inks are 99% VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) free, compared to conventional inks which can contain up to 30 times more VOCs. In addition, the LED-UV curing system consumes 90% less power than a conventional arc lamp system, and the press uses 20-25% less energy than the smaller offset press it replaced. The press also allows for a 70-75% reduction in make-ready (set-up) material spoilage on everyday jobs. When comparing these energy efficiencies against the use of aqueous coating, the manufacturer of the press notes that LED-UV “uses 75% less energy than single-side presses that use aqueous coating.” Zero ozone emissions, minuscule VOC release, and much greater energy efficiency are some of the biggest sustainability attributes of using LED-UV. UV LED Printing Benefit #5: Health and Safety As mentioned above, LED-UV inks are 99% VOC free, while conventional inks often contain a much higher ratio of VOCs. Because the GEW LeoLED Modular Lamp Array immediately sets the inks, the trace amounts present in LED-UV inks are not released into the air. This is important from a safety standpoint, as our pressmen typically work 8-10 hour shifts and maintaining the health of our staff is one of our top priorities. Of course, our workspace also complies with OSHA guidelines regarding indoor air quality and ventilation systems so that our staff are safe no matter what type of project they’re working on. LED-UV curing just means less pollutants to filter out and less of the strong odors associated with aqueous coatings and certain types of varnishes. It’s important to note that, while we hope you don’t have to use it, we still retain the ability to print with aqueous coatings. For small or personalized runs, the application of such a coating is still a viable technique that can ensure the longevity of certain projects. Have any questions about the benefits of LED-UV printing or want to bounce some project ideas off one of our print strategists and receive insightful feedback? Contact us today and we can schedule a time to chat soon!

March 19, 2021

Why You Should Collaborate With a Print Strategist When Planning Your Next Project

Whether it’s your first time working with Advertisers Printing or your fiftieth, our team is always fully on board with helping you achieve your vision of gorgeous and effective print communications that garner attention and reach your goals. That’s why we highly recommend tapping into the deep expertise of our print strategists when you are in the initial planning phase of your next print project. By leveraging their knowledge about the latest innovations in print, you’ll end up with phenomenal finished products that elevate your brand and better align with your other avenues for business growth. When you reach out about your next project, you don’t have to have all the details figured out – our print strategists bring significant value to the table when they are included in the planning process to help you brainstorm ideas, make technical decisions, and devise strategies for achieving your goals! Here are a few ways our print strategists support your print communications for maximum success. Print Strategist Factor #1: Asking The Important Questions When you engage with one of our experienced print strategists, they will ask you some questions up-front to help get a better picture of what you’re trying to accomplish. For example: Who is the intended audience for your print communications? What action do you want them to take after viewing your message? For what period of time will each piece be used? How will your print communications be distributed? What quantity is needed for this project? How will you track the success of your print campaign? Oftentimes customers come to our print strategists with a concept of how they want their project to look and what the desired outcome should be, and then our team is able to build upon their ideas and talk through the details until a solid plan is in place. Then it’s onto checking artwork files and beginning the first stages of our comprehensive quality control process. Print Strategist Factor #2: Providing a Custom-Tailored Experience At Advertisers Printing, our clients range from solopreneurs to Fortune 500 companies. The number one thing that all of these relationships have in common is our unwavering dedication to providing a bespoke experience for each and every company that chooses us as their trusted printing partner. No matter the size, industry, or mission, our top priority is the success and satisfaction of our clients. Drawing from that mindset, our print strategists get to know your business – and you – inside and out in order to engineer your projects so that they achieve their full potential. They will also assist in fine-tuning the specs of your project to make the most efficient use of our paper stock, inks, etc. to save you time and money in ways you may not have thought of. Our team loves sharing knowledge and educating people about the best techniques and materials that modern printing has to offer. Unsure of the difference between cast-coated and gloss paper? Want to experience what reticulated varnish feels like? Curious about different metallic inks? Our print strategists will mail or even swing by your office to deliver print samples so you have an accurate idea of the options you have to work with. Every one of our print strategists is a creative problem solver who will go above and beyond to get you what you need. Our team is adamant about maintaining the quality of your project through each stage of the process while respecting your time by beating deadlines and keeping everything on schedule. Print Strategist Factor #3: Assisting With Marketing Strategy Another way in which Advertisers Printing isn’t your average print shop is that, in addition to our skills in the art of printing, we’re also able to tie our print projects into a range of high-caliber marketing solutions. Whether you need help on the front end with list acquisition and client profiling or you’d like to set up lead scoring and triggers to identify hot prospects, our print strategists will work with you to design a path toward direct, measurable results. Our team can get you set up with the Advertisers Connects platform which helps track the effectiveness of your direct mail, follow up with prospects via social ad retargeting, and show you campaign results 24/7 on a digital dashboard. The platform even enables you to install a pixel on your website so you can automatically send bounced visitors a personalized direct mail piece. Afterwards, our print strategists will ensure that you’re able to see your post-campaign results such as improved engagement, boosted revenue, or increase in brand awareness. Print Strategist Factor #4: Incorporating Relevant Mailing Requirements Our print strategists recognize that most people aren’t experts on the ever-changing rules surrounding direct mail marketing and associated postage costs/regulations. Many printing companies don’t offer in-house mailing services – we do. No matter if you’re looking to do a flat or dimensional mailing, small run or massive campaign, our team can help you understand the process and navigate the complexities of mailing print communications. Your reliable print strategist will make sure your project is aligned with the best method for distribution, confirming that it meets the necessary requirements/regulations for faster delivery and lower postage costs. Our team will also carefully assess your mailing list, checking that it’s clean, certified, and free of any duplicate records. If you’re looking to send a campaign across a variety of states and zip codes, we even have access to special USPS commingling discounts that allow you maximize postage savings on your direct mail efforts. Ready to strike up a conversation about how we can help bring your vision for eye-catching print materials to life? Our print strategists are eager to collaborate with your team and start planning a beautiful print project that will support your goals for business growth. Contact us today and we can schedule a time to chat. Let the brainstorming begin!

February 18, 2021

Connecting with Print Media: How to Reach Your Customers

As we continue to adapt to living and working in the “new normal” of a world affected by a pandemic, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: things will never go back to exactly how they were pre-COVID. Many workers will never go back to the office (74% of companies are shifting some employees to fully remote) and we will continue to spend more time “plugged in” (4 out of 5 Americans have increased their screen time this year) because of the pandemic. While opportunities for safe in-person interaction certainly exist, it’s obvious that the global health crisis is pushing people even further into their already digitally-saturated lifestyles of video meetings, countless hours logged on social media, and trying to leverage the latest technology to get more done while juggling family responsibilities and home life. So, how can your business stand out and foster genuine human connection when it’s starting to feel like we’re living in the Matrix? Start building relationships through print media! Read on for 4 benefits of using print materials to market your business in 2020 and beyond. Connecting with Custom Print Benefit #1: Print Produces an Emotional Reaction When was the last time you were captivated by a display ad blinking alongside an article you were reading on your laptop? Exactly. To compare the emotional reactions produced by print vs. digital, a joint study from the United States Postal service and Temple University measured a study group’s heart rate and brain activity while they viewed the two types of ads. In the end, participants chose to examine the print ads longer than the digital ads, and their vitals showed that print literally made their heart beat faster and got them more excited. But here’s where it gets really interesting: the custom print ads also triggered major activity in the area of the brain (“ventral striatum” is the fancy science term) that is responsible for desire and decision making, which can signal a greater intent to purchase. Whether we chalk it up to our caveman instincts or our increasing numbness to the virtual realm, print makes people more engaged and more likely to buy. Connecting with Custom Print Benefit #2: Print Is More Trustworthy In the era of clickbait headlines and online “fake news” capable of duping even our sharpest friends, people see print as inherently more reliable and honest than what they see Retweeted and shared across the wild west of the World Wide Web. According to a study by MarketingSherpa, 82% of consumers trust print ads, the highest level of trust compared to all other advertising channels. That being said, just because print is the most trustworthy advertising medium doesn’t mean that you should abandon your other marketing channels altogether: Around 70% of marketing decision-makers say that combining digital and direct mail boosts web traffic, resulting in higher conversions and a better ROI. Think implementing an omnichannel marketing campaign sounds difficult and time-consuming? An all-in-one solution such as Advertisers Connects can help you enhance your marketing results without having to coordinate all of the necessary elements on your own. Connecting with Custom Print Benefit #3: Print Stimulates the Senses We engage with the outside world with all of our senses, but the messages we receive on a computer or phone usually only engage our sense of sight, sometimes sound (“Where is that auto-playing video ad coming from?!”) And when you’re on hour 12 of staring at a screen, that sense can become a bit dulled, to say the least. With the latest advancements in printing technology, physical marketing materials such as direct mail postcards can be upgraded to become a three-dimensional, tactile experience. According to marketing research conducted by University of Wisconsin and Kent State University, tactile sensations can make consumers feel more connected to a brand or product, and increase the likelihood of them deciding to buy. Imagine flipping through your usual mail stack when suddenly you feel the scales of a lizard, and look down to see an invitation to check out a new exotic reptile store in your city. That’s a marketing piece you’re not likely to forget, which brings us to our next benefit… Connecting with Custom Print Benefit #4: Print Is More Memorable So much of the digital world today is specifically engineered to distract and command your attention right away, and it takes a significant amount of brain power to ignore such diversions. Neuromarketing firm TrueImpact found that direct mail takes 21% less mental effort to process than digital ads, plus it’s much more memorable. The firm also discovered that, when asked to cite the company name of an advertisement they had just seen, recall was 70% higher among people who were exposed to a direct mail piece than a digital ad. And with modern printers that offer a wide range of paper options, custom die cutting techniques, spot colors, specialty substrates, finishes, and structural designs, you’re guaranteed to find something that will appeal to your customers and help keep your brand top-of-mind. Ready to start cutting through the noise with a print marketing campaign that will make sure you stand out from your competitors? We’re ready to help! Contact us today to speak with one of our print marketing experts about creating a one-of-a-kind direct mail campaign or print marketing project.

August 18, 2020

Case Studies

LED-UV Curing: Save Money, Save Time, Save the Environment

Why You Should Collaborate With a Print Strategist When Planning Your Next Project

Connecting with Print Media: How to Reach Your Customers

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