There’s a lot of value in producing printed materials for your business. However, though this may be the case, it’s also important to remember that there is a wide range of printing services available. In order to ensure that your materials are as effective at meeting their goal as possible, you need to be aware of these different types. What will work for one company would be useless for another!
And don’t forget that the quality of the printing will impact the effectiveness, too. That’s why it’s important to look up the best printing services near me. They’ll have the experience and expertise you need to ensure your printed goods are as high-quality as possible!
In this article, we’ll take a look at the different types of printing available and the type of products that a store that offers printing near me will be able to offer.
Different Types of Printing
There are generally two different types of printing available. First, these are commercial products that help a business give their audience the information they need. Then there’s a wide format, which is also used for commercial purposes, but because of the specialty of these items, they’re generally reserved for special or one-off events.
Commercial
If you’re looking to generate new business for your company, then printed materials are an excellent way to reach your goal! This is true whether you’re a digital or ‘real-world’ business. After all, people are people; the same ones who use the internet are the same people who walk the streets. If you’re handing out printed materials to people, then it’ll be much more likely that your brand sticks in their minds. After all, trying to get people’s attention in the online world can be difficult. So if you’re looking to build your social media followers or get more visitors to your website, you should look offline and online.
When you work with a store that offers print near me services, you’ll have a unique opportunity to grow your audience. A printed leaflet that is sent directly to a potential customers’ postbox can bring a huge positive return on investment.
But that’s just one example. There are many others! A print shop near me will have a range of options that all have the same goal in mind: to help grow your business. Though there’s plenty of value in marketing your business digitally, physical marketing materials can be exceptionally effective.
Wide Format
Many businesses (and individuals) end up making mistakes with their printed materials. They’ll print them themselves or forget some of the key ingredients that contribute towards making the materials as high-quality as possible. But there are some materials that individuals and companies can’t make. The best print shops near me will have access to a caliber of printers that are generally not available for use in the home/the office.
Wide format printing is large, larger than what a regular printer can produce. They have a minimum width of 18 inches; these items are called wide format. There’s also grand format printing, a term used for printed materials more than 100 inches wide. That’s some big printing!
And what makes wide format printing so popular is that there’s just so much diversity. There are several different inks that can be used to produce wide format items. For example, there’s aqueous ink, which is a high-quality ink used for prints that will be laminated or framed.
There’s also solvent ink, which is waterproof and is perfect for printed materials that’ll be used outside. Or there’s latex ink, a new and increasingly popular ink of choice, which is perhaps the best option for quick-turn printing.
But whatever it is you’re looking to print, there’ll be an ideal ink for you to use. A reputable shop that offers printing services will know exactly which ink you need!
Items Produced Through Printing
OK, so now you’ve got an idea about the different types of printing that are available. But what might you use all these inks and sizing options to produce? Let’s take a look at some of the different items. You’ll find that there’s at least one — and probably more — option that will allow you to grow and develop your business.
Commercial
We’ll get to the wide format printing options later, but first, let’s focus on the commercial items you can make. In general, commercial items are more “evergreen.” That means that they’re not just used for one-time events. That means that when you invest in these materials, you’ll be able to use them again and again. But if you need to change a few details as time goes on, then it’s easy to do so. Simply make the changes and get more printed!
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Business Cards
Many factors influence the overall success of a business. One of the most important elements will be your networking skills. Everyone you meet will be a potential customer. If you can get them interested in your business, you may gain another customer just by opening your mouth.
Of course, talking about your business is only the beginning. You’ll need to give them something to take away; don’t have the success of your business rest in the hands of a potential customers’ memory! Make them remember. Business cards have been around for decades for one excellent reason: they work. When you meet someone interested in your business, then you’ll be able to hand them a card. These days, there are various types of business cards you can print. You can choose the classic standard option, or you can have plastic, metal, or a foil card, among others.
If they’re well-designed and have been printed by a top-quality printing company, then they’ll make an impact.
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NCR Forms
Commercial printing services don’t just serve to advertise and grow your business. They can also help to make your business run more smoothly. For example, if you need to give your customers a copy of a handwritten receipt. While you can get a non-branded NCR form and use an ink stamp to brand it with your business, that doesn’t look as professional as having a custom-made NCR form. So instead, you can get one printed up with your company name and logo. Plus, having a stack of the forms to hand will just help you to stay more organized — you’ll know that a crucial (yet often overlooked) aspect of your business operations is watertight.
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Flyers
The more people who know about your business, the more likely it will be successful. Of course, in this day and age, competition for attention is more severe than ever before. That means that if you’re going to get the attention of the public, then you need to find a way to get your name in front of their eyes. One of the most effective ways is to hand out flyers, especially if you’re a brick-and-mortar store. A person could walk past your business every day and not know that you’re there. But if they’ve got a flyer with your name, services, and address, then they might just stop by! Handing out flyers is useful for businesses just starting, but long-lasting businesses can use them to give their brand a boost, especially if they’re offering deals or discounts.
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Menus
There’s more to a restaurant than the food. Even if the food is top-quality, people will only know that after they’ve finished their meal. Before they get to that stage, they’ll look for signs that a restaurant is the real deal. The front of the restaurant and the interior décor are both important, as is the menu. Don’t forget that the menu reflects your business, so it needs to be as high-quality as possible. This won’t just depend on the design of the menu, but also the quality of the printing. If yours captures the aesthetics of your restaurant and food well, then it’ll have done its job.
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Posters
And then there are posters. You can use posters for any number of reasons. You might be advertising your business, promoting a sale, or just providing them as a giveaway to promote your business. Whatever the reason for printing them up may be, it’s important that you’re working with a great printing service company so that they look as good as possible.
Wide Format
The bigger the printing, the more of an impact it’ll have. After all, people pay attention to those big items that they come across! It’s a bona fide attention-grabber. So what types of products lend themselves well to wide format printing? Let’s take a look.
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Outdoor Signs
The outdoors is, well, a pretty big space. When you’re trying to get people’s attention, you have to be bold! Making an outdoor sign using wide format printing will ensure that it’s big enough to make a splash. But of course, it’s not only the size of the printed material that matters. The design and quality of printing are important too. If you select a low-quality printing company, then you might find that the colors don’t pop as much as they should — or that the quality of the printing begins to show signs of wear and tear faster than it should. The best companies know what type of ink you’ll need to ensure that people pay attention to your outdoor sign for all the right reasons.
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Window Signs
If you run a brick-and-mortar store, then you’ll know how important it is to grab the attention of passersby. Window shopping got its name for a reason! But if people are just walking past your store without paying any attention, then you won’t get all the benefits — and added revenue — that foot traffic can bring. Here’s where wide-format window signs can help. They can be used at all times of the year to get people’s attention, but they work especially well when you’re running a sale or when there’s a seasonal tone in your store. For example, a large, Christmas-themed window sign will let passersby know that there’s much yuletide joy inside!
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Lawn Signs
Got something to say? Then why not get the message across right from your own lawn. Lawn signs can be used to advertise a home-based business, show support for a cause, or let people know that you’re running for office. You might also have a lawn sign outside of your workplace if you have a lawn in front, and thus it’s not so clear that you’re a business.
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Car Graphics
There’s more than one way to advertise a business in the real world. One of the increasingly popular options is to add graphics and vinyl banners to your car. If you’re driving around anyway, then you may as well get the attention of the people you pass — and advertise your business at the same time. In addition, you can use a printing company to wrap your commercial or personal vehicle with a design of your choice. Of course, this is a more difficult job than regular printing, so if you’re going to take this option, you’ll have to work with a printing company that assigns project managers to their projects. This will ensure that the design, materials, and printing are completed to the highest possible standards.
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Back Drops
If you’re trying to create a scene, a backdrop is an excellent way to do so! You can use backdrops when you’re exhibiting at a trade show or when you’re hosting a special event. So long as it’s in line with your branding and printed well, then it’ll do the job.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, there’s much to know about printing services, including the different types available and what you can produce. Hopefully, by reading this article, you’ll have a sense of the right options for you, but if you have any doubts, then be sure to get in touch with us — we’ll be able to guide you through every step.
