Printed Services

Graphic Design

Our professionally trained graphic designers are computer artists who know how to use their creative abilities to improve the look of your printed projects.

Creative use of color, typography, photos, and illustration can dramatically improve the effectiveness of your project. Good design can help create a favorable impression that makes your company and its products stand out in the crowd.

Our designers are skilled at creating attention-getting brochures, sell sheets, booklets, manuals, and newsletters. They also specialize in the creation of business forms and all types of workplace documents.

Color Printing

The demand for full-color printing is exploding, and why not? Studies have repeatedly shown that full-color printed materials are more "influential" and promote higher response rates than two-color or black-and-white materials. This holds true whether those print pieces are used for sales, marketing, or educational purposes. Adding color will cost more, but it serves a useful purpose. If you're considering moving up to full-color printing, give us a call. We're experts at color printing and look forward to putting our knowledge to work for you.

Two-Color Printing

Two-color printing uses two colors of ink (most often black and a second color) to create a dramatic contrast for a variety of printing needs. Less expensive than full-color printing, two-color printing is often used for business cards, flyers, brochures, letterhead, stationery, envelopes, and other similar office or business documents, to produce an eye-catching image at a competitive price.

Studies show that two-color printing is more effective at attracting attention than its one-color counterpart. We have hundreds of ink colors to choose from and can even create a custom-mix for you.

Spot Color Printing

Spot printing provides depth to your project by adding one or two additional colors in key locations on the page. Spot colors can be added to any standard one, two, or four-color project. They're great for overprinting logos, company colors, and other key elements that require exceptional color accuracy.

B&W Digital Printing

Black and white digital printing is one of our specialities.

We have the capabilities to produce big copy jobs very quickly. Our commercial-quality, high-speed copy equipment provides high-quality images at a surprisingly low cost!

When you need fast, inexpensive copies of higher quality than you can get on your office copy machines, give us a call. We're ready to help!

Grand Format Printing

Print up to 80" wide by any length in high resolution color on flexible or rigid materials.

Variable Data

Have you ever received something that you know is bulk mail, but yet you read it because it is personalized with your name? It's amazing how seeing your name in print can raise the level of curiosity you have about the contents of a mail piece. Your customers and prospects will have the same reaction when they receive a mail piece that has been personalized using variable data printing.

Versioning is a type of variable data printing where different versions of the same printed piece can be automatically printed on a digital press. For example, a postcard direct mail piece could be printed in one color for men and a different color for women.

Variable data printing enables you to be more intentional about your marketing strategy by providing a way to personalize any printed piece. However, moving personalized information from a database to paper can be a difficult task, especially when the database is large or complex. We can help.

We would be happy to partner with you in exploring the world of variable data printing. Call our print shop today for more information about how you can incorporate variable data printing into your company's marketing strategy.

PURLs

Personalized URLs (or PURLs) are custom website addresses set up to deliver highly specialized content to your customers and prospects based on their individual preferences and tastes.

The premise is fairly simple. When you add a PURL to a print or email marketing campaign, each recipient will receive their own unique website link, associated with their specific account or contact information. On a print piece, such as a postcard, flyer, or newsletter, the PURL will appear as a printed website address, somewhere on the page. For an email campaign, it will be a clickable link. In both cases, the address is unique to each recipient, so no two are the same.

When the customer clicks the PURL (in an email message) or types that PURL (from a direct mail piece) into the address bar on their favorite browser, the website they are linking to will use that PURL to identify the visitor and deliver personalized content targeted specifically to them.

PURLs are an effective way to connect with customers on a very personal level. As such, they're good for verifying and updating customer information, presenting highly targeted offers, and eliciting feedback. They're also great for tracking click-throughs and measuring the effectiveness of a marketing campaign.

Top brands use PURLs all the time—and you can, too—without spending a fortune and without the need for an advanced degree in computer science (or even a basic understanding of web technology). Want to learn more? We'd be happy to help.

Coil Binding

Coil binding, also known as spiral binding, is a commonly used bookbinding style for creating documents, reports, presentations, and proposals. This binding style is known by a number of names, including spiral coil, color coil, ez-coil, plastic coil, spiral binding, plastikoil and coilbind. Documents bound with spiral coil have the ability to open flat on the desk or table and offer 360° rotation for easier note-taking. Durable and strong, this binding method is often used for documents that need to be mailed. Spiral-coil-bound spines are available in more colors and sizes than other binding styles. Please call us to learn about the many options we have available.

Collating

Collating is the process of gathering individual sheets and other elements of your printing project and assembling those elements into a final product.

Copiers can collate automatically, but did you know that we can quickly and efficiently collate other items, too? Our high-speed collating equipment can bring together all the elements of your project, saving you the time it would take to hand-collate the project. The next time you have a big project that requires collating, keep us in mind - we make it so easy, you'll never want to hand-collate again.

Die Cutting

Not all printing projects require a nice, straight cut along the edge of the page. Some need curved cuts, odd-shaped cuts, fancy cuts, or internal cuts. When your design calls for a specialty cut, call on the experts at our print shop.

Our bindery department can handle any cutting need. With access to state-of-the-art die-cutting equipment, we'll work hard to ensure the perfect cut every time. Choose from hundreds of specialty dies, or have one custom-made to your unique specifications. Call for details.

Our die-cutting services are great for:

• Table tents
• Door hangers
• Die-cut postcards
• Rounded corners
• Keyhole cuts
• And more

Embossing / Debossing

Embossing is an art as old as printing itself. The process involves pressing paper between specially cast metal dies attached to a letterpress. The result is a raised impression on the page that matches the design of the die.

Embossing dies can range from very simple shapes with flat, smooth surfaces to more elaborate creations with contours, depth, and intricate detail. In either case, the result is a crisp, elegant effect well-suited to any printed piece.

Debossing works the same as embossing, except the surface of the page is recessed, rather than raised, by the effect. The process involves the same types of dies and takes place on a letterpress.

Debossing and embossing are distinctive touches most commonly used for "showpieces" such as announcements, invitations, postcards, business cards, and stationery. But they're just as useful for brochures, annual reports, and any other printed piece you want to stand out from the crowd.

Foiling

Looking for a unique and classy way to spice up your printing? Consider adding a foil-stamped line, logo, or other design element to the page. Use foil stamping to dress up your stationery, letterhead, business cards, booklet covers, report covers, presentation folders, and specialty print jobs.

Our commercial-quality foil stamping equipment uses heat to apply a thin layer of metal foil to a printed sheet of paper. Gold, silver, and a variety of other colors are available. We can help you choose the right foil or combination of foils as well as the right placement on the page to give your piece the perfect feel.

Folding

When you need high-speed folding, you've come to the right place. Our bindery/finishing department provides many different options for folding. Our high-speed folding machines can fold at speeds exceeding 5,000 sheets per hour. Many different folding formats are available, and for more unique folding jobs, we also offer several hand-folding options.

We can provide unlimited quantities of folded materials for your special printed projects.

Hand Work

Do you have a special project that needs a unique touch? We do gluing, tying, folding, labeling, collating, stamping, inserting, sealing, product attachment, kitting, packing—and just about anything else you can imagine. Our bindery services department is fully capable of handling all your labor-intensive needs.

Hole Drilling

It sounds a little funny, but we're experts at drilling holes. We have powerful hydraulic paper drilling machines that feature many different sizes of paper drills and enable us to position the hole just about anywhere on the sheet of paper. Just remember to allow 1/2 an inch of extra margin for three-hole drilling along the side of the sheet of paper.

Here's an interesting note: Did you know studies have shown that people tend to save printed items longer if they are three-hole drilled? Marketing experts think that subconsciously we tend to feel like we need to put a three-hole drilled sheet into a ring binder or save it for future reference.

Laminating

Simply put, laminating prolongs the life of your printed projects. How?

• Increases durability
  
• Preserves colors
  
• Enables your projects to withstand moisture
  
• And protects your projects from fingerprints, abrasions, and smudges.

In addition to the many ways it preserves your projects, laminating also has the power to revolutionize your presentations by allowing for hassle-free display of your documents under a variety of conditions. Plus, the glossy finish gives your projects a professional look that you can be proud of.

Next time you want to add a little something extra to your printing, let us laminate your printed projects for you!

Numbering

Many carbonless forms and invoices require sequential numbering. Numbering is an inexpensive and effective way to maintain accurate records and improve organization.

We can number a variety of papers and sheet sizes. Choose from black or red ink, as well as descending or ascending numbers on most printed projects.

Paper Cutting

We have very sophisticated, computerized, digital paper cutters that are extremely fast and accurate.

Our commercial paper cutters feature high-pressure hydraulic clamps to prevent paper shifting and razor-sharp carbon steel blades to guarantee the most precise cuts.

Perforating

Perforating a printed form can create an easy-to-remove response card, coupon, or customer feedback form.

Our wide variety of perforating blades gives you flexibility when designing pieces that need to separate effortlessly. We can also design pieces that can stand up to the rigors of post office mailing equipment without pulling apart.

Our highly trained and knowledgeable staff will happily offer suggestions and solutions for your perforating needs.

Scoring

Scoring refers to the process of making a crease in paper so it will fold easier.

Basically, a paper score is a ridge that is indented into the paper where the fold line will occur. This indention is made using a blunt metal edge – from either a wheel or a rule – that compresses the paper fibers to create a hinge-like area. This “hinge” is what allows for smoother folding.

Scoring also helps improve the appearance of the fold because it provides a consistent guideline as well as reduces the potential for the paper to buckle or crack. In addition, scored paper is less likely to cause harm to toner-type inks or thicker clear coats during the folding operation.

When is a Score used?

A score is generally used prior to folding heavy weight papers, such as cover weight papers, card stock and cardboard. In fact, the thicker the paper, the wider the score must be. Lighter weights of paper generally fold well without the need for scoring.

Shrink Wrapping

We use high-quality shrink wrap materials to provide you with an attractive and secure method of bundling larger quantities of printed materials. Our versatile shrink wrap process uses semi-automatic equipment to meet high-volume demands without compromising quality. We can shrink wrap materials as small as a business card and as large as 11 x 17 posters.

Stitching & Saddlestitching

Stapling is one of the simplest – and most effective – methods of binding used today. In addition to stapling loose sheets together through the front of the page, we can saddle-stitch (staple through the spine) magazines and other multi-page items such as catalogs, annual reports, and newsletters.

Saddle-stitching is a sturdy, durable, and attractive binding option. The number of pages our saddle-stitching equipment can bind together varies depending on the weight of the paper used, but the results are the same every time: nice, clean, and professional.

Stitching

Did you know that "stitching" is another word for stapling? The only difference is that the phrase stapling is generally used when you're trying to bind together no more than 40 pages. Stapling is done with lightweight desktop equipment. Stitching generally requires an industrial-sized, floor-mounted piece of equipment. At our printing firm, we have a variety of stapling and stitching machines that can handle any type of book or printed project you need to assemble.

Wire-O Binding

Wire binding is one of the most popular commercial bookbinding methods used in business today. Known by a number of different names, including spiral notebook binding, twin loop wire, Wire-o, and double loop wire, wire-bound materials can look extremely creative when a colorful wire is used. We offer several different processes of wire binding. Although it is difficult to add or delete pages once a document has been wire-bound, almost everyone agrees that wire-bound documents look very, very nice.

Perfect Binding

Perfect binding provides a result similar to that of a paperback book. The phone directory on your desktop is a common example. National Geographic would be another. At our printing firm, we get many requests to bind software manuals, instruction manuals, and many varieties of soft-covered books using perfect binding. We print the heavy-duty covers separately and attach them at the spine with a strong, flexible glue. We then trim the books on three sides to make them look clean and professional.

CASS Certification

CASS is a United States Postal Service (USPS) acronym for Coding Accuracy Support System. The term CASS is widely used by the USPS when they refer to the verification status of an address list. In order for an address list to receive CASS certification, it must be checked against the USPS Address Matching System (AMS) CD-ROM, and the 11-digit delivery point ZIP code and corresponding barcode must be added. Only addresses with the delivery point ZIP code and barcode are eligible for "automation" bulk mailing rates. A mailing list must undergo address verification every six months (every three months for carrier route mailings) and is particularly important to mailers because of the difference between the "automation" and "non-automation" mailing rates, which is about $.05 per piece. For a 10,000 piece mailing, CASS certification of the address list could save the mailer approximately $500.

Our mailing services department uses the latest CASS certification technology (in-house) to help our customers keep the cost of their mailings as low as possible and to ensure a high percentage of delivery success.

Database Management

Keeping your mailing list organized and up-to-date can be challenging. Let us manage and maintain it for you. We'll store your customer data securely in our database—updating it, weeding out bad addresses, and ensuring its accuracy every time. Our database management solution is designed to optimize delivery and ensure the best rate possible for all your mailings. It also makes it easy to personalize your materials and target your mailings based on predefined criteria. So before you try to go it alone with your mailings, give us a call. We're here to help.

INKJET address

Personalization can play a key role in the success of your direct mail marketing campaigns. Even something as simple as a personalized headline or greeting can have a significant impact on response. That's where our state-of-the-art inkjet address service comes into play. Once we print your mailer, we can personalize it as we address it, all in one easy step. Choose any font you'd like, any size, and any ink color. Our equipment can even add a personalized or static headline or ad line anywhere on the mailer at the same time it's applying the address.

Prefer address labels instead? We can do that, too. We can even barcode and live stamp your pieces as they're being addressed, saving time and ensuring better accuracy. Our equipment can print on virtually any surface, including coated papers designed to withstand the wear-and-tear of automated Postal Service sorting equipment. It's just one of the many services our mailing department provides to ensure better results for you.

Inserting

Whether a simple, one-page sales letter in an envelope or a multi-piece marketing kit (letter, several brochures, training CD, reply form, etc.), our printing firm can put it all together for you accurately and fast. Our high-speed automatic inserters allow us to handle very large mailings. We've also perfected a fast and accurate method of hand insertion for those projects which cannot be done by machine.

Post Office Delivery

When your mailing is completed, you are welcome to pick it up at our office, or we can deliver it directly to the post office for you. We are experts at completing USPS paperwork (which is often complicated and confusing), and we have a lot of experience working with the bulk mail department at the post office. We strongly suggest you allow us to work with the post office on your behalf. There is a small cost for our service, but we can save you a lot of time and possible frustration. Allowing us to handle your mailing project from concept to post office delivery is a smooth, one-step process that saves you time, money, and stress.

Postage Discounts

The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers significant discounts for volume business mailings and nonprofit organizations. These discounts apply to basically all types of business mail and can significantly reduce the cost of postage at your company.

When you work with a mailing services specialist at our printing firm, you can be sure you'll receive the lowest postage rate and the best possible delivery times.

Unlike traditional mailing houses, we're unique because we have the ability to take your mailing piece from design through delivery to the post office. We specialize in mailing services project management. Why would you want to have your mailing project designed at one place, printed at another, and then mailed at a third place? We can save you significant time—and hassles—when you let us manage the entire print and mail process for you.

Qualifying for discounts
To qualify for mailing discounts, your mailer must meet certain guidelines set by the USPS. Generally speaking, your piece must meet size restrictions (length, width, and thickness), weight restrictions, and design/layout requirements.

Nonprofit mail
A qualified nonprofit organization is entitled to significant mailing discounts over standard mailing rates.

Presorting - DPBC (Delivery Point Barcode)
Presorted mail that is sorted by ZIP code and imprinted with a barcode prior to delivery to the post office can save you money. The USPS gives discounts to companies who participate in their "revenue sharing program" (that's really what they call it). In order to receive these discounts, your mail must be CASS certified, sorted, trayed, tagged, sleeved, and strapped... all services we provide.

To learn more about postage discounts and designing an effective mailer, visit the USPS's helpful Business Mail 101 resource page.

Tab Sealing

Tabs, sometimes called wafer seals, are a USPS requirement that must be applied to all self-mailers. Tabs prevent the open edge of your mailer from jamming the Postal Service's high-speed processing equipment. Our mailing services department can apply one or two tab seals easily as part of our inline mail processing capabilities. Choose clear plastic, paper, or customized tabs to complement the design of your mailing piece.

X-date Fulfillment

Need your mailer to go out on a specific date? Just let us know, and we'll make sure it gets printed in time, then work with the Postal Service to ensure it's distributed on the date you request.

Postal Presorting

Our mail presorting services save you money on postage and speed delivery time.

Our advanced mail presort technology lets us barcode and presort your mail according to 3 and 5 digit ZIP code. Presorted mail is easier and faster for the USPS to process. The ease of processing allows the Postal Service to charge us, and you, less postage. Whether it's first-class or standard mail, we get you the best possible postage rates. In order to accurately process mail and integrate it into the mail stream, we use high-speed sorting machines and recognition systems that are very similar to the ones used by the Postal Service. We can CASS certify your mail, spray barcodes (if necessary), and sort mail into the most accurate 'final destination' ZIP code. Once sorted by ZIP, the mail is put into trays and presented to the USPS for mailing at a discounted rate on your behalf.

Branded Merchandise

We have thousands of high-quality promotional products for you to choose. Just give us a call! We have over 500,000 giveaways in our database, so we can definitely find the “perfect” product for your company logo. Whether it’s a unique item for a tradeshow or a corporate gift, our team has over 20 years of experience in creating custom imprinted products for any industry.