It’s Christmaaaaaaas!

A big fat Christmassy THANK YOU to all our customers for the work you have put our way in 2014. We must have been on Santa’s ‘nice’ list as it has certainly been a busy year, and we have been absolutely loving it!

If you haven’t been in to the Apple Print office recently, do come along and see our fabulous Christmassy banner in reception. Who needs a Christmas tree when you can pop up one like this in seconds? Maybe it’s something you might like to consider for next year, so why not put it in your diary now to get yours ordered in plenty of time for Christmas 2015?

In the lead up to Christmas we have been working on some lovely projects on all fronts: creative design, printing, marketing, social media and web design.

The creative design team have enjoyed working with the print room team on some intricate designs, including one that involved a ‘sales predator’ which included scary claw marks and glowing eyes! We’re always up for a challenge – so any wild ideas you want to try out, bring it on!

They have also been excited to be working on a new-look full time course guide for Newbury College, who have been thrilled at how well it has been received. The design has really stepped up a notch this year, making it very appealing to a youthful market. 

Lots of clients still like to send traditional Christmas cards, and we were delighted to print 94,000 for one client alone. As well as Christmas cards, we have been preparing our own Apple Print Christmas packs of desk pads, note pads, telephone message pads and calendars and this year they all fit together to look like a desk-top jigsaw. Clever and useful, even if we say so ourselves! (Give us a shout if you’d like one.)

We had great fun doing a website to advertise the ‘Get the Guy’ dating seminar which took place at the O2. Amongst others websites, early in the new year we are looking forward to working on one for our friends at the Volunteer Centre and Visit Newbury, and we are even hoping to find time to do a new website for ourselves too, so keep a look out for that.

Our social media activity has gone tweeting mad and continues to go from strength to strength – so much so that our social media queen, Caroline Digby, is looking forward to recruiting a social media prince or princess to assist her in 2015. 

It’s been a busy year and we look forward to 2015 being even busier – please do join us on the journey! In the meantime ….

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Creative Studio update

Creative Studio update:

Here in the studio we thought it was time for an update on what we've been up to this month. So here is the first of - hopefully - many monthly updates on what Apple Print & Creative have been up to.

Wickery copse
We've been designing some lovely business cards for an up and coming business. Working with CC Marketing we developed a logo and business card for Lucas Luczak, owner of a high quality wicker business selling handmade woven picnic baskets etc. His business card needed to reflect the traditional style of his work along with a natural feel. We used a natural colour palette with an intricate pattern in the background to achieved this feel.

BCMS seminar books and slip case
For this project we were asked to redesign the material presented at BCMS seminars. The brief was to produce two books that reflected the business focused content in a more contemporary style that would appeal to the audience. The black and white photography gave the covers a modern feel whilst also reflecting the aspirational feel also needed. We're really happy with the way the books and slip case have turned out and have gone down well with both the clients and their audiences.

Cricketts mailer

Mailers are still a very effective form of marketing, that is why, for this Cricketts mailer we came up with a conceptual design that plays with the idea of a Cricketts family tree. It is important to keep the brand of the client whilst trying to develop a campaign concept, thus the colours here work well to showcase that. Further to the tree illustration we have also developed a simple but fun illustrative map of Newbury town centre area to go on the back of the mailer. This has been an exciting project for the studio as we had the freedom to pitch our creative concepts to Cricketts and then choose the best one for further development.

Kennet School diaries
Here's one we've done a few times over the 
years, but it's still a job that requires extreme attention from the studio and a keen eye for detail. Each year we produce the school diaries for a number of local schools, each with their own design. Shown below are the Kennet School diaries for whom we produce the House, GCSE and sixth form diaries. With each "house" having a different colour and a number of different sections it's vital to pay attention to everything! For Kennet School we also produce individually named covers, so every pupil gets their own diary. This is not only a big job for the studio, but for the whole team.

Newbury Youth Festival
We love the energy and idea behind the Newbury youth festival and once again we are proud to have sponsored them. The programme for this included details of all contributors, sponsors, various advertising as well as a schedule for the day with further information about specific artists such as headliner Hatty Keane. It is always hard when a lot of people are involved in bringing one design and print job together, however everything came together and we were able to produce a fantastic programme for the day. We enjoyed how fun and exciting it was to know that we are part of something great, and it was an honour to represent everyone who participated.

If you need some help with the design of a new project, or are looking for a whole new re-brand...our designers are waiting to help! Give us a call on 01635 521654 or send us the details for a call back. 

Poster Wednesday Reminiscing

Think of your favourite movie quote. Now imagine it as a poster hanging in your living room. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Gordon Reid - editor of Middle Boop Mag, did just that, he created bold type-focused posters depicting some legendary movie quotes. And he did it in a way that is interesting and colourful whilst incorporating subtle references in the graphics making it more than just another designed quote poster. A refreshingly bold way of remembering some of the best quotes from our favourite movies. His works can he seen on his website here.

His series kicked off on a tour in the US at the Bottleneck Gallery on August 8th making its way to the Hero Complex Gallery in LA on September 26th and last but not least to Toronto with date and location to be confirmed.

The prints can be bought over at Big Cartel at £40 for a random 3 print bundle.

My favourite one from those is the Jurassic Park 'Life finds a way', but in general my favourite movie quote is from the movie Fight Club (1999):

'The things you used to own, now they own you.'

Here is my quick poster interpretation of the quote.

This Behance portfolio also showcases some awesomely executed Fight Club typographic posters. 

It is interesting to see how Patrick Daley manipulates typography and space to bring across a more illustrated interpretation of the quotes.

Another worthy mention goes to this series by Jerod Gibson with various quotes or dialogues from the movies contained with recognisable and related objects, I vote for the Pulp Fiction Tarantino one as my favourite.

Now that I have found all my favourites online it is time to go on a quote hunt to find out what the rest of the team here at Apple Print & Creative has to say:

Mark

'Run! Go! Get to the chopper!

- Pedator 1 (1987)

John H

'Frankly dear I don't give a damn!'

- Gone with the wind (1939)

James

'I ain't got time to bleed!'

- Pedator 1 (1987)

Rita

'Play it again Sam'

- Casablanca (1942)

Neil

'Go ahead make my day.'

- Sudden Impact (1983)

Spencer

'Hulk Smash!'

- The Avengers (2012)

Jason

'Doth mother, know you weareth her drapes.'

- The Avengers (2012)

Caroline

'That doesn't make sense to me. But then, you are very small. Perhaps you're right.'

- LOTR: The Two Towers (2002)

Jo

'Johnny 5 is alive!'

- Short Circuit (1986)

Andrew

'This is my boomstick'

- Army of Darkness (1992)

What is your favourite movie quote? Get in touch and tell us now!

Alina

Near Field Communication - What is it?

You’re probably aware that these day we can make contactless payments. Well that’s not the only thing we can do contactless…ly!

Welcome to Near Field Communication (NFC) - a Wifi-lite technology, not disimilar to Bluetooth, that could already be in your smartphone.

The technology behind it is actually quite simple, it’s a short range, low power wireless link evolved from radio frequency identification which passes information from one device to the another when held a short distance apart.

NFC is the next step towards a world with a “digital wallet”. With banks and retailers embracing the technology. Most smartphones are built with NFC technology and just by touching your phone on an NFC ‘tag’ you can pay for your good – it simply takes payment through an app on your phone.

We recently harnessed this technology to bring a successful event companies entry system into the technological era! The event was for a well-known car manufacturer who like everything to be slick and futuristic. So we produced a modern entry system for checking their guests in to the event.

Rather than your old fashioned clipboard and guest list, which let's be honest is a bit out-dated these days when most of our lives revolve around the digital world, they wanted something more 21^st Century!

We set about creating an app which could use Near Field Communication technology to register each guest as “checked-in” when they arrive at the event.

Each guest was given a wristband before the event, which house a tiny NFC tag. When they arrived, they simply swiped the wristband on one of the entry tablets - all NFC enabled (a Google Nexus was our tablet of choice…others are available!), which recognises the NFC tag within their band, checked them in and even sent them a text message with details of their table number for the evening.

Using NFC technology not only helped the event feel even more special, but started people talking and cut down on a lot of paperwork!

You'll probably start noticing NFC more and more in our every day lives, London buses now only except contactless payment and more companies are using it as part of their printed marketing campaigns to give customer an exclusive offer or direct them to a specific webpage. 

If you’re interested in learning more about NFC – give us a call on 01635 521654 or email info@appleprint.co.uk and see how you can WOW your audience.

Responsive web design

Is your website responsively designed?

Of course you’ve got a great website, and when users view it on their desktop PC or Mac they love it! But how does it work on other, smaller devices: tablets, notebooks, smartphones ...?

The number of people using iPads and iPhones to browse the internet grows daily. And while mobile web browsing is nothing new, many businesses have yet to make the move from the desktop to ensure their websites are easy to view across the spectrum of devices.

The word on the web-design community is that designing for smaller, handheld computers is a bit of a puzzle, falling between the feast of opportunities presented by designing for a desktop PC and the challenge of shrinking to fit when aiming for the mobile market. But it doesn’t have to be that difficult if your design team is up to speed, meaning that:

• a brand new website is successful across the whole spectrum of devices and browsers
• an existing, traditional desktop-designed website can quickly become mobile- or tablet-friendly.

As with most things, there are always other options. For example:

• you might decide to deliver different pages of your websites on mobile phones, so will need to consider whether tablets should get the desktop version or the phone version. 

Decisions, decisions …

The first option – a brand new website – is pretty much a no-brainer: these days, when designing from scratch, the web designer will know the markets the end product has to reach and can go ahead in full knowledge of the customer’s expectations.

The complexity of the second option – revising what you’ve already got – will depend on how your existing website was designed, but in most instances implementation involves relatively simple tweaks.

The third option – well, that’s your prerogative, and certainly achievable whichever way you jump, though there are specific, and perhaps less obvious, considerations for this type of application.  

In all instances, careful development and testing will ensure your website works successfully across the range of browsers, from Internet Explorer and Chrome, through Firefox and Safari to Opera … and any others you care to mention.

As a basic start point, there are a few simple tricks to consider, such as:

Clickable to touchable: what you click on a desktop PC or Mac needs to be big enough to be a touch target on a tablet or smartphone.

Font sizes: as tablets have smaller screens than typical desktop and notebook computers, if a website is designed to a fixed width, it will be shrunk down on a smaller device; it is essential that the text is not too small to read, and that the touch targets are big enough on such gadgets as the iPad mini.

There are lots more, of course. And that is where Apple Print and Creative comes in. Our web design team and web builders have the latest technological advances well under control; their combined experience means they know just about every trick in the book and are magic at designing new websites and tweaking existing ones. They work hand-in-hand with clients to ensure they fully understand the image a company wishes to portray. Any proposal for the design and development of a website – whether adding to or updating an existing site or building one from scratch – will ensure that the end result meets the needs of a client and, in turn, their customers. And our ‘webbers’ won’t be absent friends: they involve the client throughout the process of design and development, giving the opportunity to fine-tune along the way to be certain that the end product fits the bill exactly.

Why not have a chat with us about how you could be presenting your media face to the world? 

Planning your next exhibition?

Perhaps you are having a stand at the Royal County of Berkshire Show this September? Or have you hired a venue to promote a new product? Perhaps you are travelling abroad to win new business? Or maybe you are having an in-store promotion?

If you are planning to hold or attend an exhibition to promote your business, you may already have a vision of what your stand will look like.

Big and bold is bound to get you noticed – and if you are investing time, money and energy being there, why not make your company really stand out from the crowd? With careful planning, design and printing, what your company displays can knock spots off your competitors.

Grabbing people’s attention is key. Remember the three-second rule: in the three-seconds it will take a potential customer to pass by your stand, they need to:

•  Notice your stand
•  Clock who you are and what you do
•  Be given a reason to stop

And this is where Apple Print & Creative comes in.

Banners and banner stands

Our banners and banner stands are a cost-effective and portable way to advertise what you are offering – before, during and even after the event.  Banners can be designed to your specification by our team of innovative designers, or you can provide your own press-ready artwork if you prefer. 

Freestanding banner stands are available in a range of sizes and come complete with their own carry case for ease of transportation. Whether you are going to use the banner indoors or outside, we have the right solution for you. 

Posters

There’s nothing much simpler or more cost-effective than a poster for grabbing attention. Just like banners, our team is on hand to discuss your requirements with you and offer advice. But of course you may have your own team of designers, so you provide the press-ready artwork and we will get your posters printed for you in just a few days.

Other printed materials

Banners and posters will get you noticed. But what about when someone has stopped at your stand? How will you engage with them?

Obviously your stand will be manned and your staff will be conversing with potential clients, but point-of-sale displays of brochures, flyers and leaflets to hand out or for people to pick up and take away with them are  important additions. You may already have a stock of stationery for just this purpose – but better to check now that you are going to have enough and get more ordered if necessary.

And if you are ordering new supplies, remember how much quality counts: the impression you give by way of your printed material may be the one thing a potential client judges you on, so make that impression a good one.

Was it a bird? Was it a plane?

No, it was a potential customer. One of the perhaps less obvious pre-printed items to have readily to hand at an exhibition is a simple form to capture the contact details of visitors to your stand. There is little point having people come and enjoy your all-singing, all-dancing display if you just let them disappear back into the crowd without you ever knowing who they were or what you might have done for them ….  

A properly designed and printed form will make you appear confident and professional.  Again, it’s all about creating the right impression.

Time is of the essence

At Apple Print & Creative, we love to help. And the longer the lead-in time to your exhibition, the more helpful we can be. Let us know when your next exhibition is, and let’s get discussing your requirements. And if that happens to be the Royal County of Berkshire Show this autumn, June is not too soon. 

Marketing through print

The Royal County of Berkshire Show is looming on the horizon. Now is a good time to think about your point-of-sale requirements: flyers, leaflets, posters, banners … 

But hang on a minute. Why would you need printed material? Isn’t that yesterday’s news? Not at all. 

The best marketing campaigns use a multi-media approach, and everyone recognizes the benefits of going on-line with social networking and websites. But it cannot stop there. The printed word is still – and always will be – a formidable tool when it comes to advertising. After all, where would we be without leaflets, flyers, brochures, catalogues, stationery, posters, banners …? 

Print is inherently visual, and combining text with punchy graphics can be extremely powerful. A strong company logo, for example, is essential in creating an instantly recognizable brand. Whatever your feelings about McDonalds, you have to admit that golden arch has served them well; seeing it on a flyer with nothing else would bring their name to mind. That is branding at its finest. 

Printed material is highly effective when promoting a company profile. How you present your image will determine how the public perceives you, and is the first thing a potential customer will connect with. So good quality printing is a must. Get your competitors worried by doing it better. 

And there is a permanency about print that you don’t get from flicking through a screen. Big bold posters and banners have a long life span. Stationery is as much your ‘shop window’ as, well, your shop window! Letterhead, compliment slips, order forms – they all have a long shelf life and reach a lot of people. 

We have to accept that a certain percentage of printed material ultimately ends up in the bin, but before that happens there is an opportunity to capture your audience and encourage them to retain that flyer, that leaflet. And of course, much printed material is kept for a long time: a catalogue; an annual report; a calendar. And when that item is referred to, you want the emotive response it creates to be a good one. The design, the quality, the words, the images used all go towards generating the right response. 

Another benefit of print is the high volume opportunity. It is often important that whatever you are advertising reaches a large number of people, and print is unbeatable when it comes to targeting a specific audience of any size. Think mail shots for example. After all, there is still a relatively high proportion of the nation who choose not to have a computer. 

Print is paramount in reaching these people – and everyone else at the same time. High volume printing can also be cost effective: the more you print, the cheaper it becomes. However, that does not suit everyone – for example, you might not have storage space for loads of stationery. Not a problem. Print on demand is quick and easy, and delivers what you want, when you want. 

So, back to the Royal County of Berkshire Show. As we said, it’s looming on the horizon and now is a good time to think about your point-of-sale requirements: flyers, leaflets, posters, banners and so on. You know you’re going to need them, and the sooner you get them ordered the less worry they will give you with all the other 101 things you need to do between now and September. 

Let Apple Print & Creative take that worry from you – give us a call to discuss your requirements or pop the details into our enquiry form for an instant quote. After all, print is what we know.