So much printing!

Our print room is jam packed this week with leaflets, posters and brochures. The stalwart team of Printers and Finishers have over 500000 pieces of print to get out over the next five days and they will have to work like demons to get it all finished. 

The Litho department is busy running leaflets for “The Horse of the Year Show” and as you can imagine there are quite a few required, the Press is running at a steady 11000 sheets an hour and will soon eat up all that paper, and when it does we have to start on the new Newbury Bid printing for the Newbury Fest events. 

Our Large format team is also full on this week, posters, banners and Sign Boards, this process is probably the most hands on of all our departments with all the cutting, hemming and laminating that is usually required….still big is better right? Well that’s what we hope here anyway. 

The Digital printing department is never quiet and our Canon VP Image press hardly ever sleeps – this printing press can cope with one million prints per month and covers all the same materials as our litho press – it covers the shorter run lengths, lots of training manuals, business cards and leaflets when less than a few thousand are needed – I may even need to get on there running some jobs myself to help out (yes, it’s helping out before you say anything). 

Finally when it’s all printed and dry (if it’s a litho job) the finishing team has to step in and do it’s part. Be that cutting, creasing, scoring and folding, they do the lot – they are always on the lookout for any quality issues that may have been spotted and we believe that last minute check is essential – let’s hope this keeps up….they are only happy when busy so if you need anything printed please don’t hesitate to call us or click here for our online form.

Ten Tweeters we think you should follow!

If you're just starting out on Twitter, it can be tricky to know who to follow. Equally, even if you're a social veteran, the old feed can become a bit stale and in need of a spruce up!

Well never fear...here are 10 Tweeters we think you should follow - this is not objective by any means but these people will give you a diverse and entertaining Tweet feed.

1. John Lewis – the man not the store. You can imagine how many tweets the “real” John Lewis gets about his customer service. Watch for his responses.

  

2. Milton Jones - With only 144 characters available, Twitter is the ideal place for people like this one-liner funny man. 

3. First World Problems - Bringing us all a little reality check to our virtual worlds...

4. WolfpackAlan - Straight out of the hangover and bringing the comedy with him!

5. Apple Print & Creative...well we couldn't have a list without us in it now could we!

6. NotMarkZuckerberg - NOT the real Mark Zuckerberg...but a spoof account and he's got a lot to say.

7.WengerKnowsBest - Another spoof account for those football fans out there...

8. Elizabeth Windsor - We'd like to think that this really is the Queen's twitter account...she's definitely comical!!

9. Youhadonejob - An account solely to point out other people's errors...and there are a lot!

10. James Blunt! HE.IS.HILARIOUS....you might not expect it from the well-spoken pop star but he has a sharp wit about him and responds to some not so complimentary tweets about himself in very humorous ways!

...the list is not exhaustive but these should tie you a well rounded news feed, and if nothing else a bit of a laugh! If you think we've missed someone you believe is worth following....please let us know!

DreamHost review

Introducing...Kate!

We're pleased to be able to introduce you to the newest member of our creative studio team - Kate! 

Kate joins the team as our Studio Administrator and brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the
company. But enough of what we think, we'll let Kate tell you a little bit about herself....

"I've had a varied working life, starting out with a Graphic Design degree, my first job was with a printers and since then I have had a very varied career until having a child 10 years ago, when I left the world of work to focus on the important job of being a Mum. Once my son was old enough I wanted to get back into work and worked for a local Estate Agents to get my brain working again!

I responded to a Twitter Ad that Apple Print & Creative posted for the role of Studio Administrator, it sprang out because it ticked all the boxes for me; working in a creative environment, for a company with a great reputation, using my organizational skills and print knowledge. My role here is to act as a go between from the Design Studio to Production, making sure that jobs are checked, passed onto Clients, approved and passed down to production in a timely manner. I have only been here 2 weeks and I am already loving it, no day is the same and, as I thought, the team are great.


In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, I can be found, in all weathers, tending my allotment and I also practice the art of yoga to relieve the pain from all that digging!"

We're really happy to have Kate in the Apple Print & Creative family, and we're sure you will be too. 

Top 5 adverts of 2014...so far

I'm sure, like me, you all sigh when your favourite tv show goes to an ad break. Why must they interrupt our viewing pleasure with their marketing tactics. But....I must admit, I do appreciate a good advert, and every now and then there's a real stonker out there! If it can make me smile or laugh (sometimes even shed a tear) then that brand, in my opinion, has done well and deserves my attention between re-runs of Friends (will that show ever get old??!).

So, I thought I'd relive some of my favourite adverts to grace our screens so far this year...

1. Freeview – Cat & Budgie

Singing animals....enough said?

2. Barclays – My Flexible Mortgage (Hamster)

Barclays' ad's are great at explaining fairly complicated (and boring) topics, in a very simple manner. And they've managed to make it entertaining at the same time. 

3. Cadbury's Dairy Milk – Yes sir, I will boogie

Another classic from Dairy Milk – we all know that feeling of listening to hold music...hope I get this song next time! 

4. Save The Children – I'm Giving My Voice

Such a powerful advert, conveyed in just 60 seconds! An advert should grab your attention and this definitely caught mine. 

5. Three - #SingitKitty

Another hashtag...another hit of an advert! Part of a bigger advertising campaign, which also incorporated various social media channels and a microsite where you could put yourself in the video! They've totally engaged their audience, again. I think Three have pretty much nailed this whole advertising malarkey!

So there you have it - my top 5 ads of this year (so far). What has been your favourite tv ad this year? 

Newbury gets social...with a little help from it's friends!

Did you know, one in every 13 people is on Facebook? With a ‘population’ of over 500 million, if it was a country Facebook would be the third largest in the world behind China (1.35 billion) and India (1.21 billion).

With those sorts of statistics it is probably fair to say that social media isn’t just a fad or a phase, it’s become a big part of life for many people. It’s where we seek recommendations from our peers, find out what our favourite celebs are up to, and keep in touch with our friends and family.

And it’s not just individuals on social networks anymore; businesses have taken to it as well, with marketeers left, right and centre jumping aboard the social media train. This is a move that users seem to have welcomed – after all, it’s great to receive offers from your favourite brands just for liking them on Facebook!

It seems only right, then, that towns and cities should be represented in this social space, to let people know what’s going on in and around the area, to recommend great places to visit and to tell them about the wonderful places they might otherwise not find – just like any good friend would!

That’s why Newbury has embraced social networking and found itself a place on multiple platforms. So if you love to tweet, are an avid pinner, devote time to watching cute cats on YouTube or just like to catch up on Facebook, you can find all the latest news and info about Newbury.

On Facebook and Twitter there are details of local offers and events, all sorts of information about keeping up to date or grabbing a bargain at one of the local retailers, while YouTube and Pinterest show the great sights and scenes around Newbury, for both business and pleasure – there really is something for everyone. Make sure your business is part of it.

And that’s not all. In conjunction with Newbury BID, we recently delivered workshops for businesses in Cheap Street to help them develop their social media voice. If you haven’t yet dipped your toe into the social media waters, or want to develop what you already have in place, we can help. Please do get in touch if you would like us to organise a workshop to help your business make the most of the right social media platforms for you. 

Go ahead and like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/appleprintandcreative 

Follow us on Twitter – @ApplePrintNews

Follow our boards on Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/ApplePandC/

Or if you aren’t ready for that just yet:

Email us – caroline@appleprint.co.uk

Call us – 01635 521654

Why use Litho printing?

If you have a long print run and/or need something printed to a high-end quality finish, while still keeping it cost effective, litho printing is the solution.

Litho printing uses all-singing, all dancing equipment – and ours is robust and well maintained to ensure we never let you down.

In simple terms , litho printing is where oil-based inks meet water: the images on the plates (made by the own fair hands of our plate-making expert John) attract ink and the water washes off anything else to give a clean, sharp end product.

Obviously the plates are then wet so have to dry, which means the process takes a little longer than digital printing, but for longer print runs of one thousand or more (a million? No problem!) , and where a longer-lasting, quality result is all-important, litho is definitely worth the wait. And you’ll still have your order within the week.

Just as with digital printing, with litho we can offer any type of paper you want – silk, gloss or ivory bound – at the weight suited to the job: and the paper we use is either FSC® or PEFC approved, which means it is cost effective and environmentally conscious at the same time. 

And, of course, our high-standard finishing is a given: from trimming and laminating to punching and drilling, from scoring and folding to stapling or spiral binding, from collating and numbering to padding and shrink wrapping. 

Want to know more? Give us a ring or call in and have a chat with one of our Account Managers about what we can do for you. And while you’re here, let our litho printing experts, Spencer and John, show you what they have to offer ... such as their chemical-free plate system – very environmentally friendly, just like them.

Appleprint. West Berkshire’s premier printer. We have the solution.

Our top 5 FREE social media tools

If you're anything like me, by now you've probably got your fingers in all sorts of social media pies...LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook...Snapchat! And it can be tricky to keep track of them all, but there are some great tools out there to help you stay on top of your online social life. 

Here are my top 5 totally FREE social media monitoring tools: 

Tweetdeck... download it directly to your PC/Mac, iPad, phone. It helps you monitor your news feed, notifications, messages and general activity. You can quickly adjust your lists and your settings, as well as compose a tweet. A notification even pops up in the corner of your screen when you get a new tweet....VERY handy! However, it doesn't give you any reports – so if you're looking to not only keep track of your tweets but to analyse your activity then you'll need to use a reporting tool as well. 

Twazzup... is another site really for Twitter beginners, keeping a track of your chosen company or keywords in real time. It lets you know the top influencers, as well as the top 10 related keywords. 

Mention... is a great tool for tracking your mentions, especially when the user has not used a # or @ (or has used an incorrect @). You can set up multiple alerts for your keywords (you can even set up to 10 different languages), and hopefully, never miss a mention again. There are limitations to the free version of mention however, for example you can only set 10 alerts. 

Klout... gives your social interaction skills a score. You are scored between 1-100 for your social influence – Barack Obama has a 99 Klout scoring! The homepage shows you top content stories, with the opportunity to keep on top of trends and share those stories with your fans and followers. As with all of these sites you can schedule your posts, but unlike the others, Klout allows you add  Twitter, Facebook (including Facebook pages), Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn AND Foursquare – even some of the accounts you pay for aren't compatible with all of these networks. 

Hootsuite... allows you to keep track of all of your news feeds in one place, quickly and easily. You can add multiple columns to view your messages/new followers/scheduled posts. You can also add multiple tabs, so you can allocate a tab for your company profiles and a separate tab for your personal profiles.....helping avoid any awkward mistakes! 

Looking for some help with your social media? From building a strategy to monitoring your daily activity....whatever you need - why not give us a call on 01635 521654 or drop us an email hello@appleprint.co.uk to see how we can help!