Free Business Card Printing Online

If you are looking for free business card printing online, and you can stand to have the name of the printer appear on the back of the cards, then you should check out VistaPrint's website. They were the first company to come up with the ideas of offering free business cards online, and they still do it to this day.

I first stumbled across the long-running freebie when I worked for a digital printing company in Austin. A coworker of mine was moonlighting as a freelance web designer, and he showed me the business cards he ordered online to hand out to clients. Each card had the VistaPrint name written real small across the back. I asked why he paid for business cards with the printer's name on them, and he said he didn't pay for them. He ordered them for free online and had 200 of them shipped to his door a few days later.

My first thought was, how could an online printing company afford to give free business cards to so many people? And then it dawned on me. Free marketing for the printer! Each one of those cards will be handed out to somebody who could probably use some new business cards of their own. And everyone loves to get free stuff. So each card becomes a mini-advertisement for the company that produced them.

This printer is so confident in their online printing services that they're willing to let you try it for free. Sure, they have to give a product away to start the relationship. But if you end up using them for your other printing needs, they've gained a new customer from the free offer. It worked on me. I was so impressed with their print quality and quick turnaround that I began using them for all of my online printing needs.

So if you want free online business card printing services, and you can tolerate the VistaPrint name on the back of each one, then you might want to check out their website for more information. After all, you've got nothing to lose ... because it's free.

For recommendations on other printers, check out the business card page of the main website. You can also learn about the process used to print these products, how to order custom cards online, and much more.

Good luck and good marketing!

-Brandon

Online Brochure Printing Services

So, your company needs new brochures and you've been put in charge of finding a printer to handle the job. What next? For many people who are not familiar with the world of commercial printing, this might seem like a daunting task. Pricing tables alone can cause a lot of confusion, if you don't know what you're looking at.

But not to worry. In this blog post, I'll tell you what you need to know when choosing an online brochure printing service to handle your job. Specifically, we will talk about the different types of printing, how to understand the pricing process, how to get bids from printers and more.

What is Online Printing Anyway?

First, let me clear up a bit of terminology here. Online printing refers to any printer who allows customers to place orders online. This goes beyond a print shop having a company website -- it means that customers can upload files and place orders through the website. In some cases, the printer may offer online design tools as well, or template galleries you can use to build a design from scratch. So, by extension, an online brochure printing service is one of these companies that offers brochures as part of its product lineup.

Digital vs. Offset

Before you start gathering quotes from printers, you should determine what type of printing you need -- digital or offset. As the logo above implies, this blog primarily focuses on digital printing. But I want to cover offset as well, just so you're familiar with the term.

• Digital -- This is the type of printing that most people are familiar with, because it's typically what we use in our home and office environments. Here, the file to be printed is sent to the printer in electronic format. Digital printing is best for short-run print jobs with a low quantity. It also allows you to employ variable-data technology, which means you can swap out a certain design element (such as a personalized headline) on each printed piece.
• Offset -- This type of printing is typically used with high-volume print jobs, because it's cheaper than digital printing when you get into larger runs. Here, the image to be printed is put onto a printing plate, and then transferred from the plate onto the paper or card stock. Generally speaking, you can expect better print quality and more consistent colors with offset printing as well.

So now the question becomes, "Which option is best for my brochure printing needs?" Well, as you might have gathered from the two descriptions above, this comes down to two things -- quality and quantity considerations. If you have a really large print run, as in thousands of pieces, then you'll probably save money by using offset printing for your brochures. If you have a shorter run, or if you need variable-data technology, then digital printing might be your best option.

Choosing a Brochure Printing Company

Now that you have a better idea what you need, you can start research online printing services and doing some price comparison. This might seem straightforward, but it can actually be a little tricky. Here's why.

When you check out the printing company's website, you will probably see pricing information for brochures and other print products. But the prices shown are usually just a base price -- there are many variables that can drive up the cost. Paper choices alone can make things more complicated, let alone the quantity, color options, etc. This is why I recommend getting a custom quote from each of the online brochure printing services you are considering. It's just too hard to add it all up for yourself.

I also recommend choosing a printer with a long history in the printing industry. It's a highly competitive industry where unsuccessful companies either (A) go bankrupt or (B) get bought out by more successful companies. So if a particular printer has been around for many years, it's a testament to their skill and service level.

Good luck and good marketing!

-Brandon

Online Calendar Printers

Calendars are one of the more complicated print jobs, which is why some printers offer it and others don't. Actually, it's not the printing itself that's complicated, but the post-printing work needed to deliver the finished product.

With that being said, there are many first-rate companies that offer this kind of service. Better still, a lot of them allow you to place orders online through a website designed for that purpose. These companies are commonly referred to as online calendar printers or print shops, and that name pretty much says it all.

To find recommended companies who offers this type of service, check out the calendar section of our main website.

Keep in mind, however, that not all calendar printers are created equal. The types of products and services they offer will vary from one printer to the next -- and they will vary greatly. This is even more true when you add the online component.

For example, some companies may call themselves an online calendar printer when they don't really offer any web-based services. "But we have a website online," the logic goes. "So we are an online printing company." In truth, any company that calls itself an online printer should offer some form of Internet-based printing services. This might include the following:

• Giving customers the ability to upload design files through the website.
• Allowing customers to choose calendar templates from an online gallery of templates.
• Offering tools for online customization, personalization, design proofing, etc.

Some calendar printers offer all of these online features and more, while others offer much less. Now you can see what I mean when I said these companies are not created equal. This is something to keep in mind when you are searching for a online printer to handle your calendar printing projects.

In order to choose the best company for your needs, you should start by identifying what exactly those needs are. Do you plan to create your own design artwork for the project, or do you need to use a calendar template offered by the printer? Do you want to personalize them during the printing process? What about size options? What kind of budget do you have, and that quantity will you be printing?

These are just a few of the questions you need to answer before you start contacting online calendar printers and asking for quotes. If you're new to this whole process, I recommend you spend some time on the websites of these companies. This way, you can learn about the process and terminology involved in calendar printing. You'll at least "speak the language" if you do this kind of research.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of how these companies operate, and what you need to know before choosing one for your print job. Good luck.

Good luck and good marketing!

-Brandon

Postcard Templates Should Never Restrict Your Message

Postcard templates can simplify the design process by giving your a pre-designed layout to work with. But if you're not careful, they can also limit your response rates. In this article, I'll offer some tips for using postcard templates the right way, without restricting your marketing message.

What is a Template Anyway?

Before we go any further, we should define what a postcard template is in the first place. Basically, it's a pre-established design or layout into which you would add your artwork and marketing copy. When it comes to postcard printing, there are actually two types of templates you might encounter:

Basic Layout Template -- This is nothing more than a design file set to the proper height and width for printing purposes. For example, if you were going to use Photoshop to create your postcard design, you could download a Photoshop template from the printing company you were using. The template file would have the proper dimensions for size, bleed, etc. So it's basically an outline to help you create a postcard design with the proper dimensions for printing purposes. It's a time saver, and nothing more.

Postcard Design Template -- Take the design file we discussed above and combine it with actual images and artwork, and you have a design template. This is more than a simple outline or container. It actually has a design you can use. You could choose a postcard template you liked, and then you would customize it with your own marketing message / copy.

The first type of template mentioned above is pretty straightforward. So it's not the subject of this article. When I warn you about using templates for your postcard marketing campaign, I'm referring to the second definition listed above -- the design templates.

In my article about direct mail facts versus fiction, I stated the following:

There is a certain convenience to this approach [using design templates], but there's also the risk of being overly similar. If your marketing postcard looks like every other postcard the recipient has seen over the years, there's a better chance they'll ignore it all together.

This does not mean you should avoid using templates altogether. On the contrary, they can save you a lot of time and energy. I'm only saying that you need to customize the postcard template to the point that it is unique from other marketing pitches within your industry.

Here are some tips for using design templates, while avoiding the sameness that is so dangerous in direct mail marketing:

• You should never use the headline that is included on the postcard. By its very nature, it will be a generic headline -- and generic has no place within your marketing program. You should write your own headline to make it specific to your offer.
• If the postcard template is too "rigid" and does not allow you to tailor the headline, then find another template or another company.
• Don't be handcuffed by stock photos. If you like a certain design, but the image doesn't really go with your message, then use your own image. The best postcard printing websites allow you to replace the stock images within your own artwork. This is especially important if you are advertising a product (as opposed to a service), because you need to show a product in order to sell it.
  

I hope this article helps you understand the pros and cons of using templates for your postcards, and I wish you all the best with your marketing campaign.

Discount Postcard Printing - What's In a Name?

I've always been struck by the offers for discount postcard printing that are plastered all over the Web. In some cases, the printer will explain what this means, by comparing their prices to those of leading competitors. In other cases, they'll use the word "discount" without backing it up.

This is where it pays to be a smart shopper. You have to dig beyond the marketing pitch to find out if discount postcard printing services are truly discounted in some way. You have to compare the pricing offered by different printers, in an apples-to-apples manner. In this blog post, I'll give you some tips on doing exactly that.

My Postcard Printing Background

I promise not to bore you with my extended bio, because it's really not relevant. But I have to tell you were I'm coming from with this article. In the past, I've worked for a couple of printing companies, one of which specialized in postcards exclusively. To prepare for my job as a web writer, I would often listen in on customer service phone calls.

Long story short -- I quickly realized that pricing was the one thing that confused people the most. Here's why:

• Many printers offer different types of card stock for your postcards, and the prices will vary from one type to the next.
• Some printers offer glossy finishes, while others do not. And this also affects pricing.
• Want full-color printing for your postcard order? That will cost you as well. Color costs more than black-and-white, and if you put it on both sides of the postcard you'll pay even more.
• What size postcards do you plan to use? Most printers will offer a standard size as well as a larger size. And it's one more pricing differential, too.
• Do you plan to have your postcards mailed out to your mailing list, or do you want them shipped in bulk directly to you? For the first option, you'll incur a postage charge per postcard.

Now you can see why so many people are confused about discount postcard printing services, in terms of pricing. There are plenty of variables, and different printers offer different options. It can get pretty confusing if you're not familiar with the industry. So let's clear things up a bit, shall we?

What Does Discount Mean Anyway?

My advice to you is to remove the word discount from your printing vocabulary. Discount, wholesale, cost-effective, competitive pricing ... in most cases these are just marketing terms. So forget about the discount side of postcard printing, and just compare printers in an apples-to-apples fashion. Here's how to do it:

• Start by making a list of postcard printing companies for your future research. You can find dozens of them online by doing a Google search.
• With a few minutes of research, you'll quickly find out who the big "players" are in this industry. Make a list of five or six of these companies.
• Next, make a simple spreadsheet or table with columns for the items you want for your postcards. For example, you might want over-sized postcards with full-color on both sides and a glossy finish. You may also want the printer to mail the postcards for you, which means you'll need a column for postage.
• Lastly, revisit the websites of the five or six printing companies you wrote down initially. Record their pricing per postcard for all of the things you have on your list (size, color options, card stock, postage, etc.).
  

This might seem like a no-brainer. But this simple process will help you avoid the common confusion associated with postcard pricing. If you simply visit the home page of a printer's website and write down the "as low as" price, you're not getting the full picture. There may be additional fees for the various options we discussed above. By adding up the items on your list, you'll get a much more accurate picture of the pricing.

Discount postcard printing means different things to different companies. Don't be fooled by marketing lingo or "as low as" pricing offers. Dig deeper to find out exactly what you're going to pay for the type of project you have in mind, and then compare printers based on those criteria.

Good luck and good marketing!

-Brandon

Web Printing Explained - The Web to Print Process

Web printing companies are not new. They've been around for at least a decade. But the concept of web printing has exploded in popularity over the last couple of years, largely because of exciting new technologies and a rise in the number of web-to-print companies.

But how does web printing work, and how can you use it to simplify your company's print program? These are the questions we will address in this blog post. I've worked for a couple of printing companies that had web-to-print technology, so I'm happy to tell you everything I know about the subject.

Web Printing Defined

Here's a short and sweet definition of what we are talking about here. A web printing company is a printer who has some kind of online file-transfer program. This is the most basic definition. In order for a printer to refer to itself as a web printing company, it has to offer some type of file upload process via the Internet -- plain and simple.

From here, things get more advanced. Once you get past this basic definition of a web printing service, the companies begin to distinguish themselves in many ways. For example, some offer online proofing while others do not. Some have online design tools that allow you to customize a product template online, while others lack this technology.

But regardless of what kind of bells and whistles they might have, a web printing company must offer some kind of online file transfer / upload. This is the one thing they all have in common.

Here's a list of features and benefits you can expect from some of the leading web-to-print companies (those that offer the most advanced tools):

• Variable-data technology that allows you to change certain creative elements from one printed piece to the next.
• Online proofing that expedites the approval process.
• Printing templates for various products, such as postcards and business cards.
• Online design and customization tools, often used in conjunction with the above-mentioned templates.
• Online file storage where you can save your finished designs for future orders.
• An online account or admin center that shows the status of current print jobs, a list of previous jobs completed, etc.

You can use the above list when researching web printing companies. It's a great way to compare their services, and to choose a printer who offers exactly what you need.

Custom Postcard Printing and Mailing With VistaPrint

If you are looking for a company to handle your custom postcard printing and mailing needs, there is a new service to consider. VistaPrint has offered postcard printing services for a long time, but they recently launched a mailing service to go with it. Now they offer everything you need to print and mail custom postcards to your audience.

They also offer something else you might be interested in -- 50% Off All Postcards

Quality Printing for Custom Postcards

I first heard of this company about five years ago. I got a business card from someone at a marketing conference and on the back it had a VistaPrint logo. I asked him why the logo was there, and he said he got the business cards for free as a special promotion, and that's why the printing company's logo was on there. What a great idea for word-of-mouth marketing, I thought to myself.

Now they've come up with another great idea, by offering mailing services to complement their custom postcard printing service. They also allow you to purchase a customized mailing list online, during the ordering process. So they are truly a full-service postcard printing company now.

Check them out and see what you think. They have pricing listed on their website, so you can compare them to other companies. You might also enjoy the fact that VistaPrint offers short-run capability, so you can place a smaller postcard order if you want. Believe it or not, there are still some custom postcard printing companies around that "force" you into placing larger orders (like a 5,000 minimum).

Good luck and good marketing!

-Brandon

Full-Color Postcard Printing Explained

Let's talk about printing color postcards, and how you might use this kind of service to enhance your business. I'm assuming you already realize the basic benefits of postcard marketing here. If not, you might want to star with this overview of using postcards as a marketing channel.

So how do you choose a full-color postcard printing company? Well, if you want to take the easy route, you can always follow my recommendation and use the company listed above. But if you'd like to conduct your own research into the world of color postcard printing services, you will find the following checklist helpful.

Choosing a Postcard Printer

Here are some checkpoints to consider when screening postcard companies for your color printing needs:

1. When you review the company's pricing, find out if it costs extra to have color on both sides of the postcards. Some companies will list their color printing prices, but those prices will only apply to one-sided color printing, with black-and-white on the address side. Find out of double-sided postcard printing in color is extra per postcard ... and how much extra.
2. If you need design support, such as postcard templates, online design tools, or graphic design support, ask about these things before signing up with the postcard printing service. Some companies offer a wide variety of design tools and services, while others only handle the color printing (leaving you on your own to come up with the design).
3. Do you need the postcards mailed to your list as well, or do you only want them printed and shipped to you? These are important considerations because it will affect pricing.
   
4. Customer service considerations. Color postcard printing is a detail-oriented process. So you'll almost always have to deal with the printing company's customer service team at some point, and possibly several times throughout the process. So do a little homework to evaluate their customer service. Here's a good way to do it -- just call them out of the blue with a list of questions about their printing services. If they handle that kind of phone call well, you're probably in good hands.

Obviously, these are not the only considerations when looking for full-color postcard printing services. But these are some of the major checkpoints.

Here are some related articles and resources you might find helpful:

• Get 100 Free Postcards
• Online Postcard Companies
• Custom Printing Explained
  

Good luck and good marketing!

-Brandon

Custom Postcard Printing Explained

What is custom postcard printing and how can it help you improve your direct mail postcard program?

This is one of many things that confuses some people about postcard printing services. Part of the reason for confusion is all the overlapping (and often misused) postcard terminology. What one printing company refers to as custom postcard printing might not meet another printing company's definition for a custom print job, and so forth.

To help you understand the concept of custom postcard printing we have created a new article on the subject. While brief, this article will help you understand the basics of custom printing so that you can move forward in your research with a solid base of knowledge.

Read the Article
Custom Postcard Printing Explained