All posts by spencerprint

Paper’s Not Our Only Medium

November 28, 2014Blogspencerprint

You know that Spencer Minuteman Press offers the best printing services in Melbourne’s CBD, but maybe you’ve been wondering just how we translate a design scribbled on a scrap of paper into a professional business card. Or, perhaps you want to know how the logo our graphic designers create for you can find its way onto the headers of your MS Word templates, your web site header and your presentation covers.

Prepress Team

Spencer Minuteman Press is made up of several departments that are highly specialised in specific areas related to printing. You’re probably aware of our sales team and actual Melbourne printers, as those are the folks that you are most likely to work directly with. Our prepress team, on the other hand, are the men and women behind the curtain. They really make the magic happen by taking your project from the theoretical world and figuring out how to make it real.

The prepress team works with the latest technology to make sure your vision comes to life. We’ve written an article before on the type of computer file formats our team can work with, but they also use several other mediums as well, and they can give you your design in whatever format or formats you need. For example…

Flash drives:

If you have a large powerpoint presentation that you need turned into handouts, a flash drive is a great way to distribute your slides to the presentees. Flash drives can also be used to store marketing materials, formatted reports and data. You can tuck them into presentation or sales folders or keep them on hand for people who request more detailed information.

CDs:

Like a flash drive, a CD can be a great way to package lengthy and complicated material to pass on to colleagues, clients and customers. While flash drives are small and easy to lose, and are therefore best included as part of a printed package, CDs can include customised sleeves and booklets with printed information.

File Exchange:

We can’t list all of the formats we work with because it would take over this entire blog! Seriously, we work with just about every piece of software out there. Acrobat, CorelDraw, Excel, InDesign… If you work with a specific type of software at your company and would like for us to create your project in a compatible format, that’s no problem at all. We often get very rough sketches from businesses and can easily flesh out the design and port it to whatever computer program you use. This makes the whole back-and-forth drafting process a cinch.

Different Mediums We Accept for Our Printing Services<

Remember, Spencer Minuteman Press offers a ton of services that go beyond basic digital printing. No matter how ‘out there’ your idea seems, we know our prepress department can turn it into a beautiful reality, both on paper and electronically. Call, e-mail or stop in today to talk to our talented team!

Tips for Choosing Presentation Fonts

November 21, 2014Blogspencerprint

We recently brought you our tips for creating an outstanding presentation folder, and we want to share a few more pointers on choosing the best fonts for your presentation. There are loads of options out there, and while there aren’t ‘rules’ per se, the guidelines below will help your presentation maintain its professionalism and readability while utilising eye-catching fonts.

The Basics: Serif vs. Sans Serif Fonts

Broadly speaking, there are two types of fonts. The first is serif, and is characterised by tiny flicks at the end of each letter. In contrast, a sans serif font is not punctuated by any flourishes at the end of the letter’s lines. You will never go wrong when pairing a serif and sans serif font together, because they provide enough contrast so that readers can easily differentiate between them.

Typically, a serif font works best for large portions of text on a handout or in a slideshow. Simply pair it with a sans serif font for your headings for a sharper look. This is true for business cards, as well. Go with a serif font for your name and/or company, and choose a sans serif font for your contact information. The result will be a sleek, premium business card.

Ornamental is OK in Moderation

Any headers you use, whether they’re on a poster or folder, need to be eye-catching. Because headers are short—typically just five to eight words—it’s fine to choose a more decorative font. Make sure that your font still reflects the tone of your presentation, though. Some fonts can look childish and silly—or stuffy and old-fashioned.

The most important thing is to maintain readability. Some ornamental fonts can be difficult to read, so be sure to solicit feedback from others. You never want to sacrifice comprehensibility for style.

Find Balance

As we’ve already mentioned, when pairing fonts, you want to keep in mind that opposites attract. A heavy, bolded title on your presentation handout will pair well with a sleeker, narrower body text. Keep the fonts consistent throughout all of your presentation materials; what your audience sees on your slideshow should be the same as the fonts on the materials in the presentation folders. That being said, it is OK to use four or five different fonts, especially if your presentation is broken down into multiple parts or categories.

Make sure you keep an eye on the colours, too. It’s likely you will be using several different colours in your presentation, and it’s critical that they all complement one another. Colour wheel theory suggests you pair colours from opposite sides of the colour wheel, and we say go one step further—adjust the shades of the colours you choose. If you are using a strong orange colour, pair it with a light blue for a pleasing visual effect.

Different Font Colours for Your Presentation

Spencer Minuteman Press is expert at creating all types of presentation materials. Come on in today for the best digital printing in Melbourne!

Symmetry in Graphic Design

November 14, 2014Blogspencerprint

We’ve written articles about creating the perfect logo and using visual images to improve your business. Now we’re going in-depth about one important aspect of graphic design: symmetry. Broadly speaking, symmetry is the balance and correspondence between different things. Symmetry is a powerful tool in graphic design. It can be used to create harmony and lend an air of stability, or it can be used to surprise and excite the viewer.

Reflection Symmetry

When most people think of symmetry, a reflected image comes to mind. You probably first learnt about symmetry by creating mirror images in primary school, finger-painting an amorphous blob and then folding it in half to create a butterfly. And there’s a reason why schoolchildren learn about reflection symmetry before any other type—it’s the easiest and simplest form of symmetry.

Reflection Symmetry in Graphic Design

You might want to choose reflection symmetry in your graphic design if your priority is to make the viewer feel comfortable. As it’s a classic way to design, it makes you and your message seem trustworthy. You can either reflect the image horizontally or vertically—it doesn’t matter. The end result will be a design that’s easy for the viewer to interpret, making them likely to spend time actually looking at it and internalising it.

Rotational Symmetry

This sounds exactly like what it is: starting with an image and then rotating it less than 180 degrees. A pinwheel is an example of rotational symmetry. Rotational symmetry still helps to create a graphic design that comes across as organised and sophisticated, but it’s a little less expected than reflection symmetry.

Rotational Symmetry in Graphic Design

You might want to opt for this symmetry style in your graphic design if are planning to include a fair amount of white space. Rotational symmetry can help you to use blank space effectively, for example, allowing you to include text you want to highlight, such as your company name in the middle. If you’re looking for premium business cards that are super-effective, get in touch with Spencer Minuteman Press and let us help you create a powerful graphic design using rotational symmetry.

Asymmetry

Are you surprised to see asymmetry as a suggested symmetry style for your graphic design?! Believe it or not, asymmetry can be used strategically in really effective ways. Now, when we say ‘asymmetry’, we don’t mean a Jackson Pollock image, full of random paint splatters. Purposeful asymmetry can be used to exaggerate certain details in your graphic design, which will ensure the viewer focuses on the most important aspects of the message.

Asymmetry in Graphic Design

Asymmetry in design also communicates that you are a bit of a risk-taker; that you are unique. This compliments any creative field really well, but even if you are in a more conservative industry, an asymmetrical design can be seen as refreshing and inspired.

If you need help with your graphic design, then get in touch with us here at Spencer Minuteman Press, Melbourne’s best printers. We’ll be happy to help you work out the details.

Emerging Colour Trends, 2014

November 7, 2014Blogspencerprint

You know we love to talk typeface and graphics, and today we’re discussing another favourite design topic: colour trends. Colour is a powerful tool, as we’ve mentioned before in our article on marketing psychology and visual images. It’s important to think about the colour choice of everything, from your business cards to your advertisement flyers. If you want to stay on the cutting edge of the design world, you need to know the season’s hottest hues. Read on to find out more!

Pastels

In contrast to last year’s top colour—a bold, orchid hue—the trend at the moment is definitely softer shades. Pale pinks, mint greens, and robin’s egg blues are everywhere. Often times these pales shades are paired with rich navy or black for a striking contrast.

Sherbet orange is another colour that’s at the top of the stylish list. Even richer corals and salmons are popular, and are often used as a highlight amidst lighter pastel colours.

Pastels work perfectly for just about all printing projects. They are classic and work well for both professional and personal projects. It’s also incredibly easy to read fonts printed on pastel backgrounds, making it a safe choice for posters and stationery. Stop by Spencer Minuteman Press today if you’re looking for help designing your digital printing project in Melbourne, and we’ll make sure to point out the colours that suit your needs and reflect the latest design trends.

Perles Pastel

Natural Shades

Natural shades are very big right now. Think pebble grey, the yellowy-brown of raw wood, and hazy greens that are reminiscent of dew-covered woods. These shades are soothing and peaceful, which is perfect for the chaotic world we live in, right?

This colour trend can help you choose your business cards or formal wedding invitations. Both require a certain level of austerity, and tradition would dictate you select a white background. But with the current colour trends in mind, a better choice might be to go with an almond or sand shade. Natural tones aren’t just trendy, they’re very welcoming and look quite elegant.

Classic Blue

The colour experts, Pantone, have predicted that the ‘it’ colour in the coming months will be a true, classic blue. Clearly not a pastel, but certainly less bold than a cerulean or aquamarine shade. Classic blue is also just that—classic—so it will never seem ‘trendy’, just beautiful.

Blue is found everywhere in nature, from the sky to sea. Maybe that’s why it’s consistently ranked as the world’s favourite colour? It’s so familiar to everyone, and we’re often drawn to what’s comfortable.

If you’re looking for printing services in Melbourne’s CBD that will keep you at the top of the design game, choose Spencer Minuteman Press! We love our industry and are looking forward to sharing our professional knowledge and tips with you.

Empty Space in Graphic Design

October 31, 2014Blogspencerprint

Our expert staff know a thing or two about creating graphic designs. We’ve written before about using visual images to improve your business, and if you’ve been following our blog for awhile, you’ve heard us talk about the importance of leaving empty space on your posters and business cards. Today, Spencer Minuteman Press—Melbourne’s best printers—is going to break down exactly why that empty space is so important to graphic design.

Empty Space as Background

One way to use blank space is to surround your image with an abundance of it. Imagine a white flyer or poster with your image sitting squarely in the middle of it. All that extra white space functions as a spotlight, attracting the attention of passers-by and focusing their attention exactly where you want it. Your logo, company name, or campaign slogan will be emphasised by all the empty space around it, ensuring that your message is clearly received.

Poster with Empty Space as Background

A lot of people mistakenly believe bright colours like yellow or bold colours like red are attention-grabbing. The truth is that nothing reflects more light—and therefore gets your attention—better than white. Couple it with a high gloss finish, and you are sure to get your graphic image noticed.

Empty Space in the Design

While it is important to surround your graphic image with blank space, it’s also important to embed white space into the design itself. Using empty space in your design helps it appear elegant and expertly crafted. All you have to do is think of a child’s finger painting to know that if you overload a picture with colour and images, you can’t make heads or tails of it. White space gives an image movement and depth, increasing not just readability but also overall balance and harmony.

Painting with Empty Space in the Design

A graphic design that includes empty space is also psychologically appealing, as humans are innately drawn to images that are simple and are quite literally comfortable to look at. That’s not to say that your graphic design itself needs to be simple, but make sure that if your image includes a lot of lines, colours or shapes that you anchor it with ample white space—either inside the actual design or surrounding it.

Keep white space in mind when designing a flyer, poster, or even a business card . It’s OK to include just your name, position, and preferred mode of contact on your business card. With all of the empty space, you are certain that the most important information won’t get lost! If you’re looking for help with your graphic design or need professional printing in Melbourne’s CBD, then call or e-mail Spencer Minuteman Press.

Tips for Choosing Business Card Fonts

October 24, 2014Blogspencerprint

We recently shared tips on choosing the right font for your poster or flyer, but today we’re looking at business cards. The considerations that go into selecting the perfect typeface for your business card are totally different from the ones involved in selecting fonts for a larger project, but not just because of the smaller size. Business cards serve a different purpose, and the way you approach choosing your font needs to be different, too. Read on to find out more about selecting an appropriate font for your premium business cards.

Premium Business Card Fonts

Readability

It’s paramount to keep in mind how easy it is to read your business card when selecting a font. Remember that business cards are small, and therefore your text should be appropriately scaled. Don’t select the largest font that will fit. As we’ve mentioned before, white space is actually a good thing. Aim for a font that maintains its readability at 10 or 12 point.

You don’t want your readers to struggle to decipher your name written in a fancy script font. A clean, geometric font is easiest on the eyes. Don’t be tempted to choose a very thin, narrow font for your business card. It is important for your font to fit on the tiny card, but it shouldn’t look as if it has been shrunk down or squashed. Lastly, choose a colour that stands out against your background. A white font against a dark background or black font against a lighter colour typically work best.

Match Your Industry

We can’t stress this point enough: your business card font should reflect the type of work you do. If you’re in a traditional, formal field, like law or finance, you should stick to a very basic font. Opt for a typeface that you would also use on a resume or cover letter. Fonts that are too swirly or modern simply don’t give the right impression. A conservative font shows that you are serious about the work you do and therefore, others will take you seriously, too.

However, if you’re in a more creative field, it’s okay to have a little bit of fun with fonts. There’s a plethora of options out there, and many are eye-catching and memorable. Fonts that look like old typewriter print or architectural lettering are easy to read while also being unique. Fonts that look like handwriting are a good fit if you work with children or want to convey that you have a playful personality.

For more tips on creating an appropriate business card for your industry, read our previous article on how to make your business card stand out. For the best business card printing in Melbourne’s CBD, come on in to Spencer Minuteman Press. Our team is ready to help you design and print your perfect, stand-out business cards.

Font Basics

October 17, 2014Blogspencerprint

No one understands document design better than Spencer Minuteman Press. We offer the best CBD printing tips! We’ve already brought you articles on creating the perfect poster, keeping things in mind like placement of visuals, and tips on your newsletter design. Today we’re talking about text. Read on to find out our professional pointers on using fonts effectively.

Mix Wisely

At the very most, choose two fonts for your project. You’ll want to make sure they are distinctive; you shouldn’t have to study the fonts to pick up on their subtle differences. It’s more pleasing to the eye if you can immediately see the contrast. That being said, make sure the fonts are complimentary. You shouldn’t pair old typewriter style font with curly cursive, for example. Make sure both fonts are appropriate to the project and work well together.

In addition to using two fonts, play around with bolding, capitalising, and font size to highlight certain portions of text.

A Simple Font is Best

We know there are thousands of fonts out there and you want to play around with them all, but save the fun for personal stationery. If you have a business or school printing project, go with a simple, basic, okay, we’ll say it—boring font. You want your font to be familiar to your readers, making it more comfortable for them to read.

Basic doesn’t have to mean traditional, though. While streamlined geometric fonts are clear and easy on the eyes, there are other options. Modern texts are similar to geometric fonts, but a bit more artistic. Most modern typefaces are unique while still being accessible to the reader. Humanist fonts are those fonts that resemble handwriting. Many of them are actually quite formal and lovely. If you have a more casual project, a humanist font might be right for you. Serif fonts have a little ‘foot’ or flick on the end of each letter.

Basic Fonts for Printing

You can find them in all different weights, too, from thin and dainty to thicker, bolder typefaces. Stay away from anything too flashy, though; you don’t want to make it difficult to read your text.

If your text will be read while someone is holding it or standing right in front of it, you should use at least an 8-pt font. Any smaller will cause people to squint—or, more likely, just ignore the text. If your project will be read from a metre away, keep your font at least 16-pt. For signs or posters that need to be seen from the distance of a couple metres, use a minimum of 32-pt.

If you’re looking for help designing your digital printing project in Melbourne, come on in to Spencer Minuteman Press!

We Can Print Your Wedding Invitations

September 30, 2014Blogspencerprint

Can you tell we’re a bunch of romantics over here at Spencer Minuteman Press? We’ve already highlighted the hottest trends in wedding invitation design, and today we’re diving into the nitty gritty details. Read on to find out the many options you have when you choose Spencer Minuteman Press for your digital printing in Melbourne.

Invitation Booklet

Flat

Many couples opt to print their invitation on a stand-alone piece of paper. This is a traditional, beautiful option. There are a few things to keep in mind, though, if you go with a flat invitation. You’ll want to make sure to choose a thick card stock to give the invitation enough heft to feel special. Another extraordinary touch is embossing, which is a classic technique that perfectly complements a flat invitation.

A lot of couples like to use an overlay on top of the flat invitation, which gives the invitation a ceremonial look. If you go this route, make sure you choose an ink colour bold enough to show up. You don’t want anyone to have to squint to see your wedding details.

And speaking of details, if you choose a flat invitation, the only details that should be printed on it are your wedding date and time, location and attire. Extra information, such as hotel suggestions or where you’re registered, should be printed on a separate and smaller card.

Mini booklet

This is an interesting option that is modern and chic. Creating a mini booklet for your wedding invitation is extremely helpful for your guests, as they don’t have to worry about losing the insert with the directions on how to get to the reception from the church—everything is in one place. This is also helpful to you if you’re stuffing the envelopes yourself, as you won’t have to worry about overlooking the return address envelope.

We offer a variety of binding services, and our designers can work with you to determine which one best suits your wedding style. One thing to consider is to make the RSVP card a tear-out postcard on the last page in the booklet. We can perforate the postcard to make it especially easy for your guests, which makes it easier for you—no chasing down responses weeks before your wedding!

Endless Options

For either a flat invitation, a mini booklet or any other style you have in mind, Spencer Minuteman Press can make your vision come to life. We have a wide range of paper thicknesses and pulps, as well as finishes that range from a high-shine gloss to super matte. Of course, we have just about any colour paper or ink that you might need, as well as envelopes. However, it’s not just the variety that should bring you in to Spencer Minuteman Press, but our commitment to helping you with every aspect of the project—from design assistance and advice to helping you stick to your budget, our team has your back.

We aren’t just Melbourne’s best printers, but the most romantic, too! We love weddings and can’t wait to help you with your wedding invitations.

The Perfect Political or Persuasive Flyer

September 25, 2014Blogspencerprint

What we want to talk about today is creating flyers for a cause. Whether you are trying to get your neighbours to vote against the construction of a new petrol station in your community or rally your peers at uni to convince the administration that library hours need to be extended, flyers can help spread your message and move others to take action. Take a look at our tips and then come on in to Spencer Minuteman Press for the best printing services in Melbourne’s CBD.

Well Designed Recycling Flyer

Focus on the Main Message

When you’re talking about an issue that you feel passionately about, it can be easy to ramble on. Your political flyer is not the place for long-winded monologues. Stick to one main message and include just a couple of supporting facts and details.

You also want to avoid overly aggressive language. A measured tone is more likely to be well received, as no one likes to be yelled at—and we all know flyers can yell. Stay away from using all capital letters and too many exclamation points.

You don’t want too much text on your flyer, but of course you’ll need to state the issue, why it’s important and what your reader can do about it. Try sticking to bullet points; they are much more reader-friendly and easier to scan, ensuring the public will actually look over your whole flyer.

The Important Details

Make sure to check out our article on creating the perfect poster for ideas on formatting and layout. One major detail that requires thought is the paper size. Your flyer will be most effective if it can easily fit into someone’s hand and/or be folded and slipped into a pocket. That means you are working with a pretty limited amount of space. If you’ve kept it focused, though, that should be no problem.

You will need to include some supporting images to add visual interest and grab your reader’s attention. Depending on what your cause is, a graph or chart might be appropriate. Any data that illustrates why the issue is important is extremely powerful. If you are trying to persuade your school to install recycle bins, include a graph that shows how much rubbish in landfills could actually be recycled. Want your local government to repair roads? Include a photograph of a damaged vehicle.

Call to Action

Your political flyer is intended to persuade others to take some kind of action, and that should be made very clear on the flyer. Make sure to prominently print your imperative. The text should be bolded or offset and ideally located at the top of the flyer. The tone should be second person, using ‘you’ and ‘your’, so your appeal will be more directly felt by the reader.

Again, your call to action should be brief and clear. ‘Vote No,’ ‘Sign for Recycle Bins’, or ‘Join the Protest on March 5th are all examples of a strong call to action. Make sure to include any other details directly below: the time and date (if applicable), website or contact information, etc.
The cause we’re passionate about here at Spencer Minuteman Press is helping you with all of your projects. We’re the best printers in Melbourne, and we can’t wait to help you with your political or persuasive flyer!

A Presentation Folder That Will Land the Contract

September 17, 2014Blogspencerprint

There’s nothing more stressful than giving a pitch, right? It’s an extremely delicate art. We might not know anything about your business or your presentation, but we can help you be confident about your presentation folder. It’s more than just a way to organise information, it’s how you communicate your professionalism. Keep reading to hear our tips on creating a compelling presentation folder, and then check out Spencer Minuteman Press for your CBD printing needs.

Presentation Folder

Less is More

The truth is, your fate will be decided within the first minute and thirty seconds of your pitch. You need to aim to keep your presentation brief and clear—if you go over 30 minutes, you’re probably not going to land the contract. Too much information clouds out your main point, or worse, makes your audience think you don’t have a point at all.

Your presentation folder should be equally direct. On the cover of your folder, stay away from flashy and potentially confusing images, graphics, and tag-lines. Simply print your business name and logo.

On the left flap in the interior of the folder, display a business card (read our article on why classic business cards are a great choice). You don’t want your audience to have to flip through pages or scan for your contact information. Clearly displaying your business card makes it more likely you’ll get a follow-up call.

Avoid the desire to cram your presentation folder with superfluous charts and write-ups. Include only the most relevant and pressing information. And don’t think that you have to fill up each page; the top sheet in the left pocket should simply state the problem your company is addressing and the solution you’ve come up with. If you can do that in a paragraph or less, you know your audience will read it and understand it—and that’s the goal.

Details to Include

Your business model should be made clear, as well as how it will be managed. You might not be at the point where you can fill in names on an org chart, but have the skeleton in your folder. Be sure to include information on any overhead costs involved with the service or product you are pitching, and how it will end up balancing the books in the end.

Your presentation folder should also include a brief write-up or graphic of your industry analysis. You need to show who your competitors are and address how you will outperform them, or how you will stand apart from them in what you offer. If you can prove in a concrete way that there is a gap in the industry for what you’re offering, your contract will be signed on the spot.

Finishing Touches

Your presentation folder doesn’t need to be a huge expense, but it’s also not the time to skimp. We offer the best digital printing in Melbourne. The quality of your presentation folder and the documents you include in it are paramount to your success. Make sure to come in today and have our experienced and knowledgeable team help you select the right folder, paper and ink. We take pride in our business, and you’ll be able to take pride in yours with a well thought out, professional-looking presentation folder. That little boost of confidence will help you land that contract!