If your restaurant offers takeaway dining, then you need to read this post. Today, Spencer Minuteman Press is bringing you design tips to catch the eyes of potential customers and get the orders flooding in.

Images on your menu are important!

Although you rarely see pictures of food on a sit-down restaurant menu, it’s crucial to include images on your takeaway menu. Why are images important? It lets people know what your restaurant is all about. Using pictures will get your customers’ mouths watering in addition to letting them know what style your food is. When they’re hungry, those images will come to mind and they’ll reach for your menu.

Follow these basic food-photography rules. Always use back-lighting as well as ambient lighting. Make sure to arrange the food artistically, and try to shoot against a white background, such as a white tablecloth or a white-tiled kitchen backsplash. Focusing on one element of a dish while keeping the rest of the shot blurry also produces professional-looking results. For example, if you are taking a picture of a piece of cake, manually focus on just the bite balancing on the edge of a fork, keeping the remainder of the slice blurry in the background.

If you’re a franchise, then you probably have professional food photos to work with. If you’re a private business, then consider hiring a professional food photographer (they exist!)

The first and most important thing to highlight is your restaurant information: name, location, hours of operation, and ordering info. This should be on the front cover of your takeaway menu, formatted in a way that stands out, for example, set inside a bold border.

If you offer different menus at different times of the day, make sure you clearly differentiate between your lunch and dinner menus. It is very helpful to vegetarians, vegans and other people with dietary restrictions if you separate out or label the dishes they can eat. If you offer lots of entree options, consider breaking them down into subgroups, such as sandwiches, fish, or house specialties. Make sure to include your side dish offerings and a list of all the condiments you offer.

Because dessert is especially appealing, place these options on the back of the menu. This makes them visible without even opening the menu, piquing interest and increasing your chances of landing a customer. Make sure the photos you select look downright delectable!

Of course, for the best digital printing in Melbourne, come to Spencer Minuteman Press so your printed images look almost like the real thing.

Download a sample menu with good layout here.

The last step in completing your takeaway menu is to select a paper type. We offer a wide range of options for you menu, but a high-quality paper with a glossy finish is always a good choice. You want a menu that is eye-catching and sturdy. Thicker, shiny paper will definitely get noticed and won’t get torn when stuffed in a kitchen drawer…

The colours on your menu should reflect the identity of your restaurant. Keep in mind that certain colours can actually stimulate appetite, while others tend to be a turn-off. The best colour choices are red, orange, and yellow or gold. Say away from using too much black or blue.

If your takeaway restaurant is looking to expand your customer base in Melbourne, then your first order should be at Spencer Minuteman Press. We are the CBD’s best printing source, from designing to finishing. Give us a call today!

Some fundraising strategies are more work than profit, but with Spencer Minute Man Press, that doesn’t have to be the case. We’ve got plenty of ideas that can potentially raise good money for your organisation. We recently shared a recipe book fundraising idea, and today Spencer Minuteman Press is bringing you another fresh idea that is sure to help your organisation bring in a ton of money without all the stress: a photo calendar.

Photo Calendars for Schools

A photo calendar is perfect for a school fundraiser. Parents will spend money to have a functional keepsake that showcases their little ones. How do you make sure every student is included? Take pictures of large groups of students, but think beyond the bleachers. Take aerial shots of the students standing in the formation of a letter or symbol. You can also make photo collages, which are a fun way to include a variety of pictures.

If you are using pictures of the students, you might have to deal with getting parents to sign photo release forms. If that sounds like a lot of work to you, why not have a photo contest instead? Students love the opportunity to show off their creativity. Or consider taking pictures of student artwork. Students of all ages are capable of creating amazing art, and their talent is sure to inspire parents and other community members to buy a calendar.

Themes for Church Groups, Non-Profits, and Community Organisations

A personalised calendar of your organisation’s ‘Year in Review’ is a great way to show off a little bit! Now, this might limit those who buy your calendar to people already within your organisation, but Spencer Minuteman Press offers the most competitive prices in the CBD on printing services; you’ll be amazed at how inexpensive it is to create a photo calendar.

If you’re looking for something more generic, one popular theme that appeals to a wide audience is calendars that feature furry friends. You can go with wild animals, pets, unusual animals or even scary animals. Food or drink-themed calendars can also be a big hit, especially if they feature local businesses.

An easy theme is to showcase photos of your town or city throughout the seasons. This appeals to what is likely your target audience—friends and neighbours in the local area. Or, think outside your postal code and feature photos from all across your state, Australia or the world. A little travel inspiration, especially if it’s to a realistic place, is appealing to everyone and is sure to get people to purchase a calendar. You could include useful facts along with photos.

Customise your Photo Calendar with Digital Printing

Finishing Touches

Once you decide on a theme and gather your photos, you have just a couple more decisions to make. First of all, you’ll need to settle on a size for the calendar. Are you going to create a wall calendar or small desk calendar? If you go with a desk calendar, you need to choose between a monthly or weekly view. Will you include any small photos in the day boxes?

If you’re overwhelmed by these options, please know that our talented designers at Spencer Minuteman Press are ready to help you make layout decisions. No matter how packed our own schedule is, we can create your organisation’s fundraising calendar in no time. For the best and quickest digital printing services in Melbourne, check out Spencer Minuteman Press today.

Spencer Minuteman Press offers the best printing services in Melbourne’s CBD, but there is one downside to our popularity and success: we go through a lot of paper. We would never discourage you from choosing the paper type that fits the job, but you might be surprised to find out how polished recycled paper looks nowadays. It’s available in a wide range of colours and textures. Continue reading to find out more about recycled paper and why you should use it.

The Many Benefits to Recycling

Environmental Impact

We know we’re stating the obvious here, so we’ll keep it brief. Using recycled paper is better for the environment, plain and simple. Just how much better? Check out these stats from SITA:

• Recycled paper manufacturing uses 99% less water and 50% less energy
• Recycling one kilogram of paper reduces greenhouse gas production by one kilogram
• More than a quarter of our landfills are paper waste

That last one is what really gets us here at Spencer Minuteman Press. We know that recycled paper can be high quality and luxurious-looking, so we think of all that paper waste as lost opportunity. Many people have the misconception that recycled paper is thin or weak and that it always looks rough, but that’s simply not true. When recycled paper is processed, it is sorted by “grade”, which is dependent on the length of the paper fibres.

Think about it: a huge portion of paper waste is actually cardboard. That fibre is so hefty that even post-recycling, which will cause some shortening of the fibres, the paper weight maintains thickness. We would never want you to sacrifice quality, but thankfully it’s possible nowadays to do good for the environment while still achieving your printing goals.

What It Says About You

If you think that choosing recycled paper makes you or your company look cheap, you’ve got it all wrong. Opting for recycled paper communicates that you are environmentally and socially conscious and are fully committed to the health of your community. We are living in a time where the health of the planet is a main topic of conversation. Show where you stand by using recycled paper. As we mentioned above, recycled paper often looks exactly like virgin paper, so go an extra step and proudly emboss ‘Made From Recycled Materials’ for everyone to see. It might seem like a small thing, but it can have a huge impact. Doing your part to protect the earth is sure to earn you respect from customers.

Uses For Recycled Paper

‘Eco-friendly’ is a hot marketing buzzword right now. Using recycled paper for advertisement materials is a sure way to get positive reactions. Recycled paper can also be used for letterhead and general office printing. If you are printing materials for a presentation, choosing recycled paper will instantly set the tone: you are an environmentally conscious organisation. Really, the options are endless. Come on in and chat with one of our knowledgeable staff members today!

Spencer Minuteman Press offers the best CBD printing services. From our premium business cards to a wide variety of printed materials on eco-friendly 100% recycled paper, we can get your job done quickly and beautifully, all while being eco-friendly.

If your business utilises a catalogue for sales, it’s more important than ever to make sure yours makes the right impression. In today’s digital age, a printed catalogue can feel stale and old-fashioned. Luckily, Spencer Minuteman Press, Melbourne’s premiere printers, is here to offer you some great tips on creating a professional and luxurious catalogue.

Luxurious Catalogue Printing

Paper

When selecting the paper for your catalogue, you should definitely opt for the heaviest weight within your budget. Thin, shiny catalogues appear cheap and are not user-friendly. A thicker, matte paper instantly elevates your catalogue in quality and style. The size is important, too. You don’t want a catalogue that is too thin, as it will make your business seem lacking. But if it has too many pages, people will be scared off from even cracking the first page. Aim for no more than half a centimetre if using a heavier paper option, and a quarter of a centimetre if your paper is on the thinner side.

Typeface

This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about the importance of font on this blog. The truth is, your typeface has a huge impact on the overall feel and communicative effect of your catalogue. The font you choose should be easy to read and have clean lines. Consider how it looks at various sizes and in bold. You might decide to use a combination of fonts, perhaps one for the headings and various tag lines, and a different style for item descriptions and pricing. If this is the case, make sure they complement each other.

Layout

Catalogue layout is difficult. You need to strike a balance between making it easy to navigate and providing the reader with all of the necessary information. Using graphic cueing can be a big help, so use text boxes or lines to help organise each page. You want to make sure you don’t overwhelm the reader, so keep each page as minimal as possible. That being said, make sure all the information they need to know about a specific product or service is located on the same page. If the reader has to work too hard to interpret your catalogue, chances are they will toss it into the recycling bin. Spencer Minuteman Press has talented designers on staff that will gladly assist you with the tricky task of layout, so book your appointment today.

Images

Finally, carefully consider the images you are including in your catalogue. If your catalogue includes pictures of your products or employees, it is worth investing in a top-notch photographer. Sharp, high-resolution images will attract and impress potential clients. If you are using graphic images or illustrations, make sure they look modern and sophisticated; you don’t want anything in your catalogue that resembles cheap clipart.

If you are looking for help with your catalogue or any other type of booklet that you need printed, come on in to Spencer Minuteman Press for the best printing services in Melbourne’s CBD.

Are you tired of hosting bake sales and car washes to raise money for your organisation or club? Why not create and sell a recipe book as a fundraiser? It’s a lot easier than you might think, and with Spencer Minuteman Press offering the most competitive pricing in the CBD on printing services, you can maximise your profits. Take a look at our best tips for creating a recipe book:

Theme

The first step is choosing a theme for your recipe book. The theme might reflect the group you are fundraising for, such as a collection of ‘Our Favourite Sweets’ recipes for a primary school. If your target audience is already culinary inclined, consider choosing a theme like ‘easy entertaining’ or ‘holiday feasts’.
You can take direction from the most popular recipe books sold in stores, like ‘easy weeknight meals’ and ‘healthy recipes the whole family will love’. Make sure that the theme is appropriate to your organisation as well as the people you hope will buy it. If you will be asking people within your group to contribute recipes to the collection, starting with a poll might be a good idea. Create the theme around the strengths and tastes of your recipe writers!

Organisation

Including a table of contents and an index is essential to making your recipe book appear professional and ensure that it will be genuinely useful to the people who buy it. There are a couple of ways to approach organising the recipes within the book. One option is to group them by meal type: all of the breakfast recipes go together, followed by lunch and so on. Your theme might lend itself to grouping by season. Recipes always turn out best when the food used to prepare them is as fresh as possible, so organising recipes based on when the main ingredients are in season can be very helpful. Whatever format you decide to follow, just make sure you include an index to make it easy to locate recipes.

Publishing

Now that you have your theme picked out and your recipes gathered and organised, all you have to do is decide how to publish them. Spencer Minuteman Press offers a variety of book binding services. We know we can find a style that works with your theme and your budget, but a traditional recipe book isn’t your only option.

Consider creating a recipe box instead. The recipes can be printed on small pieces of cardstock sized to fit a recipe box. Each card can include space at the bottom for ‘chef notes’. The recipe cards can then be sorted alphabetically. This is a great option because it allows people to follow a recipe without taking up valuable countertop space with a large book. People will also find that having the ability to keep track of the tweaks they make to recipes will ensure that they get the perfect dish every time. They can add their own recipe cards, too.

Recipe Box

Finally, for a really unique option, consider creating a recipe-a-day calendar to have people cooking up delicious meals all year.
Spencer Minuteman Press not only offers the best digital printing in Melbourne, we work hard to bring you new ideas. We hope our tips on creating a recipe book have inspired you to cook up an awesome fundraiser.

In our recent post on creative ways to use photographs, we mentioned that putting your picture on your business card can have a huge impact. Well, today we’re sharing more tips for making your business card stand out. Of course, a business card is only is as good as the company who makes it, so be sure to choose Spencer Minuteman Press for your business card printing needs!

Think Outside the Square

99% of business cards are identical in size and shape: an 85mm x 54mm rectangle. The other 1%? They’re the folks getting the callback. Even something simple like going with rounded edges will make your business card unique and memorable. If you work in a traditional or formal industry, playing with the edges of the card might be as wild as you want to go. However, if you work in a field that’s more creative, consider going with a completely unique shape. Think about your logo: instead of putting a picture of a key on your business card, why not make your business card into the shape of a key? Thousands of business cards are exchanged in Melbourne’s CBD daily, so think outside the square to make yours stand out!

Rounded Edge Business Card

Make it Engaging

There’s a difference between looking at a business card and really seeing it. To make sure yours gets more than a cursory glance, force people to engage with it. For example, use both sides of the card. On the front, simply put your company name, your name, or your logo. The back will contain all of your contact details and other information. The small act of turning a card over will make your card interactive and, therefore, more memorable. Another option is to include a question on the card that’s relevant to your company. If you’re a bakery, print something like ‘When’s the last time you treated yourself?’ on the card. This immediately makes a connection with the person, making them more likely to remember you and to reach out in the future.

Two-Sided Business Card

Focus on the Details

When your business card looks and feels high quality, it projects that you are high quality. Adding those finishing touches that feel luxurious and special will definitely make an impact. Consider embossing instead of traditional laser printing for an impressive touch. Choose the best paper within your budget, taking the weight, colour, and finish into account. Don’t assume that these extra details will cost you big. Give us a call to discuss all of the options we offer. We will work within your budget to make sure your business card stands out.

Whether you’re in need of fast printing services for your business cards or are looking to speak with a designer for professional help in creating your business card, Spencer Minuteman Press will take care of you. Come on in today!

We’ve talked on here before about the importance of company branding and explained how to create a logo that reflects your business identity. Today we are sharing some tips based on marketing psychology for selecting the right visual image, whether it’s for a one-time event or a longer campaign. Keep reading to learn how to hook your target demographic and increase business.

You might already know that colour has a strong impact on people’s moods and emotions. But here’s the thing: recent research on consumer behaviour has shown that the mood-altering effects of colour have little sway on customers. In fact, people are more motivated by their personal preference, i.e. their favourite colour. So your best bet for selecting a colour is to think of your target demographic and cater to their tastes. The colour with the broadest appeal—both men and women of all ages—is blue. And the least favourite colours across all demographics are orange and brown.

If you are targeting women, consider choosing purple. Trying to appeal to men? Use more black in your visual image. Lastly, green loses its appeal to people as they age, so avoid it if you are marketing to an over-40 crowd. Whichever colours you decide on, remember that Spencer Minuteman Press offers the highest quality digital printing in Melbourne! We will bring your design to life on a variety of marketing materials.

Once you have decided on the colour, you need to choose the image itself. One approach is often referred to as ‘zen marketing’, a type of marketing that involves calming images and colours and is usually nature-based. A graphic design of a leaf, especially an image that is minimalist or abstract, is an example of zen marketing. These types of images have strong appeal to mature audiences. Most people crave serenity as they age, which might be why they are drawn to images that are simple, monochromatic, and don’t contain information overload.

Zen Marketing Image

On the other hand, if your target audience is younger, then go with ‘excitement marketing’. These images will usually depict a person or object in action, such as a person jumping or a top spinning. Young people are drawn to images that are flashy and feel active, as they are typically future-focused and crave, as the name suggests, excitement. For more information, come on in to Spencer Minuteman Press to speak with one of our talented designers. We can take care of all of your marketing needs, from flyers to business card printing.

Excitement Marketing Image

This last tip for creating powerful visual images might surprise you… Make sure you include white space. Blank space is easy on the eyes, which makes people linger longer on your image. You will most likely want to include your company name and your slogan, but follow the Twitter rule and keep it under 150 characters. Considerable blank space ensures your visual isn’t too cluttered and therefore is easy to comprehend, which is obviously key to hooking customers.

If you’re looking for Melbourne printers that go the extra mile, come on in to Spencer Minuteman Press. Our knowledgeable staff is ready to provide you with their expertise to help your business grow!

In this digital age, we have lost the art of the printed photograph. We bet you have loads of photos sitting on your hard drive right now. What’s the point of taking pictures if they just sit on your computer? But, we also know that those photo albums on your bookshelf are collecting dust. Here are some great ways to finally put all of those pictures to use!

Personal

We’ve mentioned on here before that photographs make for an excellent background for invitations. You can also use photographs for holiday cards, birth announcements, and to mark other momentous occasions. We can help you choose the right look for whatever you’re celebrating.

Another fun way to use photographs is to create large posters for birthdays, graduations, and other celebrations. You can either enlarge a single image or create a collage out of many photos from throughout the person’s life. Spencer Minuteman Press can help you choose the right size and finish for your poster project, and best of all, we can get it done fast.

Collage of Photographs

Spencer Minuteman Press can help you create a beautiful, bound photo book. This is a great gift for grandparents and sitters! If you’re the creative type, consider creating a personalised picture book for your little one at home. Kids love seeing themselves in a story, especially when the book is even higher quality than what you can buy at the shops. This will also help your child learn the names of important loved ones in your life, especially those family members who live far away.

Business

We’re sure you’ve read all of the articles out there about how important it is to have your photograph on professional networking sites. The fact is, companies are more likely to reach out to you for both hiring and collaborating if they know what you look like. What can we say, we live in a visual world! That’s why we think you should consider adding a photo to your business cards. We offer the most competitive options in Melbourne’s CBD, so come on in today and speak with one of our designers.

Don’t we all love seeing ourselves in photos? Here’s a clever way to impress clients and donors who attend an event with your company: send them a thank you or ‘with compliments’ card afterward and include several pictures. If you’re looking for a way to ensure follow up after a networking event or fundraiser, this small touch will be sure to impress. It is thoughtful and personal.

Whatever printing services you need in Melbourne, Spencer Minuteman Press can take care of them for you. From large corporate projects to small family photo books, we can do it all!

You know that Spencer Minuteman Press offers the best digital printing in Melbourne, but you might be surprised to find out that includes wedding invitations. Your wedding is the biggest and most important party you’ll ever host, and it begins with choosing invitations. Take a look at some of the hottest wedding design trends.

Save the Date / Wedding Announcement

Most couples send out a save-the-date card or wedding announcement approximately six months prior to their big day. This should be simpler than your formal invitation, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. The most popular option at the moment is using a photo of the couple as the backdrop for the date. We offer a variety of picture printing services and options, but currently a ‘photo-booth’ style picture is very popular. Compared to a formal engagement shot, the effect of a photo-booth style picture is playful and the vintage vibe lends an air of romance.

Formal Invitations

As with the save-the-dates, right now, casual is king of the wedding invitation. Gone are the days of fussy opaque overlays and ribbon details. Instead, rustic and whimsical touches are in favour. For example, couples are overlapping the bride and groom’s thumbprint to create a heart on the seal of the envelope or using a flag detail as the header for the invite. Of course, you want your invitation printed on thick, high-quality paper, but opt for a matte finish in muted tones as opposed to a glossy look in harsh black and white. Think of colours you find in nature: straw, grass, sky and golden wattle. When it comes to typeface, the trend at the moment is mixed fonts, which give invitations a fun, retro look.

Wedding Poster

Finishing Touches

Embossing instantly makes an invitation feel special, and it is certainly one of the “it” trends. Spencer Minuteman Press offers embossing services, which can be added to your invitation and envelopes for an elegant yet simple touch. We also offer foil stamping to really take your invitations to the next level.

One final tip to ensure your wedding invitation is on trend is to create a wedding emblem or logo to use throughout your wedding. This is a small symbol that reflects the couple. The symbol can be anything from a graphic flower or bird to an ornate design of the couples’ initials. Come on in to Spencer Minuteman Press to speak with one of our designers. You will love how creating and using a small symbol on everything from your invitations to your cocktail napkins will make your wedding cohesive, classy, and unforgettable.

Wedding Emblem

Spencer Minuteman Press offers the best printing services in the CBD, but don’t forget about our softer side! From the invitations to the thank-you note stationery, we can’t wait to help make your wedding special.

Today, we’re sharing tips on how to choose the perfect logo to represent your business. If you have reflected on the questions we posed in our last article, then you now have a strong sense of your company’s identity. The good news is, that was the hard part—now all you have to do is translate your identity into a simple design. Read on, and then bring your logo to us at Spencer Minuteman Press. We offer a variety of printing services right here in Melbourne’s CBD, so you can start showing off that new logo right away!

Minuteman Press Spencer Street Logo

Keep It Simple

Keep in mind the saying ‘less is more’. Your logo should be simple enough for a child to draw. This will ensure that it is recognisable and memorable, its main purposes. You want a design that’s unique, but that doesn’t mean it has to be overly complex. A logo that is sleek and effortless is much more appealing than a fussy, overdone image.

Think about how your logo will look at both small and large scales. Your logo should remain recognisable when it is reduced to fit on a pen or business card; likewise, your logo should still look fantastic when it is enlarged for a billboard. Simple images are more adaptable to a variety of uses, and having that flexibility is important.

Abstract vs. Literal

There are three main ways to approach your logo: you can either create a graphic design emblem, choose an image of an object, or—in combination with one of the previous options—embed your logo into your company name. You’ll notice that Spencer Minuteman Press has opted to create a logo that is part of our name.

There really is no best way; all three options can yield a great logo. What’s most important is that your image, whether it’s a graphic design or an object, not be too symbolic. People shouldn’t have to think about how it relates to your business. For example, if Spencer Minuteman Press had gone with the image of a bird, that would have confused people. Our current logo ensures that people will think “Minuteman Press” when they need Melbourne printers.

Other Considerations

If you decide to create a logo that is part of your company name, it is paramount to choose the right font. There are plenty of flashy typefaces out there, but again, simple is best. In most cases, a bold, professional-looking font is much more appealing than something whimsical.

Last but not least, avoid stock photos. There are sites out there where you can get a logo instantly and inexpensively, but the truth is, a logo is worth investing both time and money on. Your logo is your identify, and it’s permanent. You won’t regret commissioning an artist or graphic designer to spend a couple of months creating your logo, ten years down the road. Creating a logo that is perfectly tailored to your business will more than pay for itself in the long term; it seems like a small detail, but it has a huge impact on your success.

We hope that these tips will help you create your company logo. We look forward to seeing the design the next time you’re in Spencer Minuteman Press, the best CBD printing business for all of your business needs.