Tear-off door hangers offer a clever twist on the traditional door hanger by incorporating a perforated section that can be easily removed. This feature makes them incredibly versatile for marketing, informational, and interactive uses. Whether...

Blind debossing is a distinctive and sophisticated printing process that leaves a lasting impression—literally. This subtle technique involves creating a depression in a material without the use of inks or foils, producing a design that appeals...

In the world of document binding, two prominent methods—spiral binding and wire-O binding—offer distinct characteristics and benefits, each catering to diverse needs and preferences. Understanding the differences between these binding...

Personalized door hangers aren’t just another piece of marketing material; they are a direct line to your audience. They bypass the clutter of digital ads and mailers, delivering your message straight to your customer's front door. With...

As a landscaping business owner, standing out in the competitive industry is essential for attracting new customers. Landscaping door hangers are a cost-effective and impactful marketing tool that can help you connect with potential clients in...

In the bustling world of business, standing out can sometimes feel like trying to be heard in a noisy room. But what if there was a way to directly reach your audience, cutting through the clutter? Enter custom door hangers—a simple, yet...

In the competitive world of pest control services, standing out in your local community can be a daunting task. Amidst the noise of digital marketing and social media, a traditional yet powerful strategy remains highly effective: door hanger...

In the diverse and sometimes complicated world of printing, the acronyms C1S and C2S hold significant meaning, standing for "coated one side" and "coated two sides," respectively. These terminologies are critical as they describe the type of...

In today's digital age, it's easy to think that online ads and social media are the only ways to get your message out. However, the classic charm of print marketing still holds a special place, especially in fields where how things look really...

When you are ready to print a book, you'll need to relay the following printing and binding information to your printer-� Don't worry if you are unsure of any of these specifications, your printer can help guide you. Quantity -...

You have the idea, created the concept and now you are ready to request your quote but don’t know where to begin? There are many factors to consider when selecting the options, and we are here to help make your project the best it can be! Here...

Artwork will need to be print-ready when submitted for printing. Print-ready artwork is a design file that has been formatted to meet the specifications for commercial printing. It includes all the required elements such as high-resolution...

What is Print-Ready Artwork and Why is it so Important? Print-ready artwork refers to a design file that has been formatted to meet the specifications for professional printing. It includes all the necessary elements such as high-resolution...

The top 20 Printing Terms that are discussed in the world of printing defined here for you.

When delving into the world of printing, it's crucial to comprehend the fundamentals of paper stocks. The weight, finish, and composition of the paper contribute significantly to the overall aesthetics and durability of the final product.

What is Synthetic Paper? Synthetic paper is an umbrella term encompassing an array of products that emulate the look, feel, and often the performance of traditional paper. However, what sets synthetic paper apart is its composition – it isn't...

Welcome to a new era of time management and self-expression. In 2024, the power of custom printed calendars takes center stage, offering a blend of practicality and personalization that transcends traditional planning tools. From capturing...

In the realm of cartography, the power of a map extends beyond navigation. Maps are visual tools that have the ability to tell stories, convey complex data, and inspire curiosity. When it comes to large format map printing, we offer a captivating...

Welcome to the exciting world of children's book printing, where imagination knows no bounds! In this journey of creating a best-selling children's book, we embark on an adventure filled with captivating tales and vibrant illustrations. As we...

Tips for Understanding Your Target Audience for Printed Marketing Campaigns Understanding your target audience is crucial for successful printed marketing campaigns. Here are some valuable tips to help you gain insight into your audience and...

Book Binding Techniques: Choosing the Perfect Binding Style for Your Book Book binding is crucial in the printing process as it ensures durability, protection, professional presentation, enhanced user experience, branding, customization, and...

To begin let's discuss what a family tree is and how it is related to genealogy. The dictionary defines genealogy as a line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor. Genealogy is the study of one's ancestry. Whereas genealogy can not be...

Blogs are individual entries that form a blog like episodes of a TV show, or entries in a journal or diary. Blogging is a great way to establish yourself in your areas you are an expert in. It can also be an effective tool to drive traffic to...

Are you wanting to publish your book and have no clue where to start? We are here to help walk you through the steps of self-publishing your book. Self-publishing can seem overwhelming when you first begin, however Formax can help you throughout...

Custom labels are one of the most diverse printed products available. They can be created in virtually any size, shape, or color, and can be constructed using a variety of materials, adhesives, and coatings. Labels are great to use for a...

EDDM is an acronym for Every Door Direct Mail. What is that? The basic definition is that EDDM is a service that is used to promote your small business in your local community. If you're having a sale, opening a new location, or offering coupons...

When opening a new restaurant or keeping a current restaurant open and relevant, you want to make sure that you have the best possible print items available to you. You may consider getting business cards, laminated menus, flip books for...

Business Cards provide an attention-getting way to exchange information about who you are, what you can do and how you can be contacted. When designed creatively, business cards serve as dynamic marketing tools. They are a necessity for...

Being a commercial printer, I receive quote requests for a variety of print projects every day. One thing I have noticed is that when a low-luster paper stock is desired, the quote request will frequently describe the paper as "Matte." But...

In addition to printing presses, commercial book printers use many other types of equipment to assist with book production. For example, trimming, scoring, folding, gluing and other bindery operations are all performed with the aid of...

When choosing a printing company, your objective is to find the one that best aligns with your specific goals and unique needs. With that in mind, below are five factors to consider when searching for...

Let's face it, rush orders are stressful. Even though everyone tries their best to plan ahead, rush situations will still happen from time to time. The good news is that most commercial printers will make every effort to hit your...

If you are looking to promote yourself and your business, there is no better way to gain instant credibility than by writing a book. A well-written book sets you apart from the competition because it establishes you as an expert. This allows...

Many large maps are folded down to a convenient size. This involves using a sequence of vertical and horizontal folds to reduce the size of the map. The fold lines create a grid of distinct panels, with each panel having the same dimensions (in...

Training and Instruction Manuals Repair, Maintenance and Technical Manuals Equipment, Assembly and Operator Handbooks Employee and Company Handbooks Policy and Procedure Manuals Reference Manuals

Carbonless forms (aka NCR forms) provide a quick and inexpensive method for creating multiple copies of an original document. This is why carbonless technology is very popular in the world of business, particularly for handwritten forms that are...

As a book printer, we frequently receive inquiries about incorporating distinguishing elements into medium or long run book projects. Specifically, clients seek features that offer a distinctive appearance without significantly increasing costs.

When it comes to adding page numbers to a book's content, there are few absolute rules. However, there are some widely-accepted practices that professionals use when creating the artwork layout for a printed book…

Creating a print-ready layout requires strong attention to detail as well as a working knowledge of the printing process. Of course, nobody intends to submit a problematic file, but mistakes are frequently made by beginners and seasoned...

Companies that operate a large fleet of trucks, buses, vans, or cars often print a handbook or reference guide for their drivers. This bound document is usually kept in the vehicle and contains a variety of important information.

In offset printing, the pages of books are commonly printed on large sheets of paper, with multiple pages printed on each side of these sheets. Known as signatures, these large sheets will be folded down and trimmed after they are printed. The...

As the name implies, quick reference materials provide ready access to information about specific topics. Created to save time and improve efficiency, quick reference materials condense detailed content into a brief format. Virtually every...

Perfect Bound Books are one of the most popular styles of softcover books. This binding style offers a very professional appearance for a relatively low cost. Also, short runs of perfect bound books can be produced rather quickly on digital...

Traditionally, dine-in restaurant menus have incorporated one or more folds to create multiple panels, or pages, of information. Whether using a bi-fold, tri-fold, gatefold, or other folding configuration, the folds of the menu help divide the...

Pocket-Sized Books offer a cost-effective option for sharing printed information. The smaller dimensions not only result in a lower printing cost than a full-sized book, the compact format makes it easier to distribute the books by hand...

Most booklets are created with the Saddle-Stitch binding method. This method uses printed sheets that are folded and nested one inside the other and then stapled through the fold line with wire staples. The staples pass through the folded crease...

Books, like all printing projects, are made-to-order. This is because each book project is unique and created for a particular purpose. Your printer refers to the unique characteristics of your book project as Specifications or...

Whether you are printing a book, manual, catalog, or other multi-page document, you will likely have a choice between two commercial production methods: Offset Printing and Digital Printing. Both methods are very popular, but there are...

These inked images appear as a blur as they fly through a high-speed printing press. In the realm of printing, saving time equates to saving money. The purpose of promotional literature - such as brochures, flyers, and direct mail pieces - is...

Looking for strong and durable books without the high price of hardcover? Consider Softcover books made with PUR binding adhesive and a laminated cover. Hardcover books, also known as hardback or hardbound books, have a reputation for...

PUR Adhesive is the most durable and flexible book binding glue available Polyurethane Reactive (PUR) is an adhesive used in book binding. It is the most durable and flexible book binding glue available. PUR adhesive is most commonly...

Custom labels are one of the most diverse printed products available. They can be created in virtually any size, shape or color, and can be constructed using a variety of materials, adhesives and coatings. Sometimes referred to as stickers,...

On Short Production Runs, Digital Printing offers a Lower Cost per Book than traditional Offset Printing As a general rule, digital printing offers a lower unit cost than offset printing for short production runs, like 200 or 300 books. This...

Page Dividers with Index Tabs allow quick referencing for Manuals, Handbooks, Proposals and Presentations Page dividers with custom-printed index tabs provide an easy way to organize a bound document into logical sections. The tabs...

The Interior Pockets of this Presentation Folder use Colorful Die-Cut Shapes to Add Distinction and Stimulate Interest A Presentation Folder, sometimes referred to as a Pocket Folder or Portfolio, is a high-quality folder used to distribute...

As American manufacturers expand into markets outside the United States, the need arises for product information to be printed in multiple languages. This is particularly true for instructions, which must accompany each product to explain its...

Catalogs, manuals and most other multi-page documents used in business are generally produced with one of two popular binding methods: Saddle Stitching or Perfect Binding.

Custom-Printed Dry Erase Memo Boards are an Economical way to Promote your Company or Organization If you are looking for a highly-useful marketing tool, a custom-printed dry erase memo board is a great promotional gift for current and...

Creating a Training Manual that is Effective and Cost Efficient is a goal of many Organizations As a commercial printer, I have printed a wide variety of Training Manuals for all types of businesses and organizations. These include Sales...

Are you planning to have some books printed? Did you know you can protect and enhance the appearance of your book by having a clear coat finish applied to the cover? A clear coat helps protect the ink and paper against most smudges and scuffs...

Well-designed catalogs, or catalogues, are easy to use and provide a systematic and aesthetically-pleasing arrangement of products and services. They also provide valuable information about the company as well as important contact and ordering...

Planning a direct mail campaign for your business or organization? Instead of mailing the printed pieces yourself, use a printer that can create the pieces and do the mailing for you. This applies to just about any printed piece, from...

A well-designed Presentation Folder helps promote your organization's professional identity In addition to providing an organized way to assemble sales literature and other client focused documents, a presentation folder is a fantastic...

In our last article, we talked about the importance of identifying the purpose and intended use of your brochure before developing its content. In case you missed that article, click here to read it: "The First 5 Steps to Creating an Effective...

In my experience, when people set out to create a Brochure many of them focus on the content first. They begin by writing down the points they want to make in the brochure, or they start composing the text or determining what pictures and colors...

Market Your Services with Full Color Custom Magnets Custom printed magnets are affordable and effective marketing tools. They are a good value and highly effective because very few people ever throw them away. This keeps your name and...

A Presentation Folder serves two functions. Its first function is very basic - to store and organize the documents used as part of a presentation. But storing and organizing documents is a task that can be accomplished by many other means, so why...

Postcards are a very popular method of direct mail marketing. We all get them in our mailboxes frequently, which is a testament to their wide spread use and success. Postcards are designed to get your attention in some way. Some use a giant...

Many times, the first impression you make to a prospective customer is from your Business Card. So naturally you want your business cards to project a positive image. But the real secret is to start viewing your business card as something...

For any organization or author that is looking to have some books printed, Short Run Printing and Print On Demand are popular concepts worth exploring. Considered by many to be interchangeable concepts, Short Run Printing and Print On Demand work...

Virtually all printing projects are made-to-order. This is because each printed piece is unique and created for a particular purpose. The purpose of the piece determines its characteristics. Your printer refers to the unique...

Terms like 4/4 , 4/1, 4/0 etc. are a sort of printing industry shorthand to express how many ink colors are applied to each side of a printed piece.

We've all come home to find some advertising attached to our front door. Sometimes it's nothing more than a plain black and white flyer, rolled up and hung on the knob with a rubber band. Other times it's a full color piece like a tri-fold...

In the United States, the world of printing pretty much revolves around the 8.5" x 11" sheet size. So as a rule of thumb, your printing costs will be lower when you design your pieces for printing on 8.5" x 11" paper. Other recommended sizes are...

Some printing customers like to set up their own artwork files and I admire and welcome their desire to be a part of the creative process. However, we occasionally receive artwork files that have been designed with software that is not...

Sooner or later, anyone who buys Printing for an organization will likely encounter the need to order some kind of book, whether it is a catalog, manual, directory, etc. Because these are multi-page documents, books are naturally more...

Business Envelopes come in many types and sizes, which are all designed to fulfill different functions. As a rule of thumb, most custom printed business envelopes are created by imprinting on blank stock envelopes. By imprinting on blank stock...

Of all the questions I am asked in a given week, questions about "Bleed" are definitely the most common. In printing, the term "Bleed" means that the ink coverage extends all the way to the edge of the paper. Examples of Ink Bleed on...

If you're unfamiliar with the term "Print On Demand," it simply means that a printer can create books or other materials for a customer whenever they're needed. This approach has become increasingly popular in recent years as more Print Buyers...

In the last few years, the price of Full Color printing has dropped substantially. You might be amazed at how affordable it has become for everyday printing needs. Using the common business card example, these days you can get 1,000 business...

Hello to all! My name is Rick Stallings, owner of Formax Printing Solutions in St. Louis, MO. Just about every company uses printed materials for operational and promotional purposes, so I started this blog to share some of my observations from...