Shake Up Your Designs with Die-Cut Cards

Designers & business professionals wanting to think outside of the box might find satisfaction in the option to die-cut cards. It involves cutting stock with a specifically-shaped metal die.

Die-cutting is a great way to provide impact & emphasis, leaving a lasting impression on the viewer. Cards can be cut to the same shape of your logo, or cut to a shape that represents your company’s product or services. This extra step in your final design can help you stand out among the crowd and draw in prospective customers.

MorningPrint Hint: Rich Black vs K100

The Design of the Month for December is…

Hello! Here at MorningPrint, we receive many amazing designs, and we really enjoy seeing the creative process the designers go through. We enjoy seeing the results received after we send these designs to print. We would like to share some of these creative designs with you to help inspire you as they have inspired us.

Business Card Design of the Month : December

Designer Name : Shawn Hazen Company Name: Hazen Creative Inc. Website : www.hazencreative.com Order Details : Heavy Nouveau + Oversized Blind Press Embossing

REVIEW

Q : Please briefly tell us about you, your company, your products and services: A : I run a small studio in Chicago that specializes in visual design: mostly logos, web sites, and editorial work.

Q : You have a very clean and simple design which is very effective, how did you arrive at this concept? A: Thanks! I actually just simplified my studio’s branding. I wanted to do something with just the name, in bold but minimal typography. But I didn’t want it to be SO minimal that it wasn’t “special.” I had been thinking about doing a foil stamp-which I’ve done for a couple clients through MorningPrint and then I noticed the embossing, which I’d somehow missed before! It was just the touch I was looking for, so I designed the card around being able to do that.

Q : You have many orders with MorningPrint, all of which are on the Heavy Nouveau. How did you select this stock and what keeps you coming back for the same stock? A: Yes, I pretty much use that exclusively with you guys! I started designing business stationery back when there weren’t all the online printers-working with a traditional local printer using 1 to 3 spot colors on an uncoated stock. The explosion of online printing is great in a lot of ways, but options are limited and I miss the slightly-toothy uncoated stocks I used to spec with my local print shops. The Heavy Nouveau is my favorite option for getting back to that classic, tactile quality that I want for business stationery but still getting the benefits (cost, speed, and full-color) of online printing.

Q : How has your experience with MorningPrint? Did you experience any difficulties when using MorningPrint.com, or find anything to be inconvenient or inefficient? A: It’s site and the service has always worked really well. My only unusual experience this time was that I contacted Laura in your service department this time because I was worried about exactly how my blind embossing would work (since I was doing it over a solid printed surface.) But that was just me being paranoid and overly cautious-I could have just sailed through with the information/functions on your site. But it was nice to be able to get confirmation that I hadn’t screwed anything up!

Q : A business card can hold a lot of different information, how did you determine what information to include, and what do you believe are the key components needed for a business card? A: That’s a good question. I still have clients who insist on putting a fax # on there when they haven’t used a fax in years! Old habits die hard, I guess. I kept mind simple-no title or extraneous information. I could have included a tag line or description of what I do and both my phone numbers, but I find that when I hand someone a card, I generally have laid a little groundwork, so I really only need to ensure they have my name, number, email and web site. I’ve actually left my address off cards in the past! But I like having a little more info on there than that-even if just for design reasons!

Q : Any tips for our clients to consider when they are creating their business cards? A: Think about my comment above: what is the situation you’ll be in when you give it to someone, and what will they need the card to convey to them? In my case, the more intangible aspect of handing someone a card is that I want them to take it and go “ooooh”-and so far my blind embossed type on blue is doing that! Because I’m a designer, there has to be some designs-ness to it. But I want all my clients to get an “oooh” when they hand someone their card. That may not be triggered by something visual: a really clever tag line can have the same effect. Since cards are less a part of daily business life these days, if you’ve got one, it should be purposeful and special.

Q : Any plans for your next business card? A: I actually want to do 3 more of this exact same card, but instead of cyan, I want to do magenta, yellow, and black! Am I a huge design dork or what?

What is Gang Printing?

  You may be wondering what a gang printing service is. There are different types of printing, processes and techniques within the printing industry. MorningPrint is a CMYK offset gang printing service.

MorningPrint Hint: Embossing

Embossing is a great way to add interest to your business cards. Embossing is a finishing technique where a graphic, text etc. is pressed into the paper using two die. one that is raised and one that is recessed. The dies fit into each other so that when the paper is pressed between them, the raised die forces the stock into the recessed die and creates the embossed impression. A specific level of pressure is applied to the dies in order to squeeze the fibers of the paper, which results in a permanently raised area in the paper (*note the backside of the embossing is indented).

MorningPrint April Promotion

Looking for something extremely unique & eye catching? Our transparent PET plasticbusiness cards are light weight, flexible & ultra thin (0.22mm / 6-7mil).

Clear Plastic (No white ink) PET 0.22mm example:

Clear Plastic (Plus white ink) PET 0.22mm example:

Opaque White Plastic PET 0.22mm example:

Design of the Month for April is…

Hello! Here at MorningPrint, we receive many amazing designs, and we really enjoy seeing the creative process the designers go through. We enjoy seeing the results received after we send these designs to print. We would like to share some of these creative designs with you to help inspire you as they have inspired us. Designer : Jacqui Ball Company : B:Creative Design Studio Website : www.bcreativestudio.ca E-mail : info@bcreativestudio.ca Order Details : Die Cut Shape Card 026 + Spot UV (single side) Q : Jacqui briefly tell us and our readers a little about yourself, your company and the services you offer: A : My name is Jacqui Ball and I am the owner of B:Creative Design Studio located in London, Ontario Canada. I provide personal and professional designs solutions for all my clients specializing in a wide range of graphic design solutions including but not limited to branding, corporate identity development, logo design, catalogue design, newsletter design, magazine design, Menu design, advertisements, flyers and Direct out design. With over 15 years of industry experience, from conception to inception, I deliver effective, clean and creative graphic design services. I am passionate about my profession and I love helping to bring people’s vision and ideas to life. I am truly fortunate to do what I love, and love what I do. Q : As a designer you design for many clients and have so many ideas, how do you narrow down your ideas for your own card when you know the endless possibilities? A: It’s true! Today there no limits to the endless options and the technological advances that allows us to bring our creative ideas to life. As a designer I am always very critical of any work that I do. I always want it to be the best and my business card was no exception. Knowing that my business card is a reflection of my abilities I knew it had to illustrate my creativity and have a WOW factor. That being said, after MANY different design ideas and having my designer friends critique my artwork – I decided that the uniqueness of the colour used, die-cut and UV Spot coating would represent myself and my business perfectly. Q : Were you searching for Die-cut cards prior to creating these cards, or did the new MorningPrint die-cut card products strike your interest first? A: Yes, I was searching for Die-cut cards as the ideas for my business cards was evolving. Personally, I love die-cut business cards because they are extremely unique. I think they stand out from the standard business card and provide the ability to convey your business to your potential customers in a stylish manner. I came across MorningPrint’s professional website and knew they could help me bring my ideas to life. MorningPrint had a huge selection of unique die-cut business card templates at affordable prices that I knew would work for me. The MorningPrint website was very user friendly and was the perfect choice for my design needs. Q : You added a blind Spot UV to your die-cut card in a very effective way. Not only does it give a description of your services but adds a little something extra while keeping your card looking clean. How did you come up with this concept? A: I had seen this effect used before and it added a little something special. I was looking for my card to look professional, unique but clean. I felt adding the Spot UV would give me the effect I was looking for. It is a subtle way that allows the client to see the other services I provide without cluttering up the card and making it look too busy. Q : What information would you consider essential to have on a business card? A: Aside from the essential name and contact information (phone and email) that is standard on most cards, I think that business card needs to have an identifiable logo, something that allows potential customers to easily recall your business and what services your business is able to offer. Q : Any ideas for your next card? Different shape / stock / options you might be considering? A: I have many ideas for my next cards. I have printed out the template selection for my clients and encourage them to step out of their comfort zones and create unique and fun die-cut business (with the help of MorningPrint of course 😉 Q : Any tips for our clients to consider when they are creating their business cards? A: Hire a professional!! Graphic designers, like myself, have the experience in the industry to research industry trends and use this knowledge and ability to create the business cards that best displays the image the company represents. Give me, Jacqui Ball from B:Creative Design Studio a call and I’ll help you bring your ideas to life! Q : How was your experience with MorningPrint? Did you experience any difficulties when using MorningPrint, or find anything to be inconvenient or inefficient? A: I had a great first experience using MorningPrint. From their user friendly website, templates, ordering, to the print quality, I have nothing but positive things to say about their services. I would highly recommend using them as your printer on your next project! Special Offer from B:Creative Design Studio : Receive 10% OFF your first order atwww.bcreativestudio.ca when you mention MorningPrint.

Design of the Month for March is…

Hello! Here at MorningPrint, we receive many amazing designs, and we really enjoy seeing the creative process the designers go through. We enjoy seeing the results received after we send these designs to print. We would like to share some of these creative designs with you to help inspire you as they have inspired us.

Name : Jessica Schott
Website : www.foxfoto.com.au
E-mail : jess@foxfoto.com.au
Designer : Bjorn Schott 
Company : Fox Design Corp.
Website : foxdesigncorp.com
E-mail : bjorn@foxdesigncorp.com

Order Details

1. Heavy Nouveau + Raised Ink (single side) + Glossy Silver Foil + Rounded Corners
2. Standard Coated 14pt matte 5 x 7 postcard + Spot UV
3. Uncoated Sticker 90mm x 70mm
4. Uncoated Sticker 90mm x 150mm

Interview:

Q : Jessica, briefly tell us about your business and its history:

A : I have been running a photography business for a few years and recently moved to another state and so decided to rebrand my business to better suit the market

Q : How did you select your designer for this project?

A: Well he is my husband! LOL And he also had just started his own design business so I knew I would get a great design and also a good deal.

Q : Where did the fox theme come from?

A: Our family shield features a fox so the theme runs through into our businesses.

Q : What direction did you give your designer? How did you like the final outcome of the project?

A: I explained that I wanted something simple and yet elegant, something not over the top but that would grab your attention.

Q : Bjorn, please tell us a little about yourself as a designer, and the services you offer:

A: I have been working in partnership with a very talented young designer by the name of Sebastian Pizarro for a while whom is now the other member of Fox Design Corp. We offer services to various niche markets like wedding stationary, greeting cards, and personalized stationary for individuals, along with logo and website design or a whole identity for a company as we have done for Jessica.

Q : Your design inspires us, what inspires you?

A: I think that the things that I admire most are always the simplest and yet convey a strong message with very little, whether it is words or just a few lines. This is mostly because when you start with an idea it is very cluttered and it is taking the time to remove the clutter that leaves you with something poignant and interesting.

Q : This order used a variety of options for this project, Spot UV, Foiling, Raised ink, Rounded Corners. How did you decide on the options?

A: MorningPrint offers many different printing options that I have been wanting to try for quite some time, so when the client said that she was happy to try anything we recommended it was hard not to try all of them LOL. I think that foiling gives things a sense of class along with rounded corners and the cards won’t bend in the corners and maintain a more pristine look. The raised ink and spot UV also add a texture that give the cards a real premium and tactile feel that also shows off the pattern we designed in a subtle way.

Q : When working with your clients, how do you get to the bottom of the style / design / products you will offer them?

A: I think as a designer it is important to understand the clients business, and therefore how the design will help the business stand out and also how they will use their stationary, in order to offer them the best solution. For example if my client is a plumber we might try a simpler design to make them look more upmarket instead of a tacky graphic and slogan and I would steer them more to plastic cards due to their water resistance and ease of cleaning in case they get them dirty. I would not try and steer them to something that may be more premium but that would not be particularly functional or useful for the business.

Q : Any tips for our clients to consider when they are creating their business cards?

A: Given the amount of cards people receive all the time it is worthwhile putting some effort in making something memorable in both design and feel so that you have more chances of potential clients keeping your cards and not throwing them away.

Special Offer from Fox Design Corp : We will offer a 10% discount to anyone that mentions MorningPrint.

 

MorningPrint Product Feature: Black Card Stock

If you are looking to hand your client something truly unique look no further than our black paper stock business cards. These cards offer a crafty feel while having a certain wow factor. The thing is that this stock isn’t for everyone. If you need a some-what conservative card for your company or industry this might not be the card for you.

The Black Paper stock is 14pt and the original color of the stock itself is black so if you look at the edges it is also black not just printed black. Because the stock is so dark we are unable to print any ink, but rather foil / black raised ink & or embossing.

Our website gives you 2 options, you can either build your card online with our online tools, or you can submit a complete high resolution design. If you build your design on our template you will only able to enter text. If you are looking to add any graphics you will need to submit a complete design.

Tips for foiling:

Available foil colors: Glossy Gold / Matte Gold / Glossy Silver / Matte Silver / Hologram Foil / Blue Foil / Green Foil / Black Foil. Please note that these colors cannot be combined. If you select Glossy Gold foil your design then the whole design will be done in Glossy Gold Foil (front and back).

We recommend keeping your design for this simple and minimal. Avoid large blocks of foil as this might cause issues with peeling / oxidation over time.

If you are submitting a complete design you will want to make sure that your document size is 3.62” x 2.05” (the approximate trim line is 3.54” x 1.97” and the safe zone us 3.38” x 1.81”).

You will want to make sure of the following:

• Document size is correct 3.62” x 2.05”
• All design elements are expressed in 100% black on a white or transparent background
• There is no shading / gradients within the design
• Resolution should be at least 300 dpi (vector file is preferred)
• Text has been either converted to outlines / rasterized : By converting fonts to outlines in programs like Illustrator and Photoshop, you will avoid font issues such as missing fonts or missing text. When converting text to outlines, the font becomes a “shape” and will look no different than its original font. If your fonts are not converted to outlines or rasterized, your design may not be viewed the way it was meant to be seen. Illustrator – Select All text – Type – Create Outlines / Photoshop – Select text layer – rasterize
• If you are adding embossing keep in mind that there is a 40mm x 20mm limitation, any larger and there may be an additional charge requested after the initial order is placed, too big and it might not be possible. You will want to provide a separate file expressing this area for embossing denoted in 100% black on a white / transparent background.

So create something unique and stand out from the crowd! You are one of a kind, shouldn’t your business card be?

Print responsibly.

Design of the Month for February is…

Hello! Here at MorningPrint, we receive many amazing designs, and we really enjoy seeing the creative process the designers go through. We enjoy seeing the results received after we send these designs to print. We would like to share some of these creative designs with you to help inspire you as they have inspired us.

Name : Samantha Pal Frazier & Kelsey Pal George
Website : www.twopalgals.com | E-mail : hello@twopalgals.com
Designer : Ashley Thatcher
Company : Ashley & Malone
Website : www.ashleyandmalone.com
E-mail : hello@ashleyandmalone.com
Stock : Heavy Nouveau + Raised Ink (single side)

Interview:

Q : Pal Gals briefly tell us and our readers about your fabulous blog and its history:

A : We created Two Pal Gals so that we could have a creative outlet for our passions and be able to work together on fun projects. We wanted to be able to share all the pretty and fun things in our lives with our family and friends and grow closer as sisters, and having a blog gives us an excuse to be crafty. We knew right away that we wanted to invest in a good design for our blog because it would set us apart. Plus, it speaks to our love of beautiful things.

Q : How did you select your designer for this project?

A: Actually, it’s a funny story! Samantha receives the MorningPrint newsletter for work, and as soon as she saw Ashley’s card featured in the April 2013 newsletter, she knew she had to get in touch with her.When we decided to start our blog we looked at our options, and we both agreed heartily on Ashley’s design style. Both of us felt that she designs how we would if we were designers. And, the rest is history!

Q : How was your experience with MorningPrint? Did you experience any difficulties when using MorningPrint, or find anything to be inconvenient or inefficient?

A: Ordering from MorningPrint was a breeze. It couldn’t have been easier!

Q : Ashley, we are no strangers to your work but for those readers who may be new to you, briefly tell us about you & your company, its history and what kind of services do you offer?

A: Ashley & Malone is a boutique branding and web design studio specializing in design for creative professionals. We are a husband and wife team and have been in the industry for over 20 years combined. Our process is fun, thorough and always ensures our clients are happy!

Q : In this order two sets were made, both with a very textural feel how did you and the Pal Gals come up with this concept?

A: In the branding for Two Pal Gals, I came up with a few unique patterns. One was the bright chartreuse floral and the second was a more feminine lilac faux-bois. I wanted the card to have a textile feel and really pop off the page.Samantha and Kelsey couldn’t choose between the two designs, so they decided to have both printed!

Q : How did you and the Pal Gals decide on the Heavy Nouveau stock with raised ink?

A: Heavy Nouveau is a favourite stock of mine from Morning Print. It has a boutique stock feel and I find it quite luxe! I chose raised ink to give the card a nice feel to the hand.

Q : When working with your clients, how do you get to the bottom of the style / design / products you will offer them?

A: Each client is given a branding and website workbook. Which they fill out everything from their favourite colours, to their long term business goals. We get to the bottom of what makes their business tick and then develop the look and feel further with a mood board design. The mood board process is one of the most important steps, as it provides direction in the overall feeling of the new design. Then we get to work on the branding and choose collateral pieces that will help grow the business.

Q : Any tips for our clients to consider when they are creating their business cards?

A: There are so many options you can combine to get a dreamy card that has massive appeal. Don’t be afraid to play around with all the options from Morning Print. Add matte gold foil, with embossing or add spot gloss with a die cut shape. The options are endless and a unique combination can really make your card shine!

***Offer Ashley & Malone: We will offer any new client that books any of our three packages a 10% off discount, if they book in the month of February 2014.

Don’t forget to check out Ashley’s first interview to see her creative card!