Thursday, June 2, 2011

Business Card of the Day: Vandenberg Animated Lenticular Card

This client is the fire chief at the Vandenberg Fire Department @ Vandenberg AFB in CA. He wanted a business card design that was big, bold, flashy and directly demonstrates all the danger, drama and excitement of being a fireman. We designed the card using actual video footage of a fireball blasting forth towards the viewer. We exported the footage to individual frames and re-animated them to create this unique and dynamic lenticular piece.

Want a Business Card Like This? Get it now.

Specialty Postcards: Custom Options for Innovative Flyer Printing

So Why Postcards?

Postcards are one of the most versatile & underrated marketing pieces available. They can be used as a hand-out flyer or a direct mail piece. 4x6" mailers have the most affordable postage rates and generate "heat" and countless sales leads.

So when you have that one chance to make a first impression, will you go cheap & generic or win new customers with that "wow factor"?

What Options Are Available?

Card Stock:

Linen (100lb cover textured stock)

Silky (Silk texture on a 16pt stock)

Premium 16pt Paper Stock (most common)

PVC Plastic

Clear or Frosted PVC Plastic

Waterproof 100lb book

3D Lenticular Lens

Color Options:

4/4: Full Color or 4-color on both sides

4/1: Full Color Front, B&W Back

4/0: Full Color Front, Blank Back

Metallic Ink: Adds unlimited metallic spot colors to your full color print.

Foils: Adds real metallic foil stamping to your flyers.

Gloss Options:

Matte: Uncoated or non-glossy finish.

UV Coating: High-gloss laminate which is added postpress.

Spot UV: Adds Gloss UV coating only to specific areas, such as logos or text.

Aqueous Coating: Similar to UV coating but a lighter semi-gloss.

Types of Postcards, Flyers & Mailers

So now that we've examined the various different options available for your flyers, let's take a moment to look at all the specialty postcards that are currently available.

3D Lenticular or Holographic Postcards3D Lenticular (commonly referred to as holographic) printing offers real 3-dimensional, animated effects, including: 3D Depth, Flip, Animation, Zoom & Morph. Wow your potential clients with this exciting technology.

Clear Plastic PostcardsFlyers printed on a clear PVC plastic set you apart from your competition.

Die Cut PostcardsIf you want something truly unique, die-cut postcards are for you. The sky's the limit, these postcards can be die cut into any shape you desire.

Foil PostcardsPostcards with a splash of metallic hot foil stamping add a touch of flash & class.

Full Color PostcardsThe Gold Standard. Affordable full color offset postcards, typically printed on a premium 16pt card stock.

Frosted Plastic PostcardsMuch like our clear flyers but with a semi-opaque finish to make your text & graphics "pop".

Glossy PostcardsFull Color Postcards with a super-glossy laminate UV Coating. Shiny & Slick.

Linen PostcardsFull Color Postcards on a textured 100lb linen stock.

Matte Finish PostcardsUncoated, full color flyers... without the gloss.

Metallic Ink Flyers
Unlimited color, double-sided, metallic ink postcards on thick 16pt uncoated stock.

Oversized PostcardsWhen you really want to make an impression, upgrade to more "real estate" with a larger 5.5x8.5" postcard.

Plastic PostcardsReal plastic postcards on a thick 20mil PVC stock. Plain paper stock just can't compare to plastic.

Silk PostcardsSilk stock creates a classy, textured look & feel that is simply unmatched.

Spot UV PostcardsRelatively unknown but growing in popularity, Spot UV adds a shiny gloss to specific areas of your mailer, such as logos & text.

Thick PostcardsMany postcards are printed on thin 100lb or 12pt stock. Upgrade to a truly impressive 16pt stock to stand out from the crowd.

Waterproof PostcardsDon't be scared of the rain or extreme weather conditions, your cards will survive it all. Waterproof postcards are perfect for national & international mailings.

Stand Out From The Crowd.

Guess where your generic flyers are headed? Straight to the trash. Upgrade your marketing campaign to a premium specialty postcard and watch your sales conversions shoot straight through the roof! Truly great, inspired marketing is what separates the winners from the losers. Which side are you on?

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Coolest Business Card EVER.


"'Let's see Paul Allen's card.' 
Look at that subtle off-white coloring. 
The tasteful thickness of it. 
Oh, my God. It even has a watermark!" 
- American Psycho


Classic Scene. But now we're taking business cards to a whole new level. Just take a look at one of our latest metal business card creations, printed on real copper with a silver finish.

Custom Metal Business Card


This masterpiece was created for Ricman Manufacturing, a machining company based in the Bay Area. These gears are actually die-cut with "safe rounded corners" using cutting edge laser etching. Lasers, man!

Note the highly reflective, shiny metal service. Very sexy.

Silver Reflective Metal Card

The gear theme extends to the back of the card for continuity and a touch of class.


Our 100% custom, cool & affordable metal business cards are now available for purchase. Take your brand identity to the next level!

Metal Business Card Printer

Monday, May 30, 2011

Business Card of the Day: The Venue with Gold Foil & Spot UV Coating

Cool, elegant, attractive business card with hot foil stamping in gold around "The Venue" logo. Gorgeous flourishes are highlighted using our Spot Gloss UV Coating. This card uses an innovative technique called Blind Spot UV where there's no actual printing, all flourishes are accented in gloss. The contrast between the gloss & matte finish on the card is simply stunning.

Foil Business Cards

Spot UV Business Card Printing

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Business Card of the Day: Clear Plastic Business Card

Very cool clear plastic card with contrasting black & clear sections. Clear cards are completely transparent, except printed areas which are semi-opaque.

Clear Plastic Business Card Printing

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Unique Business Cards

Business Cards. They've existed since the 15th century. We've all seen our share of plain, boring b&w business cards.

So you want to stand out from the crowd... but maybe you don't even know where to start.

So in today's competitive marketplace, how can you maintain your edge?

Start Fresh with Specialty Business Cards
Throw away your old boring cards!

How many business cards have you disposed of in the past year? Hundreds? Thousands?

But every once in awhile, you see a card that demands your attention.

So how can you produce a business card that exemplifies excellence and professionalism? It often takes a bit of research. In this lens, I will attempt to explain the different types of specialty printing now available to your business. I will also provide direct sources for specialty printing to save you the time and effort involved in creating a business card masterpiece.

So how thick should your business cards be?
Card Stocks Explained

The most common card stocks available are 100lb, 10pt, 12pt, 14pt and 16pt. 100lb book is the equivalent of a 10pt card stock. There are even thicker printed stocks available, such as 30mil PVC plastic. 30mil translates to a 30pt stock, which is an extremely heavy card stock.
So, would you rather make your first impression with a flimsy, disposable card or a heavy, durable card?

A thick business card gives the impression of strength and longevity. This is a representation of your company. You can also say a flimsy card symbolizes a weak, impermanent or fly-by-night business.

Personally, I always recommend a 14pt stock or preferably a 16pt card stock. The price difference between a cheap 100lb or 10pt stock and a much heavier 16pt stock is negligible, but the difference in feel and marketing value is immeasurable.

30mil Plastic Cards are also an amazing investment, but a bit more costly. These extremely heavy, durable plastics offer the same thickness as a credit card and many similar options are available, such as magnetic stripes, barcoding, signature panels, variable data, scratch-offs with pin numbering, embossed sequential numbering and holographic foils. Many marketers are willing to justify the added expense for a truly impressive credit card style thickness.

Types of Unique Business Cards

So now that we've examined the benefits of premium business cards, let's take a moment to look at the different types of specialty business cards available:

3D Lenticular Holographic Business Cards: 3D Lenticular (often referred to as hologram) printing offers real 3-dimensional, animated effects, including: 3D Depth, Flips, Animations, Zooms & Morphs.
Clear Plastic Business Cards: Clear plastic cards are visually appealing & as thick as a credit card.
Die-Cut Business Cards: Full color, custom, die cut business cards - the only limit is your imagination.
Embossed Business Cards: Enjoy the priceless marketing tool of embossed cards on premium 16pt silky texture card stock. Printing on one side is recommended as the opposite side will be indented or debossed.
Foil Business Cards: Real shiny hot foil stamping on silky business cards.
Folding Business Cards: Full color, photo-realistic foldover cards with custom graphic design services.
Frosted Plastic Business Cards: Frosted Plastic Cards: similar to a clear card but with a classy semi-opaque look. Text & Graphics "pop".
Full Color Business Cards: The affordable gold standard. Full color cards in your choice of matte or gloss.
Glitter "Bling Effect" Business Cards: Shiny, sparkly, glitter, bling business cards. Spot UV double-processed with glitter creates an exciting effect.
Glossy Business Cards: Custom business card printing with super-glossy UV Coating.
Gold Pearl Plastic Cards: Plastic Cards with a shiny gold pearlescent surface.
Linen Business Cards: Enjoy the priceless marketing tool of cards on premium 100lb uncoated linen book textured card stock.
Matte Business Cards: Custom full color, photo-realistic matte finish business cards. More subtle than UV gloss.
Metal Business Cards: Real copper or aluminum metal business cards in silver or gold with your choice of die-cuts and colors.
Metallic Ink Business Cards: Unlimited color, double-sided, metallic color business cards on thick 16pt uncoated stock.
Plastic Business Cards: Enjoy the priceless marketing tool of 30mil plastic cards, as thick as a credit card
Round Corner Business Cards: Custom, full color business cards with rounded corners.
Silky Business Cards: Full color business cards with a unique silky texture.
Silver Pearl Plastic Business Cards: Silver pearl plastic business cards with a shiny pearlescent coating.
Spot UV Business Cards: You choose where you want the glossy UV coating to go. Accent a logo or graphic of your choice. Not very well-known but an extremely attractive option.
Vertical Business Card Printing: Custom vertical portrait business card printing and graphic design services.
Waterproof Business Cards: Full color waterproof business cards on durable 10pt stock.
Business Card Magnets: Thick, glossy, custom full color business card magnets on 17pt.
Business Card Stickers: Glossy Business Card Sticker Printing.

The Future of Business Cards is NOW.

Professional marketers are always looking for new ways to stand apart from the plain, the mundane and the boring. Nondescript, one-color business cards & flyers are quickly going the way of the Dodo Bird. From foils to plastics to metals, printing is moving into the 21st century.

Making premium, specialty printing a part of your marketing plan is a wise decision.