Print Design – hoopergraphics.co.uk

Articles about Print Design

Holiday Brochures — are they still needed?

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Do you still look at printed holiday brochures?

I know I do, but is that me? Is it related to my age, having grown up pre-digital?

Here is now I choose my holiday accommodation.

Step 1

I collect holiday brochures of the places I might like to visit, that could range from touring Norway to staying on the beautiful Amalfi Coast in Italy, let’s not restrict my choice!

I then have a good read about the locations and look at various accommodation options and come up with a shortlist, at this stage I haven’t decided on location or who to book with.

This is where the words, images and bullet points will grab my attention.

Step 2

Now I go online and look at a wide range of websites, including Trip Advisor; the Travel Operator; location websites; weather reports; this is all essential research basically to see if they back up the information in the travel brochure.

Travel brochures have come a long way and despite the editing capabilities of Photoshop, they are more honest than they were 20 years ago!

At this stage I will also gather opinions from people, (Facebook and Twitter are a good way to do that), so social media has an important part to play.

Step 3

This is where the shortlist will get whittled down, and other factors will come into being, namely when to go, flight times, airports. I will probably also pop into my local Library and pick up a some guide books. There is a lot that I consider before actually booking that holiday

What about you?

I do realise I can be a bit fastidious but holidays are expensive and I want to ensure I make the right choice, but what do you like to do?

For me I enjoy sitting down looking at holiday brochures, but can you find what you want just using digital means?

Do you think the holiday brochure has had its day?

Step 3 update

I had been considering Austria, looks lovely, flying from Bristol, however it appears the Flight is no longer running. It appears in the brochure, but given they are produced months in advance, with a large print run, you could forgive that mistake, although a sticky label would cover that. No in my mind the cardinal sin is that the website doesn’t tell you! You put in your choice of Airport and it gives you options from other larger airports, but no explanation whatsoever. I eventually discovered this on a Forum, now that is unforgivable.

Tags: holiday brochures
Posted in Marketing, Print Design | 1 Comment »

Correct format for Logos

Monday, December 5th, 2011

Do you get confused about your logo? Do you have a jpeg version of it, but when you send something to be professionally printed they ask for an .eps version? I shall endeavour to explain.

Any logo should be created using Illustrator, this can then be saved as an .ai or .eps.

Illustrator is used because it creates a Vector file. A Vector file can be enlarged ad infinitum, so can be used for signage, as well as for business cards.

This is different to Photographs, which if enlarged above 100% of its actual size will degrade, and look pixelated. This is why digital cameras have now improved to allow for high resolution images. This is where jpegs and tiffs come into their own.

It is further complicated because anything printed offset litho needs to be 300dpi (dots per inch), in order to produce anything of reasonable quality, whilst anything on screen needs only to be 72dpi, and most laser or inkjet printers can produce reasonable quality at 150dpi. An Illustrator or Vector file (.ai or .eps) does not cause any of these problems.

However the problems have occurred over the years since Microsoft Word has been used more and more, and that won’t accept Illustrator files!!! It likes jpeg’s or png’s.

And lets not even start talking about CMYK (that offset litho uses) and RGB (that everything else uses!)

Ideally whenever a logo is created by a Designer, two sets of files should be supplied. One set for offset litho printing, these will be either .ai or .eps; and a second set for use in Microsoft and Digital (web etc), these are usually jpegs.

Hope this helps, it is very complicated and doesn’t help that people can’t actually see what a .ai or .eps file looks like, unless they have the right software!

If you are still confused give me a call and I will try and explain further.

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Holiday Brochures — are they relevant?

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

I have just returned from a lovely holiday in Lake Garda and it just made me ponder how relevant it is to still have brochures. Personally I won’t book a holiday without looking at one.

That might seem a very old fashioned view, with websites like Trip Advisor, Expedia, Last Minute etc etc or Travel Agents websites, that can be very informative with loads of photographs that are not contained in the brochure. I would totally agree, when booking a holiday I look at all those, and find out as much information as I can. However I do like to sit down and pour over different brochures first to get my ideas of where I might fancy, then I go online and do my research.

I have yet to be disappointed, and my recent trip to Lake Garda confirmed that, incidentally I also took my Inghams brochure on holiday with me, so I could confirm it was as I expected!

But what about you? I am asking this question on Hooper Graphics Facebook Page and so please vote, or leave a comment I would love to know what you have to say.

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The New Homes Company and KPK Builders Brochure

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

Hooper Graphics has produced the brochure and adverts, currently in the West Briton, for The New Homes Company and KPK Builders who are currently in the process of constructing Wentworth Close, a new residential area at South Downs Redruth formerly the old South Downs Nursery site (for those of you who remember it).

Posted in Print Design, Recent work, Redruth | Comments Off

Redruth leaflet

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

As the third and final part in the rebranding of Redruth, Hooper Graphics designed the new leaflet that has been produced to encourage tourists to visit the town.

As mentioned previously, Redruth was the financial capital of the Cornish Mining Industry in its heyday during the last 19th century. Redruth underwent a period of growth and many of the buildings that were built during this time can still be seen.

Redruth is also the home of the Cornish Studies Library, another Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, an absolute must for anyone interested in the history of Cornwall and is free to visit.

The leaflet gives a brief insight into some of these buildings, together with the new town map and an area map showing the cycle routes that pass close to Redruth.

Posted in Print Design, Recent work, Redruth | Comments Off

Heritage noticeboard unveiled

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

The last part of the Condurro Heritage Project has come to a conclusion with the unveiling of the Heritage Board at the campsite.

The noticeboard is intended to accompany the booklet that was produced earlier this year but this time designed to appeal to the Guides that now visit the campsite to give them a sense of the history.

It was also the first time that I had visited the campsite and a BBQ was held to celebrate the end of the project. It is a lovely campsite and I can see why it holds a special place to all those who have been lucky enough to camp there.

The book has been well received, which I think is because of those fond, happy memories along with the camaraderie that is Guiding — and all that love is held within the pages of the book.

Posted in Print Design, Recent work | Comments Off

Carbon balanced paper

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

I had a visit from Gill Thomas of Howard Smith paper who explained their carbon balanced paper range so I thought it only fair to share with you.

Why Carbon Balanced?

Howard Smith have partnered with the World Land Trust, an international conservation charity, to offset the carbon used in the production of the paper range detailed below, a logo can be included.

The Paper Range

Regency
Greencoat
think4

A good paper range that will suit your requirements, your pocket and meet environmental specs. Get in contact if you want to know more or see some samples.

Regency

If you need a silk/gloss paper is called the “printer’s choice”, as it has good environmental credentials being Forestry Stewardship Council or FSC accredited; 10% recycled; Carbon Balanced; manufactured to ISO 14001 standards.

This paper can be used for both litho and digital print runs, it is smooth, white, clean and is an excellent paper to choose for your print run, with photographs having that extra definition.

Greencoat

A wide selection of paper, which are all FSC certified, carbon balanced; manufactured to ISO 14001 standard. It can be supplied at specific sizes to save on paper wastage. Then best of all the print quality is superb, even on the offset paper.

Greencoat 80

This uses 80% recycled content (from recovered fibre), elemental chlorine free (ECF) and is available in Gloss and Silk.

Greencoat 55

This uses 55% recycled content, ECF and is also in Silk and Gloss for good quality image reproduction.

Greencoat 100 Offset

This is a 100% recycled offset paper with ISO 9706 approval for permanence. An excellent paper stock for stationery but photographs also look impressive for an offset paper.

think4

A range of uncoated paper that is carbon balanced, ISO 9706 approval for permanence, ECF and FSC certified with the philosophy to have maximum visual impact with minimal environmental impact. Print quality is fantastic and it feels good as well.

think4 sharp

Fantastic print quality with ; manufactured to ISO 14001 and guaranteed for laser printing.

think4 bright

This has 50% recycled content that has a good white quality, also manufactured to ISO 14001.

think4 white

This is also made from 50% recycled fibre, certified to ISO 12647-2 for colour management and is described as a natural shade of white.

Carbon Calculator

Want to know how much carbon you can save? Howard Smith have put together this fantastic carbon calculator to help you.

FSC accreditation

Means it is uses material sourced from responsibly managed forests. Paper printed on FSC certified stock can display a logo that is specific to that paper, providing you use an FSC accredited printer.

Posted in Print Design, The Green Foundation | Comments Off

Business Cards with QR code

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

In my previous blog on having a QR code on your business card, I said I needed to get my own business cards printed – well they have arrived!

They are printed on an uncoated paper stock from a sustainable force.

Have you noticed these codes in various places? I saw them whilst walking around Trevarno the other day, they are attached to posts in various places around the gardens.

I can’t wait to try them out at my next networking session, which is tomorrow morning at Tregenna Castle Hotel.

Tags: business cards, QR Code
Posted in Print Design | Comments Off

Carbon Neutral Paper

Monday, April 18th, 2011

or Carbon Balanced Paper – proving the paper can be good for the environment.

Paper has had a bad press over recent years, with accusations of it being bad for the environment, but the industry has been working hard to become one of the most sustainable industries around.

My friends at St Austell Printing Company has sent me details of the latest initiative by Howard Smith Paper. They have a range of paper which has been offset by the World Land Trust, making it carbon neutral. So as Howard Smith state

Paper is one of the most sustainable forms of communication available.

For more information download the PDF’s below.

Carbon Balanced Paper Brochure

Carbon Balanced Paper 2

CBP – Key Questions Answered

Carbon balanced paper that St Austell Printing Company use is Think 4, Regency and Greencoat, so let me know if you want to use them on your printing projects.

Tags: Carbon Balanced Paper, Carbon Neutral Paper
Posted in Print Design, The Green Foundation | Comments Off

Good feedback on Condurro Book

Friday, April 15th, 2011

I have had some really good feedback about the Condurro Book that Girlguiding Cornwall produced about their Campsite. Jane, Chairman of the Condurro Committee, tells me that she is having a lot of letters and cards coming in congratulating them on the project.

I have now added it to my portfolio of work, and I would certainly recommend having a gloss lamination for the cover of any similar books, and special thanks to St Austell Printing Company for their support in this project.

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