Online Printing Quality & Service – Page 28

Layout & Design Techniques when You Print Pizza Menus

If you own a pizzeria, you naturally need to print pizza menus that customers can use as a reference when ordering. Whether it’s food to go or for dining in, these menus must give them a quick look at the sumptuous pizza flavors, drinks, and side dishes that you can whip up in your kitchen. These menus will also drive sales, so you need to make sure that it’s visually appealing and tempting to the palate.

If you are still in the process of creating your print to go menus, here are a few layout and design techniques that you can borrow:

Decide on the size of the menu.

When you print carry out menus, you can take your pick from these sizes:

5” x 11”
5” x 14”
11’ x 17”

The size of the menu will be the basis of the layout and design. Don’t be afraid to go bold and create an oversized menu – the more space you have to feature your dishes, the better.

Set your menu apart from the competition.

Next, check out the takeout menu of your direct competitors. Are they using an only-text menu, or is it a combination of text and images? While you’re at it, check out the price as well. Make sure that the rates of your food items fare well against your direct competitors – otherwise, they might rake in more sales.

Use professional-looking food photos or illustrations.

If you must use food photos, make sure that the colors are realistic but still pop out. If possible, have them taken by a professional photographer. If you’re selling food items from a family heirloom recipe, vintage illustrations might work better to your advantage.

Choose complementing colors and fonts.

Lastly, make sure to pay close attention to even the smallest details when designing your takeout menu. The design, background color, font type and size – all these must blend together to create a visually appealing menu that will sell your dishes to hungry customers. To achieve professional results, go for offset instead of digital printing – and choose a company that has the length of experience and proper equipment when it comes to menu printing.

Top Tips when You Print Pizza Menus

If your assigned task is to print pizza menus, how do you go about it? How can you make sure that you will not just finish the assignment, but succeed in letting the menu speak for your food business as well? Read on to find out.

Things to Remember when You Print Carry Out Menus

Be it pizza, Chinese, sandwiches, or other types of food, your dine-in and takeout menus are an important ingredient in running your food business. It’s the first thing that hungry diners will look at when they walk into your restaurant, so it says a lot about what you are as a food establishment. To get started, here are some key things to remember when printing out your takeout menu:

Know what drives food sales in the first place.

For sit-down restaurants or diners, almost 80% of the sales comes from your menu – the waiting staff will sell the rest to the customers. For takeout fare, the number is definitely more than that – so you need to make sure that when you print to go menus, it has all your bestsellers and the quick-to-prepare but profitable dishes.

Make sure that there’s a good balance of text and images.

Look at the online menus of the most popular fast food chains. There’s a good balance between text and image. If you must include food pictures, leave enough white space around each photo to still make it look interesting.

Be aware of the ‘hot spots’ in a menu.

The upper right hand corner of the menu is one of the hotspots – although after scanning the whole page, people read menus as they would the page of a book. Keep this in mind when deciding how to layout the page.

Skip the dollar signs and columns.

You don’t want people to feel the pinch of what they’re buying in their pockets – so skip the currency sign. Also, 9.99 looks less expensive than 10.00 even though there’s very little difference between the two amounts, so use such a strategy when pricing your food items. It also pays to use boxes and a more unique layout instead of traditional columns, with the prices arranged from the most to the least expensive.

Know how to distribute menus to boost sales.

Finally, your takeout menu should not just be placed inside the restaurant or the takeout counter. People passing by may want to learn what your prices or pizza flavors are without having to walk into the restaurant – so keep several copies outside for them to pick out. You can also distribute a copy of your takeout menu to suppliers, in every delivery order, in public bulletin boards, and anywhere or any event where there is plenty of foot traffic.

Get to Know Rack Cards: How Can They be Used for Advertising?

Are you familiar with rack cards? If you are a business owner, you can benefit from having these useful, colorful cards printed out to help you promote your brand. You might have seen one of these after a performance in a theatre, at a hotel lobby or a travel agency. Rack cards are printed in full color, and both sides of the card are typically used. Heavy cardstock is the preferred material. Unlike flyers which are usually printed on thin paper, it is more difficult to ignore rack cards simply because they are thicker and are printed with an eye-catching design.

How Rack Cards can be Used for Advertising

The good news is that you do not have to be in the theatre or entertainment industry to take full advantage of the benefits of rack cards. No matter what the nature of your business, you can have rack cards printed out. Display a set of these cards in your office’s reception area, or in your brick-and-mortar store – anywhere that there is always foot traffic – people are bound to grab one so that they can learn about the products or services that you are offering.

If you are wondering what exactly should be printed on a rack card, here are a few quick tips:

If you’re in the medical industry, you can print information about a common disease which patients will find useful for them. An optometrist can make a rack card about glaucoma, for example, and a patient walking in for a consultation will most likely grab one to learn more about the condition.
If you are offering a new product or service, you can use rack card as the primary source of information for customers. What exactly is it that sets this apart from what you are currently offering to your clients? How much is it and how can it benefit the customer? How can they get in touch with you if they are interested with what you have to offer?

When you print rack cards, make sure to look for a reputable printing company that specializes in creating high-quality printed advertising materials. Offset is a much better alternative than digital, simply because of the quality of the results.

One last thing. After finding a suitable company for the of rack card printing job that you will offer to them, make sure that you know how to strategically place the cards. If you are attending a trade show, display a set of rack cards in an area where there is a lot of foot traffic. The reception area of your office is another strategic location. When meeting with suppliers, business partners, or potential customers, also have a few pieces of rack cards ready so that you can hand over to them when necessary.

By familiarizing yourself with the basics of rack card printing, you can use it to effectively advertise your business and promote your brand.

Rack Cards to Upgrade Your Print Ad Campaign

Do you know how rack cards can help upgrade your print ad campaign? Are print advertising campaigns beneficial in the first place? The answer to the second question is yes, it still is. Despite the prevalence of digital promotional methods, there is still room in the business industry for print ads. In fact, this novel and ‘old school’ way of advertising is being appreciated by the current generation more because everything is digital. When you have something solid or tangible on hand, it becomes an item that you are bound to keep and appreciate. So what’s the role that rack cards play in today’s business scenario?

First, let us have a quick definition of the term. Rack cards are printed advertising materials which are usually available in these sizes:

5” x 8.5”
4’ x 9”

You will typically see these printed materials in the lobbies of theatres after a performance. Hotel lobbies, airports, reception areas of most companies, medical offices, and similar places also have a special container for these rack cards. Wherever there is heavy foot traffic is a great location for rack cards. If the printed material is eye-catching enough, anyone walking by will most likely grab one card from the rack. If people like what they read, they are bound to get another one or bring the one that they have home and use it for future reference.

Next, if you would like to take advantage of the benefits of rack cards to your business, what should you remember while in the process of rack card printing? It is important to look for a company that specializes in rack card printing. There are many digital printing companies out there, but those with offset printers and state-of-the-art printing presses will deliver better results.

When it comes to the design of the card itself, it is best to stick to the basics. Make sure that the design, colors, font, images or illustrations all blend together to create an attractive whole. At the same time, the overall look of the card must reflect the image that you would like to portray as a company.

If you want, you can also incorporate unique features in the card. Whichever of the two common sizes you choose, you can opt to include a detachable business card or coupon card when you print rack cards. This way, you will not just print an advertising material that will make people remember your brand, but you can also offer something extra to those who will grab one of your cards from the rack.

Through rack card advertising, you can up the ante in your print advertising campaign.

What Makes Up Rack Cards: Size, Material, and Design

Rack cards are a familiar sight in theaters, hotel lobbies, airports, tradeshow booths, office reception desks, and similar areas. These thick cards usually indicate the contact information of the business, as well as a brief description of the products or services offered. In a doctor’s office, for example, you might see a rack card which lists down the most important vaccines that new born babies must get. At the bottom of the card is the contact information of the doctor that you can contact for vaccines. If you’re a business owner, you can use rack cards in your own advertising campaign as well. Read on to find out the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about rack cards.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rack Cards

What’s the standard size of a rack card?

Rack cards are printed advertising materials and in order for them to fit in display cases, you must go for one that’s standard-sized. The most common sizes of rack cards are 3.5’ x 8.5” and 4’ x 9”. The orientation is portrait, while the design is colorful and eye-catching.

What is the best material to use when printing rack cards?

When looking for a company to print rack cards, make sure that they use only high-quality offset printing presses. This is better than desktop digital printers which may not necessarily be capable of printing on thick or heavy cardstock. Most rack card printing companies use paper which have a 16.pt thickness. Depending on whether you want a matte or a glossy finish, there is a suitable paper thickness and type that you can use for printing.

How can I effectively design a rack card?

For rack card printing to be effective, the design must be eye-catching. The colors and design should be eye-catching enough so that anyone walking by or standing near the display case of the rack card will notice enough to grab one or two cards. Of course, similar to business cards printing, the colors used and the overall design should also match the image that you would like to project for your brand. Another way to make your rack card stand out is to incorporate maps, QR codes, discount coupons, or a detachable business card at the bottom of the material.

By doing your homework and learning as much as you can about rack cards, you can successfully use it to promote your business.

Getting to Know Rack Cards

When you are checking out of a hotel, you are bound to see a stack of rack cards that promote the other services of the establishment that you just visited. You pick one for future reference, or to give to a friend who might be planning to stay in the same hotel in the future. Such is the effectiveness of marketing through rack cards. They hold a person’s attention enough to grab one card, read through it, and hopefully take it home.

If you would like to take advantage of the appeal of rack cards and use it as a way to advertise your business, here are a few things to learn about them:

Rack cards should be placed in an area where there is a lot of foot traffic.

Aside from hotel lobbies, you will usually see rack cards displayed in theaters, the waiting area of doctor’s offices, showrooms, booths in tradeshows – basically any area where there is a lot of foot traffic. Placement is important because the more that people will grab one of your rack cards, the more exposure your business will get.

Design, color, and overall look is important.

Since your goal is to capture the attention of anyone standing near the place where the rack card is set, the design of your card must be eye-catching. Think of the brochures distributed in airports which showcase the most beautiful tourist destinations in the country you’re visiting. The images are attention-grabbing and are professionally photographed. The same thing should apply when it comes to your own set of rack cards. Remember that design, color and the overall look of the card should compel passersby to grab one of your rack cards.

When you print rack cards, make sure to use high-quality offset printing.

Offset has up to eight times better quality than desktop digital printing, so the extra investment is well worth it. You should also know which size and material is most effective for rack cards advertising. The standard sizes are 3.5” x 8.5” and 4” x 9”.

You can also incorporate special features in the rack card design.

Finally, you can incorporate special features when rack card printing. You can design it in such a way that the bottom part is detachable and can be used as a business card or a discount coupon. By learning as much as you can about rack cards, you can turn printing them into a vital part of your print promotional campaign.

Business Card Printing Tips: Collect, then Digitize

Entrepreneurs have different takes when it comes to business card printing. Some think that printing your business’ contact information is obsolete because everything has to be digital these days. Others say that it is still necessary because handing over an elegantly printed business card is one way to impress customers. So which way should you go? First, let us take a look at the reasons why some people think that business cards are obsolete:

Because sites like LinkedIn is the best way to search for a business’ contact information.

There are entrepreneurs who would tell you that they haven’t handed out – or asked for – business cards in so many years. Why? Because if they want to search for a potential business partner’s contact information, for example, all they have to do is ask for the name and do a quick online search. LinkedIn is specifically helpful in scoping out employees if you are hiring, or looking for an executive’s profile.

Because business cards go straight to the trash can – or end up getting lost in a worker’s office drawer.

Again, everything is digital these days so it is more convenient to keep electronic instead of physical files. When you hand over your business card to a supplier, for example, it can easily get lost in an office drawer or worse, thrown straight in the trash.

Because business cards are old school.

Even if you have a set of elegantly printed gold foil business cards, they will still be considered old school by the millennials and the even younger generation. If this is your target market, they might think that your distributing these contact cards is a novelty – which they won’t even bother keeping or using.

Despite these seeming disadvantages, there are still a lot of benefits in printing out business cards. There’s a certain human connection that you can build when you formally hand over a card – which will especially be appreciated by an older clientele. Your print advertising campaign which can include a set of rounded edge business cards is a great complement to your digital promotional campaign.

Perhaps the best way for old school to meet “new school” is to collect, then digitize business cards. This way, you will have the best of both worlds. Whether you’re part of the old school or millennial generation, there is a benefit to be had from printing out high-quality business cards.

Revealing How Takeout Menu Print is Designed to Make Customers Order More

When designing a takeout menu print, did you know that restaurant owners actually employ tricks to make customers order more? The same thing holds true when you’re looking at a menu for a sit down dinner at a fine dining restaurant. From the lighting to the music playing – that makes you want to order wine – to the way that the menu is designed, all these are cleverly designed to make you spend more. Still, they all blend together to enhance the customer dining experience, so it benefits both the diner and the restaurant owner.

Now, when it comes to to go menu printing, what are the tricks used to make customers want to order more? Take a look:

The takeout menu is designed to limit your options.

If you’re in the food business yourself, you can print pizza menus, for example, in such a way that the menu is limited. Keep in mind that customers want something that can be quickly whipped up in your restaurant kitchen, so keep those difficult to prepare items off your takeout menu. You should also give customers options which are not too limited, but not too much that they feel overwhelmed. Seven to ten items of whatever fare you’re offering is a good number.

The high-profit menu items are highlighted.

To make customers order more, menus are designed in such a way that the high-profit menu items are highlighted. Chinese restaurants always include egg rolls in their takeout menu because it’s high-yielding, a crowd favorite, and is easy to prepare. Keep this in mind when designing your own takeout menu.

They eliminate the dollar sign.

Whether they’re dining in or out, customers do not like looking at dollar signs because it signifies that they are spending money. Although this is exactly what they’re doing, it is better to eliminate the dollar sign altogether. Also, 9.95 or 9.99 looks less expensive than 10.00 – so use those numbers to your advantage when designing the menu.

The names of the dishes are well thought out.

Finally, make a diner feel curious by including interesting dish names in your takeout menu. If you’re a mom-and-pop diner, use the name of the recipe owner as the dish name – something like Papa Luccio’s pizza or Granny’s Tomato Soup.

By applying these tricks in designing your takeout menu, you can boost your profit and make customers feel satisfied with their ordering experience.

Use Your Creative Juices when Ordering Business Cards Online

When ordering business cards online, you should definitely use your creative juices to make your card stand out. There are many companies offering digital and offset printing for all your printed advertising needs. This makes it easy to go through the process of looking for a suitable business card print service.

However, the challenge lies in designing a card that will make your brand or name as a professional stand out. Check out our list of ideas on how you can creatively order premium business cards:

Go for the not-a-stickler-for-rules business cards.

Thin linen business cards with an elegant typeface are typical, so which card are you supposed to have made if you want to stand out? How about a puzzle business card? Make it look like part of your corporate giveaway. Once the puzzle is solved, it should have a picture of your company logo. This is a quirky yet effective way of spreading the word about your brand.

Another idea is to have an origami design on the card. It can be two or three dimensional. The unique, delicate shape will leave a lasting impression to the recipient of your card. Using out-of-the-box materials is another way to make your business card stand out. Metal and even wood business cards are becoming increasingly popular.

How about smaller than usual business cards?

Edgy, odd, non-traditional – mini business cards are also being embraced by entrepreneurs. The typical card is sized 2” x 3” – and anything smaller than that is considered a mini. You can go for square 2” x 2” cards for a non-traditional look or a gum-sized card where your contact information is printed out. The only problem with this type of a business card is that they do not fit into wallets or purses, and can easily get lost in a large handbag.

Traditional-sized but still a standout

Finally, if you want to stick to the 2” x 3” business card, go for a non-traditional material, laminate, or design. Same-sized cards with rounded corners will give you that stand out factor. Or, look for unique laminates like a metallic foil – or take the completely opposite route with velvet- or silk-like laminates which leave a fabric effect on the paper. You can also go for see-through plastic cards or neon-colored cards.

There are dozens of ways for you to stand out when having business cards made, you just need to look for a creative way to make your brand stand out.

Counting Down the Most Important Factors of Business Card Printing

What do you think are the most important factors when it comes to business card printing? The simple act of distributing business cards is a good enough form of advertising, not to mention inexpensive. As such, you must pay attention to even the smallest details of printing the cards. Here, we will be counting down the most important factors when you’re printing regular or premium plastic business cards.

5 Factors to Consider when having Business Cards Made

When having business cards made, here are the top five factors to consider:

Type of printing: digital or offset?

There are two types of printing processes available for products like business cards: digital and offset. Digital printing companies are a dime a dozen, while there is a lesser number of offset printing presses. Quality-wise, offset printing produces better prints than digital and it’s a bit more expensive – something that you definitely have to consider when having business cards made.

Size: standard or non-traditional?

The standard size of business cards is 2” x 3”. There are slightly bigger and smaller versions but the downside of taking the non-traditional route is that the card might not fit wallets or purses. If it’s too small, it might get lost inside women’s bags. If it’s too large, people might find it too much of a burden to keep. It’s entirely up to you to decide whether you want to go for the standard, smaller, or bigger-sized business cards.

Paper thickness: thin or as thick as a credit card?

Most people like the feel of thick business cards on their hands, although others opt for the more elegant thin, textured linen cards. For the thick business cards, there are materials which have anywhere from 15% to 100% the thickness of credit cards.

Material: paper or plastic?

Thin linen, fabric-like suede business cards, silver or gold foil laminate, plastic – these are your options when it comes to the material that the card is made from.

Design: conventional or out-of-the-box?

Finally, make sure that the design of your business card suits the image that you’d like to project for your brand. If you have an older clientele, choose a design that will appeal to their tastes. For a younger audience, you can have an out-of-the-box, edgy, or creative business card design.

Take these factors into consideration and make sure to include a call to action when having a business cards designed and printed out for your business.