by lweber | Sep 21, 2021 | Business and Industry News, Featured Jobs
Though there are dozens of uses for custom-printed lawn signs, the end goal is the same for all of them — to get noticed and motivate your audience to respond in some way. So whether you’re advertising a tag sale, stumping for your favorite candidate, or celebrating a recent graduate, there are rules of thumb you should follow to make sure your signs command the attention they’re supposed to.
Follow Basic Principles of Good Design
You don’t need to be a graphic designer to create attractive and effective lawn signs as long as you keep the following in mind:
Fonts
- Choose easy-to-read fonts. In most cases, it’s best to stick with simple serifs or sans serifs, rather than scripts. Script (or cursive) lettering can be hard to read, especially in the short time a person sees it as he or she drives by.
- Make sure your text is large enough to read at a distance while driving or walking.
- Choose a font color that stands out well against the background.
Information
- Less is more. Communicate what you need to as succinctly as possible — remember a person will only see your lawn signs for a few moments as they go by.
- On the other hand, include enough information for your audience to understand what your sign is for and what action (if any) they should take.
- Include an address, phone number, or website to lead your audience to take action or find out more.
Graphics/Photos
- A great picture can communicate so much more than text alone, so consider combining graphic elements with your text to make your lawn signs look professional.
- Coordinate the colors of your text and background with your logo for a pulled-together look.
- Balance the size of your text with your visual elements, so each is large enough to be seen and read clearly.
- Using a photo or image as a background can be tricky to pull off well. If you do, make sure the image is transparent enough to keep the text legible.
Choose a Prime Location
Where you put your lawn signs is critical to getting them noticed. If you plan to post them on your own property, decide what location is the most prominent and receives the most traffic. Place them away from trees, bushes, or other landscaping that may obscure them from view, keeping in mind your signs should be visible from both directions of traffic.
If your location doesn’t receive much traffic, consider placing your signs on a busier street, at intersections, or near shopping centers. Just make sure your neighborhood or town allows that, so you don’t risk getting fined and having to remove them.
Use a Quality Printing Company
A good printing company will have several options of sizes and materials you can choose from and print your lawn signs in a high resolution with weatherproof inks. If you don’t want to create your sign from scratch, you can work from one of the many templated designs they offer. And, if you’d rather hand over the entire job to a professional, many printers also have graphic designers onsite to work with you to create exactly what you need.
At Minuteman Press of New England, we can help you get your message out there and get it noticed, with fast turnaround times and quality that can’t be beaten. Contact us for a quote today!
by lweber | Sep 14, 2021 | Business and Industry News, Featured Jobs, What's New
If you’re ready to employ a little creative marketing or artistic flair at your business, school, church, or home, look no further than floor decals to beautify your space and command attention. Floor graphics can be used for a wide variety of applications and are durable, long-lasting, and removable — making them an economical choice with a big return for your investment. Here’s what you need to know as you consider why, where, and how you want to use them.
Types of Floor Decals
Decals are essentially giant removable stickers that are durable enough to withstand regular foot traffic. They are made of vinyl or aluminum and consist of three layers: the base layer on which your design is printed, an adhesive layer to make it stick, and a non-slip laminate coating that protects your design from scratches, scuffs, and fading. Floor decals come in indoor and outdoor applications, are printed in full color, and can be cut into any shape (regular or irregular) that you desire.
Indoor
Vinyl floor graphics are best suited for hard, non-porous surfaces, such as tile, hardwood, laminate, and indoor concrete. If you want to install your decals on carpet, a different type of vinyl is used that is made especially for carpeting. Not all carpets are good candidates for decals, however. They must have a very tight weave and a short nap — commercial or automobile carpeting, for example — so they are generally not suitable for residential applications. Both floor and carpet graphics have a non-slip, non-skid surface that is safe to walk on and holds up well for up to 2-3 years on floors and 3-6 months on carpeting.
Outdoor
Outdoor floor decals are made with an aluminum foil base and are best used on concrete sidewalks and asphalt. The non-slip protective layer is also waterproof, making it durable enough to handle various weather conditions in addition to regular traffic for up to 4-5 years.
Uses for Floor Decals
You can use custom-designed floor decals to provide instruction or direction, advertise, attract attention, or even just add beauty and design to a bland or unattractive floor. Whether utilitarian or creative (or both!), there are endless possibilities for their use. Here are few ideas to get you started:
- Social distancing guides
- Traffic pattern guides
- Sale advertisements
- Designated “selfie spots” (social media advertising)
- Wedding and event photos, text, or logos
- Decorative, non-slip designs for bathroom floor tile
- Logo designs for churches, schools, gyms, or garage floors
- 3D art or advertising
How to Design Floor Decals
No matter how basic or creative you want your floor graphics to be, good design is important. For informational graphics, choose a font that is easy to read. Not only is the typeface important, but also the size and color of your text and background. There are some color combinations that are difficult for people with color-blindness to read, for instance. It’s also important that your design is the correct size and resolution, so your text and graphics are crisp and clear.
You can design your own floor decals with a graphics program and upload them to your printer, use your printer’s templates or designs and customize them, or hire a graphic designer to create something for you. Many printers have designers on staff who can work with you to design exactly what you need. Whatever you choose, your design will be printed in full color on high-quality vinyl or aluminum and cut into whatever shape and size you want.
How To Apply and Remove Floor Decals
Whether indoors or out, the most important rule to follow in preparation is to make sure your surface is clean, dry, and smooth. Dust, debris, moisture, and cracks all compromise the adhesion of your floor graphics, shortening their lifespan and weakening their durability. Equally important is to use the correct material for your application — if you are unsure, your printing company can advise you on what to use.
To Apply:
- Peel off adhesive backing.
- Apply carefully from the center outward, using a squeegee to flatten and push any bubbles out the edges.
- Allow your floor decals to sit undisturbed for 8 hours (more for very large graphics) to ensure proper adhesion.
To Remove:
- Peel the graphic back slowly at a 90-degree angle. It should come off cleanly, but if it does not, you can use a heat gun and a thin, plastic scraper to assist in the removal.
- Use your scraper to gently remove any sticker residue that remains, followed by citrus- or alcohol-based cleaner to thoroughly clean the floor underneath. Rinse and dry the area to ensure the floor is neither sticky nor slippery once you’re done.
Affordable, durable, and easy to install on nearly any surface, floor decals ensure that your ads, information, and designs will get noticed, particularly because people tend to look down when they’re walking or on their phones. Minuteman Press of New England can help you from start to finish on any design you can dream up — contact them today for a quote.
by lweber | Jul 12, 2021 | Business and Industry News, Featured Jobs
There’s something compelling about stickers. Do you remember how you felt when you earned one for a job well done as a child, or when you collected them to decorate your notebook, instrument case, or school locker as a teen? Even as an adult, you probably still wear an “I Voted” sticker on your shirt every Election Day, and maybe even have a few stickers on the back of your car. Whatever purpose they serve, stickers are fun, useful, and a fantastic way to promote your business. When you design creative, colorful, custom-printed stickers, they will undoubtedly command attention and make your business memorable.
Promotional Giveaways
Here are some popular ways to get your stickers (and your brand) out there for your target audience to enjoy:
- At trade shows
- At sponsored events
- As a thank you gift with purchase
- Inside business thank you or holiday cards
- At your reception desk or front counter
- As a thank you for filling out a survey
- As a lead magnet for email subscription
Make sure your sticker has intrinsic value to its recipients so it won’t just be thrown away — your logo, graphic, or text should be well-designed, cool, and creative. Custom-printed stickers can be contour-cut in every shape imaginable, even with cutouts, if that’s part of your design. Take the time and energy needed to produce a quality product people will enjoy. Your sticker should look and feel like a little piece of art that begs to be displayed somewhere.
Product and Packaging Labels
If your products or packaging need labels anyway, why not go with something beautiful or surprising? Besides your company logo, consider incorporating other elements that will make your label special, such as graphic embellishments, an inspirational quote, or your brand’s mission or vision statement. Going that extra step shows that you care about details and quality, and that your customers are worth the effort and a little extra expense. If you ship products that have paper or plastic packaging, sealing them with a custom-printed sticker will add a personal touch. Even better, include an extra one your customer can keep!
Vehicle Wraps
Did you know that vehicle wraps are just giant-sized, contour-cut vinyl stickers? Whether you want your company logo on the side doors or your entire vehicle wrapped in a colorful, eye-catching design, your company car can become a mobile billboard that advertises your business everywhere it goes, and even when it’s parked. Because it’s relatively inexpensive (usually between $1,000 – $4000) and lasts for multiple years, it can produce a higher ROI than just about any other type of visual advertising.
Floor or Wall Decals
Floor or wall decals can be as utilitarian as directional signs and promotional advertisements, or as creative as anything your imagination can conjure up. You can use custom-printed stickers as art for purely decorative purposes, for images and text that will inform, inspire, or make people laugh, or even for encouraging customers to take photos and share them on social media. It’s a great way to showcase your brand identity, your company culture, and your enthusiasm for what you do.
Cell Phone or Laptop Decals
Depending on your target market, larger contour-cut stickers may not be as desirable or cost-effective for you as tiny stickers. People of all ages use decals to decorate their phone cases, laptops, and desktop computers — just to name a few. Again, the cooler the design, the more attractive they’ll be, and the longer they’ll “stick around.”
Minuteman Press of New England will turn your great design into custom-printed, contour-cut stickers of any size, shape, or application. Our printing experts will work with you to ensure you receive a quality product you’ll love and be proud to share with the world.
by lweber | Jun 22, 2021 | Business and Industry News, Featured Jobs, What's New
We live in a profoundly visual culture. Evidence of that is seen in nearly every aspect of life, but nowhere is it more obvious than in the realm of marketing. Every year, more and more companies leverage window, wall, and building graphics to their advantage to promote their products and services. These compelling statistics demonstrate the power of visual advertising:
- Since 2018, more than 85% of all communication is visual-based.
- People form their first impression in about 50 milliseconds.
- Social media posts that include images generate 650 times more engagement than those with only text.
- The average consumer’s attention span is 2-8 seconds.
You only have a moment to grab your customer’s attention and make a lasting impression. There are a number of creative, attractive, and practical ways you can do this with window, wall, and building graphics.
Custom Window Graphics
There are several different uses for graphics on your exterior or interior windows: for privacy, to promote sales or your latest product, to inspire passersby with compelling art, photographs, or quotes that echo your brand image, or to creatively frame your physical window displays with eye-catching colors or designs. Practically speaking, you can use window graphics to display information such as store hours, directions to various departments, or to list your company’s social media accounts. Utilizing Instagram or Facebook to highlight your creative window graphics can bring twice the attention to both your online and brick-and-mortar presence!
Custom Wall Graphics
Wall graphics and murals serve similar purposes as window graphics, but they give you an opportunity to take creativity one step further because they are specifically aimed at those who are inside your building — your customers and your staff. Here you can target “insiders” with images and messages that will inspire them as they work or shop and give them the information they need. But you don’t need to limit your custom-printed graphics to serve only practical purposes — use them to add beauty and visual interest to your spaces. According to a Harvard University Project Zero study, art in the workplace enhances the work environment, fosters learning, promotes social interaction and connectivity, and elicits emotional responses — in short, custom-printed window, wall, or building graphics can powerfully affect how people experience your organization. The one-two punch of visual and experiential can leave an impression no words can match.
Custom Building Graphics
Creating a larger-than-life, building-sized mural is like a billboard in-residence within your community. It becomes part of the cityscape and a powerful neighborhood fixture. Your mural can do the work of a billboard — directly advertising your business — or it can pay homage to a local hero, highlight the work of a local artist, or share words of unity, peace, and inspiration by an esteemed author or activist. You can use your custom-printed building graphic to benefit and beautify your community while making your brand synonymous with goodwill. What’s better than that?
Whether you’re looking for custom-printed window, wall, or building graphics, (or even all three!) Minuteman Press of New England can take your design and turn it into a quality product that will set your business apart from your competition. Contact us for a quote — we have fast turnaround times, expert design help, and customer satisfaction that can’t be beaten anywhere else.
by mweber | May 5, 2021 | Business and Industry News, Featured Jobs, Our News
Staying competitive in the business world requires hard work, innovation, and the willingness to explore new ways to reach your target audience. Though your marketing strategy should include digital channels like social media, email, video, and web content, you shouldn’t neglect the power of out-of-home (OOH) advertising to gain the attention of potential customers.
While a billboard may be the most recognizable form of OOH advertising, a custom vehicle wrap (sometimes referred to as a mobile billboard) is an eye-catching, memorable way to get your company noticed by people in your service area. Here are four compelling reasons why a wrap may be just what your business needs to get a leg up on the competition and boost your revenue this year.
Visibility
You may be surprised to know that:
- 57% of people who see mobile billboards notice them all or most of the time. (Nielsen)
- A single custom vehicle wrap can generate 30,000 to 70,000 daily impressions (ARD Ventures)
- 97% of those who view mobile advertisements remember them (RYP & Becker Group)
- Mobile billboards command 2.5 times more attention than static billboards (Perception Research)
These findings are very convincing, especially when you consider the size of your area and the number of vehicles you may want to use to advertise your business. More impressions, greater visibility, and better recall increase the likelihood your company’s name will come to mind when people need the services you provide.
Impact
The most effective advertising campaigns leave a lasting impression on potential customers, and a custom vinyl-wrapped vehicle makes your company’s name 15 times more recognizable than any other type of advertising. In fact, over 96% of people surveyed by the American Trucking Association said that mobile billboards have a greater impact than standard billboards. When you consider that your vehicle is also stationary at times — in traffic, at stoplights, and when it’s parked — it exposes your potential customers to your advertisement for a much longer period than when it’s moving.
Brand Identity
Your business is more than just your company name and what you offer; it’s your story, your mission, and what makes you unique and special. Your logo, colors, designs, and words are all critical to communicating who you are. A custom vehicle wrap provides more than just information — it gives your audience a clear, concise snapshot of your brand identity. So whether you want to show that your business is elegant, reliable, innovative, or just plain fun, your vehicle will leave a memorable impression on everyone who sees it.
ROI
Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to consider getting your vehicle wrapped is the amazing ROI potential. Wraps are relatively inexpensive, typically ranging from $1000 – $4000, and can last up to five years. So, for a few hundred dollars per year, you can have a highly visible, attention-grabbing advertisement that reaches an enormous audience wherever your vehicle goes. If you include a unique phone number in the wrap design, you’ll be able to accurately track how much your business increases from the use of your mobile billboard.
If you think your business could benefit from a custom vehicle wrap, contact a digital printing specialist who will work with you to create the perfect design to represent your company. In a few short days, your wrap will be printed, installed, and turning heads.
by lweber | Jan 7, 2020 | Business and Industry News
How This Decision Reaches into the Wide Format World
Microsoft officially announced that it will end Windows 7 support on January 14th, 2020. The operating system millions of users and businesses still rely on is about to reach its expiration date, or ‘end of life’. Much like old milk in the fridge, keeping it around can create problems. In Windows terms, this involves stability issues, compatibility issues, and dangerous exploits leaving your systems (and all connected devices) vulnerable to attack.
So how does this affect wide format printing and scanning? Let us explain. Even though you need to upgrade to Windows 10, many of your older devices just aren’t supported on the new operating system. This includes printers, scanners, and more. Businesses are being faced with the choice of upgrading to a safe and secure version of Windows, but having to buy new equipment… or keeping everything ‘as is’ and hoping it all holds together while increasing the risk of ransomware attacks every day.
If you have an older Canon printer or scanner, such as the CiC40 series scanners or M40 MFP series systems, you’re already confirmed by Canon to be in this boat. Additional models and brands are also likely affected. The time to make the leap to Windows10 is now. With that, you might want to check on your software and hardware compatibility.
This is also a good time to assess your company’s needs. Take a look at your company growth plan. Where do you stand? Do you want a comparable machine that has the same functionality, or is there an opportunity to increase your printing capabilities? Are maintenance and down-time problems you have been having? This is an opportunity to look for greater efficiency in your equipment.
Need help making a decision? Contact the experts. Here at Minuteman Press, we are an authorized retailer for Epson & Canon printers, scanners and MFP (multi-function printer) systems, as well as WideTek scanners. Beyond that, we integrated New England Blueprint into our company. New England Blueprint has been specializing in engineering technologies since 1919. When it comes to large format printing and scanning, we’ve got you covered!
submitted by Brian Preston, our Wide Format Specialist
