We go to TED talks for inspiration, education, and as an entertainment resource. Every so often, someone on the team will find a useful TED talk and share it with the entire team.

TED’s mission is to spread ideas through people who “seek a deeper understanding of the world” and “believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives, and ultimately, the world.” And that’s something that — as a company that helps business influence, market, and attract audiences for our clients — we can really get behind.

So in the interest of spreading ideas and changing the world, we wanted to take a moment to share our team’s 3 favorite TED Talks with you. Which is your favorite?

1. Sasha Strauss: From Branding With Love

This TED Talk is a favorite of our marketing director Kristyn Dingman, who is a big fan of Sasha’s business model. But in this talk, his ability to inspire his audience with clever metaphors and funny sense of humor really shines through. It’s also a great look at the potential that marketing and branding hold. If you’re struggling to find your company’s voice, this TED Talk is a must-watch.

2. Avi Reichental: What’s Next in 3D Printing

This particular TED Talk is a favorite with the entire team here at Printing Solutions. It’s a really cool sneak-peek at new methods of 3D printing, and is a great look into the future of the print industry. Watching this makes us excited for just how amazing 3D printing is … and what it will become.

3. Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Our project managers are big fans of this TED Talk from Simon Sinek. It really hits hard on the idea of inspiration, as well as what it takes to lead others at work or at home. If you are in a leadership role or even just looking for the skills to inspire those around you, this is a perfect watch.

Ready to change the world with your ideas? Our team at Printing Solutions would love to join you. Give us a call at 480-596-6300 to let us know where we can help.

The post Our 3 Favorite TED Talks You Must See appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Here at Printing Solutions, we are constantly finding new ways to not only inspire each other, but ourselves as well. Here are the top 11 things that inspire our team.

1. Motivational Quotes

A huge source of inspiration is our team’s Quote of the Day. It can be funny, serious, wise, or made up. Each morning a different team member takes turn coming up with this quote, so we get to draw from each other for inspiration. It’s a great way to wrap up a meeting as well as get the creative juices flowing.

2. Get the Blood Flowing

Another way we like to get inspired is to play a game of Ping-Pong or basketball. Studies have shown that exercise really does help with creativity and concentration, so we like to shake things up and get our blood flowing when we feel uninspired.

Fresh air also helps! Our Graphic Designer Chris Danner is a big hiker and loves to go on walks during the day. He’s a big fan of animal life and the good ol’ outdoors, and draws his inspiration from Mother Nature.

3. Teamwork

The best thing about working with such an awesome team is that everyone has such different talents and abilities that others can lean on. A lot of the time, our designers will approach a whole different department and get their inspiration from an outside perspective. We love this approached when it comes to logo creation or branding for a client. Sometimes, it takes a new pair of eyes to inspire something.

4. Crank the Tunes

Our Project Manager Autumn Iversen draws inspiration from the music she listens to. She is our country music fan, and she is very good at focusing and cranking things out through the day. We have to push her to get away and take breaks!

5. Make a List

For us, motivation to work hard comes from the team as a whole. Everyone has a daily task list, and we all write one task that we will push ourselves to do on the whiteboard in our office. Then as a team, we strive to make sure everyone succeeds in that task. Yes, there are days when someone may fall short, but the best teams ensure that their members can succeed the next day.

6. Feed Your Mind Body

Our Creative Director Justin Ketchum is a big fan of lunch. Having a great meal is one of the most important things in a day for anyone, because when your body works well, so does your mind. Some foods have even been shown to boost creativity and inspiration! Justin loves to take the time to enjoy some really great food throughout the day, which helps him refocus and think more creatively.

7. Think Outside the Box

Sometimes all we need to be inspired is some time away from work. Sitting and having lunch as a team, playing a quick game of Pictionary, or even relaxing our eyes and lounging on our giant bean-bag chairs is a good way to reset our minds and help us think differently.

When you free your mind and get away from the grind, you tend to have a lot of creative inspiration from the things around the office. And one of the greatest signs in our office is placed in one of the most perfect location to help us remember this:

8. Loved Ones

For many of us, our families and loved ones are what inspire us. This is certainly true for our Senior Project Manager Matthew McConkey. When he is not grinding away at the day, he finds comfort and inspiration in the home videos his wife sends him of their young son, Ethan. We can tell when Matthew gets a cute picture or quick video because we can hear him laughing from across the office.

9. Friendly Competition

Kristyn Dingman, our Marketing Director, is a big fan of stepping away from her computer and visiting with her co-workers. She loves to take a small snack and get a couple of her teammates to battle each other at the Ping-Pong table. She gets a great entertaining show that takes her mind off of the day … and they get a boost of exercise to help them as well!

10. Our Awesome Clients

Nothing inspires and motivates us more than the wonderful clients we work with. Our clients really are some amazing people with awesome drive and motivation of their own. So when we get to show a client the end product, their faces and reactions are all we need to keep going and pushing ourselves.

Need a little creative inspiration for your business? Our team at Printing Solutions is here to help. Give us a call at 480-596-6300 to get started.

The post 10 Things that Help the Printing Solutions Team Stay Inspired appeared first on Printing Solutions.

It’s easy to lose focus, but getting back in the zone is a different story. Yes, it’s something the Printing Solutions team struggles with from time to time, just like anyone else. Fortunately, we have a few tricks we use to get ourselves back on track and stay focused throughout the day.

Get Inspired

Every morning here at Printing Solutions starts with a team-wide production and design meeting where we discuss our wins from the previous day and our tasks for the current day. We also take a moment to read the company’s Quote of the Day. Each day, a different person gets to choose a fun and inspirational quote to write on the board. This meeting sets the tone for the day and helps to get us focused right away.

Pencil It In

Many times, anxiety can set in when you start looking at an entire day’s worth of work. That’s a full 8 hours’ worth of tasks, and it can feel like too much when you look at the whole picture.

For our team, we find it’s easier to look at smaller chunks of time. At Printing Solutions we love to block out our days. We break out each of our tasks into manageable time blocks in our calendars, and color code those blocks based on time needed. Then we make sure to focus 100% of our attention on that one project for the required length of time. Our team has access to each others’ calendars, so we know when someone is in a block. No distractions during this time block.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

We can always tell if a team member was not as focused as they should have been based on their task list at the end of the day. Sometimes unexpected tasks come through that take our focus away. Maybe a client needs a rush order, or something went wrong in the production process. When this happens, we mold and adapt to the situation, and continue to push forward with the original plan and blocks in the day.

But sometimes it can be a challenge to refocus our attention on the right priorities. When a graphic designer has 10+ projects he has to bust out for the day, it can be easy to lose focus on what is important. So we as a team come together to help each other out when it comes to our tasks for the day. We find ways to make each other successful and to push ourselves to complete what we can by focusing on the essentials.

Take a Break

As big believers in time management, we also know that sometimes we just need to shut off and focus our attention on something less stressful. Our office includes a ping pong table, basketball court, and lounge area in our office where the team can go and power down. We also have a lot of space where anyone can go and enjoy some peace and quiet for a few minutes. This includes meditation, reading, or simply to step away from their desk.

Another great trick we use is the good old-fashioned outdoors to redirect our focus. Studies have shown that fresh air can boost productivity by as much as 11% … and we are located in a prime area for people to walk and enjoy Mother Nature.

Finish Strong

Most days, our least focused times are early morning and mid afternoon. The later parts of the morning are dedicated to 100% focused production time. Until we hit that zone, it can be difficult to concentrate fully. And after the 2:00pm mark, things tend to slow down, tensions are not as high, and our focus may slip a little. By this point most of the day’s deadlines have been met, so there is more of a relaxing feel on everyone’s shoulders.

During the week, Monday through Thursday are days with heavy focus. Because we are in an industry which focuses on quick turn times, we have to keep on our toes to make sure we can uphold a promise that we make to our clients. Here’s an example. Your project will completed by end-of-day Thursday for your big event on Friday.

But Fridays are always going to be a struggle for the majority of businesses. With the weekend just around the corner, it’s hard to maintain a solid focus on certain projects. However, in the end we know that there is a professionalism we have to maintain with our clients. We make sure we continuously push ourselves to complete the job.

No matter what comes up throughout the day, we know that staying focused is the key to delivering quality solutions for our clients. To learn more about how our team can deliver these solutions for your business, give us a call at 480-596-6300.

The post How to Stay Focused Throughout the Day appeared first on Printing Solutions.

A banding package can be a major undertaking and last for a few weeks, but in the end, our clients invariably decide it was all worth it. Here’s the life cycle of a branding package.

Each project is unique, and its timeline depends on the client and what you are looking for. We offer a good, better, best model for design when it comes to projects like this:

• Starter Package offers the basics to a strong brand identity
• Essentials Package comes with a more detailed timeline and expanded print options
• Pro Package includes digital services like email signatures and social media page creations

Strategy Session

All of our branding projects begin with a strategy session, where we sit down with you to learn the ins and outs of what you like about your current brand and what you want to improve on. During these meetings we make sure we get as much input as we can from the team. Our Creative Director, Justin Ketchum, is involved in every branding project that comes through our doors. We also have Chris Danner, our graphic designer as a second hand in these projects. And lastly, a project manager facilitates pricing and is the main contact for you.

Foundation, Development & Refinement

“One team member will take the lead and serve as the liaison between the team and the client, but a typical brand can have as many as five to seven people working on their project at any given time,” Justin says.

After the strategy session, we jump into the three main steps to a branding package: Foundation, Development, and Refinement. Most of the work is done during the foundation phase, which allows for a fun and easy transition through the development and refinement stages.

The revisions depend entirely on the client. As long as you are OK with the time being spent, revisions can happen as often as you would like — our job is to provide the best possible solutions for our clients, so we want you to be involved in this process as much as possible.

“Typically, a company will have their new logo in use within the month,” Justin says.

Once a project is completed, we still have follow-up calls and meetings with you. We learn something new with every project, and we use these learning experiences as tools to better improve our system, as well as the experience for the next project.

If your brand is in need of a reboot, we would love to help. Give us a call at 480-596-6300 to get started.

The post Before and After the Creative Process: See the Life Cycle of a Branding Project appeared first on Printing Solutions.

1. Cotton Cards

One way to give your business cards some extra oomph is as simple as changing the paper they’re printed on. One of our current favorites is a cotton card. Cotton cards have a very natural and sturdy feel to them. They make a big impression — they’re a very thick 45pt paper with actual cotton fiber pressed in — and they have such a soft and elegant feel.

“This is something really unique and can give your business a high-end presentation just based on the stock,” says Kristyn Dingman, Printing Solutions’ Director of Marketing.

2. Foil Elements

If your business card could use a little pizzazz, then foil might be your answer. Adding a stamp of foil to your cards can not only make a lasting impression, but it can make certain aspects of your card really stand out for that high-end look.

Most people think of the traditional gold and silver when they think of foil, but it is actually very versatile in its array of color, size and overall visual appeal.

“It’s a nice, inexpensive solution for someone who is looking to take that next step in design,” Kristyn says.

3. Embossing or Debossing

Embossing (or debossing) is a newer trend in print that is a great way to add both visual and tactile interest to your business cards. This technique indents certain areas of the paper so that as you go over the surface of the card with your fingertips, you can feel the imprint of your company’s logo (or other area that is embossed).

Many companies have a Spot UV or specific feel to their cards, but want a new, modern upgrade that will really make their business something to remember. Having a certain part of the card physically pop out or sink in can make a big impact.

“Many clients use this on their logo or another aspect of the card that is important,” Kristyn says. “It’s a great upgrade for someone looking to rise above their competition.”

4. Colored Edges

For a simple and affordable way to make your cards stand out, you might want to consider adding color the edges. Not only does this technique make your entire card look more cohesive and pulled together, it also gives some love to an often-forgotten area of the card.

“We love seeing clients take their main logo colors and add that sleek edge to their cards,” Kristyn says. “This works best with thicker cards.”

5. Unusual Sizes & Shapes

Not only do you want your business cards stand out, but it’s important to do it in a smart way. A new trend is changing the size from your standard 3×2.5 business card and making it into a circle or square card.

“It looks unique and is a great solution for someone looking to change a small part of their card without changing the entire feel or brand,” Kristyn says.

We can also make custom die-cut business cards for your business. If you want your business card to be a unique shape — like the gift box shape above — then we can do that too.

If you’re considering an upgrade to your business cards, there are a few things to consider first.

1. Do you have the right budget?

While the options above are each great for different businesses, they may not all be the best solution for your budget. Some business card upgrades are only a few dollars, while others may be double or triple that price. Many of the upgrades range anywhere from $30.00 – $200.00, but your final cost depends on which upgrade you want to go with. There are so many different combinations you can do that will fluctuate the price.

2. What’s your deadline?

We love creating new and improved cards for an event or conference a client plans to attend, but things get difficult when they need the upgraded cards in only a couple of days. Many of the business card upgrades above require extensive time for cutting, gluing, drying, and quality assurance checkpoints. For your new cards to look flawless, most of our upgrades simply can’t be rushed.

Here at Printing Solutions, many people want to know how we can improve their cards. We can suggest certain business card upgrades based on a client’s budget and deadline, but to really provide the best solution for your business, it’s best to meet with the Printing Solutions team. Come by our offices, or give us a call at 480-596-6300 to set up a meeting.

The post 5 Fun Upgrades to Your Business Cards appeared first on Printing Solutions.

If you have an event coming up, here are some guidelines to help you promote it in the best way.

BONUS: Train Your Staff to Get the Most From Your Trade Show Booth

1. What’s your budget?

It’s important to allot a large enough budget to promote upcoming event effectively. It’s always good to have a few different branded visual references at your table. Use these basics as a guideline:

• A table throw: about $179
• A retractable banner: about $249
• At least 1 handout (brochures, postcards): $79
• A Business card: $39

Total: $546

When planning your budget, remember that these promotional materials aren’t a one-time investment. Most of Printing Solutions’ customers reprint their signs and banners only once a year at most. So you can invest a few bucks into something big and high-quality that other marketing material just cannot do.

2. What functionality do you need?

Consider your purpose for attending the event when you plan your promotional materials. Do you want to connect with potential clients, or are you there to look for new companies to partner with? Tailor your materials toward your end goal.

Certain materials are essential regardless of your end goal — you’ll always need a large sign or banner to attract the most attention possible. But if your booth doesn’t include a table front and center, you might want to skip the table throw and put your budget toward more interesting freebies to hand out at the event.

Keep in mind that just because you purchase these materials for a specific event doesn’t mean that they’re useless between trade shows. A lot of wide format printing is very versatile in that you can use it for many different occasions. Once your event is over, displaying your signs or banners in your office or conference room just adds additional branding to your workspace.

3. What products do you already have?

It’s always a good idea to go through your existing supplies before an event and take inventory of what you already have. If you’ve attended trade shows or tabled other events before, chances are you can repurpose some of your existing materials, like table throws, business cards, and banners. But if the materials show signs of wear or are of a low quality, you might want to consider reprinting.

“We take print and see how we can design something specifically for it. The two go together,” says Kristyn Dingman, Printing Solutions’ Director of Marketing. “You can have a high-end retractable banner that has an unattractive graphic on it, or you can have a really solid design of your logo that is printed on a cheap material. The two are essential to one another. Printing on a high-quality material with a high-quality visual is the best route to take.”

If you’re planning your first event and need to start from scratch with promotional materials, our On-The-Go Package was created just for your. It includes over 6 different print marketing options for one price and is a customizable and comprehensive solution to that helps to promote upcoming event.

BONUS: Large Format Printing and What You Are Doing Wrong

For us, the best part of planning any event is seeing the customer’s face light up when we have the display set up in our office for them to pick up. Seeing that end result and the reactions we get are priceless.

Need Help To Promote Upcoming Event?

If you need help planning and to promote upcoming event or trade show, let Printing Solutions help. Give us a call at 480-596-6300 to get started.

The post How Should I Promote My Upcoming Event? appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Whether you’re thinking of hiring a project manager for your business or you’re new to the role yourself, we have some tips to help you on your way to success.

1. Communicate Effectively

First of all literally every job requires effective communication. Perhaps nowhere is it so important as in the role of a project manager. On any given day a project manager is talking to several clients across multiple projects and coordinating with designers and production staff. Any gaps in communication could derail an entire project.

Remember that each client communicates differently, so your approach must change accordingly. The best project managers are understanding of clients’ communication preferences and can easily adapt to whatever method works best.

BONUS: 3 Tips to Closing a Lead

2. Stay Organized

Additionally, exceptional organization is key to project management success. Take it from Autumn Iversen, our Project Manager here at Printing Solutions. She manages every project that comes through the company, and she’s awesome at it because she’s so on top of things.

“For me to do this successfully, I MUST manage my time and make sure our customers get everything they need,” Autumn says. “A big portion of my day is about making sure each one of our clients are getting the responses and attention they need in a timely manner. Blocking out my day in my calendar is a really great way to manage my tasks, meetings, and reminders.”

3. Catch Things Early

Sometimes mistakes happen, but the job of a project manager is to identify those risks and nip them in the bud.

A good project manager can usually catch these mistakes by learning from previous ones. Considering what happens and why gives you an upper hand in identifying an approaching situation. It arms you with the knowledge of how to stop it before it unfolds.

4. Resolve Conflicts Quickly

Additionally, good project managers are great at customer service. Especially in difficult or sensitive situations where a client is upset or there was a gap in communication. Knowing how to approach a client who is upset in a way that will calm the situation and leave them happy comes after a lot of practice, and it’s never easy. A project manager who can do this well is a valuable asset to any team.

BONUS: 3 Strategies to Build Lasting Customer Relationships

In conclusion, client satisfaction is our No. 1 priority at Printing Solutions. We accomplish that thanks to a fantastic project manager. Are you looking for a company to manage your printing and design needs? Give us a call at 480-596-6300 and let us know how we can help you.

The post 4 Secrets Of A Successful Project Manager appeared first on Printing Solutions.

At Printing Solutions, we’re dedicated to building the best possible team, not just for our business, but also for the sake of our customers. We can’t do great things unless we’ve got great people working together to make it happen, and we’re proud to say that we’ve done that here. Here are a few principles that we used to put together our best possible team: We hope it helps you find yours.

BONUS: What Is The Purpose Of A Business Card?

Communication

The sci-fi writer Robert Anton Wilson once said, “True communication is only possible between equals.” Strong communication is what binds a team together. A strong team exists in a receptive environment, where people feel encouraged and respected enough to share their ideas and build on what their coworkers are doing. Communication creates a feeling of equality: If you don’t feel you can voice your opinions or ideas to your coworkers, you’re on the wrong team.

Communication makes it so everyone is on the same page. That’s crucial for making projects come to pass and actually meeting deadlines. In this day and age, there’s absolutely no reason for not being able to keep people in the loop. From screen recording apps to instant messaging and voice-to-text dictation, it’s never been easier to record meetings and take notes.

If you haven’t already implemented this step, consider recording all your staff meetings and training sessions. Creating a video library that everyone can regularly access and watch makes it so everyone has a chance to be informed and up to date about what’s going on. It also makes it so that team members who aren’t present at the time have a chance to catch up and not feel like they’ve been missing out.

Trust

Nothing makes a team function as well as trust. Put the most talented and hard-working people together and they won’t be able to accomplish much if they don’t trust each other. Trust is what makes communication possible in the first place. Trust makes it so everyone on your team can give each other constructive criticism and call each other out when necessary, without fear of bruising their egos.

Build trust with your team by taking them out for team-building activities. Get them to have fun and drop their inhibitions for a bit, and they’ll start to trust each other more. The best activities are the ones that require group problem solving and communication. Even something as simple as a softball game or a trivia night can work wonders for creating that powerful group bond.

An essential part of building trust is understanding all the personalities on your team. Everyone communicates and thinks differently. If you want to get someone to trust you, show them that you accept them for who they are. Accommodate them when necessary. Sometimes the most brilliant and innovative minds can also be the most socially awkward, or suffer from mental/mood disorders: Learning to deal with their behaviors and worldview is critical to gaining their trust.

Think of your team as a dish. You can’t properly cook something unless you have a firm understanding of each ingredient and how it relates to the overall flavors you’re trying to create that will compliment one another.

Delegation

A good team understands the individual strengths and talents of each member on the talent. Not everybody can be the quarterback! In order for a team to really kick things into gear, everyone needs to know their role. Most teams require a strong leader, someone with the guiding vision and personality to help the team succeed. But for a leader to be effective, they need to respect their team and listen to them. If you can’t respect your team, they won’t respect you.

Another important aspect of delegation is confrontation. Occasionally someone on the team will slack off or make a mistake. Strong teams hold themselves accountable: After all, you’re only as strong as your weakest link. In order for a leader to delegate and for people to play their roles well, everyone on the team needs to be holding their own. If one person drops the ball, it can affect everyone else. And if you don’t call people out on their mistakes or bad habits, these can snowball over time into something disastrous.

Calling people out can be awkward. Nobody likes to do it. But if your team has open communication and a lot of trust holding it together, people will be able to take that feedback and use it in a positive way.

Positivity

Like attracts like. A positive team is full of positive people. Positivity enables and encourages. It pushes people to challenge themselves and try new things, to take risks. Negativity kills that feeling of potential. A negative person says “no” instead of “yes”. Instead of trying to push the envelope, they’ll always advise caution. While it can be good to have a devil’s advocate on your team who can offer valuable critiques of your work, you don’t want someone who’s going to constantly rain on your parade.

The problem with negative people is that their dourness is infectious. And once that mopeyness spreads, your team is in trouble. It’s hard to motivate people who believe your project is pointless or doomed to failure. It’s hard to be productive when you fail to see the worth in your work. Surround yourself with people who believe in what you do, who are exciting and find it rewarding. Those are the people who will make your team unbeatable on the marketplace.

Fun

It’s a cliché, but it’s absolutely true: “Work hard, play hard.” People who have fun at work will be eager to go to work. They won’t be sighing when their alarm clock jolts them awake on Monday morning- No, they’ll be THRILLED to go to work. If you create an environment that’s fun and stimulating, your team will be eager to get to work.

Give your team breaks. Let them laugh and blow off some steam. Have them play music they like, let them goof off for a few minutes after putting in hours of grade-A work. This is how groups form strong connections: Give them some time to shoot the breeze and they’ll come to crave each other’s company. A great team doesn’t feel like a randomly assembled group of coworkers. It feels like a gang of friends who get things done!

BONUS: 18 Things That Will Help You Get Inspired

We’re all about building the best possible team at Printing Solutions. Our team is here to help your business succeed by taking care of your printing and design needs. Give us a call at 480-596-6300 and let us know how our team can help you.

The post There Is No I In TEAM: How To Be The Best Possible Team appeared first on Printing Solutions.

But what goes into creating a company culture that encourages quality work and healthy employee relationships? We sat down with Director of Marketing Kristyn Lechwar to find out how Printing Solutions does it.

Q: What is Printing Solutions’ company culture like?

Kristyn Lechwar: We always strive to have fun in the office. We have a basketball court, ping pong tables, and a relaxing place to lie down to take a break. Google’s atmosphere inspires us.
We encourage disruption in a positive light and taking break when needed.

Trying to force creativity at a time when you are not inspired is very unhealthy. When you walk into our space, we always have music, snacks, and occasionally need to send out a funny YouTube video to everyone.

BONUS: Decorate Your Office to Promote/Foster Culture

Q: How does Printing Solutions maintain such an upbeat company culture?

KL: We make sure to maintain our culture by starting off the morning with a few fun exercises to get the team’s energy high. Every single morning, we hold stand-up meetings where each department goes around and explains their wins from the previous day as well as one big goal for the day. That goal gets written up on the whiteboard, and once complete, we make sure to cross it off and congratulate the department on the completed task.

Once the stand up meeting is over, we make sure to play a competitive game or activity — anything from free throw shots on the court, to fun games like Hot Potato, and improvisation exercises. While we have these meetings, we have music playing to inspire our moods.

Q: A big part of the company culture is the people on the team. How does Printing Solutions maintain its work culture even with new hires?

KL: Printing Solutions believes in a strong foundation. We make sure that everyone on the team is in a good place. We have such a fun environment that it is easy to spot someone who is not in the best mood.

What makes us different from other companies is that we are more than just a few people who are at work. We are a strong team who has to work together to be successful. We understand that if we fall apart, the entire business falls apart. For a lot of us, this business is a part of our family and passions. We refuse to settle and we always make sure each and every person on the team knows how important he or she is. We make sure to have constant team evaluations and reviews.

The key is allowing the space to be safe. If there are issues or problems, everyone knows we have a space where these issues can be resolved.

BONUS: 3 Major Things to Look for When Hiring a New Employee

Q: Creating a culture also has a lot to do with the company’s core values. How do Printing Solutions’ core values play into its atmosphere?

KL: Our core values — We refuse to settle, We invite fun and adventure, and We invest in honest relationships — are something that ring true to us. We run our entire operation based on them.

“We refuse to settle” ties in with the idea of being the best we can be. We always want to push ourselves and make sure we don’t just accept a result or outcome due to laziness or fear of conflict. We’re fighters, and we know that settling for the minimum is not an option.

“We invite fun and adventure” is something anyone can see as soon as they talk with us or step into our space. We hired based on personalities, and those personalities must be fun and adventurous. Being able to work with clients who encourage us to be fun and adventurous allows for big results.

“We invest in honest relationships” says it all. We make sure we put our best foot forward. Being real and honest with our customers is the key to success. We love investing our time into learning about our customers as well as having genuine conversations with them — even if it’s not print-related.

BONUS: How to Help Your Employees Focus on Your Business Core Values

Struggling to create the ideal company culture? Printing Solutions is happy to help with your business and printing needs. Give us a call at 480-596-6300 to get started.

The post How to Create the Ideal Company Culture appeared first on Printing Solutions.

Over the past months we’ve observed a few changes in styles among our own clients and colleagues, and we’ve compiled them for you below. Here’s what’s trending in the print world.

Social Events

Lately there are more and more social events that businesses are looking to attend, whether it’s a trade show, conference, or other tabling event. Making sure you are visually prepared and well represented at those events is key.

Large format print marketing materials like signs and retractable banners are a must for setting up a great booth. But to really stick with visitors, you’ll also want to invest in flyers, brochures, and business cards to hand out. Additional freebies like postcards, notepads, or stickers can also make a strong impact with anyone who stops at your booth.

When preparing for a trade show or other social event, it pays to plan ahead.

A full trade show package from Printing Solutions includes seven different products, all of which take time to design, print, and deliver.

BONUS: The Trade Show Basics – What Essentials you Should Bring

Direct Mail

We’re loving the trend of businesses developing effective direct mail campaigns. With direct mail you’re literally placing your company’s brand directly into customers’ mailboxes and homes. It’s a valuable “in” with your customers that your competitors likely don’t have.

If you’re jumping on the direct mail bandwagon, keep in mind that design is everything. You only get one chance to make a first impression, especially when the medium you’re using is something that most consumers consider “junk mail.” So having something designed so well that it entices customers to open it is important.

At Printing Solutions, we’re here to help through every step of the Direct Mail process, from design and printing to creating a mailing list to sending your mailers out.

BONUS: 5 Common Direct Mail Mistakes Most Businesses Make

Unique Business Cards

Making sure you are visually better than your competition is especially important in the beginning of the year when you can go all out with guns blazing. With a brand-new budget, you can create a lasting impression with your business cards. Many of our clients are using foil stamping and colored-edge business cards as a way to stand out from the crowd.

We have also noticed our clients giving extra attention to the thickness of a business card. Most business cards are printed on a 16pt matte-finish card stock. Lately, however, we have been seeing clients going for a super thick card with a silk laminate finish.

BONUS: Our 3 Favorite business Cards from 2015

These changes in trending print will not only bring a more effective visual representation of your business, but it will give your company the upper hand and attract the right customers for your business.

Looking to give your company’s printing a boost? Give Printing Solutions a call at 480-596-6300 to get started.

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