Best Value Copy Blog - PRINTING TIPS

How Important Is The Paper A Design Goes On?

9/9/2014

One of the most important elements of a design has nothing to do with the design itself -- it’s the type of paper you choose. The right type of paper can greatly boost the quality of a design, and a bad choice or lack of can drag a design down into a bog of disappointment.
Have you ever been handed a floppy business card? Seriously, it happens….okay, so I made that up, but it could happen, and, if it does I sincerely apologize for poking fun at such an awkward event that you experienced. Now, back to reality where everyone prints using Best Value Copy and takes advantage of the free shipping for orders over $125 and they all lived happily ever after... Alright, fine. The truth of the matter is, whether that business card is floppy or not doesn't really matter if the card still gets its intended message across.

The right type of paper can shine without gloss or it can soak up colors with the intent of drawing out the depth of your design. This makes it imperative to choose a printing company that provides a large number of paper choices. Choosing a Printer that only offers one or two and, a default type of paper that has to be used on the bulk of all orders just doesn't cut it(printing pun). If you want a nice thick 120# kromekote cover you shouldn't settle for 20#. Your order deserves better.

When a company predetermines the type of paper available it’s because their thinking about themselves. Some customers may be more price oriented while others may just want the best quality for their design no matter the cost. Predetermining makes it easier for them to print, but it may not be the best option for you. When you’re choosing a printing company it’s important to take this into consideration. A company that gives you a recommendations of what type of paper may work best for your design and still allows you to have exactly what you want is truly priceless.

In addition, it is vital to keep in mind that some paper types simply don’t work with certain products.

0 Comments

Bad Ink = High Prices

8/10/2014

0 Comments

Alvin Thomas

Being advocates of value, we appreciate anything that can be of benefit to our customers. That’s why it’s always been a goal of ours to have the lowest prices and best quality around. Even with that, we couldn't help but notice that there are some people out there who are just paying way too much for their printing, and you know what-- it keeps me up at night.

Then again, who wouldn't toss and turn knowing that there are people out there paying 50 cents for 1 color copy when Best Value Copy offers them for 9 cents! Ahh! Don't even get me started with print shops who charge 10 cents for a single-sided b&w because "I can't even" with that!

Okay okay, that’s a topic for another day. Let me bring things back together...I know that Best Value Copy has the best prices around, but still, in all honesty, I don’t think there is a good enough reason why people should have to pay such high cost for color printing. So, perhaps just like you, I've been looking for someone to blame for these [insert negative adjective] printing costs. This is what I found in my digging...

I found the price of ink to be one of the main reasons why printing at home and with almost all brick and mortar print shops is so -- darn expensive! Still, that’s not much of an excuse.

I think it goes without say that the price of ink is out of control! Top that with the likely truth that you had to spend money on gas to go and get that ink that runs out of the colors you need just when you need them and it becomes easy to see why more and more people are starting to get their printing done with better quality online.

Websites likebestvaluecopy.comare starting to become the goto for people when they need quality printing done quickly for a price that makes you feel like you’re or

0 Comments

Request a BVC Paper Sample Book!

7/20/2014

1 Comment

Alvin Thomas

New to Best Value Copy? Love Paper Sample Books? Go to our website (www.bestvaluecopy.com) and request a paper sample book! In the middle of the page under “Next Step” of the order process you’ll find the link to request a FREE paper sample book!

They say,” seeing is believing”. While we have lots of testimonials for the quality of our product it’s still sometimes hard for new customers to believe just how good that #62 gloss is going to look and feel until they have it in their hands. We get it. That’s why we’re offering this FREE paper sample book. Sorry about the caps,that always ends up happening when I write—that word. Anyway, sometimes people just want to be able to hold something in your hands and see it for themselves before they place an order, so here’s to that! :)

Already have your BVC paper sample book? Let us know what you think. :)

1 Comment

What's So Special About Carbonless Paper?

4/8/2014

1 Comment

Alvin Thomas

Here’s an infograph that details the Carbonless Paper process:Today’s topic is Carbonless Paper!

What profession do you work in? Chances are carbonless paper can benefit you in some way or another. Helping people in professions ranging from artists to doctors; carbonless paper can be of use in the form of sketch pads, order forms,contracts, and so-on.

There are a few more-common practices for carbonless paper use, but truly the list is only limited by your imagination.

Multi-tasking!
What is it that makes carbonless paper so special when compared to other paper? How about the ability to do two things at once, or maybe even three things! That’s pretty special, but that only leads us to yet another question. What is it that makes this paper so good at making simultaneous copies? Well, that's a tough one. So, instead of writing it all out we've found some visuals that explain that process.

Check out the Infographic below:

1 Comment

Postcard Marketing

3/19/2014

0 Comments

Alvin Thomas

Postcards can be given out by hand to a random passerby or sent to someone through the mail, and that's where things get interesting.

Since the first postcard was sent in 1861, postcards have been one of the most diverse (means) of communication. Not just because you can write on the front, the back and if you want, deck the thing out with more stickers and quotes than an old Myspace profile (I just went there). More so than that, the trait of postcards that probably expresses itself the most is their mobility.

Whether they're being used to transmit fond memories on vacation, wish happy birthday to a relative states away or promote an event happening downtown next weekend, postcards are a classic way to grab someones attention on the go.

There are 3 ways postcards may be sent. They vary by speed of delivery, and along with that, costs.
First Class (44¢)- This class gets your mailer to it’s destination in only 1-3 days, for those time sensitive mailers or if you just want your mailer to get there fast.

Pre-sorted First Class, (Avg. 34¢-37¢)- This class offers a reduced cost that gives you some savings but still gets your mailer to its destination in a reasonable time, usually 3-5 days.

Pre-sorted Standard, (Avg. 24¢-26¢)- This class gives you the greatest cost-effective savings but takes the longest, usually 5-7 days. This option is perfect for the cost conscious customer that does not mind waiting a bit longer for their mailer to arrive.

What are some ways that you utilize postcards?

0 Comments

How Printing Can be Competitive in the Mobile Internet Age

1/26/2014

1 Comment

Mark Stokvis

The last decade has seen a Tsunami of mobile Internet devices that has changed the way we all live our lives and has rocked age-old industries to the core. In the modern age of smartphones and tablets, all interwoven within the giant cloud in the sky known as the Internet, it can be difficult to see how your printing business can stay competitive in the thick fog of instant information.

Where mobile devices are weak is where printing is still strong:

Print still has a lot of advantages over the mobile computing sphere. Smartphones and tablets are complicated to use and offer a blinding array of choices that often results in a customer unable to find what they need or what may be useful to them. Batteries die, signals aren’t always available and getting people to share their contact information can be like pulling-teeth.

There is no better method that your clients can use to deliver straight forward, easy to digest information, directly into the hands of their customers than a good-old-fashioned piece of paper. It’s just plain easy.

Facts are facts, we all know that web-connected mobile devices are shrinking the printing industry, but the limits of these devices, as stated above, present a market where printing is still king. Quantities are smaller and customers, in this new instant-world, expect instant turnaround times. Quick, fast, inexpensive digital printing fits perfectly with the in-hand, easy-digestible information that your clients need for their customers.

Whether you are an Offset printer that may have a low-end digital machine to stay competitive or a small digital printer that can’t compete with the speed or quality of competitors in your area, finding a digital printing partner can keep you at the top of your game.

Speed
Digital is fast and customers these days don’t want to wait a second longer for their orders. Outsource those digital orders to a supplier with the top equipment so you can deliver a quality product fast.

Quality
The difficulty in maintaining digital machines and the size and expense of acquiring ones that can deliver the quality your clients demand can be a real headache. Outsourcing these orders to a digital printing partner helps you deliver the quality your clients want.

Volume
Every printer has times when there is a flurry of orders that seem to pile on all at once. Having a digital printing partner to expand your capacity can help you reach those deadlines for your clients. During crunch-time this can be a real stress reliever.

Trade-Protected
Just as any business would, printers want to protect their clientele. Knowing your digital printing partner will never attempt to undercut you and directly sell to your clients is an absolute must. Look for trade-protected language so you can be rest easy.

More Options
It is impossible to stock every type of paper, binding, folding option and so on. A digital printing partner can pick up where your options leave off so you can still provide you client with the options they desire.

Staying competitive in this cloud-to-hand world may be challenging but with a good digital printing partner that expands your capacity, speed and quality, you can tell your clients of the new opportunities you now provide that can help them reach prosperity.

1 Comment

7 Things Successful People Do Off The Clock

1/8/2014

0 Comments

Have you ever had the thought, ‘how can I be more successful?’ I know I have, and finding answers to that question is hardly ever easy. So, what do I do? I do something that Best Value Copy does best, I sincerely flatter others that are already successful, or, in layman's terms, I copy.

For Best Value Copy, copying means bringing someone’s design to life, but for those seeking to become more successful it means to follow the other guy.

Of course, by copying/following the other guy I don’t mean you should go out and mimic your competitors or jump off of a bridge just because the rest of the office is doing it. No, there are things that are far healthier than stifling your own creativity and terminally stunting your health in an instant.

The first thing you should do is focus on your target goal and really pay attention. What do we see when you watch someone who is more successful than you? Lots of smiling, designer clothes, more friends? If your thoughts stopped here, you're missing the bigger picture. What do you really see them doing? They may be living a completely different lifestyle than someone else who is less successful than them -- namely you. This different lifestyle doesn't stem from them having more money or power, it’s more about the choices they make when they’re off the clock. That's how they got where they are now.

So, take your mind out of the office for a moment and ask yourself if you do any of these 7 things successful people do when they're off the clock.

7 Tips of the Successful:

1. Leave Your Desk

Successful people don’t have time for desks! But you have deadlines, emails and post-it notes to attend to right? True, all of those things may be important, but so is your state of mind. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed or like you could use a change of scenery, don’t just rock back in your chair until you build-up the will to waywardly carry-on and cry no more. Get up from your chair and leave that desk! Sometimes just standing up is all it takes to feel refreshed. Think of that feeling you get when you first stand up after a 3 hour movie -- feels good right?

2. Socialize

Successful people go out and socialize. Don’t be one of those people who swears by the “work comes before my social life” model. It's true, your work is important, but so is socializing. You don't have to be an advocate of inner office anarchy to rally a few troops for lunch or a drink. Step-out of your comfort zone on occasion and mingle with friends and colleagues. Network!

3. Eat Healthy, But Don't Overeat

Remember when you were a kid and your parents treated eating your vegetables like a entry requirement for college? Well, it seems successful people have kind of taken that lesson to heart. Chances are if you're successful, you eat healthy. Try adding some healthy meals to your eating habits. Also, don’t over eat! Overeating isn't just unhealthy in terms of gaining weight, it also makes your body produce more insulin which causes that drowsy feeling that often leads to the dreaded food coma. That’s a challenge that no one wants to accept after a lunch break.

4. Exercise

Successful people find time in their schedule to feel the burn. Join a sports league, hit the gym, go for a run, just be active. Not only is exercising good for your health, it’s also a great time for new ideas. Clear your mind and let yourself be inspired.

5. Read

Do you read on your lunch break? Successful people do. Reading might not seem like the most appealing thing to do after going through countless emails in your morning hours, but there’s something special about reading during your breaks. It doesn't have to be a business publication, just find something that interests you and let your mind be entertained.

6. Reflect

Take some time to relax and reflect on your week. There’s no one way to do this, so be as creative as you like. The important thing is that you put some time aside and actually do it. Tune-out your friends, spouse, and any matters that you consider pressing at the moment. This is your half hour of reflection. Own it!

7. Keep learning

The successful haven't stopped at the college degree and entry into the workforce, learning is a way of life for them, and it should be for you too.
"Just keep swimming."-Finding Nemo

So, there you have it, and knowing is half the battle -- feeling any more successful yet? Maybe give it a few a days, Google wasn't built overnight.

What constructive things do you do off the clock?

0 Comments

National Print Day!

10/20/2013

0 Comments

Alvin Thomas

Happy National Print Day!

National Print Day is held on the 4th Tuesday of October each year. This a day when we take a moment to reflect on all the positives in the printing industry.

Were you just reflecting? Good, many of us use printing for business,education,events, promotions, parties, etc.,and often times, we’re made to feel guilty about our love and consumption of paper.

But, contrary to what was once popular belief, paper is not bad for the environment! It doesn't destroy forests and it doesn't consume large amounts of energy, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Paper is one of the most sustainable products on the Earth! Besides it being a recyclable, it’s made from a natural resource that’s renewable! I know, crazy right? Combine that with the advocacy efforts of the U.S. paper industry along with responsible forestry practices, increases in paper-making technology and the use of renewable, carbon-neutral biofuels and you’re left with an industry that’s just as sustainable as its premiere product!

Did you know that this day of celebration was almost abolished by a Toshiba campaign? In 2012 Toshiba and their mascot for National No-Print Day, “Tree Birch,” tried to put an end to printing on this wonderful day. Thankfully the campaign was a flop (they probably didn't hand out enough flyers) and National Print Day was here to stay!

For more information on National Print Day and some of the Myths associated with printing click the links below. :)
www.nationalprintday.org

http://www.twosides.us/mythsandfacts

0 Comments

Best Value Copy announces BVC Blog Growth

10/6/2013

0 Comments

Mark Stokvis

With so much going on in the world of business, we all could use some advice and guides to steer us through this rapidly changing World.

With technological advancements, tax codes a GPS couldn't find, a web of choices and the dawning world of the Internet, it’s no mystery why we all need a trusted source. It is an inherent human condition to seek out a credible source that is willing, to offer freely, valuable data to collaborate, advise, inform and illuminate the murky waters of today's business landscape. We are often perplexed with a litany of complex issues swirling around our business. Never the less, this is what faces all of us. One infinite source of collective knowledge is the Internet itself. Whatever your challenges are, whether it is financial, marketing, labor, costs or just about any problem you can think of, finding an answer you can believe in can be a greater challenge than the answer itself.

For this very reason, the folks at Best Value Copy intend to share what we have learned with our customers, their friends or just plain anybody that is interested. A daunting task, maybe so, but one I feel is necessary and virtuous. After all we have benefited from other people's advice, why shouldn't we offer the same in kind.

So what is this all about? We intend to collect and grow a database of strictly quality information that anybody, whatever they do, can learn, grow, master and influence themselves and the world around them. A universal knowledge sharing base that promotes prosperity for those willing to reach out and hold the reigns of progress.

Ok. With the preachy pontificating out of the way, you may ask, "knowledge base? Exactly what do you mean?" As plainly stated, in what I consider personally to be one of the most reliable sources of information on the web, Wikipedia, this article* describes a knowledge base as "Knowledge Sharing is an activity through which knowledge (i.e., information, skills, or expertise) is exchanged among people, friends, families, communities (e.g., Wikipedia), or organizations." Can't argue with a well cited Wikipedia article! Our intention is exactly that. We intend to seek out knowledge and share it among anyone with the drive and determination to succeed in their endeavors. If we don't personally possess the obligatory information we will actively inquire, hunt and scour the world to bring the illumination to the information we all seek.

We hope that we can provide a substantive supply of information that is valuable and worthwhile for all those who help cultivate and aggrandize such an undertaking. Please keep your eyes out for the ceaseless buildup of useful articles and guides that just make sense.

.*This quote was taken from Wikipedia, a non-profit organization that is inflexibly focused on verifiable and honest information and when it is not they clearly state so. Please donate to this free, open-source, informational site dedicated to providing us all with quality enlightenment.

0 Comments

Overwhelming Options for Color Copies

10/3/2013

3 Comments

Mark Stokvis

Color copies or color printing, whatever term you use it can be overwhelming navigating the plethora of choices one is presented with when surfing the web.
Will the quality be good? Will the price be affordable? Will the turnaround be fast? How can I know?

With so many questions about color copies where do you start? Its a mess of parameters can can be eternally confusing to anybody but a trained expert in the field. Hopefully this article can answer at least some questions about ordering color copies and give the average buyer of online printing a bit more education on how it all works.

First things first, quality. This is the perpetual fear of anybody ordering printing either online or in a old brick-and-mortar shop. Everyone will most certainly be biting their nails waiting for that first look at their printing order hoping that it is something you can present to your customer, colleague or perhaps the worse...your boss. So what should you consider when ordering color printing?

Quality - One of the biggest problems with color copy quality start with the quality of your file.

PDF conversion - If your file is not in PDF form already make sure you use a quality conversion program. The free versions are only good for simple B&W text orders. To get quality color make sure you use a program like Adobe Acrobat or Nitro PDF (cheaper than adobe but still great) and make sure you choose the "Print Ready" option.
Your Screen - Monitors can have very different color ranges just like the TVs on display at the local electronic stores. Printers often have a broader color spectrum. Try and look at your file on a different monitor or get a sample or small order to begin with to see if the colors are exactly what you want.
Equipment - So now that your file is ready and you checked it on another monitor the final thing is the quality of the machine. Many companies don't disclose what machines they use. This can be scary as you dream up a garage with a 20 year old office copier run by a steam engine or not having confidence in that teenager with the after school job talking on the phone with his girlfriend at the local office supply chain. What machines do they use for color printing? Do they tell you anything about quality of those machines?

Price - Prices, Prices, Prices. How can you get a good deal on your color printing?

Misleading prices - Watch out for those price tricks that waste your time where a company advertises a low price but that price only applies to very specific orders that have nothing to do with your order. Finding straight forward pricing so you know what your getting is better.
Setup fees - A real pet peeve of mine where they charge you just for wanting to be a customer! When you order a sandwich from a local shop do they charge you a fee just for having to put your sandwich together? No and neither should your color copies printer.

Turnaround - How long will it take to for my order to reach me?

Average print times - Does the printer disclose how long it takes for most orders to be printed? Many won't tell you easily because they can't get the orders done quickly. Also beware that if your order is complicated with lots of variations or extensive binding it may take longer than most orders.
Rush charges - Because many printers gang-up color printing orders to lower their costs it slows down turnaround time on your order. They then try to charge you an extra fee if you want your order faster.
Shipping time - Remember now matter how fast a printer produces your color copies order it can only reach you as fast as the shipping speed you chose. Many times ground shipping can be 1 or 2 days already. A good printer should show you this map on their site is the FAQ or help section. Another thing to consider is ground shipping times estimated and are not guaranteed like 1 or 2 day shipping.

Whether you call it color copies or color printing stick to these guidelines and your customers, colleague or that pesky boss should be very satisfied. Good luck!

3 Comments

<<Previous

PRINTING TIPS AND INFORMATION
FROM BEST VALUE COPY

How Important Is The Paper A Design Goes On?

Bad Ink = High Prices

Request a BVC Paper Sample Book!

What's So Special About Carbonless Paper?

Postcard Marketing

How Printing Can be Competitive in the Mobile Internet Age

7 Things Successful People Do Off The Clock

National Print Day!

Best Value Copy announces BVC Blog Growth

Overwhelming Options for Color Copies

Archives

Categories

PRINTING TIPS AND INFORMATIONFROM BEST VALUE COPY

Archives

Categories

PRINTING TIPS AND INFORMATION
FROM BEST VALUE COPY