Our free proof checks are thorough and detailed and give extra peace-of-mind to customers who send their files to print. But before you send your files to us, here’s a preflighting checklist with guides and printing tips to help you ensure print accuracy.

(Note: before you start your design, we strongly advise that you download one of our standard templates, folded templates, or large format templates to ensure correct bleed, resolution, and file set-up)

The Correct Bleed Setting

Your bleed should extend 1/8″ past the page boundary. Adding a bleed alters the total size of your file so that a 6”x9” flyer should actually measure 6.127” x 9.127”. You have to allow for bleed every time you design a document for print. A good tip is to add guides to your document so that you are constantly aware of where your print boundaries are.

Set up document guides 1/8th inch on the outside of your document size

The Correct Resolution, Color Set-up and Color Mode

Unless you’re printing a big banner, large window cling, or something custom in a particularly large format, your resolution should be set to 300dpi.  It is also important to note that cutting, pasting, and resizing files from the internet into your 300dpi document won’t magically turn them into high resolution 300dpi images. You should be using high-resolution images for all your print work to achieve the best results.

CMYK is for print, RGB is for web. This is something you should always be aware of when setting up your files in programs such as Photoshop or exporting files in different formats from Illustrator and InDesign. I don’t recommend it, but some designers prefer to design in RGB profile as it allows for the most flexibility in image editing. However, make sure you flatten and convert these files to CMYK before they are used in the final version you are sending to print.

Set your color mode as above

Your color profile is something that is often overlooked by designers but is important for optimum color output. It’s also something that you have to adjust in your personal software and is not a transferable setting.  For printing to NextDayFlyers, set up your color settings in Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign as “CMYK: U.S. Sheetfed Coated v2”.

Go to Edit>Color Settings in Photoshop and Edit>Assign Profile in Illustrator to change your settings

Crop Layered Files

If you’re uploading layered files such as .psd and .ai files for print, you should remove any extraneous elements from the pasteboard by cropping your image to your full-bleed file size (this is also an essential step when prepping files for exporting in different formats)

Link Embed

When creating multi-page documents in software programs such as InDesign, you will need to either provide all the linked image files in a zipped package of linked documents, or ensure that all your images are embedded within the document. If you don’t include your images with your packaged file when it goes to print, you won’t have any of those linked images in the final work.

Go to your link menu in InDesign to embed your images

Flatten Your Fonts

With InDesign files, we ask that you include all your font files with your order. When sending Photoshop and Illustrator files, you need to flatten your font layers (before flattening your font layers, make sure you save a version with editable fonts in case you need to edit at a later date.)

Final Checks

These two checks could save you from some awful print nightmares:

• Check the spelling and grammar of your document. Get someone else to check it, if you’re not a confident speller or you need extra reassurance (note: NextDayFlyers cannot be held responsible for any spelling or grammatical errors – make double-sure you get it right!)
• Back up your files on your hard drive or other media. It’s easy to forget and it may save you from a world of horror down the road.

File Types

Before uploading or sending to NextDayFlyers for proof or print, here are examples of file types that we accept:

postcardfront.pdf

postcardfront.psd

postcardfront.ai

postcardfront.indd

postcardfront.jpeg

postcardfront.tiff

Get Free Proofing

To make sure that you have all these print requirements covered, send us your file for proofing before you print. The service is free and gives you the comfort of knowing that an expert is looking at your files and making sure that you have optimized them for print production.

Our 15-point pre-press checks include the following:

• Resolution review
• Size verification
• Bleed verification
• Safety review
• Human verification of artwork matching the order specs
• Color mode review – evaluate for major color shift
• Check for white overprint
• For orders requiring post-press work: verify scores, die-cuts, folding, and mailing clearance
• Preflight press ready files and final human inspection
• Electronic verification of the files submitted to next work area
• Electronic preflight checks: fonts, vector images, raster images, resolution, and color modes
• InRip trapping for optimal print registration
• Human verified order specifications
• Human inspected order output
• Human inspected order plating

Contact Us

If you have specific needs such as Pantone matching or you are not sure of how something will print,  you always have the option of speaking to us personally.  Let us know exactly what you want to accomplish with your printed work and we can make sure that everything is correct. Contact us at 800-251-9948 or go to NextDayFlyers.com for online help.

Fonts used:

Basica  - http://www.dafont.com/basica-oxcer.font

Century Gothic - http://www.911fonts.com/font/download_CenturyGothicRegular_4365.htm

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Fonts used:

Techno Hideo - http://www.dafont.com/techno-hideo.font

Dubtronic - http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/Dubtronic

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Fonts used:

Deftone Stylus - http://www.dafont.com/deftone-stylus.font

Rainfall - http://www.dafont.com/rainfall.font

Myriad Pro - http://www.cufonfonts.com/en/font/492/

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A Jimmy Changas interior  - one of Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen’s successful restaurant brands

Growing Business Needs

Prior to contacting NextDayFlyers, Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen was struggling to cope with their growing print demands. When they first made contact with NextDayFlyers, they were in great need of a print company that could deliver quality menus, table tents, flyers, and custom print products. As Heather told us:

“The challenge we faced was that we had grown and although we had our own in-house design team with a  high-end graphic printer, there was no way we could output what we needed to without putting serious wear and tear on our printer.”

Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen needed their print products fast and did not want to go through what Heather describes as the “jumping through the hoops” mentality of most print companies that expect clients to constantly sign-off on color and quality with a multitude of different image/design specifications. This slow process doesn’t work for a fast-moving company.

They needed a print company that could turnaround in-house designed products quickly, while providing  the right kinds of products to match their creative ideas. They were looking for custom treatment and provision of custom print products that would allow them to be creative with their marketing strategies and reactive to their seasonal promotional needs. When it came to time-sensitive materials such as Mother’s Day menus, Cinco de Mayo promotions, and special customer events, they required a company that could provide a 24-hour turnaround window.

Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen was looking for a company that could provide them with the custom print products they needed to promote their product and brand.

Finding the Right Approach

When Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen contacted us, we wanted to provide them with a service that was personalized and responsive to their needs. Our business relationship with their company reflected their growing business need for a more intuitive print service that they had not received from other print shops. As well as providing them with better pricing, faster turnaround, last minute printing and custom items, we also wanted to ensure that their specific product and quality demands were met.

For some time, we had been developing a Customer Management Program that was designed to provide top clients with a service that was personal to their custom print needs. Using this approach, we would provider Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen with the personal service they were looking for.

Working in Partnership

When Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen first contacted us they were immediately impressed with NextDayFlyers’ quick turnaround of products. Heather told us that we provided a fast online service that they hadn’t experienced with other print companies:

“It was a relationship where everything was online and it was such a quick process in comparison to local printers in the Houston area – all the red tape we had to go through versus the quick online system and turnaround was such an expedited solution for us.”

What we also offered was a flexible service for their time sensitive promotions and planned promotions. As Heather explained:

“We have things like in-house or grassroots style promotions that require a twenty-four hour turnaround but also know we can have our items turned around within four days or forty-eight hours without the high delivery cost.”

In addition to quick turnaround, we also delivered a personalized service that reacted quickly to their company print needs for custom prints and products. Heather said:

“We’ve worked with a couple of different sales reps and there’s never been a doubt on our end when we thought NextDayFlyers couldn’t handle our needs. No matter what, they  figure it out for us – it gives us a great sense of confidence knowing that regardless of the project or idea we come up with, we know that you guys can turn it around.”

Selection of non-standard custom products printed by NextDayFlyers for the Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen brand.

Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen had a particular need for non-standard sizes of take-out menus, table tents, and other custom products. Our personalized service ensured that they could get these products very easily through their personal account manager. Heather talked to us about this unique print partnership:

“We’ve been dealing with Alver and he’s amazingly quick and expedites everything so smoothly for us – especially when it comes to ordering  custom items which is ninety-nine percent of what we do. Having this personal service allows us to meet our deadlines and work within our budget.”

The Personalized Difference

By providing a highly personalized service for printing their non-standard products, Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen has been able to quickly realize their marketing concepts. Being able to instantly react to the market and get their promotions out fast, easily, and on budget is something that works for their business.

Our single point of contact means less time spent negotiating with multiple print vendors and represents a single point-of-call for product and price negotiation.  In providing a personal account manager that they trust to supply them with quality prints when they need them, they have been presented with a more effective solution for their growing business. As Heather described:

“It feels like using NextDayFlyers has been like having our own press in-house.”

Having NextDayFlyers as a print partner has enabled Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen to get their promotions out quickly and succesfully.

To learn more about Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen and the products and services they offer, go to: http://www.gringostexmex.com

To learn more about Jimmy Changas and the products and services they offer, go to: http://www.freshmexfun.com

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Copy & Paste This Infographic to Your Blog (Graphic Provided by NextDayFlyers.com)

<a href="http://www.nextdayflyers.com/printing/" target="_blank"><img src="http://blog.nextdayflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/substrate-guide3.jpg" alt="substrate guide infographic" width="520" height="2746" border="0" align="middle" /></a> ]]> http://blog.nextdayflyers.com/types-of-paper-infographic-guide-to-substates/feed/ 0 http://blog.nextdayflyers.com/free-wedding-menu-design-photoshop-templates/ http://blog.nextdayflyers.com/free-wedding-menu-design-photoshop-templates/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:30:24 +0000 ben http://blog.nextdayflyers.com/?p=70343 Are you planning your wedding?  Or maybe you’re the owner of an event company who’s planning someone else’s wedding?  Either way, here are some fantastically useful free Photoshop template resources for full page menus to add your own photos and copy to. These layered files represent a traditional and modern design approach to suit your own wedding needs. Click on the download links to get these cool menu designs.

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Copy & Paste This Infographic to Your Blog (Graphic Provided by NextDayFlyers.com)

<a href="http://www.nextdayflyers.com/printing/" target="_blank"><img src="http://blog.nextdayflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/EDDM_INFOGRAPHIC.jpg" alt="EDDM vs Traditional Mail Services Infographic by NextDayFlyers.com" width="520" height="3471" border="0" align="middle" /></a> ]]> http://blog.nextdayflyers.com/eddm-every-door-direct-mail-or-traditional-mail-services-infographic/feed/ 0 http://blog.nextdayflyers.com/real-estate-marketing-tips-for-the-hot-sellers-market/ http://blog.nextdayflyers.com/real-estate-marketing-tips-for-the-hot-sellers-market/#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:51:53 +0000 Danielle Directo-Meston http://blog.nextdayflyers.com/?p=70124 After the housing bubble burst in 2008, many realtors found themselves in hard times. Foreclosures, decreased home values, and an unstable job market prompted many people to reconsider whether they should buy or sell their homes. What was a realtor to do?

But five years later, confidence in the housing market is coming back. Take L.A. and Orange County areas as examples: although housing inventories are relatively low, the demand for homes are running high. And home prices around the country have been on a steady increase. If you’re a realtor, it’s the perfect time to seize the opportunity and make sure all your marketing materials are in tip-top shape.

Here are ways to give your real estate advertising a boost while the market is hot.

Out with the Old, In with the New – Revamp Your Branding

A renewed market is your chance to give all your marketing materials a fresh look. Consider a design re-brand to show your current clients that you’re ready for the changing times! An up-to-date design is also a great way to appeal to prospects who want a realtor who is in-touch.

Take a look at your realtor business cards, sell sheets, brochures, letterhead, and other real estate advertising materials. Does the design look outdated? Is your headshot from five years ago? If so, it’s fairly easy to modernize your design simply by using more contemporary colors, fonts, and a new picture of yourself. You don’t necessarily need to do a complete overhaul on your branding. Just a few simple new touches will be enough for people to notice – and enough to show you can easily switch gears when needed.

Need a new design? Check out out our free real estate templates for business cards, realtor logo template, and corporate identity template for realtors.

Reach Out to Prospects with Direct Mail Postcards

You probably know postcard campaigns are the most affordable and effective ways to get business. So why not raise awareness for your services now, while consumer confidence is high?

Send postcards using Every Door Direct Mail and target nearby neighborhoods within a five-mile radius. Direct mail postcards really work because you can send them to every mailbox, and nearly everyone reads their mail. For example, just sold postcards are an easy way to show prospects why it’s a great time to buy or sell. Think about the people who are hesitant to sell their home after a rocky economy.  Maybe they need just a little confidence from a real estate expert that now’s their best opportunity to sell above their asking price. But how will they know, unless you reach out to them?

Send Customers and Prospects a Neighborhood Newsletter

One of the best ways to establish yourself as your area’s leading realtor is by showing people you know your community. A neighborhood newsletter is the perfect way to keep in touch with your clients and show prospects you have valuable local information!

In your newsletter, include local news, helpful articles for homeowners, a listing of events, recipes – anything you think people in your community will find useful. Consider adding success stories of your clients: who have you recently helped to find a new home? Whose homes have you sold above the asking price? People love to know! Don’t forget to include your listings, too. And if you’ve got space, consider including photos of your community’s popular spots.

Update Your Presentation Folders and Sell Sheets

Has your neighborhood changed over the last few years? Are median home prices different than they were three years ago? You’ll want to make sure your presentation folders and sales materials are all up-to-date. Consider updating these common realtor materials:

• Mortgage applications
• Contracts
• Disclosure statements
• Info sheets on neighborhood statistics and demographics
• Homeseller/homebuyer checklists
• Business listings of local cleaners, inspectors, and repair services

Additionally, be sure your presentation folders are consistent with the design and branding of your other materials. And keep in mind, your clients may keep these folders for reference, so consider getting them printed on quality, long-lasting materials.

Bonus Tip: Don’t forget to share your success with your fellow small business owners! Contact local restaurants, shops, landscaping companies, repair service providers, and other businesses and ask if they have any coupons or gift certificates they’d like to offer to your clients. If you send customers their way, they may return the favor!

The following ideas are a shortlist of some fresh and original marketing strategies to appeal to family members who plan to take mom out to dinner or buy them Mother’s Day flowers on this special day.

Mothers Day at the Restaurant

The Mother’s Day Menu

It’s one of the most popular restaurant days in the yearly calendar and should be given the appropriate importance for business owners who want to make the most of this opportunity. Providing a special experience brings customers in and keeps them coming back for Mother’s Day every year! Here are a few ways to make Mother’s Day an attractive event:

Special Mother’s Day Restaurant Menu

Creating a special menu for Mother’s Day is the most popular way to differentiate your restaurant from the rest. A special brunch menu or a set menu that is designed specifically for mom’s tastebuds is a sure-fire winner.

Below is an example of a brunch menu ad by the Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco that was placed on their website months before the event. Their unique menu was created specifically to appeal to mom’s taste.

Original source: http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/

Advertising your menu on your Facebook page, website, or even creating specific online targeted banners and ads prior to the event, is a fantastic way to get your restaurant packed on Mother’s Day. It’s important that you beat other restaurants to the punch by getting your menu seen early by the most patrons. Another great idea for connecting with customers prior to Mother’s Day is by targeting local households with a menu advertisement or flyer for the special occasion. Plan to send them at least a week before May 12^th.

And if you’re wondering what to include in your menu, below is a great example of a menu by the Boathouse in South Carolina that suits the taste of mothers to a tee:

Original source: http://boathouserestaurants.bluekeyinc.com

Complimentary Offers

Mom should get special treatment on Mother’s Day. Create promotions that promise to give mothers a unique experience. Plan and execute these original ideas at  your event and advertise them on all your marketing items:

• Provide flowers as mom walks through the restaurant door
• Provide complimentary drinks
• Giveaway an extra-special and extra-chocolaty dessert
• Provide special chef’s tastings with wine pairings

Special offers such as these are an effective way to get families to choose your restaurant. Make sure you advertise these features across all print, web, and social platforms weeks in advance. It’s also a good idea to advertise your menu and special offers on banners, posters, and other large format print products that will get seen inside and outside your restaurant.

Live Music

The promise of live music is always a good draw on Mother’s Day. Restaurants that provide a beautiful ambience with live jazz music, mariachi bands, pianists, violinists, or orchestral bands are offering a complete experience. Families are looking for that special moment. You can offer the opportunity to catch that memorable moment through the power of beautiful music.  Give full details of your musical act on all your marketing materials.

Florist Promotion for Mother’s Day

Mothers Day is the second biggest day of the year for florists. As a business owner, you need to make your store stand out as the purveyor of the most amazing bouquets that will make mom weep with joy!  With both web and print, you can get your store noticed.

Web for Flowers

Florists are relying more and more on social media with Pinterest and Facebook being particular targets for showing off your bouquets and spreading your promotional content.  Here are a few ways to get the most from the web prior to Mother’s Day:

Florist Pinning & Facebooking

Create a Mother’s Day pinboard on Pinterest with arts crafts and other materials to bring people to your board and generate interest in your store.  Create similar content for Facebook and post regularly to keep consumers thinking about the holiday and to encourage gift bouquet ideas.

The image below from TCU Florists in Dallas is the perfect example of a Pinterest board that is generating both related and unrelated Mother’s Day content but undoubtedly generating interest in the store for Mother’s Day:

Original source: http://pinterest.com/TCUFlorist/tcu-florist-mother-s-day/

Post pictures of your most fantastic arrangements on a regular basis on Facebook and Pinterest. Reserve your best photos to be uploaded at least once a day in the weeks before the event.  Post both your expensive and inexpensive arrangements to attract all customer types.

Special Site Content

Create special content for mothers on your website weeks in advance of Mother’s Day to get eyes on your site.  The UK website below, for instance, created a page with quotes about mothers and Mother’s Day that is sweet and sentimental – distinguishing it from other florist sites.  The success of webpages and content is dependent on you putting in the time and taking the chance on it being indexed, pinned, followed, or shared.

Original source: http://www.seasonsflowers.co.uk/index/mothers-day

Special Bouquets for Mom

Create special price-points for different family members to make your bouquets more individually targeted. For example, a great idea would be to create a “Kids Bouquet for Mom” or a “Daughters Special Bouquet for Mom.” Branding your bouquets in this manner is a fantastic way to make your bouquets appear that little bit more special.

You could even offer special “Kid Pickers” events where kids are encouraged to pick and create their own mom bouquets in your store for a set price. Make the whole experience more personalized.

Put Your Offers in Print

Special events and offers need the right amount of coverage. If you have the budget, you should consider pushing out as many local flyers and mailers as possible before Mothers Day. Offer extra-incentive such as a 2-for-1 family bouquet discounts. By offering a decent discount, you are  providing a better reason for people  to choose your store.You should also utilize banners and other large format items to remind people of the special date.  Half the battle with Mother’s Day marketing is getting people to remember this date and associating your business with this same date.

A big and colorful banner to bring in custom

Another great way to bring customers into your store is through coupons and other special offer items. A mailer with a special offer that promises great savings to the user is a tried-and-tested strategy to bring people into your store.

Send a special pop-out coupon mailer to bring customers to your florists

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