You gotta love print and design!

It’s Christmaaaaaaas!

2014-12-12T10:50:00.000+00:00

A big fat Christmassy THANK YOU to all our customers for the work you have put our way in 2014. We must have been on Santa’s ‘nice’ list as it has certainly been a busy year, and we have been absolutely loving it!

If you haven’t been in to the Apple Print office recently, do come along and see our fabulous Christmassy banner in reception. Who needs a Christmas tree when you can pop up one like this in seconds? Maybe it’s something you might like to consider for next year, so why not put it in your diary now to get yours ordered in plenty of time for Christmas 2015?

In the lead up to Christmas we have been working on some lovely projects on all fronts: creative design, printing, marketing, social media and web design.

The creative design team have enjoyed working with the print room team on some intricate designs, including one that involved a ‘sales predator’ which included scary claw marks and glowing eyes! We’re always up for a challenge – so any wild ideas you want to try out, bring it on!

They have also been excited to be working on a new-look full time course guide for Newbury College, who have been thrilled at how well it has been received. The design has really stepped up a notch this year, making it very appealing to a youthful market.

Lots of clients still like to send traditional Christmas cards, and we were delighted to print 94,000 for one client alone. As well as Christmas cards, we have been preparing our own Apple Print Christmas packs of desk pads, note pads, telephone message pads and calendars and this year they all fit together to look like a desk-top jigsaw. Clever and useful, even if we say so ourselves! (Give us a shout if you’d like one.)

We had great fun doing a website to advertise the ‘Get the Guy’ dating seminar which took place at the O2. Amongst others websites, early in the new year we are looking forward to working on one for our friends at the Volunteer Centre and Visit Newbury, and we are even hoping to find time to do a new website for ourselves too, so keep a look out for that.

Our social media activity has gone tweeting mad and continues to go from strength to strength – so much so that our social media queen, Caroline Digby, is looking forward to recruiting a social media prince or princess to assist her in 2015.

It’s been a busy year and we look forward to 2015 being even busier – please do join us on the journey! In the meantime ….

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Creative Studio update

2014-09-22T10:16:00.002+01:00

Creative Studio update:

Here in the studio we thought it was time for an update on what we've been up to this month. So here is the first of - hopefully - many monthly updates on what Apple Print & Creative have been up to.

Wickery copse
We've been designing some lovely business cards for an up and coming business. Working with CC Marketing we developed a logo and business card for Lucas Luczak, owner of a high quality wicker business selling handmade woven picnic baskets etc. His business card needed to reflect the traditional style of his work along with a natural feel. We used a natural colour palette with an intricate pattern in the background to achieved this feel.

BCMS seminar books and slip case
For this project we were asked to redesign the material presented at BCMS seminars. The brief was to produce two books that reflected the business focused content in a more contemporary style that would appeal to the audience. The black and white photography gave the covers a modern feel whilst also reflecting the aspirational feel also needed. We're really happy with the way the books and slip case have turned out and have gone down well with both the clients and their audiences.

Cricketts mailer

Mailers are still a very effective form of marketing, that is why, for this Cricketts mailer we came up with a conceptual design that plays with the idea of a Cricketts family tree. It is important to keep the brand of the client whilst trying to develop a campaign concept, thus the colours here work well to showcase that. Further to the tree illustration we have also developed a simple but fun illustrative map of Newbury town centre area to go on the back of the mailer. This has been an exciting project for the studio as we had the freedom to pitch our creative concepts to Cricketts and then choose the best one for further development.

Kennet School diaries
Here's one we've done a few times over the
years, but it's still a job that requires extreme attention from the studio and a keen eye for detail. Each year we produce the school diaries for a number of local schools, each with their own design. Shown below are the Kennet School diaries for whom we produce the House, GCSE and sixth form diaries. With each "house" having a different colour and a number of different sections it's vital to pay attention to everything! For Kennet School we also produce individually named covers, so every pupil gets their own diary. This is not only a big job for the studio, but for the whole team.

Newbury Youth Festival
We love the energy and idea behind the Newbury youth festival and once again we are proud to have sponsored them. The programme for this included details of all contributors, sponsors, various advertising as well as a schedule for the day with further information about specific artists such as headliner Hatty Keane. It is always hard when a lot of people are involved in bringing one design and print job together, however everything came together and we were able to produce a fantastic programme for the day. We enjoyed how fun and exciting it was to know that we are part of something great, and it was an honour to represent everyone who participated.

If you need some help with the design of a new project, or are looking for a whole new re-brand...our designers are waiting to help! Give us a call on 01635 521654 or send us the details for a call back.

Poster Wednesday Reminiscing

2014-08-20T15:32:00.002+01:00

Think of your favourite movie quote. Now imagine it as a poster hanging in your living room. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Gordon Reid - editor of Middle Boop Mag, did just that, he created bold type-focused posters depicting some legendary movie quotes. And he did it in a way that is interesting and colourful whilst incorporating subtle references in the graphics making it more than just another designed quote poster. A refreshingly bold way of remembering some of the best quotes from our favourite movies. His works can he seen on his website here.

His series kicked off on a tour in the US at the Bottleneck Gallery on August 8th making its way to the Hero Complex Gallery in LA on September 26th and last but not least to Toronto with date and location to be confirmed.

The prints can be bought over at Big Cartel at £40 for a random 3 print bundle.

My favourite one from those is the Jurassic Park 'Life finds a way', but in general my favourite movie quote is from the movie Fight Club (1999):

'The things you used to own, now they own you.'

Here is my quick poster interpretation of the quote.

This Behance portfolio also showcases some awesomely executed Fight Club typographic posters.

It is interesting to see how Patrick Daley manipulates typography and space to bring across a more illustrated interpretation of the quotes.

Another worthy mention goes to this series by Jerod Gibson with various quotes or dialogues from the movies contained with recognisable and related objects, I vote for the Pulp Fiction Tarantino one as my favourite.

Now that I have found all my favourites online it is time to go on a quote hunt to find out what the rest of the team here at Apple Print & Creative has to say:

Mark

'Run! Go! Get to the chopper!

- Pedator 1 (1987)

John H

'Frankly dear I don't give a damn!'

- Gone with the wind (1939)

James

'I ain't got time to bleed!'

- Pedator 1 (1987)

Rita

'Play it again Sam'

- Casablanca (1942)

Neil

'Go ahead make my day.'

- Sudden Impact (1983)

Spencer

'Hulk Smash!'

- The Avengers (2012)

Jason

'Doth mother, know you weareth her drapes.'

- The Avengers (2012)

Caroline

'That doesn't make sense to me. But then, you are very small. Perhaps you're right.'

- LOTR: The Two Towers (2002)

'Johnny 5 is alive!'

- Short Circuit (1986)

Andrew

'This is my boomstick'

- Army of Darkness (1992)

What is your favourite movie quote? Get in touch and tell us now!

Alina

Near Field Communication - What is it?

2014-07-18T12:19:00.000+01:00

You’re probably aware that these day we can make contactless payments. Well that’s not the only thing we can do contactless…ly!

Welcome to Near Field Communication (NFC) - a Wifi-lite technology, not disimilar to Bluetooth, that could already be in your smartphone.

The technology behind it is actually quite simple, it’s a short range, low power wireless link evolved from radio frequency identification which passes information from one device to the another when held a short distance apart.

NFC is the next step towards a world with a “digital wallet”. With banks and retailers embracing the technology. Most smartphones are built with NFC technology and just by touching your phone on an NFC ‘tag’ you can pay for your good – it simply takes payment through an app on your phone.

We recently harnessed this technology to bring a successful event companies entry system into the technological era! The event was for a well-known car manufacturer who like everything to be slick and futuristic. So we produced a modern entry system for checking their guests in to the event.

Rather than your old fashioned clipboard and guest list, which let's be honest is a bit out-dated these days when most of our lives revolve around the digital world, they wanted something more 21^st Century!

We set about creating an app which could use Near Field Communication technology to register each guest as “checked-in” when they arrive at the event.

Each guest was given a wristband before the event, which house a tiny NFC tag. When they arrived, they simply swiped the wristband on one of the entry tablets - all NFC enabled (a Google Nexus was our tablet of choice…others are available!), which recognises the NFC tag within their band, checked them in and even sent them a text message with details of their table number for the evening.

Using NFC technology not only helped the event feel even more special, but started people talking and cut down on a lot of paperwork!

You'll probably start noticing NFC more and more in our every day lives, London buses now only except contactless payment and more companies are using it as part of their printed marketing campaigns to give customer an exclusive offer or direct them to a specific webpage.

If you’re interested in learning more about NFC – give us a call on 01635 521654 or email info@appleprint.co.uk and see how you can WOW your audience.

Responsive web design

2014-06-23T17:20:00.000+01:00

Is your website responsively designed?

Of course you’ve got a great website, and when users view it on their desktop PC or Mac they love it! But how does it work on other, smaller devices: tablets, notebooks, smartphones ...?

The number of people using iPads and iPhones to browse the internet grows daily. And while mobile web browsing is nothing new, many businesses have yet to make the move from the desktop to ensure their websites are easy to view across the spectrum of devices.

The word on the web-design community is that designing for smaller, handheld computers is a bit of a puzzle, falling between the feast of opportunities presented by designing for a desktop PC and the challenge of shrinking to fit when aiming for the mobile market. But it doesn’t have to be that difficult if your design team is up to speed, meaning that:

a brand new website is successful across the whole spectrum of devices and browsers
an existing, traditional desktop-designed website can quickly become mobile- or tablet-friendly.

As with most things, there are always other options. For example:

you might decide to deliver different pages of your websites on mobile phones, so will need to consider whether tablets should get the desktop version or the phone version.

Decisions, decisions …

The first option – a brand new website – is pretty much a no-brainer: these days, when designing from scratch, the web designer will know the markets the end product has to reach and can go ahead in full knowledge of the customer’s expectations.

The complexity of the second option – revising what you’ve already got – will depend on how your existing website was designed, but in most instances implementation involves relatively simple tweaks.

The third option – well, that’s your prerogative, and certainly achievable whichever way you jump, though there are specific, and perhaps less obvious, considerations for this type of application.

In all instances, careful development and testing will ensure your website works successfully across the range of browsers, from Internet Explorer and Chrome, through Firefox and Safari to Opera … and any others you care to mention.

As a basic start point, there are a few simple tricks to consider, such as:

Clickable to touchable: what you click on a desktop PC or Mac needs to be big enough to be a touch target on a tablet or smartphone.

Font sizes: as tablets have smaller screens than typical desktop and notebook computers, if a website is designed to a fixed width, it will be shrunk down on a smaller device; it is essential that the text is not too small to read, and that the touch targets are big enough on such gadgets as the iPad mini.

There are lots more, of course. And that is where Apple Print and Creative comes in. Our web design team and web builders have the latest technological advances well under control; their combined experience means they know just about every trick in the book and are magic at designing new websites and tweaking existing ones. They work hand-in-hand with clients to ensure they fully understand the image a company wishes to portray. Any proposal for the design and development of a website – whether adding to or updating an existing site or building one from scratch – will ensure that the end result meets the needs of a client and, in turn, their customers. And our ‘webbers’ won’t be absent friends: they involve the client throughout the process of design and development, giving the opportunity to fine-tune along the way to be certain that the end product fits the bill exactly.

Why not have a chat with us about how you could be presenting your media face to the world?

Planning your next exhibition?

2014-06-16T15:26:00.001+01:00

Perhaps you are having a stand at the Royal County of Berkshire Show this September? Or have you hired a venue to promote a new product? Perhaps you are travelling abroad to win new business? Or maybe you are having an in-store promotion?

If you are planning to hold or attend an exhibition to promote your business, you may already have a vision of what your stand will look like.

Big and bold is bound to get you noticed – and if you are investing time, money and energy being there, why not make your company really stand out from the crowd? With careful planning, design and printing, what your company displays can knock spots off your competitors.

Grabbing people’s attention is key. Remember the three-second rule: in the three-seconds it will take a potential customer to pass by your stand, they need to:

Notice your stand
Clock who you are and what you do
Be given a reason to stop

And this is where Apple Print & Creative comes in.

Banners and banner stands

Our banners and banner stands are a cost-effective and portable way to advertise what you are offering – before, during and even after the event. Banners can be designed to your specification by our team of innovative designers, or you can provide your own press-ready artwork if you prefer.

Freestanding banner stands are available in a range of sizes and come complete with their own carry case for ease of transportation. Whether you are going to use the banner indoors or outside, we have the right solution for you.

Posters

There’s nothing much simpler or more cost-effective than a poster for grabbing attention. Just like banners, our team is on hand to discuss your requirements with you and offer advice. But of course you may have your own team of designers, so you provide the press-ready artwork and we will get your posters printed for you in just a few days.

Other printed materials

Banners and posters will get you noticed. But what about when someone has stopped at your stand? How will you engage with them?

Obviously your stand will be manned and your staff will be conversing with potential clients, but point-of-sale displays of brochures, flyers and leaflets to hand out or for people to pick up and take away with them are important additions. You may already have a stock of stationery for just this purpose – but better to check now that you are going to have enough and get more ordered if necessary.

And if you are ordering new supplies, remember how much quality counts: the impression you give by way of your printed material may be the one thing a potential client judges you on, so make that impression a good one.

Was it a bird? Was it a plane?

No, it was a potential customer. One of the perhaps less obvious pre-printed items to have readily to hand at an exhibition is a simple form to capture the contact details of visitors to your stand. There is little point having people come and enjoy your all-singing, all-dancing display if you just let them disappear back into the crowd without you ever knowing who they were or what you might have done for them ….

A properly designed and printed form will make you appear confident and professional. Again, it’s all about creating the right impression.

Time is of the essence

At Apple Print & Creative, we love to help. And the longer the lead-in time to your exhibition, the more helpful we can be. Let us know when your next exhibition is, and let’s get discussing your requirements. And if that happens to be the Royal County of Berkshire Show this autumn, June is not too soon.

Marketing through print

2014-06-10T11:50:00.000+01:00

The Royal County of Berkshire Show is looming on the horizon. Now is a good time to think about your point-of-sale requirements: flyers, leaflets, posters, banners …

But hang on a minute. Why would you need printed material? Isn’t that yesterday’s news? Not at all.

The best marketing campaigns use a multi-media approach, and everyone recognizes the benefits of going on-line with social networking and websites. But it cannot stop there. The printed word is still – and always will be – a formidable tool when it comes to advertising. After all, where would we be without leaflets, flyers, brochures, catalogues, stationery, posters, banners …?

Print is inherently visual, and combining text with punchy graphics can be extremely powerful. A strong company logo, for example, is essential in creating an instantly recognizable brand. Whatever your feelings about McDonalds, you have to admit that golden arch has served them well; seeing it on a flyer with nothing else would bring their name to mind. That is branding at its finest.

Printed material is highly effective when promoting a company profile. How you present your image will determine how the public perceives you, and is the first thing a potential customer will connect with. So good quality printing is a must. Get your competitors worried by doing it better.

And there is a permanency about print that you don’t get from flicking through a screen. Big bold posters and banners have a long life span. Stationery is as much your ‘shop window’ as, well, your shop window! Letterhead, compliment slips, order forms – they all have a long shelf life and reach a lot of people.

We have to accept that a certain percentage of printed material ultimately ends up in the bin, but before that happens there is an opportunity to capture your audience and encourage them to retain that flyer, that leaflet. And of course, much printed material is kept for a long time: a catalogue; an annual report; a calendar. And when that item is referred to, you want the emotive response it creates to be a good one. The design, the quality, the words, the images used all go towards generating the right response.

Another benefit of print is the high volume opportunity. It is often important that whatever you are advertising reaches a large number of people, and print is unbeatable when it comes to targeting a specific audience of any size. Think mail shots for example. After all, there is still a relatively high proportion of the nation who choose not to have a computer.

Print is paramount in reaching these people – and everyone else at the same time. High volume printing can also be cost effective: the more you print, the cheaper it becomes. However, that does not suit everyone – for example, you might not have storage space for loads of stationery. Not a problem. Print on demand is quick and easy, and delivers what you want, when you want.

So, back to the Royal County of Berkshire Show. As we said, it’s looming on the horizon and now is a good time to think about your point-of-sale requirements: flyers, leaflets, posters, banners and so on. You know you’re going to need them, and the sooner you get them ordered the less worry they will give you with all the other 101 things you need to do between now and September.

Let Apple Print & Creative take that worry from you – give us a call to discuss your requirements or pop the details into our enquiry form for an instant quote. After all, print is what we know.

So much printing!

2014-06-02T11:53:00.000+01:00

Our print room is jam packed this week with leaflets, posters and brochures. The stalwart team of Printers and Finishers have over 500000 pieces of print to get out over the next five days and they will have to work like demons to get it all finished.

The Litho department is busy running leaflets for “The Horse of the Year Show” and as you can imagine there are quite a few required, the Press is running at a steady 11000 sheets an hour and will soon eat up all that paper, and when it does we have to start on the new Newbury Bid printing for the Newbury Fest events.

Our Large format team is also full on this week, posters, banners and Sign Boards, this process is probably the most hands on of all our departments with all the cutting, hemming and laminating that is usually required….still big is better right? Well that’s what we hope here anyway.

The Digital printing department is never quiet and our Canon VP Image press hardly ever sleeps – this printing press can cope with one million prints per month and covers all the same materials as our litho press – it covers the shorter run lengths, lots of training manuals, business cards and leaflets when less than a few thousand are needed – I may even need to get on there running some jobs myself to help out (yes, it’s helping out before you say anything).

Finally when it’s all printed and dry (if it’s a litho job) the finishing team has to step in and do it’s part. Be that cutting, creasing, scoring and folding, they do the lot – they are always on the lookout for any quality issues that may have been spotted and we believe that last minute check is essential – let’s hope this keeps up….they are only happy when busy so if you need anything printed please don’t hesitate to call us or click here for our online form.

Ten Tweeters we think you should follow!

2014-05-16T17:19:00.000+01:00

If you're just starting out on Twitter, it can be tricky to know who to follow. Equally, even if you're a social veteran, the old feed can become a bit stale and in need of a spruce up!

Well never fear...here are 10 Tweeters we think you should follow - this is not objective by any means but these people will give you a diverse and entertaining Tweet feed.

1. John Lewis – the man not the store. You can imagine how many tweets the “real” John Lewis gets about his customer service. Watch for his responses.

2. Milton Jones - With only 144 characters available, Twitter is the ideal place for people like this one-liner funny man.

3. First World Problems - Bringing us all a little reality check to our virtual worlds...

4. WolfpackAlan - Straight out of the hangover and bringing the comedy with him!

5. Apple Print & Creative...well we couldn't have a list without us in it now could we!

6. NotMarkZuckerberg - NOT the real Mark Zuckerberg...but a spoof account and he's got a lot to say.

7.WengerKnowsBest - Another spoof account for those football fans out there...

8. Elizabeth Windsor - We'd like to think that this really is the Queen's twitter account...she's definitely comical!!

9. Youhadonejob - An account solely to point out other people's errors...and there are a lot!

10. James Blunt! HE.IS.HILARIOUS....you might not expect it from the well-spoken pop star but he has a sharp wit about him and responds to some not so complimentary tweets about himself in very humorous ways!

...the list is not exhaustive but these should tie you a well rounded news feed, and if nothing else a bit of a laugh! If you think we've missed someone you believe is worth following....please let us know!

DreamHost review

Introducing...Kate!

2014-04-29T10:05:00.001+01:00

We're pleased to be able to introduce you to the newest member of our creative studio team - Kate!

Kate joins the team as our Studio Administrator and brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the
company. But enough of what we think, we'll let Kate tell you a little bit about herself....

"I've had a varied working life, starting out with a Graphic Design degree, my first job was with a printers and since then I have had a very varied career until having a child 10 years ago, when I left the world of work to focus on the important job of being a Mum. Once my son was old enough I wanted to get back into work and worked for a local Estate Agents to get my brain working again!

I responded to a Twitter Ad that Apple Print & Creative posted for the role of Studio Administrator, it sprang out because it ticked all the boxes for me; working in a creative environment, for a company with a great reputation, using my organizational skills and print knowledge. My role here is to act as a go between from the Design Studio to Production, making sure that jobs are checked, passed onto Clients, approved and passed down to production in a timely manner. I have only been here 2 weeks and I am already loving it, no day is the same and, as I thought, the team are great.

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, I can be found, in all weathers, tending my allotment and I also practice the art of yoga to relieve the pain from all that digging!"

We're really happy to have Kate in the Apple Print & Creative family, and we're sure you will be too.

Top 5 adverts of 2014...so far

2014-04-02T13:19:00.001+01:00

I'm sure, like me, you all sigh when your favourite tv show goes to an ad break. Why must they interrupt our viewing pleasure with their marketing tactics. But....I must admit, I do appreciate a good advert, and every now and then there's a real stonker out there! If it can make me smile or laugh (sometimes even shed a tear) then that brand, in my opinion, has done well and deserves my attention between re-runs of Friends (will that show ever get old??!).

So, I thought I'd relive some of my favourite adverts to grace our screens so far this year...

1. Freeview – Cat & Budgie

Singing animals....enough said?

2. Barclays – My Flexible Mortgage (Hamster)

Barclays' ad's are great at explaining fairly complicated (and boring) topics, in a very simple manner. And they've managed to make it entertaining at the same time.

3. Cadbury's Dairy Milk – Yes sir, I will boogie

Another classic from Dairy Milk – we all know that feeling of listening to hold music...hope I get this song next time!

4. Save The Children – I'm Giving My Voice

Such a powerful advert, conveyed in just 60 seconds! An advert should grab your attention and this definitely caught mine.

5. Three - #SingitKitty

Another hashtag...another hit of an advert! Part of a bigger advertising campaign, which also incorporated various social media channels and a microsite where you could put yourself in the video! They've totally engaged their audience, again. I think Three have pretty much nailed this whole advertising malarkey!

So there you have it - my top 5 ads of this year (so far). What has been your favourite tv ad this year?

Newbury gets social...with a little help from it's friends!

2014-03-18T17:04:00.002+00:00

Did you know, one in every 13 people is on Facebook? With a ‘population’ of over 500 million, if it was a country Facebook would be the third largest in the world behind China (1.35 billion) and India (1.21 billion).

With those sorts of statistics it is probably fair to say that social media isn’t just a fad or a phase, it’s become a big part of life for many people. It’s where we seek recommendations from our peers, find out what our favourite celebs are up to, and keep in touch with our friends and family.

And it’s not just individuals on social networks anymore; businesses have taken to it as well, with marketeers left, right and centre jumping aboard the social media train. This is a move that users seem to have welcomed – after all, it’s great to receive offers from your favourite brands just for liking them on Facebook!

It seems only right, then, that towns and cities should be represented in this social space, to let people know what’s going on in and around the area, to recommend great places to visit and to tell them about the wonderful places they might otherwise not find – just like any good friend would!

That’s why Newbury has embraced social networking and found itself a place on multiple platforms. So if you love to tweet, are an avid pinner, devote time to watching cute cats on YouTube or just like to catch up on Facebook, you can find all the latest news and info about Newbury.

On Facebook and Twitter there are details of local offers and events, all sorts of information about keeping up to date or grabbing a bargain at one of the local retailers, while YouTube and Pinterest show the great sights and scenes around Newbury, for both business and pleasure – there really is something for everyone. Make sure your business is part of it.

And that’s not all. In conjunction with Newbury BID, we recently delivered workshops for businesses in Cheap Street to help them develop their social media voice. If you haven’t yet dipped your toe into the social media waters, or want to develop what you already have in place, we can help. Please do get in touch if you would like us to organise a workshop to help your business make the most of the right social media platforms for you.

Go ahead and like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/appleprintandcreative

Follow our boards on Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/ApplePandC/

Or if you aren’t ready for that just yet:

Email us – caroline@appleprint.co.uk

Call us – 01635 521654

Why use Litho printing?

2014-03-06T16:00:00.000+00:00

If you have a long print run and/or need something printed to a high-end quality finish, while still keeping it cost effective, litho printing is the solution.

Litho printing uses all-singing, all dancing equipment – and ours is robust and well maintained to ensure we never let you down.

In simple terms , litho printing is where oil-based inks meet water: the images on the plates (made by the own fair hands of our plate-making expert John) attract ink and the water washes off anything else to give a clean, sharp end product.

Obviously the plates are then wet so have to dry, which means the process takes a little longer than digital printing, but for longer print runs of one thousand or more (a million? No problem!) , and where a longer-lasting, quality result is all-important, litho is definitely worth the wait. And you’ll still have your order within the week.

Just as with digital printing, with litho we can offer any type of paper you want – silk, gloss or ivory bound – at the weight suited to the job: and the paper we use is either FSC® or PEFC approved, which means it is cost effective and environmentally conscious at the same time.

And, of course, our high-standard finishing is a given: from trimming and laminating to punching and drilling, from scoring and folding to stapling or spiral binding, from collating and numbering to padding and shrink wrapping.

Want to know more? Give us a ring or call in and have a chat with one of our Account Managers about what we can do for you. And while you’re here, let our litho printing experts, Spencer and John, show you what they have to offer ... such as their chemical-free plate system – very environmentally friendly, just like them.

Appleprint. West Berkshire’s premier printer. We have the solution.

Our top 5 FREE social media tools

2014-02-19T11:09:00.000+00:00

If you're anything like me, by now you've probably got your fingers in all sorts of social media pies...LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook...Snapchat! And it can be tricky to keep track of them all, but there are some great tools out there to help you stay on top of your online social life.

Here are my top 5 totally FREE social media monitoring tools:

Tweetdeck... download it directly to your PC/Mac, iPad, phone. It helps you monitor your news feed, notifications, messages and general activity. You can quickly adjust your lists and your settings, as well as compose a tweet. A notification even pops up in the corner of your screen when you get a new tweet....VERY handy! However, it doesn't give you any reports – so if you're looking to not only keep track of your tweets but to analyse your activity then you'll need to use a reporting tool as well.

Twazzup... is another site really for Twitter beginners, keeping a track of your chosen company or keywords in real time. It lets you know the top influencers, as well as the top 10 related keywords.

Mention... is a great tool for tracking your mentions, especially when the user has not used a # or @ (or has used an incorrect @). You can set up multiple alerts for your keywords (you can even set up to 10 different languages), and hopefully, never miss a mention again. There are limitations to the free version of mention however, for example you can only set 10 alerts.

Klout... gives your social interaction skills a score. You are scored between 1-100 for your social influence – Barack Obama has a 99 Klout scoring! The homepage shows you top content stories, with the opportunity to keep on top of trends and share those stories with your fans and followers. As with all of these sites you can schedule your posts, but unlike the others, Klout allows you add Twitter, Facebook (including Facebook pages), Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn AND Foursquare – even some of the accounts you pay for aren't compatible with all of these networks.

Hootsuite... allows you to keep track of all of your news feeds in one place, quickly and easily. You can add multiple columns to view your messages/new followers/scheduled posts. You can also add multiple tabs, so you can allocate a tab for your company profiles and a separate tab for your personal profiles.....helping avoid any awkward mistakes!

Looking for some help with your social media? From building a strategy to monitoring your daily activity....whatever you need - why not give us a call on 01635 521654 or drop us an email hello@appleprint.co.uk to see how we can help!

PRINT POWER: HOW BIG IS YOURS?

2014-02-10T13:38:00.001+00:00

Say it loud and proud in print on a poster. Say it tall in print on a banner. Or say it small(er) in print on a leaflet, flyer, newspaper advertisement. Whatever the size, whatever the format, there is still a lot of mileage to be had in the printed word when it comes to marketing.

From a practical perspective, much printed matter is portable and slips nicely through a letterbox, sits neatly in a leaflet dispenser, tucks into a pocket or handbag. More exciting is the creativity and choice that come into play when considering the material, design, colour to stimulate the senses of the reader. And of course there’s flexibility: something that will fold, or not? A voucher to cut out for a special offer maybe? Perhaps a beautifully embossed invitation that will be kept, or something cheap and cheerful that will be read, digested and thrown away?

Successful marketing draws customers in by grabbing their attention. Printed material works because users seek out the information rather than having it forced upon them or having it simply wash over them in an instantly forgettable manner. And if they didn’t catch it the first time, they can read it again. And again. And again.

And then there’s numbers. Today’s digital printing processes mean that it is cost effective to print tens of thousands of copies for the masses or just a handful for the chosen few. And digital reprints are a savvy financial choice – only having what you want when you want means less is spent on both printing and storage.

Print as a standalone medium can be highly effective in marketing; but you might want to consider integrating it with other media, for example TV or radio advertising, giving both aspects of your marketing campaign a boost. The options are endless.

If it’s time you made print part of your marketing plan, speak to Apple Print and Creative on 01635 521654 (www.appleprint.co.uk).

Come see us in action!

2014-02-05T09:41:00.000+00:00

Apple Print & Creative can offer you the best and most cost-effective printing solution for your needs – whatever the number you want and whether it be compliment slips, menus, marketing leaflets, instruction manuals, pull-up banners, or any of the many things in between. No job too big. No job too small. No job too complex.

But before you commit to placing an order with Apple Print & Creative, we’d love you to come and meet us. Our Apple Print & Creative family lives at The Orchard in Abex Road, just off Bone Lane in central Newbury.

Our offices and printing works are all housed under one roof, which means our team members are on hand to communicate with each other and get your job printed better and faster.

We’ve got absolutely nothing to hide, so why not pop along for a chat and a cup of coffee, find out what we can do for you and have a look around?

We can promise you:

A personal one-to-one service from a dedicated Account Manager
A professional design service from our Studio, should you need it
The latest industry-standard printing equipment, robustly tested, maintained and definitely up to the job
Excellent value for money
A quality product, delivered on time

What have you got to lose? Well, maybe half an hour of your time. But it will be time well spent, even if it’s only for a free coffee.

What have you got to gain? Well, the invitation’s on the table.
Come and find out ...

Apple Print & Creative. West Berkshire’s premier printer. We have the solution.

Introducing - Mark, our new Production Manager!

2013-12-16T14:34:00.000+00:00

Apple Print and Creative are delighted to welcome Mark Barnett to their team as Production Manager.

Mark has enjoyed a career in print of over 25 years, having started on a three year apprenticeship at Reading College. He modestly states that he was Student of the Year in 1988.

Mark worked in a number of local printing businesses before joining Whitehorse Press, where he worked for the last 15 years.

Managing Director Andrew Watts said “We are delighted to have Mark join us and to add his extensive knowledge and experience to our existing talented team of printers and finishers.”

Mark lives locally in Baughurst and is a father of four. His CV states that he will take on most challenges which in the past have included scuba diving, martial arts and parachuting.

“I was very pleased to be offered the position at Apple Print & Creative, a business I have admired for some time. I look forward to working with the team on many interesting projects in the months ahead”.

Digital printing

2013-12-10T09:19:00.001+00:00

If you want something printed quickly and cost effectively but still giving you an excellent result, digital printing is the solution.

Digital printing uses the latest technology – in simple terms it is like a giant photocopier: a toner-based substance fuses with the heat on a sheet of paper and hey presto, we’re printing.

It is perfect for short print runs – anything from one to 10,000 copies is fairly typical.

And repeat printing is quick and easy. For example, why pay for the printing and storage of thousands of leaflets, when it is simple and cost effective to reprint each time you need them?

Or if you have data that varies regularly – for example, delegates on a course – digital printing gives you a quick but personalised service.

Need a business card really fast? Done digitally, you might even be able to have it the same day.

Need something much, much bigger? Posters, billboards, banners, pop ups – however and wherever you want to get your message across loudly, our digital printing can do that for you. And quickly, of course.

We can offer any type of paper you want – silk, gloss or ivory bound – at the weight suited to the job: and the paper we use is either FSC® or PEFC approved, which means it is cost effective and environmentally conscious at the same time.

And our finishing is second to none: from trimming and laminating to punching and drilling, from scoring and folding to stapling or spiral binding, from collating and numbering to padding and shrink wrapping.

Want to know more? Give us a ring or, even better, call in and have a chat with one of our Account Managers about the service we can offer you. And while you’re here, let our digital printing experts, John and Nathan, show you their equipment ... that’s their Konica Minolta Bizhub PRO C6501 digital press. Whatever turns you on ...

Apple Print & Creative. West Berkshire’s premier printer. We have the solution.

‘Why do I use Apple Print & Creative ?’

2013-10-15T14:34:00.003+01:00

Geoff Knappett, Executive Director at Newbury Building Society, answers this question very simply: ‘Because they’re good at what they do.’

Here at Apple Print & Creative we take pride in staying with our roots and doing what we do best. And that’s printing.

And what company – or indeed individual – doesn’t need a good printer at some stage? Maybe it's once a week or several times a month, maybe it’s quarterly or even annually – or maybe it’s simply once in a blue moon.

But whatever your printing needs – from business cards to billboards, from one copy to one million, from digital to litho – Apple Print & Creative has the solution.

Our digital team specialises in all things digitally printed: this type of printing is ideal for print-runs of anything from one to 10,000 copies and gives quick results, usually within three days or less – and even same day if it’s ultra-urgent. Think marketing flyers, new address cards, course handouts ...

Our litho team specialises in this high-end printing solution, with print-runs from one thousand to one million and beyond. Although a lengthier process, this style of printing produces longer-lasting results – but you can still have your product delivered in less than a week. Think glossy brochures, letterheads, wedding stationery ...

And if you want to make a statement with something really big – think posters, banners, billboards – we can do that too. And you’re still only looking at a three-day turnaround.

Apple Print & Creative. West Berkshire’s premier printer. We have the solution.

Kennet Radio comes to FM!

2013-10-02T12:46:00.005+01:00

The local radio station has been broadcasting online for nearly a year, and from 19^th October they'll be hitting the airwaves as well.

For a trial period, listeners across Newbury and Thatcham will be able to hear Kennet Radio by tuning a normal FM radio to 87.9 MHz. The station will play a wide variety of great tunes from the past six decades, as well as local features, including Leila's Local Larder, competitions, phone-ins and current affairs discussions with local community leaders. You'll even be able to catch the local sports updates every Saturday afternoon.

Newbury resident Paul Newman, will be the station's Programme Director. With over 30 years' experience as a radio presenter he says “I’ll be making sure Kennet Radio is professional and entertaining while staying true to our commitment to be ‘local radio for local people by local people”.

The station will start with a three week trial period this month but plans to get a full-time community radio license from Ofcom next year.

This is a great opportunity for local businesses to get their message across to people in the local community. Normally advertising on a radio station can be very costly and doesn't promise to reach people in your nearest towns – however, advertising on Kennet Radio is not expensive and guarentees that you will reach people in Newbury and Thatcham.

Although planning is well underway, there are still a few slots available for presenters. Simarly they are looking for volunteers to help out behind the scenes as well – gathering news, selling adverts and doing a whole variety of other tasks in the background. If you're interested visit the website www.kennetradio.com and click 'Get involved'!

We're really pleased to support this great local venture and wish Kennet Radio huge success.

To re-brand or not to re-brand

2013-09-17T14:52:00.004+01:00

This is a big decision for any company! Some companies go jumping into a re-brand feet first without giving it much thought, but a company's brand is it's identity....it's like changing the colour of your hair or getting your eye-brow pierced.....not to be entered into lightly!

So if you're thinking about changing your brand there are a few questions to contemplate first...

Why are you re-branding?
Are you trying to resolve a problem?
Are you simply trying to update your image?
Has there been a change in the your target market and their needs or desires?
Has the company evolved, which you're branding no longer represents?

Once you've found the answers do some research - what do you want your brand to represent? What impression do you want new customers to receive? (After all, first impressions leave the greatest impact.)

Remember your existing customers, don't alienate them by trying to attract new ones.

If you're changing for change's sake - hit the brakes. Many companies have been highly criticized for making such a blunder! Like Pepsi, who have made major changes to their identity since their conception (in 1898!!), compared to their main competitor Coca Cola, who have made very minor adjustments to theirs.

Many big companies have successfully pulled off a re-brand, so it can be done. Look at these guys:

Starbucks

Gap

along with....
Microsoft

KFC

UPS

Apple

Target

and EE (formerly Everything Everywhere).

Don't forget that your brand isn't just your logo, it's everything - from your website to your shops to your business cards to the member of staff in your shop!

Mutual Respect..........

2013-08-27T14:53:00.002+01:00

............a reciprocal relationship between two or more people or things. Well that's the dictionary definition, but what do you think? How would you define it with an image?

That's what our friends at Newbury Building Society are asking! As a mutual building society (owned by their members) mutual respect is one of their core values.

To help celebrate this they're asking for innovative and inspiring images that capture it. They're even offering £250 for the best image!!

There have already been some fab entries....two dogs having a cuddle, opposing football team fans sharing a smile, even a dog and a donkey showing some respect! Be sure to check out the gallery page to see them all www.Mutualrespect.info/gallery.aspx

Each month a panel of judges (including one of the Apple Print and Creative team!) get together and choose a monthly winner...last month's winner was Sara Messenger – she received 100 postcards with her photo printed on them.

Don't miss out – get your images in today and you could be the next lucky winner!

Facebook | Pinterest |Twitter | Instagram | Klout | Youtube | LinkedIn....the list goes on.

2013-08-07T08:48:00.000+01:00

But whatever platform you're using, it's important to remember a few do's and don'ts, when social networking for business (and for personal!)....

DO YOUR HOMEWORK-

You need to know your audience or target market. If you are posting for a company you will probably know about the company and who it targets. But you also need to keep in mind what kind of people each social media site attracts so you target the right people and don't waste your time on a site that won't really gain you a sizeable audience. Trying to attract a variety of followers will hinder targeting efforts.

DO INTERACT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE-

Involving your audience gives your brand more of a personality. This is really important as it means more people will interact with you and then their audience will also see this and get involved which will gain you more followers.

DO CREATE AN ALL ROUND IMAGE FOR YOUR BRAND-

Repeatedly using the same logo on all of your social media sites will help create brand awareness. Phrases help people recognize brand traits and helps with building a personality for your brand. Using the same colour scheme and imagery throughout will also help your audience recognize your brand.

DON'T NEGLECT YOUR PAGE-

Your audience need to see regular activity on the page otherwise they will lose interest. I would recommend that a dedicated team member runs the social media page as social media takes up a lot of time and uses a lot of creativity. Simply posting when you feel like it will not do the job. A rota is always a good start. Giving yourself something to stick to is easy and it means your activity on the page won't slowly start to decrease. For example you may decide to tweet 4 times throughout each day.

DON'T ASSUME EACH SOCIAL MEDIA SITE IS SIMILAR-

All social media platforms are unique and so users have different experiences with each. For example, Twitter requires short, punchy statements as you have a letter limit, Pinterest and Tumblr revolve around images and Facebook is pretty much an all rounder but also great for event and campaign promotion.

DON'T GET TOO PROMOTIONAL-

If you only self-promote these posts will start to become ignored. Your audience don't want to feel as if you are forcing them into buying your product. Dedicating a certain amount of posts a day or week to self-promotion will help you maintain that need to tell the whole world how amazing your product is.

Happy Posting!!

Well the sun is shining......

2013-07-18T18:44:00.001+01:00

Well the sun is shining and people are in a good mood! The school holidays are almost upon us and with that, prepare for chaos....  Not the chaos at the airport as you wait for the dreaded delayed sign, I'm talking about the chaos everyone has in trying to speak with 'the right person'.   Whether I am trying to do business with a prospective customer, catch up with a regular one or even chase quotes, you just get the same answer - they are on holiday!! Don't get me wrong, everyone deserves a holiday and indeed I shall be getting acquainted with Mr San Miguel in Lanzarote for 2 weeks myself.   I just think although it is one of the most enjoyable times of the year, it is also a very trying one from a business perspective. Every year we go through the same testing summer holiday period when everybody says 'he or she is on holiday'. Remember we shouldn't all just sit around and hope work comes to us, you have to be pro active and hunt for it. That is what sales is all about. The thrill of the chase to get the next order.

It does however mean a very busy September when normality returns and everybody orders the print work they really needed a month ago.  Having said all that I'm now off to pack and if you need me 'I'm on holiday', if you want to place an order, 'I'll get right back to you'.  In all seriousness though we have a great team of people in the office so whilst you may not be able to speak with me directly, my colleagues will be able to help you without any problems.

My Motivational Playlist

2013-07-04T11:39:00.000+01:00

Having survived a five-day stint at this year's prestigious Glastonbury festival... i have made it back to the studio feeling revived, refreshed (well, after a shower at least) and down-right inspired by all things creative!

Sharing a field with 135,000 other people certainly has it's advantages when it comes to experiencing new things and contributing to 'creative' ideas.

Alongside the obvious must-sees like the Rolling Stones, Arctic Monkeys and Mumford and Sons...there were a multitude of areas where people from around the world were sharing their knowledge and skills of everything from basket weaving and instrument whittling to face painting and banjo playing!! It was absolutely amazing.

And so... from field to desk in under 8 hours (some sleep included), I'm already back into the daily studio routine. There's no doubt about it... after the coffee wears off and the to-do list is ready, nothing beats a great playlist to really motivate you through the day.

Design and music sit hand-in-hand...and I know that these will either change my perspective on a project, draw some clarity or just inspire me. Enjoy. Rebecca.

Six by Seven - So Close

'So close to being anything'

Francois and the Atlas Mountains - City Kiss

'Something about your eyes is like a neon sign'

The Hives - Hate to say I told you so

'Ask me once i'll answer twice'

Jake Bugg - Lightening Bolt

'Don't know what the day is holding'

Alt-J - Breezeblocks

'Do you know where the wild things go?'

Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine?

'Great escape lost track of time'

Ben Howard - Keep your head up

'Keep your head up, keep your heart strong'

Two Door Cinema Club - Do you want it all?

'We'll all take our chances'

The Rolling Stones - Start me up

'If you start me up i'll never stop'

Tom Odell - Another Love

'I brought you daffodils in a pretty string'

Vampire Weekend - Cousins

'Dad was a risk taker, his was a shoe maker'

Editors - Papillon

'No sense of doubt or what you could achieve'

Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More

'Be more like the man you were made to be'