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Where to get info

by | Mar 13, 2020 | News

The Chancellor’s package of temporary measures to support businesses through the period of disruption caused by COVID-19 includes:

  • statutory sick pay relief package for SMEs
  • Business Rate Relief for small businesses
  • small business grant funding of £3,000 for business in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) and Rural Rates Relief
  • a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme for businesses who may need to respond to cash-flow pressures
  • the HMRC Time To Pay Scheme

It’s well worth a read to see what help is available to help you, your staff and your business: Government website – Covid 19 Support For Businesses

There is also a quick link to Get help for your business: Government website – Business Support helpline

There is also an excellent advice page on the FSB website

 

The Fabric Experience

by | Feb 24, 2020 | Article, News

 We are delighted with the fabric display range that we can offer to our clients. Here you can see our Mwow! TOTEM pop-up stand, frame and fabric cover. It’s quick and easy to assemble, lightweight and looks and feels great.

Our lovely clients, Experience Holidays were also really pleased with their large curved backdrop:

‘Jim recently suggested, designed and created the Curve banner for us and we’ve just used it for the first time at a consumer show. Not only does it look incredibly professional and eye catching (we even had comments from other exhibitors about it), but I’m sure it will also stand the test of time due to the materials used. It’s easily portable (collapses down into a small carry case), and straightforward to put together. We chose to have a different image on each side of the fabric, so that we can decide which to use at each event and as such it provides excellent value for money too. Thank you Jim – as always your advice and expertise were spot on!’

Angie Watson, Director

Experience Holidays

You can view the full range of fabric displays here:
BACKDROPS / BANNERS

Beautiful and Responsive

by | Feb 3, 2020 | News, Websites

we're more mobile - resposive websites

WE’RE MORE MOBILE THAN EVER BEFORE

For the first time, we use our mobile phones more than our desktop computers to search for local businesses. That means more of your potential customers are looking for information about your business via their mobile devices.

 

WHAT IS A RESPONSIVE WEBSITE ANYWAY?

Websites that automatically reflow and adapt to the screen size they are viewed on. We call these Responsive websites because whatever device they’re displayed on – Mobile, tablet or desktop. It will respond and alter its layout accordingly.

HOW DO I BENEFIT?

  • Increase Conversions – On mobile and desktop, a responsive website means your visitors’ experience is enhanced. So, it’s more likely they find what they’re looking for.
  • Bigger Audience – Search engines prefer responsive websites. Make sure you appear on Google mobile searches
  • Easy to Edit – Built-in content management system. Easily edit text and update images, at no extra cost.

GALLERIES

Showcase your products, photos, premises or your team with striking image galleries. Add ‘lightbox’ functionality so your customers can click and zoom to see larger hi-res versions.

FORMS

Making it easy for visitors to contact you is vital to get leads from your site. Add forms that work without having to ‘pinch and zoom’. Create drop down menus, radio buttons or text fields to capture what you need.

 

MAPS AND OTHER INTEGRATIONS

Integrate Google maps into your site and show exactly where visitors can find you. With zoom and move functionality your customers can navigate with ease on any device, mobile, tablet or desktop. Add videos, facebook feeds, booking links and much more.

PARALLAX SCROLL

Create engaging parallax effects that help you tell the story of your business. Talk to us about how we can use parallax to create striking visual effects.

 

Ready. Set. Go responsive from £299

 

We want your web experience to be as smooth and hassle free as possible. To get your site upgraded or to start a new one just pop in to your local printing.com studio for a FREE consultation. We’ll listen to your requirements and talk you through the options.

Here’s what to expect

  • Wireframe – Based upon your design and content needs we’ll work up a sitemap and a wireframe of the layout.
  • Live Proof – Using the wireframe, we’ll build a live working proof for you to test on different devices and screen sizes
  • Launch – Once approved we’ll push your new responsive website live to your new or existing domain

Here is one example we have created with a gallery, contact form, parallax scrolling and buttons. Try viewing it on both desktop and mobile – MitchellsGroundscare.co.uk

Contact us

Change for the better

by | Jan 30, 2020 | News

We’re proud to unveil all new Corporate Letterheads. They’re whiter and brighter than ever before and now a whopping 120gsm thick.

 If you’ve had Corporate Letterheads from us before you’ll notice the subtle improvements we’ve made. If you haven’t, try them today.

 

Until the end of January, you can save £10

on runs of 500 or more in our January Sale. 

 

Business cards – an important first point of contact

by | Jan 29, 2020 | News, Promotions

When you meet a potential client or attend a business networking event, first impressions do count. Obviously, you personally are the very first impression – how you interact with people and how you make them feel will leave a lasting impression. Tie that in with handing them an eye catching, tactile business card and they will be reminded of you personally when they next pick up that card.

 

If you’re out to impress, go StarMarque Bio. These business cards are matt laminated both sides using a biodegradable film. Clear gloss highlights are then applied to the front. Spot UV gloss adds shine and detail. Deliciously decadent and impressive.
We recommend treating the Spot UV gloss as a separate design element on your business cards. Speak to us for advice on getting the best from your StarMarque Bio UV business cards.

 

Until the end of January, you can save 50% on our

StarMarque cards

(quantities of over 250)

 

 

We particularly like to help people setting up in business – especially when it’s their first business. There are so may things to think about when starting a business and we’ve noticed there’s a magic moment. It’s when a client see’s their brand new logo for the first time and it suddenly goes from being a business only in name and on paper to something very real indeed.

We’re very proud of this branding that we provided to Laura. With the gloss varnished business card and high quality flyers she can compete with established businesses.

 

Making Progress

by | Jan 27, 2020 | News

Making Progress..?

I am an old duffer and I’d like to talk about the old days. Many people who have done the same job for many years, like I have, enjoy talking about how things used to be done and the many colourful characters they knew, many of whom may not be around any longer. In my case, I have been a professional graphic designer for over 30 years and in that time I have seen a great many changes, most of which are technology driven. My industry and profession of course is not unique in this respect. I count myself fortunate however to have learned my trade before the advent of the Apple Mac, especially as I was young enough to adapt once computers came to the fore. There are many things which I don’t really miss of course – running out of Ks on a Letraset sheet, trying to unblock a Rapidograph, paying for a sheet of CS2, stuck in a hot darkroom for hours on end, but creating and presenting a rough Magic Marker visual that left room for the client to use their imagination to fill the blanks was one of my favourite occupations.

The nature of my job has meant I have had dealings with many highly-skilled professionals and trades people – Illustrators, photographers, finished artists, magic marker visualisers, copywriters, typesetters, lettering artists, photo-retouchers, film planners, proof-readers and press operators. Just a few of the specialists we use and have used over the years. All of those tasks  are still part of the process but only a few of them are regularly undertaken by human beings these days.

Now I’m not casting any judgment on whether that is a good or a bad thing. Many tasks within the print trade for instance used dangerous chemicals. I well remember a friend of mine who’s breathing was severely affected by constantly inhaling print solvents and I also remember a former boss and a great mentor coating his desk with the dreadful Spray Mount, without giving his health a second thought.

The change within my industry has however been incredibly rapid. New technologies that were widely adopted in the ‘70s and right though to the late ‘90s have now been superseded. As a consequence people who trained and became specialists in particular parts of the design and print process became irrelevant in a relatively short period of time. Some retrained only to find their new job, once again, quickly outdated. I’m fortunate in that, whilst my occupation as a graphic designer has been chipped away at with the advent of online templates and access to cheap and free powerful design software, the essential part of what people want from me IS the human touch.

I find it deeply poignant that within some areas of the print trade a person will have put their heart and soul into an apprenticeship, become an expert, enjoyed their job and their workmates and workplace, only to have the rug pulled out from under their feet by the introduction of a computer or machine that can do the job better, quicker and of course cheaper. That is progress of course and that is unavoidable and in many ways it is a good thing.

Compression of time scales doesn’t seem to mean we have more time though – we find we merely get on to the next thing sooner and cram more tasks into a day. The time we save, in my view, would be better spent recovering your faculties so you can fulfil your next task refreshed. Cheaper doesn’t seem to mean more money in the average pocket – it just seems to mean sustaining dividends to shareholders and investors. OK, I know economists will tear my thoughts to shreds here but today’s free-market society was sold to us as ‘it will give you choice and reduce prices’. The choice we have been allowed is undeniable. However, is it preferable to be forced to regularly choose who you buy your water from or how you invest your pension when it matures or compare your car insurance against a multitude of insurers? I’m not sure life is ‘better’ in that sense. It used to be so much more simple and I would argue there’s possibly a good case to suggest this pace and this ocean of decisions we are forced to navigate can affect our mental health. Life used to be relatively simple didn’t it? I suppose I’m trying to say that not ALL progress is necessarily good.

I love being a designer but my other love is music and writing songs. I wrote a song a couple of years ago called Making Progress, which I perform in my duo, Milton hide. It is an unashamed lefty old duffer’s rant against the modern, commercial, free-market world, and virtual world. Despite the unapologetic luddite sentiment and ‘rantiness’ of the song, I am quite proud of it and I am, perhaps surprisingly, optimistic. I do believe a healthy cynicism is slowly creeping into many minds and that a significant number of us will start to defend the best and most important parts of our lives – the parts that define us as human: family, relationships, art, music, exercise – whilst at the same time, utilising technology to enhance these things further, for instance staying in touch with friends and relatives, using interactive maps on walks, exploring art and music.
Rant over…
…for the time being.
Milton Hide – Making Progress video: https://youtu.be/mqXDpysc33w