With websites becoming a staple for most businesses, the need to seamlessly marry company designs for both web and print become more and more of a priority. In most cases, it is much easier to go from print to web, than vice versa. Typically, hi-res files created for print can be easily translated to lower resolution files that can be used for web. On the other hand, there can be considerable work involved in preparing web based graphics for use in print. It is best when dealing with a graphic designer, that you specify that you would like all your graphics done in a hi-res vector format, and that all bitmap based files such as those created in Photoshop, are created in at least 300 dpi for photos and 1200dpi for any graphics. If you already have files that have been created for the web, they are typically in web resolution of 72dpi. These files can be changed to a hi-res file format through a digitizing process. It is also possible to convert bitmap based graphics to a vector format for use in print, though there can be considerable costs in doing this. One of the important things to remember is that what might appear clear and sharp on your computer, can be fuzzy and or jagged when printed out.

Additionally, you can not always rely on an inkjet printout as a good representation of what your print quality will look like for various reasons. Inkjets use various processes to give the appearance of “photo quality”. Anti-aliasing, edge smoothing, etc. can give you a print out that appears to be good enough for print. The catch is that most offset and digital print processes today provide very high quality output at very high resolutions. In many cases, a client creates a brochure in MS Publisher or similar program, where they’ve pulled graphics, logos and photos from their website, or the internet in general, and then printed out on your inkjet, and thought, wow, this looks pretty good. The problem comes when they decide they want 5000 copies, and that file has to be setup for commercial printing. Because of the high resolution of the output, every low res photo and graphic is going to be very obvious. Summary: The key to ensuring that both your print and web projects look the best they can be, is by designing everything from the beginning in a hi-res file format.

Finally, one last tidbit. Be absolutely sure that you are provided with a complete set of files of all work done for you by your graphic designer. The files are your property, (though some company’s policies on this may vary), it is important to determine the company policy for file ownership up front when choosing a designer, printer, or web company. Ask for your files in hi-res .pdf format, an .eps vector format for graphics, and a .tif or Photoshop file for photos and other bitmap images. Request that you also be provided with all “live” or “native” files along with any support files such as fonts and links. This will make your job much easier when you are asked for these files in the future to put together an ad, a print piece or to do further work on your website.

Mark Smith
Sales and Marketing Manager

(Mr. Smith has almost 30 years of experience in business management, print and media design and production, along with extensive sales and marketing experience.)

Email newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with your audience, and ensure you stay top of mind on a regular basis. Newsletters by email are easy, inexpensive, they promote your expertise on a regular basis and they add to your overall marketing mix by providing you extra face time with your audience. So what’s the best strategy for conducting an email newsletter campaign? Here are a few suggestions that keep your emails out of the deleted folder.

Have a purpose: Promote noteworthy deals, client acquisitions, and most importantly, provide the reader with valuable information and insight into the industry you’re trying to reach. In offering expertise, always educate the reader and do not lecture.

Provide links back to company website: In the actual email, keep your copy to one paragraph and then link them back to your website if they want to read the full article. This keeps the reader interested and drives traffic back to your website where readers can find other valuable information regarding your company.

Make your email forward friendly: Make it easy for readers to forward your email by providing a clear link. Also, creating informational, valuable and sometimes funny content will make readers want to forward to friends and colleagues. This will help to build your email list.

Here are a couple quick don’t to help you avoid an ineffective email newsletter campaign.

Never send your emails on Monday. As we all catch up from the weekend, there’s a very good chance your email will just end up being deleted in favor of more important emails. Do however, try to send your email newsletter on Tuesday, preferably between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Research has shown this is one of the best times for email newsletters to pop up in someone’s Inbox.

Don’t use Outlook to send email newsletters. Bulk emails sent through Outlook can end up in your Spam folder. Use a service such as Constant Contact or another email newsletter provider.

Don’t send your newsletter too often: Sending a weekly email newsletter will surely make you an annoyance very quickly. A monthly email is adequate. You can send them twice monthly if you’re providing timely industry insight.

Follow these simple tips and you’ll be well on your way to having an effective email marketing program that will surely reap results for your firm.