All Articles

Designing ads that make the phone ring

May 1, 2007 | Graphics

By Marti Naughton Six seconds, max. That’s how much time an advertiser has to grab a reader’s attention and visually communicate a message. So, how do you, the advertiser, get noticed in today’s visually overloaded market? Whether you are promoting a service, showcasing a product, …

CF Flag Co. enters second century of flag making

May 1, 2007 | Graphics

By Jill C. Lafferty Old Glory sported 45 stars when CF Flag Co. began manufacturing U.S. and state flags in 1898. A lot has changed in more than 100 years of flag making—beyond the addition of five stars to the company’s signature product. The company produces almost every kind of flag i…

Stretching your ad budget

May 1, 2007 | Graphics

It’s a fact of life that most business-to-business advertisers have small ad budgets. Here are seven ways to get more out of your advertising and marketing dollars. 1. Use your ads for more than just space advertising. Ads are expensive to produce and expensive to run. But there are ways of ge…

The return of wallpaper

March 1, 2007 | Graphics

By Susanne Jansson There is an old adage that says, “What goes around comes around.” The history of wallpaper is a perfect example of a design tool that has seen its popularity come and go. Once dismissed as something better suited to grandma’s parlor, wallpaper is being reconsider…

Fabric hits the runway

March 1, 2007 | Graphics

By Lou Dzierzak The event. Paul Mitchell Fashion Show stage set for a traveling trade show exhibit and/or hair show event. The company. Pink, Inc, New York, N.Y. The task. John Paul Mitchell Systems hired Pink, Inc. to build two large tension fabric structures. Featuring larger than life photographs…

Printer pointers

March 1, 2007 | Features, Graphics

Your guide to asking the right questions before you buy. By Phil Age and Jean K. Dilworth There are numerous factors to consider before making the decision to by a new printer. First, does your current printing operation have excess demands that can only be met by labor working overtime? If the answ…

Fabric facts

March 1, 2007 | Features, Graphics

There are no easy answers or “magic” fibers, yarns, finishes, and coatings to meet every application. By Phil Age and Jean K. Dilworth Selecting the best fabric for your final application or product depends on the manufacturer’s method of creating fabric from fibers and yarns. The …

Building wraps spur sales for print shops

March 1, 2007 | Features, Graphics

Creating advertising and event banners large enough to cover the façade of a building is a market that can’t be ignored. By Lou Dzierzak At the 2000 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, more than a dozen buildings were decorated with super-sized banners celebrating the competition. Since …

Vehicle wraps present growth opportunity for sign shops

March 1, 2007 | Features, Graphics

The owner of every car, boat, minivan, helicopter, semi-truck trailer, and fleet vehicle in your city is a potential new customer. By Lou Dzierzak Hey, look at that! Ten years ago, a car, truck, or van driving down the street covered in colorful vinyl graphics would have stopped pedestrians in their…

Creating clear communication between designer and client

March 1, 2007 | Graphics

Opening the lines of communication between client and designer leads to unlimited creative possibilities. By Marti Naughton Bold. Exciting. Elegant. Innovative. Corporate. Hip. A client may use any or all of these words when communicating a project to a designer. But what does the designer hear? The…