The Do's and Don'ts for Taking Better Pictures with Your iPhone

When it comes to great print marketing, high-quality images can make all the difference.

Since most people today have a smartphone they use for taking pictures rather than a digital camera, here are five do’s and don’ts for taking better pictures with your iPhone.

DO’S

1. Do use portrait mode when capturing pictures that focus on people.

Many forget to make good use of the portrait mode when capturing a friend or family member. Portrait mode will focus on the person only and blur out the background. This mimics the effect that a professional camera reflects.

2. Do keep your “live” feature on when taking pictures of moving objects or people.

Using the “live” feature comes in handy for things or people that move quickly, for instance – a busy baby or a sports game. After the live picture is captured, you will be able to go back, edit the picture, and choose which frame you’d like to be the key photo.

3. Do make sure your camera lens is not foggy or smudged.

This is something that is commonly overlooked when pulling your phone out to take a picture. Wiping off the lens with a cloth or t-shirt will make a marvelous difference in the clarity of your picture.

4. Do use the “auto” edit wand for each picture.

It’s as easy as it sounds! Clicking that auto edit wand will do wonders on your pictures if you don’t know where to start. It’ll auto-adjust the white balance, color tone, exposure, etc.

5. Do use natural lighting for better color and clarity.

Use sunlight at every chance you get. The more natural lighting you use, the less grainy your images will look. For example, standing near a window when indoors will allow natural lighting to come into your picture.

DON’TS

1. Don’t use the front camera for anything except selfies.

The front camera on an iPhone is usually a lower megapixel than the rear-facing camera. The images taken with the front-facing camera will turn out more “grainy” than images captured with the rear-facing camera.

2. Don’t stick to the default filters that Apple provides.

There are many other filters available, especially on Lightroom and for purchase, that provide better color for your pictures.

3. Don’t expect as high of quality when using iPhone pictures at a larger scale.

iPhone has a great camera, but it can’t be compared to a $2,000+ DSLR camera. If you’re looking to enlarge a picture for a canvas or banner, it’s best to rely on the use of a professional camera rather than a smartphone.

After following these tips, your iPhone pictures will be worth more than a thousand words. And, when you're ready to get those pictures out to the world through great print marketing, give us a call!

5 Tips for Hiring Better Talent in a Virtual World

Now that so many are accustomed to remote working, firms may face increasing demand to recruit and hire people without actually meeting them.

If you feel uneasy selecting candidates this way, here are some tips to get you started:

1. Identify the Ideal Medium to Find Candidates

It may require trial and error, but find your ideal medium and use it to streamline candidates that fit your specifications for experience, pay grade, etc.

2. Host a Virtual Career Fair or Company Presentation

To build rapport before any interviews take place, consider hosting a virtual career fair or company info session to interact with prospects.

Here you can weed out candidates you don’t want to interview or gain access to a more diverse talent pool.

3. Utilize Skill Assessments

Training can be challenging if you hire a remote workforce, so hiring competent individuals is especially important.

If you are onboarding offsite employees, you may want to add extra steps (like aptitude tests, writing samples, or mock presentations) to the interview process. 

4. Use a Variety of Question Formats

Since in-person interviews offer greater nonverbal communication insights, you’ll probably need to craft more strategic questions for virtual interviews.

Start with basic questions (e.g., “tell me about yourself”), move to targeted queries that align with your company culture, and use behavioral questions that uncover character and critical thinking qualities. Finally, try assessing live performance as you ask a candidate to complete a task live (e.g., performing a technical function as they share their screen).

5. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

To build a strong relational connection, eliminate as many distractions as possible.

It may help to send pre-interview packets to candidates to add efficiency to your meeting. Streamline the scheduling process by allowing candidates to sign up for an interview online. Test your technology 15 minutes before the call and have a backup plan if a malfunction occurs. And create a unified scoring system, so candidates receive standardized grading criteria.

Virtual recruiting will allow you to quickly and efficiently hire high-quality team members while adding flexibility. Implement a uniform system, so you have the skills you need to recruit and hire with confidence!

How to Inspire Action with Highly-Engaging Postcards

What do dentists and direct mail have in common?

New clients! Direct mail has proven to be a remarkable investment for small businesses of many kinds, especially for entrepreneurs looking to grow their client base.

Dr. Diep Truong (of Viva Dental) gave direct mail postcard marketing a try in 2011. After streamlining a process for mailer design, demographic targeting, and ROI reporting, this Indiana-based facility consistently experienced a 400% ROI on their postcard campaigns, with a 50% conversion rate of inbound calls for scheduling appointments.

As 2020 kept people closer to home, attentiveness to direct mail has grown. As a result, response rates are high, and now is the time to invest in sharp, unique direct mail campaigns! Postcards are a particularly good investment, with oversized postcards garnering one of the highest direct mail response rates.

According to recent statistics, 23.4% of consumers say they would respond to relevant postcards of interest to them (compared to 7.9% for letter-sized envelopes).

Ready to wade into the water of a new postcard campaign? Here are a few steps to success in 2021:

Take a Multi-Pronged Approach

One of the biggest trends direct mail is seeing is the consolidation of online and offline advertising.

Take a multi-pronged approach to generating leads, so your social media ads prompt curiosity, but your print ads pack some punch with greater neurological impact.  

Keep it Simple and Succinct

People are busy, and if they’re going to look at your mail, they’ll need a good reason.

Make sure your postcard leaps off the counter with unique imagery, splashy colors, a memorable catchphrase, or an unbeatable offer. And remember, when it comes to direct mail, less is more. Postcards that are sharp and straightforward will communicate much more than those packed with content.

Grab Emotions

According to one Harvard marketing study, 95% of purchasing decisions are made subconsciously.

If people’s hearts are in the driver’s seat, then direct mail should aim straight at this target. Research shows that the primary emotional appeals that prompt action are:

• Fear


• Greed


• Anger


• Guilt


• Flattery


• Exclusivity


• Salvation

Experiment with Specialty Branding Features

Because postcards are so economical, there’s lots of room to add embellishments.

Try haptic coatings, embossed logos, foil-flecked accents, or even scents.  When Sunsilk co-creations wanted to snag more customers, they decided to add an experiential element to their designs. Its gorgeous lime and hot pink postcards came with a tiny shampoo sample attached and a scented trial as well: “scratch to smell the new fruity fresh fragrance of this apple-coconut shampoo!” Customers may not sniff shampoo in the store aisle, but a scented postcard is irresistible!

Specialty branding makes a stronger impression on readers as they physically interact with your marketing. So build curiosity and engagement with these fresh, creative designs.

Postcards Inspire Action

Postcards are distinct, direct, and easy to read.

50.9% of people say they find postcards useful, and direct mail as a whole is especially inspiring to young people. Because many people today are glued to their phones, millennials, in particular, say that postal mail inspires them to action much more often than email (in fact, 30% say direct mail is effective in getting them to visit a website, go to a store, or make a purchase).

When you are ready to take your postcard marketing efforts to the next level, sign up for a personal consultation with one of our mailing experts. Our work-in-progress partnership will simplify each step and position your business for maximum impact!

Raster Images vs. Vector Graphics - What's the Difference and Why is it Important?

Do you ever wonder why something you printed turned out pixelated or blurry?

That’s because the image used was raster -- meaning that it’s composed of pixels that can only be scaled to a certain degree. Therefore, to achieve a crisp and clean look, a file must be vectorized. Confused? Don’t fret. Continue reading to understand what these terms really mean.

Raster Images

The most common form of raster images are digitized photographs, detailed graphics, or scanned artwork.

Raster images are pixel-based, meaning they’re composed of a grid of individual pixels in which each pixel is coded in a specific hue or shade. Because raster images are pixel-based, they suffer from image degradation (this is not a disease, rather an effect of a cause). The same way a photographic image gets blurry and imprecise when enlarged, a raster image gets rough and jagged.

In order to maximize the quality of a raster image, the resolution must be high. Meaning from the time the image was created, it must be created at a high resolution, as it becomes much more challenging to take a low-resolution image and attempt to enlarge it to a high resolution. This is nearly impossible unless you have the right equipment. The most common raster file formats include JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PCX, and BMP files.

Vector Graphics

When understanding vector graphics, think of geometric shapes such as polygons, lines, curves, circles, and rectangles.

These graphics are mostly images that have been created or designed rather than images that were captured or scanned. Examples would be a business logo, a t-shirt design, or the graphics in a catalog. Vector images are quickly and easily scalable. There is no limit as to how large or how small a vector graphic can be scaled. No matter what size, the graphic will never look pixelated or blurry. Because these graphics aren’t composed of millions of tiny pixels, they’re much more efficient and versatile when developing and printing. File formats most commonly used for vector graphics are AI, EPS, SVG, and sometimes PDF.

Both raster images and vector graphics are used for printing purposes. Neither one is better than the other. Applying the knowledge of why their differences are important will help when deciding how to create an image and the best option for printing.

How Print QR Code Cards are Marketing Genius

Business cards, postcards, and other print marketing pieces with QR codes can be extremely effective in developing support for your business, especially when starting from the ground floor.

Utilizing the Graphic Ease of a QR Code

The QR code is ideal for an immediate and instant connection to a large range of audiences because it doesn’t require a lot of comprehension.

Instead, the technology behind the QR code uses what people are already carrying, a smartphone or image-reading mobile device. So, all that needs to be done is for your audience to use the mobile device camera and capture the QR code. Then, it automatically provides a hyperlink to the given digital information associated with the specific image.

Effective Communication

Unlike QR images on doors, posters, or websites, did you know the QR code on a card or postcard can actually be retained better?

While one QR code can easily be scanned right away, the problem is when a viewer has multiple QR codes to deal with. They start scanning and clicking, and soon enough, the first code is forgotten, and the second or third becomes the attention focus.

However, with a business card or postcard, one can store it quickly and then remember it again later when there’s more time. That retention often makes printed QR code handouts far more effective overall from a marketing perspective.

Affordable and Budget Competitive

One of the best advantages of printed QR code postcards and business cards is how cost-effective they are.

Small businesses and cost-conscious larger players can all take advantage of print orders for low market expenses and high-impact results.

Add Zest to Summer Designs with 10 Hot Color Combos

It has been said that color is a power that directly influences our soul.

A common obstacle for designers is choosing colors. And you should not take this choice lightly! There is great energy in certain combinations – a good color palette will be unique, seductive, and harmonious.

Warmer seasonal temps offer a great chance to color outside the lines with playful, lavish options. Need inspiration? Here are a few feisty blends for your summer design toolbox:

10 Feisty Blends for Your Summer Design Toolbox

1. Cool Gray – Neon Orange – Plum Purple

These call-to-action colors bring a sense of health and vibrancy, with an air of sophistication and an invitation to adventure.

2. Magenta – Vibrant Turquoise – Black

Fire up confidence with bright shades that bring flavor and fun!

3. Sapphire Blue – Shadow Gray – Neon Yellow

Like a bright peacock feather, this gorgeous blue-green combination brings a royal, confident air to any page.

4. Bright Green – Dark Violet – Lava Gray

Like a sunset dip in the Caribbean, these rich colors satisfy the soul in a lush, confident array.

5. Flaming Fuchsia – Black – Sandy Tan

Want to steal the stage with your design? The bold contrasts in this palette exude vibrance, feminine strength, and a rugged road for the journey.

6. Solar Yellow – Electric Blue – Charcoal

When you want to add punch to your page, the rich extremes of this triad bring a fluorescent finish that is fierce yet fun!

7. Pearl Aqua – Cyber Grape – Daisy Yellow

These colors bring a burst of energy with bright hues and an interesting, sophisticated contrast.

8. Lime Punch – Cool Gray – Tangerine

Heat up appetites with this tropical, zesty arrangement that will compel people to give your business a try!

9. Terra Firma Green – Magenta – Sunlight Yellow

Like interwoven threads of a tribal mosaic, the sharp contrasts in this palette bring a sense of depth, mystery, and variety.

10. Carnation – Dark Lilac – Peachy Rose

Like a seashell deposited on a white-washed beach, this royal blend awakens a sense of purity and opulence, projecting an air of poise and splendor.

Find Your Favorites in Nature

Still looking for just the right blend? The natural world is a great place to look.

-- The sunset is not just orange; it is apricot, bronze, mauve, and amber.

-- A tropical beach is not just blue; it is turquoise, coral, tan, and chartreuse.

-- A poplar tree is not just green; it is a mix of jungle green, lime, silver-green, light brown, cool gray, and white.

When you find a natural image that inspires you, snap a photo and take it to the drawing board. Sample distinct colors from different parts of the photo and examine which hues move you the most. Most compelling swaths from nature include a system of colors ranging from dark to light and intense to soft. Find what is unique and powerful about these grand images and replicate them in your own seasonal designs.

The psychological association of a color can often be more potent than a visual impression. So be intentional (but brave!) with your summer palettes, and let these blends sell for you!

Why 2021 Direct Mail Marketing Still Matters for Retail Food Businesses

While people are finally able to obtain a vaccine for COVID-19 and the ability to travel, move around, shop, and dine out is increasing, restaurants have a long hill ahead of them before getting back to a business “normality.”

In fact, entire behavior patterns have changed in people after a year of completely living at home and avoiding regular work presence, school, commuting, and traffic. And that means businesses have to work extra hard in diversifying how they produce income and revenue channels to stay viable.

Many restaurants realized early the only way they were going to stay in business was to boost their ability to handle delivery, ordering out, pick up, and other forms of fresh-cooked food transfer to customers who could no longer dine in.

While people generally tried producing their food regularly at home, overall, Americans are used to picking up and eating out. So, the demand never actually left; it was stifled by COVID restrictions.

However, even now, many communities are still maintaining social restrictions to prevent new COVID infections until vaccinations are fully in place at every age level. That means restaurants and food preparation businesses have to continue leveraging direct mail to be heard, seen, connect and remain on the attention radar of customers.

4 Reasons Direct Mail Works

1. Direct mail is almost always local.

The most likely customers that can and will visit a restaurant from the surrounding area are the primary target for print mails.

2. Direct mail is significantly lower in cost than other marketing channels.

This is a key factor for food businesses that are already strapped and trying to stay in breakeven with the loss of income thanks to COVID.

3. Direct mail has a higher return on investment.

The return on investment of a simple print card mailer can be thousands upon thousands of dollars when a customer responds to an included call to action.

Add in the additional benefit of discounting, and that same customer is likely to buy even more, increasing a business's revenue and cash flow per sale.

4. Direct mailers should be designed to be re-used.

Customers love the ability to use a marketing tool or coupon repeatedly.

And that creates both business retention and a greater amount of income stream for a restaurant or food business, again the primary goal of the effort in the first place.

Now is the Time

Restaurants and food businesses that rely on retail traffic shouldn’t be waiting for social restrictions to lift further.

Marketing takes time to have a positive effect, which is why direct mail efforts need to be sent out on a cyclical basis, pushing and reminding folks of a restaurant’s presence and availability.

As people keep being reminded, especially as they start commuting to work again, the food business will become viable and convenient for a warm meal, even if it is still takeout or delivery. Card stock direct mailers can help tremendously. So don’t wait for the market to reappear. Get out there and chase it now!

Why 2021 Direct Mail Marketing Still Matters for Retail Food Businesses

While people are finally able to obtain a vaccine for COVID-19 and the ability to travel, move around, shop, and dine out is increasing, restaurants have a long hill ahead of them before getting back to a business “normality.”

In fact, entire behavior patterns have changed in people after a year of completely living at home and avoiding regular work presence, school, commuting, and traffic. And that means businesses have to work extra hard in diversifying how they produce income and revenue channels to stay viable.

Many restaurants realized early the only way they were going to stay in business was to boost their ability to handle delivery, ordering out, pick up, and other forms of fresh-cooked food transfer to customers who could no longer dine in.

While people generally tried producing their food regularly at home, overall, Americans are used to picking up and eating out. So, the demand never actually left; it was stifled by COVID restrictions.

However, even now, many communities are still maintaining social restrictions to prevent new COVID infections until vaccinations are fully in place at every age level. That means restaurants and food preparation businesses have to continue leveraging direct mail to be heard, seen, connect and remain on the attention radar of customers.

4 Reasons Direct Mail Works

1. Direct mail is almost always local.

The most likely customers that can and will visit a restaurant from the surrounding area are the primary target for print mails.

2. Direct mail is significantly lower in cost than other marketing channels.

This is a key factor for food businesses that are already strapped and trying to stay in breakeven with the loss of income thanks to COVID.

3. Direct mail has a higher return on investment.

The return on investment of a simple print card mailer can be thousands upon thousands of dollars when a customer responds to an included call to action.

Add in the additional benefit of discounting, and that same customer is likely to buy even more, increasing a business's revenue and cash flow per sale.

4. Direct mailers should be designed to be re-used.

Customers love the ability to use a marketing tool or coupon repeatedly.

And that creates both business retention and a greater amount of income stream for a restaurant or food business, again the primary goal of the effort in the first place.

Now is the Time

Restaurants and food businesses that rely on retail traffic shouldn’t be waiting for social restrictions to lift further.

Marketing takes time to have a positive effect, which is why direct mail efforts need to be sent out on a cyclical basis, pushing and reminding folks of a restaurant’s presence and availability.

As people keep being reminded, especially as they start commuting to work again, the food business will become viable and convenient for a warm meal, even if it is still takeout or delivery. Card stock direct mailers can help tremendously. So don’t wait for the market to reappear. Get out there and chase it now!

Employ This Unique Question-Storming Technique to Drive Creativity in Your Team

A well-known pastor once said this: “It takes guts to get out of ruts.”

In truth, it takes more than just guts. It takes inspiration, which is what drives courage and fuels life and new energy. When your team wants to create brain flow or stimulate innovative ideas, asking the right questions and getting others to ask them with you is one way to start.

The Question Formulation Technique

Most people spend a lot of time worrying about giving the right answers.

But an answer can only be as powerful as the question it addresses. If you work with teams, one of your goals should be to draw on each person’s unique strengths and creativity. But this can be a challenge if you can’t get the ball rolling.

If you want to try a different launch point for your next creative gathering, consider the Question Formulation Technique (originally formulated by the Right Question Institute). Here’s how it works:

Design a Question Focus

Pick a problem or challenge that is important to you. It should be clear and stimulate new lines of thinking. It should not be a question.

Establish Rules

Start by setting a time limit of around 5-15 minutes. Agree on this ahead of time and set a list of parameters before brainstorming begins. Brainstorming rules could include:

• Encouraging people to ask as many questions as possible


• Refraining from stopping green light thinking to answer, judge, or to discuss the questions posed


• Asking everyone to submit at least three questions


• Writing down every question exactly as it is stated

Produce Questions

Now it’s go-time.

Use your question focus to formulate as many questions as you can. Aim for 50 questions in 15 minutes to give your team a brain jolt.

Improve Questions

Once you have a list of questions, the next step is to try to improve them.

For example, you could change yes/no questions into open-ended phrases. You could modify a generic question by adding specifics (changing “how can we preserve heat loss in drafty spaces?” to “how can we increase heat efficiency by 20 percent?”)

Sort Questions

After brainstorming, your list will seem a bit jumbled.

Drill down by sorting questions into common themes then prioritizing the most critical areas. Choose 3-4 categories with the most potential and rank them by importance.

Take Action

Now ideas can take flight.

After ranking your categories, decide what you need to do next to generate creative solutions. Do you hand off a concept to a design team? Work with a consultant to flush out possibilities? Maybe you want to take the top-ranking question and have another “question-storming” session to flush out specifics for this concept.

Reflect and Reframe

Before closing your session, reflect on what your group learned and how you might assimilate these insights into your work. This may uncover hidden assumptions or reframe the way your team approaches its next obstacle. And give positive feedback on the discussion that just happened.

Teaching people to ask questions and partner in decision-making can fundamentally change the synergy of your team!

Go Print When a Presentation Matters Most

Given the restrictions of 2020 thanks to COVID, the term "slidedeck" has probably entered everyone's vocabulary far more than they care to know.

With nearly everyone spending at least three hours a day online in digital meetings, digital slide presentations have become commonplace. However, that doesn't mean going digital is the best choice for those decision-making events.

The Tangibility of Print

The standard for a powerful presentation has been and continues to be the professionally printed presentation package.

Why? In a word - tangibility.

People are tactile creatures, especially when making big decisions that have significant ramifications. Print presentations finished in high-quality stock and graphics meet that innate drive to have something physical in hand before making a big commitment.

3 Reasons Digital Falls Short on Presentations

Going digital with your presentation with a digital slidedeck doesn't have the same effect on people as print. Here are three reasons digital falls short in this way.

1. Digital Overload

Most audiences are now suffering from digital overload.

You don't have to go far to hear the constant complaining about having to chew through 50 to 300 emails a day, thanks to an over-reliance on digital communication.

What kind of attention are your presentation attendees going to have left to click open and read through another digital presentation, no matter how well done? 

2. Easily Manipulated Digital Content

Digital files can be easily manipulated, especially if they are going through multiple hands to get to the presentation party.

Many assume that by converting a slidedeck to a PDF format, the file will be protected and its integrity kept the same. This is a false hope. Without a fully encrypted form protection, the file can be tampered with. And when a presentation matters, the sender should make sure the content isn't tampered with from the version sent to the version being presented.

3. The One-and-Done Digital Dilemma

What happens when a digital presentation is complete?

Does the recipient in a meeting save the digital slidedeck for future reference? It's unlikely.

Most people just hit the delete button, hoping someone else has a copy if they actually need it again down the line, or hope that it was saved in their email folder. The likelihood of someone reopening a digital slidedeck to read its content completely is highly unlikely given the digital blur most people are under today.

Capture Attention with Print Presentations

A print presentation on high-quality stock makes a huge difference in all of these situations.

People have something tangible to read and hold that isn't a computer screen. In fact, a professionally finished presentation in print is probably unique and an immediate stand-out in 2021.

And, the presentation can't be faked, fudged, or tampered with without ruining the package in total. The same can't be said for a digital file.

Finally, people do actually look at print material repeatedly after seeing it for the first time. If the document isn't discarded right away, most folks will reread the package before deciding whether to file it, scan it, or recycle it. And that means your message sink in even deeper. 

When a presentation matters, deliver it in print!