In our recent Slideshare we revealed the evidence to show that not only is print still very much alive but it is also of great value to your business. Now you know the gap in your business that Print Marketing can fill, and what the advantages of including print in your campaigns are, we’re going to let you in on the secrets to standing out!

1. [PART 2]
PRINT IS STILL ALIVE! HERE’S HOW
TO GIVE LIFE TO YOUR PRINTED
MARKETING MATERIALS

2. You can’t turn a blind eye to the fact that print has come a long
way. Although there was a time when people argued that
traditional methods of print would become obsolete with the
introduction of Digital Marketing (and some still do believe
this), now is a better time than ever to get your marketing
printed and we bet you want to know why?!
…Well, with the rumour that print was in decline, verging on
the need of life support, we can report that it is making a
remarkable recovery.
YOU CAN’T TURN A BLIND EYE

3. There’s been significant development in the quality and
variety of materials and finishes involved with print.
Traditionally, to achieve some of these finishes and methods
of print, quantities had to be high as did the budgets, so
businesses would opt for cheaper options. However, since
the battle of print vs. digital began, there has been a
noticeable change following further development of
equipment and processes in print. Not only that, the purpose
and need for print has evolved also, and people turn to print
no longer because it’s a predictable choice, but more so
because the result of it is unpredictable.
BE UNPREDICTABLE

4. With print, you hold the key to the WOW factor. Now that the spectrum
of materials and finishing options within print have become more
available, from short runs through to larger runs, businesses who want
to opt for a premium, stand out result, can do so. With a whole range
of interesting materials and finishes to choose from, you have the
power to really WOW your audience, personalising your pieces;
henceforth, the element of being unpredictable and standing out.
Image source: https://www.celloglas.co.uk/
HOW SO, YOU ASK?

5. When marketing directly to individuals, GDPR means we all must
respect our clients’ and prospect’s data, whether marketing
through print or digitally. With Digital Marketing becoming too
common and an obvious marketing choice, the people targeted
are likely to be disinterested and bored of seeing the same thing. If
a part of your Digital Marketing involves an email campaign, people
can easily opt out now that the new GDPR legislation is in place.
With Print Marketing, it wouldn’t be as easy as that. Providing you
have considered special materials and finishes, naturally your
audience will be encouraged to engage with your printed item
because unique aesthetics and ‘touch’ aren’t experienced digitally.
AESTHETICS AND TOUCH

6. Now you’re eager to ‘get your print on’, we’re going to
share with you some of our favourite finishes and materials,
that will make your print worth it by giving it that WOW
factor:
GET YOUR PRINT ON

7. There’s a huge variety of paper weights, colours and types
(e.g. uncoated, silk, gloss etc), that can add to the overall
quality of your printed item(s). Combined with contrasting yet
complimentary finishes, it makes it possible to capture your
audience in an instance and ensure they pay attention to
your marketing piece.
MATERIALS

8. There are different types of lamination that can add to the impact
your printed marketing piece makes on your audience. Matt and
Gloss are the original types of lamination, both add to the quality of
your print and can be used in conjunction with contrasting finishing
techniques for an even better effect. Although these are considered
durable options, Anti-scuff Lamination was introduced to include a
scuff resistant quality to your print, making the finish last longer, and
eliminate the common issues of scuffs on large areas of dark colour.
In addition, the most luxurious option of lamination is Soft Touch, not
only because of how it looks but due to how it feels when touched. By
incorporating the sense of touch into your print, you’re likely to
encourage more engagement between your audience and the item,
plus this finish looks very professional. Anti-scuff and Soft Touch
Laminate can also be combined with other finishing techniques.
LAMINATION

9. These are both processes that can print a type of foil,
however they do achieve different effects. Digital Foiling is
considered the better option for short runs, as Traditional
Block Foiling requires a die (a physical block of metal, hence
the name ‘block foiling’). Block Foiling tends to achieve a
slightly debossed effect with a texture to it due to the foil
being pressed into the block or die. As well as the process,
there are different foil types to choose from too. The most
common types of foil include: Metalized Foil, Pigment Foil,
Effects Foil, Holographic Foil and Signature Panel.
...
BLOCK FOILING AND DIGITAL FOILING

10. A few common uses of foil are business cards, wedding
invitations, brochure covers and scratch cards. Holographic
Foil is particularly interesting because it can be used as a
security element – with it being difficult to reproduce – on
items such as security stickers, passports, vouchers and
bank notes to name a few. Foiling is another printing method
that not only focuses on great aesthetics but incorporates the
touch element too.
BLOCK FOILING AND DIGITAL FOILING

11. Impress and depress techniques are used to create these
stand-out effects. Embossing is the process of two engraved
plates being sandwiched together to create the desired 3D
effect. The plates or blocks form a sandwich, one part is male
and the other female (in simple terms, they fit together a bit like
Lego, but the connecting parts are the design, as part of the
block). As the two parts come together, the embossed block
pushes the material into the debossed block creating the effect.
Debossing is sometimes preferred over embossing due to the
fact that it doesn’t interfere with the reverse of your printed item;
which leaves more room for thought on design. In addition, you
can incorporate both embossing and debossing into one piece.
EMBOSSING AND DEBOSSING

12. This is a digital inline process that transforms flat print into a
raised texture, enhancing specific areas of a design. Another
tactile printing process that communicates through the
integration of captivating aesthetics and the ‘touch’
experience. In addition, although this is a luxurious option,
being a digital inline process makes both small and larger
print runs cost effective.
DIGITAL DIMENSIONAL INK

13. Spot UV is a clear high sheen finish that can be applied to
certain areas of a printed sheet. This works particularly well
with a soft touch laminate or a matt laminate. The contrast
of the high sheen finish against the matt background makes
this effectively stand out. If you have an eye-catching
design or feature you want to emphasise, the Spot UV will
no doubt shine a light on it for you.
SPOT UV VARNISH

14. We’re going to discuss personalisation too as this can be
integrated with high quality materials and finishes for an
improved impact which you can now run at lower
quantities. For example, we recently undertook an
employee recognition scheme for a large customer of ours,
where for every employee who had reached a 5-year
milestone in their employment with them, they’d receive a
recognition award.
...
PERSONALISATION

15. For each 5-year period, a different award is produced, but they all come
in a personalised gift box and presentation case. Each box contains a
personalised certificate along with a couple of other treats for the
employee. This would have been unthinkable at one point in time, but
now, a printed and wrapped box and case, personalised on a single
basis is very achievable, has a massive WOW factor and we know has
huge impact on our client’s employee morale and retention.
There are many ways to integrate personalisation with print. The only
limit these days seems to be your IMAGINATION.
PERSONALISATION

16. Another element to consider whilst we’re discussing personalisation, is
that it doesn’t just mean putting someone’s name on your
marketing piece.
Personalisation can now go so much further. If you ask yourself, ‘what do
my customers buy from me’, ‘where are they located’, and other
questions alike, that really hone into who your clients are, you can start
to build a picture that can effectively impact your marketing. If you’re in
retail and you know clients prefer certain products over others, you can
tailor your print to those items that are most relevant. If you know you
have a client who is interested in specific products and you have an
event nearby, a tailored, personalised invitation will steal their attention;
where relevancy is high.
STEAL THIER ATTENTION

17. NOW NOT ONLY DO YOU KNOW THAT PRINT IS
STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE, YOUR EYES HAVE
BEEN OPENED TO THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS
OF PRINT THAT CAN GIVE YOUR PRINTED
MARKETING THE WOW FACTOR!
LET US KNOW WHAT MATERIALS OR PRINT
FINISHES WOW YOU VIA TWITTER
@BIRCHPRINT USING #BPWOWFACTOR...
Or visit www.birchprint.co.uk/blog/ for similar subjects
Th k You!