Eye catching envelope design

Even though email has become the go to method for communication, nothing beats sending a good old-fashioned letter. Having envelopes that are creative and unique will make your mail communication stand out. Custom envelope printing will help get you noticed and into the hands of your recipient.

 

Tips and guidelines for envelope design and printing

The number one goal for your envelope design is to grab recipients’ interest to open it up and see what’s inside. The key is to grab attention quickly through use of color, images and text. An important secondary goal is to build brand awareness by making your envelope printing fit into the larger scope of your brand identity. Keeping your designs cohesive on your business cards, letterhead, envelopes and other marketing materials will put forth a professional image and create the strongest brand impact.

 

  • Color – While black and white can make a bold statement with the right graphics, color usually packs a bigger punch. If you already have a nice, brightly colored logo? Place it prominently on the front of the envelope with images that reflect your companies image. Custom envelopes is that they are printed flat, then “converted” into envelopes, so your design can wrap around the envelope, or you can inject visual appeal by contrasting the back or flap.

Be sure to keep the top right corner available with a light background for a stamp.

  • Images – Creative use of images in your stationery can really help you stand out from the crowd. Sometimes all it takes is a hint of an image faded in the background to instantly set the tone about who you are and what you offer.
  • Text – To create a sense of urgency or draw special attention, use bursts of texts such as “Special Discount”, “Urgent Time-dated Materials” or “Limited Space – Act Now!” Just don’t overdo it, the envelope is the teaser – the contents of your envelope should do the selling.

 

Paper Quality and Sustainability

An important part of the design is the paper you choose for your envelope printing.

Smooth or textured, you’ll want a quality uncoated stock that you can run through your laser or desktop printer for addressing. Smooth 70 lb. stocks, show off your color designs the best and are the most cost effective, while textured 24 lb writing stocks such as linen or laid offer a nice tactile, high-end feel.

To match your letterhead and envelopes more closely to your business cards or brochures printed on glossy or dull/matte coated stocks, go for smooth stock.

With custom envelopes, you don’t have to sacrifice quality for environmental responsibility. Choose environmentally responsible papers, or ask about fine writing papers that include recycled content.

Envelopes are one of those things that everyone forgets about and takes for granted. Put some thought into designing these precious packages to ensure you connect with your customers and get a fair shake in your direct mail marketing efforts.

 

Professional printing services

Still have questions have any questions about preparing your envelopes for production?

Contact Pel Hughes for help.

Pel Hughes gets Energy Smart

Energy Smart, Entergy New Orleans’ energy efficiency incentive program helps New Orleans’ businesses implement and pay for upgrades that will lower electricity usage. Through the program, Pel Hughes completed an LED upgrade and that is estimated to save 185,740 kWh of electricity per year, that comes out to more than $16k saved on our electric bill per year!

 

New Orleans businesses can receive incentive funds to help pay for projects such as upgrading lighting to Energy Star certified LED’s and upgrading HVAC, chillers, building automation systems and more. Energy Smart is committed to working with local businesses, such as Pel Hughes, who provides the program with all its print materials. Energy Smart also works with local contractors and technical service providers to engage them growing in the energy efficiency economy in New Orleans. Contact Energy Smart if your business has any energy efficiency needs 504-229-6868, info@energysmartnola.com or www.energysmartnola.com.

Proven and effective brochure designs for automotive campaigns

Need to run an automotive campaign?

 

For more than 60 years, we’ve provided seamless, results-oriented marketing solutions – from commercial printing and direct mail to brand management for clients across multiple industries throughout the United States. We will provide you with enhanced automotive campaigns and design concepts to increase tracking, lead generation, and marketing analytics.

 

Check out two of our proven and effective designs…

 

BUY BACK CAMPAIGN:

 

Campaign Goal: Close deals by offering recipients attractive Buy Backs on their existing vehicles

 

Audience: targeted acquisition list in dealer’s market

 

Known information about recipients:

  • VIN#
  • Make/Model (UVCode)
  • Black book Value

 

Creative VDP:

  • Jumbo Postcard (recommended)
  • Full color personalized message to each recipient
  • Variable images of the year make/model of their existing car
    • Option: variable maps, image personalization, etc.

 

Call to Action: Attractive offer to purchase recipients’ current vehicle based on Black Book and demand. Appointment scheduling via PURL and/or Phone

 

Response tracking: PURL and/or phone tracking with trigger emails and dealer dashboard for leads

 

Campaign Value: Targeted and relevant offers leveraging existing data that results in high conversion rates.

 

PRE-APPROVED OFFER CAMPAIGN:

 

Campaign Goal: Offer guaranteed loans to target audience with very attractive, personalized offer to each recipient

 

Audience: targeted acquisition list in dealer’s market

 

Known information about recipients:

  • Soft credit pulls (typically a credit score of 650+)
  • Accurate current financing information on each recipient’s vehicle
    • More targeted list options:
      • Cross reference VIN# Vehicle Make/model

 

Creative VDP:

  • Jumbo Postcard (recommended)
  • Full color personalized message to each recipient
  • Variable images of the year make/model of their existing car
  • Relevant offers based on current financing situation
    • Option: variable maps, image personalization, etc

 

Call to Action: Attractive offer to save customer money based on their current payments and credit worthiness. Appointment scheduling via PURL and/or Phone

 

Response tracking: PURL and/or phone tracking with trigger emails and dealer dashboard for leads

 

Campaign Value: Our list source guarantees all loans offered to each recipient if campaign parameters are met (direct mail campaign has to be mailed within 30 days of the list pull).

 

We’ve shown only two examples in our ever-growing arsenal of campaigns to target potential buyers. In addition to the different campaigns, we have tools that will help you lead the dealership in the right direction. From our catalog of designs to our tracking dashboard, we’ve got you covered.

How Augmented Reality Can Grow Your Retail Business

Do you know what augmented reality is?

You probably should, because this technology is about to infiltrate the world of commerce in a big way.

 

So what exactly is augmented reality?

According to web tech guru Margaret Rouse of WhatIs.com, “augmented reality is the integration of digital information with the user’s environment in real time. Unlike virtual reality, which creates a totally artificial environment, augmented reality uses the existing environment and overlays new information on top of it.”

One of the first known examples of augmented reality was the layering of “first down” yellow lines that appeared on television screens during football games in the late 1990s. Today, we see augmented reality at work in Google glass and heads up displays in car windshields, but AR is present on more subtle levels as well?

 

How does Pel Hughes leverage this technology?

At Pel Hughes, we use AR technology to give physical objects digital identities. Here are a few examples how AR technology is offering enhancements to how products are printed.  

    1. Universal barcodes – invisible, omnipresent barcodes that eliminate the need to scan a specific location on a package and provide custom content to consumers’ mobile devices
    2. Data rich packaging – packaging that is covered in camouflaged, repeated data that serves as a “scan anywhere” barcode, making checkout faster and your packaging completely artistic – no barcode to be seen
    3. Interactive print and digital – consumers can easily scan print and digital content, from posters to direct mail, for access to brand generated content. No QR code required.

 

 

 

What could using AR labeling technology mean for your brand?

  • Faster checkout – if they can scan your object anywhere, the process goes faster
  • Increased label durability – thermal technology makes sure that even if your packaging is burnt or torn, it will still scan
  • Increased connection to customers – with a simple scan of any part of your product, a consumer has access to brand generated content, and that content can change whenever you want, but your label doesn’t have to. AR technology gives you the flexibility to constantly stay useful and relevant, while QR codes afford less flexibility.

 

Interested in how AR can help your brand? Give us a call at Pel Hughes and we’ll see how this technology could take your sales to the next level.

Mohawk MakeReady: Resources for Digital Printing

Everybody loves a deal.

That’s why the team here at Pel Hughes is in love with Mohawk MakeReady and the site’s free downloadable resources.

We’re not talking about wordy white papers or useless guides.

We’re talking FREE dielines (templates for packages that show cut lines and folds of a package on a flattened surface) your business can download and use to save major money while creating an end product that is professional, convincingly custom, and budget friendly.

From wine glass templates to golf ball boxes, Mohawk has you covered.

Check out just a few of the templates they offer:

mohawk makeready

 

Pretty cool, right?

PLUS – everyone in the printing business knows that standard diecutting gets expensive quickly, and in order to make it worth your while, you need to hit a minimum…which is not always ideal.

After all, you don’t always need 500 paper golf ball boxes.

With Mohawk MakeReady downloadable dielines, you can print as few as 100 copies and avoid printing in excess to simply break even.

Need another reason to Mohawk MakeReady out?

Mohawk MakeReady offers more than just die cutting templates.

Over the past ninety years, this American paper mill business has built up an incredible amount of experience, knowledge, and industry clout.

Now, this knowledge is ripe for the taking in this site’s hundreds of “practical resources”

Resources include:

  • Quick videos
  • Articles
  • Presentations

If you’d rather browse by topic, choose resources topics from design to packaging to online marketing and sales techniques.

 

mohawk makeready

 

Ready to check out Mohawk MakeReady?

Dos and Don’ts if you are considering direct mail

Direct mail marketing to potential customers can be a very effective and lucrative tool in your marketing toolbelt. You just have to know how to use it to your advantage.

There are lots of DOs and DON’Ts when it comes to direct mail campaigns. Here are some of them:

DO:

 

  • Test and measure, then repeat – You have to start small, then measure the success before sending out more. Small could mean a couple hundred or a few thousand. It just depends on how big your business is. Are you tracking your orders and where the leads came from? This is how you measure the success of your first mailout. If the first mailout was successful, then you know it’s time for another, and maybe even a larger one this time.
  • Start with your existing customers – Do you already send them mailouts? If so, is it feasible for you to send them more?
  • Include a letter along with the brochure or other material you are sending out. Research shows it will increase your chances of getting a response.
  • Keep it simple – You have to very quickly and very concisely show your existing or potential customers exactly how they’ll be saving money or what awesome product they will be receiving. Too many details will only deter the client from reading more.
  • Create a customer profile – What are some of the shared characteristics of your current customer list? If you can come up with an accurate profile of your customer base, then you can better target your customers with the mailout campaign.
  • Offer incentives — discounts and free gifts are very effective in getting customers to take the plunge.
  • Give them a time limit — Make sure the offer has an expiration date. For example: Valid only through the end of November.
  • Make them more personal – This ties into your customer profiles and knowing your base. The more you can connect with them in your mailout, the better your chances are for a successful direct mail campaign.
  • Send multiple mailouts per year – You should consider mailouts at least five to six times a year for maximum results.

 

DON’T:

 

  • Forget to follow up – For those people who do respond to your mailout, it’s important to follow up with them, either with a simple thank you note or even another promotion.
  • Forget to proofread – Make sure your brochures, coupons, etc., look perfect and professional. One typo could cost you in the long run.
  • Mail to everyone – Just because you have their address, if you know that certain customers would not be interested in what you are offering, then don’t include them in the mailout. You don’t want to alienate existing customers who don’t fit the profile of this particular campaign.

At Pel Hughes, we offer amazing digital and offset printing services, knowledge of how to manage a direct mail campaign, and so much more. Let us know what we can do to help your business today.

How die cutting can set you apart

At Pel Hughes, we understand how hard it is to stand out on a desk or in a mailbox, so we offer services that will help your brand shine!

One of those services is die cutting.

But what exactly is “die cutting?”

Definitively, “die cutting” refers to the cutting of a thin, flat material into a shape or pattern using a piece of steel. These shapes are typically used as a decoration to make your piece pop and appear to be three dimensional.

Basically, die cutting is used to make pretty cut outs and borders that make your materials much more interesting than a simple flat surface.

If you think die cutting might be something your brand’s marketing materials could benefit from, we’re glad to hear it!

But there is something you should think about..

The first step with any project is identifying your budget. Die cutting will set you apart, but there is a reason: it can get costly at low quantities.

Which is why we recommend die cutting for projects requiring quantities over 1,000. At this number, you can get more “bang for your buck” !

We have definitely seen the amazing things diecutting can do for a brand, and we’re happy we’ve been the ones to create such distinctive pieces – from catering company business cards that look like a plate, to a real estate company with postcards in the shape of a house.

Ready to hear some of our ideas? We’re ready to share! Contact us today.

Image and Video Personalization

Personalizing your brand’s marketing materials is more important now than ever before; people are overwhelmed with irrelevant junk messaging, and they’re understandably quite sick of it.

So what’s the answer to getting in front of your audience and NOT making them want to punch your brand in the metaphorical face?

Personalization.

According to Hubspot, almost three-fourths (74%) of online consumers become frustrated with websites when their content (including offers, ads, promotions, etc.) has nothing to do with their them – their interests, needs, etc.

This information should have you thinking about the huge opportunity this poses for your business if you can just…

  1. a) reach out only to those who will find your message to be relevant to their life or business

AND

  1. b) make impressive, personalized content

THEN

You will reach your customer in a meaningful way, increasing your chances of establishing a profitable business relationship.

So what can Pel Hughes do to help?

As it turns out, we’re kind of really really ridiculously good at personalizing things. Crazy coincidence, right?

First up, we’ve got personalized images…

Our goal with these little guys is to place a name on an image so flawlessly that you can’t tell if the cake really said “Andrew” in real life or not…

We want to get the head scratches going.

We want them wondering why we went to the trouble of making an entire pizza.

At Pel Hughes, we will design and produce images just like the examples above for print, digital, or both. Clients who really want to take advantage of the power of personalization will have the option of choosing between our pre-built image templates or recruiting our design team to create a custom image to meet your needs.

 

Next up, personalized videos…

Personalized video content is another fantastic opportunity to stand out to your audience and make a long-lasting impression.

How do we do it?

We can use any and all information that you have on your customers. That means information from sign up forms, customer lists, social media connections, and more can be seamlessly captured and included in a video format.

Basically, we have a video skeleton, and we fill in the blanks with your consumer – photos, video, audio, you name it.

Check out an example by clicking the link.

And why should you try out personalized video?

In short, it’s because we’re all a little bit obsessed with ourselves.

Honestly – remember those Elf Yourself?? The little video app that lets you stick your face in an elf costume and send dancing videos to your friends? Those are fantastic proof that people are much more likely to share something (and promote YOU and your brand) when their face is plastered all over it.

 

So there you have it. Image personalization and customization in a nutshell.

Want to try it out? Give us a call or shoot us an email today!

 

The difference between offset and digital printing

When you think about it, it’s pretty funny how often we ponder the printing process.

Because we never really do.

Honestly, when was the last time you pulled a lovely catalogue out of your mailbox and said “Wow! I wonder what kind of printing device made this image possible?! Was it digital?? Offset?”

Probably never.

I mean, we do over here at Pel Hughes, but we’re a little bit obsessed with all the ink and media jazz – as a printing company should be!

But in the spirit of education and celebrating the craft we love, we want to introduce you to the two main methods of printing in use today, the way they work, and how they’re different from one another.

Understanding the two might just help you choose the best option for your next printing job, or you might just be funny like us and think printers are cool.

Drumroll, please!

In general, there are two main methods of printing: digital and offset.

The method used for a printing job is chosen based on the volume and consistency a job demands.

Offset Printing

Offset printing (also known as “offset lithography”) dates back to 1875 and is clearly the older of the two methods. It involves the transfer of an image using several large cylinders and ink. The first cylinder holds a metal plate with the image for printing etched into it. The metal plate then is pressed into a rubber or plastic sheet on the next cylinder. This cylinder is then covered with ink and pressed onto the final media – whether that be paper, wood, cloth, etc.

Offset printing is fantastic for large printing jobs (like newspapers and books) because it produces consistent, high quality print. This consistent quality is partially due to the fact that the metal plate never comes into contact with the ink or print media, meaning that it maintains its quality for longer.

Though the process of setting up the offset printer for a job is more time consuming than digital printing, the cost of offset printing actually results in a lower cost per page than digital printing if the job is big enough.

Digital Printing

Digital printing is the newer but no less impressive method of printing.

Put simply, digital printing takes out the middleman: an image is sent directly from a file to the printer. There is no need to transfer the image from the file to a rubber or metal plate – the toner is sprayed directly onto the print media and bound to the paper with heat to create the desired image.

Because digital printing does not require the creation of a plate, it greatly reduces the time needed to print – meaning saved time and money for you!

And because of the lower cost, digital printing is great for small jobs.

 

Not sure which one to pick?

That’s just fine! That’s our job.

Give us a call at 504-486-8646 or shoot us an email to find out how we can help you pick the highest quality, most cost efficient option for all of your printing needs.

How can your company benefit from creative graphic design?

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