If you do not know too much about the printing business then you may not have heard of the term print finishing before. This refers to the way in which the printed matter may be completed after it has come out of the printer. For those with little knowledge of printing procedures, you may be forgiven for thinking that this would not involve too much but the truth of the matter is that there are a number of procedures and processes that really do enhance the materials and they are quite complex. Below are a few of the processes that might be carried out during the print finishing stage.
Die Cutting and Creasing
Die cutting or creasing is a very common print finishing process and this procedure involves removing any excess paper that does not make up the finished matter. Die cutting involves an area of about three millimetres around the printed work being cut away. The artwork will have extended out beyond the proper size and this is often referred to as the ‘bleed’. By removing the bleed, the artwork will not have any unnecessary borders. At the same time that the artwork is die cut, it will also be creased which is the process of folding the material into the correct layout. There may be some jobs which will not require any creasing to take place but there may be other types of work that will involve a number of different folds such as in the case of leaflets or brochures.
Laminating
Laminating is also very popular in terms of print finishing. This is when the printed material is coated with a very thin layer of plastic on the back and the front. The two pieces of plastic are sealed together around the printed material with heat. There are a couple of laminate finishes that might be applied such as gloss or matt. Laminated materials are much stronger and far better quality. Another benefit of laminating is the fact that it can often enhance the artwork on a printed poster for example.
Other Types of Print Finishing
There are many other types of print finishing such as punching, perforating, numbering, guillotining, collating or drilling and these processes are done to make sure the printed materials are more presentable by being well organised. At this stage you may also want to have your printed matter stapled, bound or stitched to keep all the documents together. Types of materials that might require these types of print finishing are magazines, booklets or brochures.
Print finishing can also be used to make the finished product look more decorative. Foiling for example is a great way to ensure that your materials have a very high quality finish. Another benefit of foiling is that it offers authenticity and makes your materials more secure. There are various types of foils that can be used these days.
If you are a teacher looking for supply work then it might be a good idea for you to register on the books of a few teaching recruitment agencies. These agencies are a good place to find work because they are working on behalf of the teacher as well as the school so they have a vested interest in both sides. They want to provide the best teachers to the schools and colleges because they are getting paid to do this and they want to make sure that the teacher gets the best position for their skill set because it means they are more likely to get their commission.
You may find that there are a number of different teaching recruitment agencies out there these days and the truth of the matter is that you can sign up with various agencies. However, you will probably notice that some of them are a little more hands on than others. Those that are offering a much more hands on service will usually have more chance of finding you appropriate work so these are the agencies you should be focusing on.
Most teaching recruitment agencies should be able to find supply work for you as there are always positions available. A good agency will want to meet with you personally before finding you the perfect position because they will want to ensure that you are presentable and are professional. First impressions count and they will want to see how you conduct yourself before sending you for any jobs or interviews. You may be assigned a personal consultant and if this is the case, it is even better for you as this person will get to know you and this means there is more chance of them finding you work that you will be happy with.
You will have to provide a copy of your CV to the teaching recruitment agency and if any work needs to be done to this, then the agency should be more than willing to offer suggestions. They have experience in this area so know what a good CV should look like. They know that your CV can have an effect on whether or not you are called for interview. It is essential that your CV is up to date so make sure you are always on top of it and are adding any new achievements and experience to it.
Teaching recruitment agencies are a fantastic place to find supply work as this is where most educational institutes will look first. Using an agency means that you can always be working until the perfect long term position becomes available.
The stationery that your business uses says a great deal to your customers and potential clients. A marketing letter or a mailshot may be a potential customer’s first ever contact with your organisation and it is important that you given them the right impression. Letters that are printed on poor quality or anonymous looking paper are not going to say to them that you’re a business that cares about its image and if they get the impression that you don’t care about your image they may conclude that you don’t’ care about your customers.
The use of a reputable and experienced printing service to design and produce high quality, thoughtfully designed business stationery for you will ensure that your company makes a favourable impression right from the get go. A full colour printed letterhead using good quality paper will create the best possible impression as soon as your customer opens the envelope. You can choose from plain, watermarked, textured or even environmentally friendly recycled paper. A printing service will be able to show you paper samples to help you make the right choice. Your letterhead should include your company logo and all relevant contact information. A good layout, design, choice of colours and font type is important and again, a printing service will be able to assist in your letterhead design. If your business often has to produce long letters or reports, consider the used of printed continuation sheets. These need to be of the same paper type as the letterheads to ensure that your communications appear seamless and professional.
Printed compliment slips are an essential element of your business stationery. A compliment slip can be affixed to the front of a report or to your company’s brochure and is an ideal way of presenting a professional image when a letter is not necessary. The compliment slip produced by your printing service should match your letterheads and be printed with your logo and contact details.
Printed envelopes will also make a positive impact. Not only that, but envelopes can be used as marketing tools in their own right. An envelope presents a large surface area that is often overlooked but which could easily be printed with colourful marketing and advertising information. Using a printing service to produce your business envelopes will ensure that you have yet another important marketing string to your bow.
Finally, don’t overlook those favourite items of business stationery – your business cards. When you or your salespeople are out and about meeting potential customers, it is considered good business etiquette to give your client a business card. This should be printed on heavy weight card and can be glossy or laminated for a superior appearance. Your business cards should carry your logo, your name and your contact information. Don’t forget that a business card has two sides! You could ask your printing service to print your business cards double-sided for extra marketing potential.
Use of the internet has mushroomed in recent years and nearly everyone in the developed world has access to a computer and the World Wide Web, either at home or at school or work. Having a website has changed from something only the largest corporations have to something that much smaller companies, charities and other non-profit organizations and even individuals have started to use to promote themselves on the world stage. Creating your own page has also become much simpler with special software available to help with the coding aspect of making the page. One of the key software packages that can be used to help create a professional website is Photoshop, the picture editing suite.
Making Your Website More Professional Using Photoshop
Photoshop can help to turn a very average or run of the mill website into a much more professional looking one. For a small business or charity which does not have the resources to employ either a web designer or graphic design company, this enables them to put together a good quality website to promote their company and what their business is. Nearly all companies will have access to a digital camera or a phone with a good camera on it, and using this in conjunction with the Photoshop software they will be able to take images for the website and edit them using Photoshop. Using stock photos from a royalty free website may be a cheaper and less time consuming option, but having access to custom made images which best represent what the company is about will give a more professional and unique image.
Although to fully use all of the functions that are offered in the Photoshop package some degree of experience is required, to learn the Photoshop basics takes less time. Most users who have good computer experience will pick up the basic functions quickly and as they gain in confidence will be able to start using the more advanced features of the product. For individuals who are putting together a website for their own personal use, learning to use Photoshop will have benefits in the future for adding another skill to their resume, and once the basics are learned a professional result can quickly be achieved. Training modules to help small companies teach their staff the Photoshop basics are available online or by distance learning and using this method to develop employee or individual skills can be very cost effective for the small business or individual. Once the basics of Photoshop have been grasped, photographs can be used in many different ways to create a variety of effects on a website, whether personal or corporate.