Pine Press Printing Blog

Cool QR codes

admin — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:02:35 +0000

QR Codes

Advertisers are smitten with the small, square patterns that can be scanned by smartphones.

FORTUNE — Think QR codes are monochrome and ugly? Think again. The codes, originally developed in Japan in the 1990′s and now growing in ubiquity everywhere else, are actually highly customizable and, in some cases, quite beautiful.

When Toyota subsidiary Denso originally developed QR codes in their black and white form, they were meant to serve a functional use as a means to track auto parts. But as the codes began being used for marketing — directing smartphone-equipped consumers to websites and interactive advertisements — they started receiving makeovers. Now, brands want to have their codes stand out.

Pine Press Printing & Mailing delivers. Guaranteed!

Pine Press Printing your friendly hometown printer in Lexington, SC 29072

803-359-9162

Try this one!

It’s time to live like you were dying.

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:32:32 +0000

This is always an exciting time of year here at Pine Press Printing with the holidays, year-end wrap up and getting together with loved ones. This time of year always seems to be the best time for reflection to take some measure of what you’ve accomplished and where you are heading next. In that spirit, over the past few weeks with the help of my wife Lori, I’ve been doing some serious reflecting.

I believe it was Michael Landon who said:

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day”.

I just love this quote. Its easy to take it all for granted sometimes… we get stuck in our own rut… wake up, take shower, get kids to school, go to work, come home, cook dinner, clean house, watch TV, bedtime… repeat.

I challenge you to sit down by yourself for 15 minutes today and think about the things you always wanted to do… the things you were going to do… the things that you would have, should have, could have done, “if only”.

Make a list of these things, pick something, and do it.

Here are three tips to keep in mind:

1. Do It Now! – There is no better time than the present.
2. Seize the Opportunity – Opportunities are those things that may present themselves once in a lifetime and in a very small window of time. Most of us wish we would have taken more risks in our lives.
3. Never Give Up! – One of my favorite quotes is “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison

Best Wishes,
John

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Pine Press Printing your friendly hometown printer in Lexington, SC 29072

803-359-9162
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Find Free Stock Images Online

admin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:00:33 +0000

Finding great stock photos on a budget can sometimes be a difficult task. Next time you are looking for stock images, here are a few free sites worth looking at:
Everystockphoto.com is a free photo search engine that searches multiple websites. It even allows social networking aspects such as rating, tagging, collecting, and commenting on photos.

FreeDigitalPhotos.net offers free images for use in corporate and personal projects, with an option to purchase higher resolution versions for print.

FreeRangeStock.com offers a searchable database of free high-quality stock photos, suitable for personal or commercial design projects.

WPClipArt.com offers a safe and simple online collection of clipart and photos optimized for school kids. It is safe from inappropriate images and free of copyright concerns.

Stock.Xchng is a user-contributed, free source of stock photos.

Burningwell.org has free images for any use donated by photographers around the world.

MorgueFile.com provides free image reference material for use in all creative pursuits.

StockVault.net offers free high-resolution stock photos for personal, non-commercial use.

FreeStockPhotos.com features high-resolution royalty-free stock photos, suitable for desktop wallpaper, school projects, personal stationery, and more.

FreeFlowerImages.com offers 1,500 watermark-free, stock flower images, sorted by color.

BackgroundsArchive.com offers free tileable and desktop wallpapers.

Often the old saying “you get what you pay for” is true. There are free gems to be found, however when you need that perfect photo in a high resolution format, call Pine Press Printing. We know what a file needs to reproduce properly and we purchase top quality photos for use in all our projects. If you have questions about quality of images for print or need help finding the perfect graphic, give us a call today! 803-359-9162

Pine Press Printing & Mailing delivers. Guaranteed!

Pine Press Printing your friendly hometown printer in Lexington, SC 29072

803-359-9162

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“a grateful heart is a happy heart”

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:36:44 +0000

As I get older the Thanksgiving holiday becomes more important to me. Counting my blessings cheers me up and causes me to realize just how blessed I am. My brother Ross showed me how this works. He lives in Atlanta and we talk often while he is commuting back and forth to work. For the last couple of years he will call me from the “parking lot” that is Atlanta traffic and he would start telling me just how grateful he was for different things in his life. Instead of dwelling on the negative things that all of our lives have. He would start listing things like: his children’s health, the warm coffee in his cup, the fact his car was running, food in the pantry etc. Before I knew it I was doing the same thing. He has a saying “a grateful heart is a happy heart”. Ross went on to explain that a person cannot be grateful and unhappy at the same time. That is powerful. Possibly life changing. So the next time we catch ourselfs feeling blue or wanting to complain, lets try mentally listing all the things we are grateful for. By the time you reach 10 things, no matter how small. You will be happier, Ross guarantees it!

My brother Ross & I

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Pine Press Printing your friendly hometown printer in Lexington, SC 29072

803-359-9162
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Some of the Coolist QR Codes

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:57:33 +0000

Brand: Dupard Benedict
Linked to: New York City tribute video featuring iconic photography and Frank Sinatra singing in the background.
Credit: Dupard Benedict

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Pine Press Printing your friendly hometown printer in Lexington, SC 29072

803-359-9162

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Asking Great Questions

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:59:14 +0000

One of the most powerful tools available for great client communications is a good set of questions. The more relevant and probing the questions are, the more you will learn about your client and distinguish yourself from your competition. Take the time to develop a good set of 20 – 25 questions that you can pose to the client. Make sure to do some research on the prospect’s organization so you can communicate intelligently with them about what they do, and why they might need your product.

Here’s why asking great questions will help you:

You will gain the client’s respect and trust
You will be able to learn their true buying objectives and motives

Here are some ideas on how to create a list of questions:

Ask good qualifying questions such as:
* What is your vision for this project?
* What’s the most important thing you hope to accomplish by investing in this project?
* What kind of budget are you working with?
* Who else will be involved in these decisions?
* What would you like to see happen as a next step?
Don’t be shy. Ask them to prioritize – speed, price, quality of materials, etc.
Ask good forecasting questions such as:
* What is your timeline on this project?
* What might the consequences might be if a good solution isn’t found?
Ask questions to enhance your rapport, such as:
* How did you get involved in…?
* What kind of challenges are you facing?
* What’s the most important priority to you with this? Why?
* What other issues are important to you?

The primary goal in asking good questions is to earn the client’s trust and respect. If the client feels that you know your own products, that you understand his business, his goals and objectives, and that you are not simply trying sell him something, but rather trying to see if you can help him find a viable solution, then your relationship will blossom into one that is long-term and that will benefit both you and your client.

We love to answer questions as well as ask them. For 32 years Pine Press Printing & Mailing has been serving and learning. Talk to us today.

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Pine Press Printing your friendly hometown printer in Lexington, SC 29072

803-359-9162

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A simple, easy marketing idea

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:39:27 +0000

Marketing that makes a mark!

Here’s one of those simple little marketing ideas that anyone can do.

Have you ever thought of using limited-edition postage stamps to get noticed?

The vast majority of business-to-business mail is sent using standard first class stamps, bulk permits, or metered postage strips. Why not add a little style to your mail by using one of the many limited edition postage stamps produced by the United States Postal Service on a regular basis? The USPS limited edition stamps feature beautiful graphic design, quality four-color printing, and are often printed in an attention-getting, oversized format. It’s a simple way to make your mail special.

I used a different special edition stamp on the monthly statements we sent out every month for over 25 years. I also used them on my personal correspondence.

This simple idea makes your printing firm look creative. Limited edition stamps can provide a ‘smile moment’ for the person receiving them — and they look like you care enough to provide the extra effort to send one. Almost everyone enjoys seeing the special edition stamps for the first time. Of course, it’s not the kind of idea that’s going to cause your sales to jump 5% next month, but it’s still worth the extra effort if you believe, like I do, that every action we take provides an opportunity to make a favorable impression on our customers.

Pine Press Printing & Mailing delivers. Guaranteed!

Pine Press Printing your friendly hometown printer in Lexington, SC 29072

803-359-9162

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Business After Hours 2011

admin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:42:19 +0000

Tonight! Business after Hours-Oktoberfest.

5:30 – 7:30 Thursday 10/27

Please join us for the long time tradition of an Oktoberfest Business After Hours at Pine Press Printing. Live music, traditional German food and beverages.

120 Ellis Ave. (behind the Post Office – Next to Wings & Ale)

Lexington, SC 29072

Pine Press Printing & Mailing

120 Ellis Av.

Lexington, SC 29072

Tel: (803) 359-9162

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Transfer Large Files with Ease

admin — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:14:57 +0000

Most businesses and email providers block large attachments in email messages. However, our website gives you the ability to effortlessly and securely send files of virtually any size! If you need to send large files to others that don’t have the means to accept large files, then here are a few tools that make it easy:

EmailLargeFile.com – (www.EmailLargeFile.com) is a free and secure service for sending big files and documents via the Internet.
Pando.com – (www.Pando.com) offers secure file transfers, however it requires a Windows or Mac app to transfer files and isn’t available if you or your recipients use other platforms.
TransferBigFiles.com – (www.TransferBigFiles.com) makes it easy to deliver files up to 1,000MB to email recipients. While it offers password protection, the files are only available to be downloaded for five days.
YouSendIt.com – (www.YouSendIt.com) the free version only offers occasional file sending, but it does offer various subscription levels to cover nearly every file delivery need.
MailBigFile.com – (www.MailBigFile.com) makes it fast and easy to send files up to 512MB to a single email recipient. However, it doesn’t offer password-protection on files.
SendThisFile.com – (www.SendThisFile.com) allows you to email files with no size limit free. Paid accounts enable you to send and receive files through your website, and also offer secure transfer and storage.
DropSend.com – (www.DropSend.com) is ideal for sending secure jpegs, PDFs and mp3s up to 2GB with no software to install. Also allows you to backup and store important files online and access them anywhere, as well as share stored files with others.
LargeFilesASAP.com – (www.LargeFilesASAP.com) allows you to upload files of up to 2 GB size with excellent download performance, as well as attaching notes and setting the subject of the email
Send6.com – (www.Send6.com) allows you to send and track files up to 100MB without registering. Paid accounts offer online storage, secure connections, branding, and an address book.

Got a huge file you need securely transferred to us in a hurry? No worries! Our website offers a quick and easy file transfer system that ensures no matter how large your files, they are quickly delivered safely and securely. After all, your security and satisfaction is just as important to us as it is to you.

Pine Press Printing & Mailing delivers. Guaranteed!

Pine Press Printing your friendly hometown printer in Lexington, SC 29072

803-359-9162
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6 Ways Print Newsletters Beat Email Newsletters – And Why They Need to Be Part of Your Marketing Mix

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:29:39 +0000

1. Printed mail gets delivered – It’s never blocked or caught in spam filters. Faulty connections, email authentication and webmail service idiosyncrasies are not issues. And, you have no worries about connection speeds.

2. Print newsletters have more perceived value – Think about it: How many companies are willing to do this? Your clients aren’t stupid. They understand the energy, cost and time required to send them a great newsletter every month. It will get their immediate attention.

3. Print newsletters let you use unlimited amount of images – A picture really is worth a thousand words. Print newsletters are not shackled by bandwidth. That means you can use a variety of text, graphics and formatting styles to capture the interest of your clients.

4. Print newsletter are sticky – Print newsletters have great ‘hang-time’. Not only are they likely to be read from start to finish, they usually get passed around. Hand-along readership can be as high as four-to-one. Talk about free marketing!

5. Print newsletters offer convenient and comfortable reading – Printed newsletters are much easier on the eyes. Reading articles of any length on a computer screen is uncomfortable and often inconvenient. Plus, a print newsletter allows you to mark sections you find interesting, take it to work and leave it there to be picked up by workmates.

6. Print newsletters stand out and get noticed – By using color, logos and a familiar return address, a print newsletter is easy to spot. With an inbox filled with subject lines, every message looks the same.

Here’s Your Best Bet

Make no mistake. There is a place for electronic communication with your customers. Websites and email are an important part of any business.

But the hands down best choice for keeping customers and getting more referrals and building relationships is to include print newsletters within your marketing mix

You can even offer your customers a choice. They will see that you really care about what they want, not just what you are willing to provide for them.

And that’s what relationship marketing is all about, isn’t it?

Pine Press Printing & Mailing delivers. Guaranteed!

Pine Press Printing your friendly hometown printer in Lexington, SC 29072

803-359-9162

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