Here are some simple rules we follow when it comes Digital Print and Vinyl Lettering and Decals.

The truth about digital prints:

• They do not last forever, the colour does fade over time, and rather quickly if it is used outdoors therefore it is wise to UV coat digital prints that are going to be outdoors. This will increase their lifespan a lot but it hardly every last more than 3 to 4 years.
• Printing on a good quality media “printable vinyl” is always a better bet in the long run – vinyl becomes brittle over the years and also looses some if it’s “stickyness”. Good vinyl endures this harsh South African sun much better. Keep this in mind when placing your order. Make sure you understand your needs, either way we can help.
• Digital prints need to dry properly before supplied to the client; a rushed print can become a smudged print.
• The banding issue with digital prints will always be there. We however try to minimize this as much as possible but keep in mind that on a 10 meter banner you will not see it.

The truth about vinyl:

• Vinyl for signage and decals are either cheap or expensive – CHEAP = 1 Year and EXPENSIVE = 7 Years. As with all products like cars etc. you get what you pay for. Ask our team to advise you on the most cost effective solution that will meet your requirements.
• If Vinyl is not applied correctly it will start curling on the edges, especially if the surface it get’s applied to is dirty. Yes there is ways to do it quickly, but we believe in using the right tools for the job. Lots of chemicals leave a residue that interferes with the adhesiveness of the media. We go to great expense to use the proper chemicals for the job.

The binding of your product has a huge impact on your presentation thereof as this is the first impression that your product will give.

There are a number of different binding types available to choose from such as:

Perfect binding: Perfect binding is a type of glue binding that is often used for pad and book printing.  The process uses hot glue to bind the pages together.  A stack of paper is slid through the perfect binding machine on rollers.  The spine is then coated with hot glue and cooled by pans.  Finally, the cover is wrapped around the spine.

Saddle-stitch binding:

One of the simplest binding techniques. It is also the most widely used. Folded signatures are placed over a “saddle” and then stapled along the spine. This style of binding is excellent for booklets, brochures, newsletters, pamphlets, direct mailers and catalogues. Page numbers have to be in multiples of 4 to make the folded booklet. As few as 8 pages with cover can be used

Side-stitch binding:

Cut sheets are stacked together and stitched with staples near the left-folding edge. Turnaround time is fast, and the process is relatively inexpensive. However, with staples running parallel to the spine, the piece won’t lie flat when open.

Tape Binding:

Tape binding uses tape to bind the spine of a Tape binding provides a simple alternative to other types of bindings that require you to punch holes.  It provides a quality appearance with little work.

Plastic coil binding:

A spring-like coil is spun or wound through several small round holes in a book. Each end of the coil is cut and bent or “crimped” and the book is finished. This binding method is similar to the common term “spiral binding,” but opens and closes much smoother without catching on any wire loop ends and is fairly lightweight in comparison. It has excellent lay-flat ability and will not pull apart like Comb or Twin Loop Wire binding. Also known as plastic spiral binding

Plastic comb binding:

A plastic tube with comb-like fingers is opened (or spread) into a position that allows punched sheets with rectangular holes to fit over the comb. When released, the comb fingers retract keeping the pages together. This is a very cost-effective method for short runs with little setup. A clear advantage is that the books can be re-opened and pages can be removed/added.

Three-ring binding:

The most common ring binding type, but others are available.  Ring binders are great for small jobs because they can be used with a hole punch to create your own bindings.  Ring binders are also good if you plan on adding or modifying content in the document. Binders are available in a variety of sizes and styles.

Custom/Creative Binding:

Printed images are held together with screws. This is a particularly easy way to quickly assemble images for viewing with little worry about registration, alignment, or other book-binding issues. Use for restaurant menus, albums, corporate brochures, swatches, hotel guides, point of sale applications and much more.

The number and types of folds selected in your layout enable you to create a variety of print communications in terms of look and function.
The folding of your brochure can have a significant impact on its look, feel and functionality.

Definition: ‘A’ size or ‘A’ series is a set of paper sizes established by the International Standards Organization (ISO) that ranges from A0 (the largest) to A7 (the smallest).

The size of the paper goes down as the number goes up, and each is half the size of the previous e.g. two A4 sheets make up an A3 piece and two A5 sheets make up an A4 sheet.

Artwork Submission:

Our clients are welcome to submit their own artwork however the following requirements must be met with regards to format and picture quality to guarantee good results:

• Image Formats: EPS, PDF, Tiff and Jpeg
• Resolution: 300dpi
• Colour: CMYK only
• Program formats: Corel, Photoshop, PDF, Illustrator, Publisher, Serif PagePlus

Pleas convert all fonts to curves when submitting a Corel file.

Third Party Applications:

A lot of work is required to re-purpose low quality artwork and material supplied in Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and even Excel, keep this in mind when supplying material. Help us make your planning easier.

CMYK:
Definition: To reproduce full-color images, a typical printing press uses 4 colours of ink. The four inks are placed on the paper in layers of dots that combine to create the illusion of many more colours. CMYK refers to the 4 ink colours used by the printing press. C is cyan (blue), M is magenta (red), Y is yellow, and K is black, the key plate or keyline colour.
A mistake often made when submitting artwork for 4-color printing is not converting the images to the CMYK colour space. This is needed so that the file can be separated into the four colours (see example) so that a separate printing plate can be made for each of the colours.