Build your Business With High-Value Print Applications
Pre-Converted Substrates Streamline High-Value Print Applications–
Presentation folders. Table tents. Integrated cards. Cardboard easels. Dimensional boxes. Die-cut polyester materials. Perforated reply mailers. Labels and tags. Displays and signage.
The trend in the commercial printing industry today is heightened demand for these types of high-value print applications as users turn away from high-volume commodity printing that had once been shops’ bread and butter. Shorter runs, customization, and unique finishing processes are turning out to be the products most in demand by the market.
Challenges Printers Face–
The ability to acquire the broad range of equipment needed to convert all of these different types of materials, however, is a challenge for–if not completely out of reach for–many shops, especially small ones. At the same time, outsourcing this work to a specialty converter doesn’t leave a lot in terms of profit margin. And with business today being what it is, turning down a job completely isn’t an attractive option.
A Practical Solution–
One practical solution is to print on substrates that have been pre-converted to the desired shape or format, and to only order the quantity required for a given job.
Blanks/USA (
Products You Can Print On | Blanks/USA), based in Minneapolis, Minn., offers more than 24,000 pre-converted die-cut formats and endless custom capabilities, helping paper merchants, printers, and end users streamline printing processes, reduce the cost of finishing, and increase turnaround time, a growing necessity in today’s fast-paced commercial printing marketplace. By using “standard” formats of substrates that are viewed by end users as customized, printers can take on a wider variety of the high-value applications, save costs, and boost revenue. Furthermore, extensive custom capabilities provide infinite options for printers who want to use pre-converted paper. These substrates are compatible with virtually all types of digital printing equipment, can be printed in short, medium, or long runs, and can even be customized or personalized, adding even more value to already high-value applications.
A Variety Of Downloadable Templates Make It Easy–
Acquiring the substrates is just half the battle, however. The other half is designing the content to be printed so that it fits on the substrate without a lot of trial-and-error that wastes material and time. To that end, users can download templates in a variety of formats, including the Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office. Blanks/USA has also just launched a Free Online Design Studio that makes it easy to design files for printing on all those special formats without needing to download any software templates.
Some of the pre-converted product categories available include:
• Door hangers–offered in 27 shapes and sizes on 14 paper stocks,
• Presentation folders–available in 11 x 17- and 12 x 18-inch configurations,
• Perforated reply mailers,
• Raffle and event tickets–available in 41 different shapes and sizes and 41 different colors,
• Displays and signage–brochure holders, counter signs, wall and window signs, cardboard easels,
• Promotional items–cup sleeves, boxes for golf balls, playing cards, and more,
• Polyester die-cut shapes–name badges, ID cards, door hangers, luggage tags, etc., that are durable without requiring lamination.
New Products–
Recent product introductions include integrated cards (lift-out, adhesive-backed, even pre-magnetized), smooth-edge business cards, CopyTabsTM with OmniClearTM technology and other pre-converted formats optimized for copiers and digital equipment. Blanks/USA also offers a wide variety of security and prescription papers with up to 13 security features that thwart forgery and other fraud attempts.
+ Sales & Marketing Tools–
In addition to the substrates themselves, Blanks/USA also offers sales and marketing tools for print service providers, including marketing tips, how-to videos, and product sell sheets.
“Printers tell us that as people demand shorter runs, the orders get smaller, but there are more of them,” said Jill Marie Grabianowski, Director of Sales for Blanks/USA. “They’re optimistic about the future because customers that switched solely to online marketing methods a few years ago are coming back to print and finding a balance between the two. There’s still demand for traditional products, such as tickets, tags, and door hangers, but new products, such as integrated cards and custom die-cuts are starting to become popular. By providing a wide variety of options, printers who keep up with the changing needs of their print customers will be the ones who succeed.”
Versatility–
Today’s commercial printing industry is about versatility. Being able to offer the widest possible variety of high-value print products with fast turnaround is a key differentiator. In addition, printers can offer all these products without having to invest in all the required equipment and improve their profitability.