Print Design vs. Digital Design: Understanding the Differences

04.06.2023

Have you ever walked into a store or office building and felt confused by your surroundings? Maybe you weren’t sure which line up at the coffee shop was for ordering versus pickup, or what floor of the high rise your meeting was on. These subtle but critical interactions—or lack thereof—all contribute to the customer experience. Customer experience is a hot topic for businesses today—and it’s no wonder why when 73% of companies that do well with it perform financially better than their competitors. While customer experience is a broad topic and includes many facets of your customer-facing interactions, there’s one aspect of it that businesses often overlook: signage. In the examples above, proper signage would have made for a smoother interaction with the customer, creating a better overall experience. Let’s explore how your organization can enhance the customer experience using signage solutions. 1) Direct customers with wayfinding signage Wayfinding signage helps customers navigate your space, find what they're looking for, and feel more comfortable in the process. Wayfinding signage can include directional signs, maps, and floor decals that guide customers to different areas of your retail store or office. By making it easy for customers to find what they need, you can help reduce frustration and create a more positive experience. Some examples of wayfinding include: Directional signs that point to restrooms, elevators or exitsPathfinding signs that guide customers from point A to BIdentification signs such as floor numbers and room namesRegulatory signs including warning signs, exit signs and parking regulations 2) Establish connection with brand signage Your brand is a critical part of your organization's identity, and signage can help reinforce it to create brand recognition, attachment and recall. By incorporating your logo, brand colors, and other branding elements into your signage, you can create a cohesive and memorable experience for customers. This type of signage can include exterior signs, window displays, and even custom wallpaper or murals that showcase your brand in a unique way. Get inspired by our signage gallery > 3) Communicate clearly with informational signage Making it easy for customers to find the information they need is essential to creating a positive experience. Informational signage can include things like your hours of operation, pricing, policies, and other important details that customers need to know. By making this information clear and accessible, you can help customers make informed decisions and avoid confusion. 4) Create an atmosphere with decorative signage Signage can also be used to create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere. Decorative signage can include artwork, inspirational quotes, and other fun elements that add personality and warmth to your space. By creating a space that feels inviting and comfortable, you can help customers feel more at ease and enjoy their experience more. Next time you’re out and about, take time to spot all the different types of signage that were well thought out and intentionally installed to make your experience a positive one—or, not so positive. Being strategic about your signage placement can make a space easy to navigate, reinforce your brand identity, provide customers with the information they need, and create a welcoming atmosphere that wins loyalty. Are you ready for a signage refresh? We’re here to help! If you’re not sure where to start, we’ll send a signage expert to explore your space and provide strategic recommendations for signage that can improve your customer experience. Drop us a line to get started.

03.09.2023

Living in the era of digital overload, print marketing has made a significant comeback in recent years. Why? It’s all in the data. Research suggests that print marketing can have both higher recall and conversion rates than digital marketing, and is even more effective when combined with digital tactics as part of an integrated campaign. It’s no wonder 60% of CMOs are advocates for including print marketing in their budgets. But as print campaigns continue to increase in popularity, brand’s need to do more to stand out. By leveraging innovative print design techniques that dazzle, you can ensure your print piece not only gets noticed, but also incites action in your customers. Here are five ways you can make your next print campaign more impactful: Fluorescent & Metallic InksOversized FormatsMetallic Media Unique SubstratesPersonalize It!Print vs. Digital Design: Understanding the Differences > 1) Fluorescent & Metallic Inks Using a bright fluorescent or shimmery metallic ink in your print campaign is sure to catch your customer’s eye. Because fluorescent inks are semi transparent compared to conventional pigments, they should be printed on bright or white backgrounds to really pop on the page. Use fluorescence as an accent to draw attention to key features on your print piece, such as your audience’s call to action. Metallic ink, on the other hand, is a great alternative to traditional foil stamping. The colour options with metallic ink are endless, because it’s achieved by mixing ink with gold or silver metallic particles. We can already visualize these effects coming to life on vivid event materials, high-end menus, premium direct mailers and more! 2) Oversized Formats As the saying goes—go big or go home! Because paper is tangible and felt with our hands, opting for an oversized print piece is a sure way to stand out from your competitors. Using unique folding and finishing techniques, you can give your piece a compact appearance (good for functional purposes like mailing) that then expands and unfolds into a creative masterpiece. And with our new HP Indigo 15K, you can print bigger and better than ever with flat sizes up to 29.5 x 20.81”! 3) Metallic Media Metallic inks are one thing… but have you ever printed on metallic paper? Perfect for giving your print campaign a premium look and feel, metallic media is often used for event materials like menus, invitations, table place cards and more. The unique texture and sheen just feels high-end between your fingertips. Remember to always use darker colours for text when printing on metallics to ensure high contrast and readability. 4) Unique Substrates Simply put, a substrate is the material you’re printing on (like paper, for instance). With new and innovative print technology, you can now print small format campaigns on substrates ranging from canvas to wood, plastic, synthetic, metal and more! In fact, our brand new HP Indigo 15K has the widest substrate range in the industry with the ability to print on materials ranging from 70-600 micron media. The creative possibilities are virtually endless. 5) Personalize It! Are you more likely to throw out the flyers in your mailbox that aren’t personally addressed to you? Statistics show that you are—and 63% of marketers agree personalization increases customer interactions and conversion rates. With digital printing, it’s easy to personalize your print marketing campaigns to each recipient in a single print run. Using data and segmentation, you can personalize things like: Customer names Address informationImagesCopy and keywords Links and calls to action Colours, and so on! People will always pay closer attention to marketing materials that are curated specially to their needs and desires. That goes for print, too! Need some creative inspiration? Ask our Creative Services team! With expertise in designing for print, our in-house design agency is here to help you ideate and execute on print campaigns that will connect with and covert your customers.

03.02.2023

If you're a graphic designer that creates materials for print, you've learned that variables such as the medium, typography and layout of a product all influence the process of how the design is produced. One of the finishing factors that's typically decided early on in the design process is the printing method (whether your design will be produced using offset or digital printing). Differences Between Offset and Digital Printing Both offset and digital printing have their unique benefits and limitations—and the choice of printing method can have a significant impact on the final product. When deciding, designers often take into consideration factors including: Quantity — Generally, digital printing is more cost-effective for short runs and offset printing more cost-effective for long runs. Color accuracy — Offset printing has historically offered better colour accuracy and consistency, which can be a deciding factor for brands with strict colour-matching standards. Image quality — In the past, offset printing offered higher image quality and resolution (although digital presses have made strides in recent years).Customization — Digital printing allows for greater personalization through variable data printing, meaning each print can be unique, whereas offset is preferred for standardized materials. Weighing these pros and cons has long been a challenge for designers during the print process—but with new innovations in print technology, it's quickly become a problem of the past. New Innovations: Where Digital Meets Offset Introducing the HP Indigo 15K Digital Offset Press—a high-end digital printing press designed for commercial printing and packaging applications. This incredible innovation in print technology is marrying the best of both worlds and eliminating the need to choose between digital and offset. WCD is proud to own the first of its kind in Western Canada, and here's why:Superior Print Quality The Indigo 15K uses HP Indigo ElectroInk technology to achieve high print quality, with up to 7-colour printing and a resolution of up to 1600 dpi. This allows for sharp, vibrant and accurate images and text. We love a crisp image! Wider Substrate Ranges & Inks The HP Indigo 15K boasts the widest substrate range in the industry, from 70-600 micron media. Now, designers have creative freedom with the ability to print on virtually endless substrates including uncoated, black and coloured, synthetics, metalized materials and more. Plus, imagine the endless possibilities of printing using white, metallic, fluorescent and invisible specialty inks! Unprecedented Speed The Indigo 15K is designed for high-volume production (like that of offset), with a top speed of up to 137 pages per minute (ppm) in 4-colour mode, or up to 272 ppm in 2-colour mode. Printing an astonishing 4,600 sheets per hour, you’ll benefit from faster turnaround times so that you can achieve your campaign deadlines with ease. Streamlined Workflow & Automation The Indigo 15K is equipped with advanced automation tools to streamline production and reduce downtime, ensuring you get your finished product faster than ever. WCD is leveraging HP's tools including the PrintOS platform, which provides cloud-based management, analytics, and automated colour calibration. Sustainability-Forward The Indigo 15K is designed with sustainability in mind, using HP Indigo's "Green Flow" program to reduce waste, energy consumption and carbon footprint. The press uses a water-based ink system, eliminating the need for hazardous chemicals and reducing overall water usage. Need to see it for yourself? Take it for a test run! Let us print-proof your latest marketing campaign on the HP Indigo 15K and prove to you the sheer power of the "Yes Press"—the digital press that empowers you to say YES to any request.