Benefits of Working with a Professional Design Team

So you need a web site designed. Or a new logo. Or a fancy-pants brochure to sell your amazing product (your product IS amazing after all!). You want the best-of-the-best, but you also have a budget to keep in mind. What to do, what to do? There are so many graphic design options available, but you want to make the right decision. We can help! Here are just a few of the many, many, many reasons that you should work with a professional graphic design team on your next print or web project.

Quality, Quality, Quality.

Anyone can learn the necessary design programs, but it takes a special kind of talent to take an idea and turn it into something amazing. It is not enough just to make a brochure or a web site look good, it has to serve a purpose. Are you trying to sell a product, promote a service or raise money for a charity? Whatever your goal, you need a creative team that has the skills to make your marketing materials sing!

Know-How.

You’re never too old to learn a new trick. That’s our way of thinking (not that we’re old…29 is definitely NOT old!). We’re constantly learning new programs, keeping up-to-date on the latest SEO techniques, and picking the brains of printers so we have the knowledge to provide our customers with the best end product possible. After all, you deserve the best.

Customer Service.

Above all, you need a graphic design team that knows how to treat a customer…like they are the only one who exists! We make sure to put your project first and to give it our full attention. If you’re not happy, we’re not happy. And we like to be happy!

You Get What You Pay For.

It’s a tough economy and we understand that everyone is trying to cut costs and save money. But remember, you get what you pay for. You could hire a designer who promises to design your new brochure for really cheap. Too-good-to-be-true cheap. But after countless rounds of designs, you’re not happy with the outcome and instead of saving money, you’ve actually wasted it. You need a creative team that understands your needs and can deliver. In the long run, your initial investment is worth more if the final product effectively sells your company or product.

We hope this makes your decision a little easier. If you have any questions, please ask us! At Moxie, we are here to serve our customers, to help YOU SUCCEED!

www.thinkmoxie.com

Tips on Printing – From choosing a printer to reviewing the proof

“The design is done, now what do I do?”

If it’s a printed piece, the answer is to find a printer. As designers, we work with printers on a regular basis so we know how the process goes. What specifications to include, how to look at a proof, what questions to ask. But as a professional in a different field, it would be difficult to guess what to look for when choosing or working with a printer. So we are going to let you — Yes, YOU! — behind the curtain, share some of the knowledge we’ve acquired over the years (not too many years, since we are all 29 years or younger... just don’t look at our driver’s license). Before choosing a printer, please review our top five tips we’ve put together about the printing process.

1. Shop around.
   Not all printers have the same capabilities or level of quality, and much of the time you will get what you pay for. However not every project demands an expensive, higher-end printer either. Higher-end printers can offer more color accuracy and unique techniques such as die cutting, but if the project doesn’t need all of the bells and whistles, a less expensive printer will do just fine. Get quotes from more than one printer, if possible.
   
   
2. Turn-around time.
   Some printers can complete a simple project in a few days while other printers have a standard 2-week turn-around time (depending on the project’s complexity and quantity). If you need the piece printed ASAP, or if the time frame is not urgent, discuss this with the printer. This could be a factor in the price and even the printer that you choose.
   
   
3. Verify correct colors by consulting with printer.
   A screen proof looks different than a printed piece, and every printer prints differently. Consult with the printer to make sure the colors are accurate. For critical colors, many printers will allow you to be on press when the piece is printed so you can adjust colors to be exact.
   
   
4. Request that both You (the client) and the designer see a proof.
   You know your product and the designer knows design. Both will be able to see things the other might miss. There have been numerous times that one or the other finds an error. You can never proof a piece too many times.
   
   
5. Read EVERYTHING on the proof.
   This is the last chance to make changes before it is on press. Sometimes information can get moved or lost in the transfer of files, so never assume the content is correct. Verify content with the last PDF or mockup from the designer, everything from images to the fine print. It is cheaper to get another proof than it is to reprint the entire job.

These are just a few of the many things we’re learned while working with printers. We hope it helps make the process a little less painful because knowledge really is power. And if you have any questions, please ask us! At Moxie, we are here to serve our clients, to help YOU SUCCEED!

www.thinkmoxie.com