Colour Your Worlde

We love printing big graphics for customers here at Artisan Colour. We also want to make sure that the graphics we produce are effective. If the letters used for the text are too small, created with a font that is not readable, or a color that is hard to differentiate from the background, then the sign is not going to have the desired impact. This article by Signs & Digital Graphics Magazine offers some helpful tips and things to watch out for when designing your sign so that it is able to be seen and easily read from long distances. The formula for how large your graphic letters should be to be read at a certain distance is particularly helpful.

Designing Award-Winning Signs: View from the Road - by Matt Charboneau

In discussing the effectiveness of a sign, we must address three factors that dominate the design process: visibility, legibility and readability.


Optimum legibility: Letter style, size, color, spacing

COLOURlovers recently compared the predominate colors chosen for brand identification out of the top 100 most popular websites. Blue and red with their various shades and hues top the list. Sometimes the color is chosen after many hours of market research, and other times the arbitrary can turn out to be poignant. I didn't know before reading this article that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, chose the now iconic blue shade because he is color blind and blue is one of the few colors he can see.

Since your brand extends beyond the web to all identification and marketing material, when creating a new company or rebranding your current one, think about how your brand colors will represent across all media. Maybe the web popular blue will not work as well for you in print.


The Most Powerful Colors in the World - Darius A Monsef for COLOURlovers

When we released our report on the colors of the social web, based on data analyzed by our Twitter theme tool, we were surprised that blue was such a dominant color in people's profile designs. Was Twitter's default color influencing their design decisions? Or is blue really THE most popular and dominant color online? ...We decided to look at the colors in the brands from the top 100 sites in the world to see if we could paint a more colorful picture.

Turns out the blue-berry doesn't fall far from the bush. The web landscape is dominated by a large number of blue brands... but Red occupies a large amount of space as well. What's driving this? You might want to say that carefully organized branding research and market tests were done to choose the perfect colors to make you spend your money, but a lot of the brands that have grown to be global web powerhouses, started as small web startups... and while large corporate giants with branding departments spend quite a lot on market research, user testing, branding, etc. Lots of the sites listed above got started with brands created by the founders themselves with little to no research into the impact their color choice would have. I once asked Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook why he chose blue for his site design... "I'm color blind, it's the only color I can see." ...and now 500 Million people around the world stare at a mostly blue website for hours each week.

For graphics that need to be swapped out or dismantled frequently magnets are a great option. Ideal for trade show booths that need to travel or retail displays that are changed to advertise sale or new seasonal items, magnets can be easily altered by staff not trained in professional installation. Magnets are also great for car graphics and corporate vehicle identification. They offer a high impact without the long term commitment required with a car wrap.

There a couple of options when it comes to magnetic displays. The first is direct to magnetic printing. This, as it sounds, is where the ink is printed directly on magnetic material. This method is most commonly used when it comes to vehicle magnets. Magnets cling and stay the best on a clean flat surface, like the side panel or vehicle door. However, because of the increased weight of magnetic material in bulk, this method is limited in size to a standard 24" width roll.

For larger applications magnetic receptive materials can be used. Magnetic receptive substrates have a metal layer that attract magnets to the front or back surface, and are available in wider width rolls. This innovative material can be used in two ways; magnets can be attached to the front making it ideal for message, instructional or planning boards; or a panel can be installed in to a display frame with just magnetic strip edging, perfect for menu boards, trade shows, or retail settings. Additional finishing, like dry erase laminates, can also be added making them even more versatile.


Consider magnets for displays that need to be flexible and convertible. Artisan Colour can work with you to bring your design to life.

Image resources: Magnum Magnetics for Wide Format Imaging Magazine & Drytac FerroJet Matt.

You have your mission statement written, and the perfect tag line all picked out. Most people's first step to building your company's visual identity and brand is the selection of your company logo. This important visual image projects to the world what your company represents, and needs to function well in different contexts; website, letterhead, business cards, signage & advertising. A well designed logo can establish the first crucial impression of your business and even build customer loyalty.

Looking for alternate signage ideas for your product? The floor is often the perfect place to add to your message and literally stop consumers in their tracks. Every retail space has a floor, and each floor is a potential advertising canvas.

By utilizing floor space, these graphics can be used as a directional tool to guide customers to the desired location in an interactive way. Strategically placed in point of purchase locations through the store they can increase sales of your product up to 30%. With a low cost per square foot to produce, and a durability to withstand high foot traffic for several months, they offer a high return making them one of the most inexpensive advertising mediums.

Floor graphics are made up using a base vinyl and a specially formulated over-laminate for the floor. This over-laminate has a rough texture to prevent slipping and protects the print from foot traffic. The vinyl is easily removable and leaves no residue on the floor. Making it also easy to change out for future campaigns.

Most commonly seen in grocery stores, floor graphics can be used in many ways beyond the frozen food section. They are perfect for trade shows and special events. A logo placed at the entrance of your lobby can promote company pride and help build your corporate brand. Or create three dimensional illusions like this image of a 'hole' in the ground that Publicis, an advertising agency in Brazil, created for an anti-drug campaign at Mackenzie University.

Contact an Artisan Colour representative to learn how to create your own floor graphics.

Posted via email from Artisan Colour

Found this article in all places, Psychology Today. They analyzed how a people shop, and found patterns and trends in the way the average consumer navigates a store. Their findings can be utilized by retailers when designing and laying out their space to maximize and encourage sales. For example; since most people are right handed, they tend to turn right when first entering a store. That high traffic area may be the best area to place high-profit items.

The Urge to Splurge

Putty-colored mannequins and quaint window displays are so 1950s. Today's retail stores map out the shopping experience with a precision that starts the moment you walk through those double glass doors.

Can't help but reach for one of those V-neck sweaters so neatly stacked in the middle of The Gap? It may be the work of a savvy retail consultant like Paco Underhill, founder and CEO of Envirosell and author of the book Why We Buy.

PT investigates how retailers nudge you toward that cash register.

First Impressions

The Landing Strip

The first 10 feet inside a store are the "transition zone." Because most shoppers walk at a brisk clip from the parking lot, store designers seek to slow the shopper down, using a table of clothing, a sign or perhaps a salesperson "greeter" as a speed bump. Few retailers put important merchandise next to the entrance because most shoppers aren't yet in browsing mode.

Sweetest Spot

Most shoppers turn right, probably because most are right-handed. The right-hand thoroughfare attracts the highest traffic anywhere in the store. It is the perfect location for high-profit merchandise.

Look Here

Signs with just two or three words work best. At most, a sign registers for all of two seconds with a shopper.

We have also found with our own customers that striking images along with the one or two worded sign leaves a lasting impression with today's media overloaded consumer. The old adage that a picture can speak a thousand words holds true. It can add continuity to the message you are trying to convey, as well as aid in the brand the persona of your store. Inventive displays can help draw a shopper to a specific area of your store, or in the case of a window display, pull them in to your store. Get creative with your signs and merchandise presentation to help promote profitability.

Posted via email from Artisan Colour

Tony Blei has a background as a photojournalist working for the Associated Press, and has the opportunity to shoot multiple seated presidents - with his camera, I should say. He now adds that 'in the moment' style to his portrait and location photography. Tony has been in the photography business long enough to forge through the many changes the industry has experienced over the past several years; from the switch from film to digital, to the ebb and flow of our economy.

Tony recently posted an article on his blog that offered some shrewd marketing advise that can be applied to not only photography, but any one who is trying to attract attention to their business. Tony draws the correlation between successful dating techniques and successful marketing techniques. A funny and insightful article, the post has also brought Tony some national attention, he has been asked to speak at the next PMA conference.

Wisdom of the Single's Saloon

Here’s the deal: My friend wrote me on Friday and told me he was depressed and getting ready to crawl inside of a bottle of hard liquor. He was down in the dumps over some personal issues that are compounded by declining business during a depressed economy.

...He said that he had “tried to strike up a conversation with some ad designers at the coffee shop today and got the major stiff arm.” He also said, “Got a contact I was given on [fill in your own blank here] and got brushed off.” Captain Morgan and I are old friends, but he’s a solution, not psychologist. The only thing found at the bottom of a bottle is a worm. It is not your friend.

I seem to be seeing things like this more than I like. I, and several of my friends are displaced photojournalists who are reinventing their careers. Some have never had to deal with marketing and generating business. My friend, trying to attract clients, is the proverbial fat kid tryin’ to pick up chicks at the singles bar. Of course he got “the major stiff arm.” What I’ve learned is that it’s all about relationship. You need to be in this for the long haul.

...Just because you’ve got a nice portfolio doesn’t mean the art directors at the coffee shop are automatically interested — You’re a stranger. Besides, I doubt they were thinking, “I think I’ll go down to the coffee shop and meet a new photographer today. I wonder if Bob wants to go too.” They’re there because they want coffee — maybe to have an informal meeting. Few people will POSITIVELY react to you saying, “Hey babe, why don’t we jump in the back of your Gremlin and get our rocks off.”

Several years and lonely nights later, I became known at my little singles bar. I played pool, danced and had fun and bought drinks when appropriate. And then one day it was as if I had been sprinkled with magic dust. I had the ability to talk to every girl in the joint. Suddenly I could dance and laugh and carry-on all night long. People were buyin’ me drinks! I think because the girls knew who I was they were able to see that I wasn’t there to take advantage of them. I just wanted to have fun. In the end, I had to learn how to be interesting.

...So why am I talking to photographers about past nights of debauchery? Because I see parallels. You and I both know that your talent is the very reason why you should be hired to shoot a project, but you and I also know that “birds of a feather flock together.” People want to work with people with similar interests and personalities; people they know and like. It makes things flow better. It’s fun to work with your friends.

Here is what I suggest: stop chasing. Go to the coffee shops and social gathering places. Be cool and casual. Be interesting as you meet the people who will eventually hire you. Hand them a card, talk to them, be genuinely friendly. Let them lead the conversation and don’t talk about the day you photographed Keith Richards unless it’s a natural part of the conversation. Leave your agenda in the car (it’s probably not working for you anyway). As you take their card, ask if you could call in a couple of days. Tell them that have a new portfolio that I’d like to show. Chances are, they’ll agree to a phone call.

The successful promotion of a company’s product line depends on effective marketing and presentation. It is vital for a product to be advertised in such a way that grabs the audience’s attention and also creates brand recall among customers. Most companies are looking for an approach that will give them the best return on their investment.

While there are many methods of advertising, Point of Purchase (or POP) displays are an effective and low cost method that can be used as one component of an overall marketing strategy. POP displays can be found at many different retail applications. They have been in utilized in a basic way ever since man started selling their wears. Used in the simplest form, merchants would hang samples of their product in shop windows to inform potential buyers of what they sold. Nowadays, with technological advancements, samples have been replaced with picturesque depictions of the products.

Point of purchase displays come in variety of forms. They may be backlit signboards, an entire showcase, or a counter top display right at the cash register. An effective piece will have the brand name predominately mentioned. POP fixtures and displays should be colorful and attractive to consumers. The goal is to draw the customer’s attention to the display to entice them to buy your product. They need to be targeted to the demographic you are trying to reach. They should also make a statement about your company and be consistent with your brand image, as it may be the only impression the customer gets of your company.

The machine we recently purchased to create the Artisan Colour Display Graphics Division is ideal to produce this type of marketing. It was recently recognized for its superior print quality at the Euro-Reklama Outdoor Expo. The Océ Arizona® 350 GT won the 2009 Poznan International Fair (PIF) Gold Medal. The first generation of this machine (the 250 GT) was awarded the PIF Gold Medal in 2008.

Océ Wins Double Gold at Euro-Reklama Outdoor Expo 2009

The PIF Gold Medal is awarded to a product that meets a number of criteria, including quality and innovation, and that has been produced using the best technology available. A panel of specialists in each industry judges the entries. The PIF Gold Medal competition jury has a 30-year tradition of recognizing outstanding products in various fields.

The Océ Arizona 350 GT UV curable flatbed printer uses Océ VariaDot™ imaging technology to deliver near-photographic image quality for nearly any application. Designed as a true flatbed system, it can print on a wide variety of rigid substrates and features a Roll Media Option for printing onto flexible media. A White Ink Option is available to enable under-printing on colored media or objects, over-printing for backlit applications on transparent media, and printing white as a spot color. The Océ Arizona 350 GT printer is ideal for producing a wide variety of applications such as event graphics, point-of-purchase displays, limited-term signage, banners, backlit and reflective rigid displays, transit advertising, and directional signage.