HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Super Fast Design, Printing and Mailing

December Newsletter

Design, Print and Mail to Anywhere!

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Cards For Your Clients

If you have not done your holiday cards yet, this week is your deadline. Why? because after this week the post office will start getting slammed with holiday mail. You have already seen some of it in your mail box. The chances that your "special message" will be in the hands of your prospects or clients decreases with each passing day.

Have an Awesome Weekend!

Knotts Scary Farm 2014

Have an Awesome Weekend!

Are you spreading yourself too thin?

Layout and Design are two elements of every business. From product placement at the grocery store to engine designs for airplanes and even strategic placement of open house signs. To get the best bang for your buck would you let your plumber design the airplane engine because he knows about pipes? Or how about letting your gardener design your marketing piece because he knows how make your your yard look pretty? How would that look?

Now let's look at your office. 

Does someone in your company layout and design your marketing pieces? Do they also take the photos? 

If the answer is yes, then ask yourself these questions.

1. Do they have a real estate background with experience in marketing and design?

2. Have they taken photos and videos for some of the top realtors in Southern California?

3. Have they done work for some of the top publishing and design firms in the country?

4. Can they tell you on the spot what the settings should be for your phone's camera?

5. Do they have over 30 years of design, layout, marketing and customer service experience?

If you answered no to any of the above questions, you need us.

Why?

Because we can answer yes to all of them.

www.sunset-printing.com 

Have An Awesome Weekend!

Professionals Exist For A Reason

Professional -
A person engaged or qualified in a profession
A person competent or skilled in a particular activity

So ask yourself the following questions....

Are you a professional printer?

Are you a professional graphic designer?

Are you a professional photographer? 

If you answered no to any of these questions, then you need us.

Why? 

Because we are professional Printers, Designers and Photographers

WWW.SUNSET-PRINTING.COM

 

Have An Awesome Weekend!

LA County Fair 2014!

Have An Awesome Weekend!

Have An Awesome Weekend!

Print bleed tutorial for preparing print files

If your images or text touch the edges of the page, 

you need to make sure there is bleed AND crop marks.

Understanding trim and bleed

Why Web Images are NOT Good for Printing

Have An Awesome Weekend!

HAVE AN AWESOME LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

Taking Photos with Your Phone

30 years ago, people would read the headline and laugh. In 2014 this has become commonplace. What also has become commonplace is people being ok with the quality and then for some reason that translates into "good enough". However, if you are using your "phone" to take pictures that need to get printed.....you need to do your homework.

First, if you shake or move while taking the shots they will look worse than your cheapest "camera". Second, if you are not a photographer these may not be the shots you want to see printed. Below is an example of what we have seen by people who should not be taking photos with their phone.

There is good news for those of you who cannot afford a photographer but still need the photos. Lots of attachments are available for the Iphone and Android to help you take better photos. Lenses, tripods, stands and more. Do some research on the web and you will find them.

But even with all the goodies, your photos may not be of the quality you need. Check your settings. The photo ratio should be AT LEAST 2000 x 1400 if you want the photos "printed". Next, don't assume that your photos look good. Actually look at the photos you are taking. If you have any doubts take another one of three. The odds are against you when using your phone for photos that need to be printed......do the extra work and it will save you tons of time and money.

Last but not least. If you think you have it all dialed in and need a professional opinion, send us one of the photos. We can tell right away if you are on the mark or have missed it.

Have An Awesome Weekend!

Manhattan Beach California USA

Have An Awesome Weekend!

Skating the Strand - Redondo Beach

Have An Awesome Weekend!

Thousands enjoy annual Smackfest beach volleyball event in
Hermosa Beach

Flyer vs Postcard vs Brochure

Flyer vs Postcard vs Brochure.......you would be surprised at how many people confuse the two. Be sure you know which one you want when asking for prices or when designing your own.

Flyers - usually 8 1/2 x 11....can be 1 sided or 2 and don't usually fold

Postcards - Can be 4 x 6 or 8 1/2 x 5 1/2.......can be used for mailing or handing out

Brochures - Usually 11 x 17 and folded to 8 1/2 x 11.........great for presentations. These can designed 2 different ways - #1 Traditional where it opens left to right

OR you can switch up with a "Bi-Fold" style Brochure that opens from bottom to top

Summer Beach Concerts

Polliwog Park(1601 Manhattan Beach Blvd Manhattan Beach, CA 90266)

It runs from the last week in June through Labor Day weekend, and has featured such artists as the Doo-Wah Riders and Fantastic Diamond, as well as a host of other talented musicians. 

These performances are open seating and free to the public.

July 27

3:45 – 7:00 PM Hyperion Outfall Serenaders/ Scot Bruce: 

Dixieland/ Elvis Tribute
 

August 3

5:00 – 7:00 PM Nathan Shrake: 

Classic Rock
 

August 10

5:00 – 7:00 PM Mar de Ashe: 

Latin
 

August 17

5:00 – 7:00 PM Scott Whyte: 

Classic Rock
 

August 24

5:00 – 7:00 PM Hard Days Night: 

Beatles Tribute
 

August 31

 5:00 – 7:00 PM Dani Kerry: 

Classic Rock

How UV Coating Works: Making it Shine!

Here is a quick lesson on UV coating to make your marketing shine! 

And...oh yea Sunset Printing does UV Coating!

Have An Awesome 4th of July!!

Fourth of July Weekend

From: southbayevents.com

This year America's birthday lands on a Friday, making it a guilt and worry-free day to let loose. With summer in full swing, the South Bay is notorious for being one of the best spots in the country to enjoy the holiday. This Friday, the South Bay will party like diligent patriots armed with red cups and a gaggle of beach cruisers because it's the Fourth of July in the Beach Cities. The legendary Ironman is on again for the 37th year, the only time alcohol is accepted on the beach all year (under heavy police presence, of course). Here's a breakdown of the week's activities.

Thursday night is shaping up to be a big night in the area, with many bars expecting huge crowds. Join the cult following of one of the better 80's bands out there - the Spazmatics will be tearing it up live at Saint Rocke on Thursday evening. Patrick Molloy's will be hosting a 4th of July style breakfast all weekend beginning at 9:00 a.m., complete with jello shots and cocktails. Live music starts at 3pm at BALEENkitchen for the 4th with tunes provided by Mark McMillen & Friends. An early morning "Make Your Own" Bloody Mary and Mimosa Bar set the table nicley for a gourmet burger bar availabe from 3-6pm during BALEENkitchen's 4th of July Celebration. On the premise and hidden just below BALEENkitchen, nestled against the Portofino Marina, are actual fire pits that can be frequented on any given weekend but, could also make for an intimate staging point for the fireworks show that blasts off around 9pm. 

Grab a bottle of red, white, or rose and make a date for Zanes in Hermosa Beach - there is no corkage fee which always complements a reasonably-priced tasty dinner. Stay classy with a brunch at the Strand House in Manhattan Beach or relax on the tacky side of King Harbor with a craft beer at Naja's Place. Follow the craft beer trend during the daytime inside one of the South Bay's most influential bottle shops at Select Beer Store just off Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach. Select Beer Store always has a well curated selection of dafts and bottles, with a solid focus on local breweries. A stop here druing the daytime can elevate your craft beer IQ and at the same time act as a nice whistle stop before the bombs burst in air.

Have An Awesome Weekend!

Easy upload for you website

If you are looking for an easy way

for people to upload to your website, try: 

http://www.jotform.com

The forms can be customized with a couple of clicks

and there are great templates also....

Offset vs. Digital Printing, Plus CMYK Color Defined! File Prep for Printing

Have An Awesome Weekend!

Total Ink Coverage File Prep for Printing

Taking Pictures With Your Phone?

Whether you are on vacation, just hanging at the beach or doing product shots, everyone seems to be bailing on the conventional cameras and relying on their phones. For the most part, print quality does not matter. But there are those times when you need to take photos that ARE high-quality and you need to take them NOW. 

Printing rule of thumb - your settings should be for taking photos that are at least TWICE the "physical" size you may need them and at a minimum of 200 pixels per inch (200 DPI). 

Check out this article from CNET. They compare phones to see who takes the best shots.....

http://www.cnet.com/topics/phones/best-phones/camera/

Have An Awesome Weekend!

Our New Website

Finally, our re-designed website is LIVE!

www.sunset-printing.com

I invite everyone to visit the site and bookmark it.

Due Diligence....

When you get anything printed or designed, you must do Your Due Diligence for Your interests. Proof Reading and Checking the Facts on your printing job are the 2 areas of your marketing that need serious attention. If you are trusting an assistant to deal with this, be sure that you are both on the same page as to what you want. If you are doing the proof reading yourself, a great trick is to read every sentence out loud. It forces your brain to recognize the letters and you will catch mistakes quicker and easier. Don't rely on your printer to know what you want or should have. They only do what you tell them to do and if you forget or miss it, they will also.

Have A Great Weekend!

Memorial Day Weekend

I hope all of you enjoyed the 3 day weekend. We are creeping up on Summer and special fun times here in the SouthBay!

Have A Great Weekend!

Have a Great Weekend!

The orientation of your photos is important!

Have a great Weekend!!

The importance of Branding and Templates

Everywhere you go you hear about "Brand Products" or "Branding Yourself". But do you realize the importance of it and how it affects your bottom line?

Branding is critical to client retention. When people can see just a color or a logo or even a style and think about the same "product" every time, then the branding works. As a business professional, you need to be sure that your "brand" stays consistent. When you are printing your marketing pieces, templates are your best bet as far as #1 ensuring a consistent look and #2 keeping your costs down.

For example, the template below would probably be around $40 to create from scratch. However, if it is used properly it can be as low $10 to change it each time with new info. AND if we were to print 100 of them on Nice, Glossy paper it would only be $30.00 plus tax.

No matter what business you are in, Branding and Templates go hand in hand. Think about that the next time you have something printed for your business.

How much do you pay for design?

Most of us are not 100% sure about what we want when we go to a printer. Especially if we need a layout done or some design work. How much do they charge you for the layout? Can you make changes? How much are the changes? Most places have a limit on how many changes they will do for you without charging you an arm and a leg.

At Sunset, we do things a little different. We only charge you $1 per minute. YUP! So let's say you make 10 changes and it takes 3 minutes per change, that is a total of 30 minutes and your charge is only $30 for the changes! If your design and layout only takes 15 minutes, then your charge is $15.

I almost forgot the best part, the turn-around time. Between 6 and 24 hours for most projects!! All of this backed by over 30 years of publishing and design expertise......

Thinking of doing your own design?

One of our goals at Sunset is to make life easier for business professionals. Understanding the do's and don'ts of printing will help when deciding which path to take with your marketing. Below is one of the pages from our FREE "3 Step Guide". If you would like the complete guide, feel free to email Dave at: dave@sunset-printing.com

Your Link to Easter Fun

Whatever Easter Fun you want to have this weekend,

the link below can help.

http://www.easteregghuntsandevents.org/CA_Easter.php

After Hours

Did you know we have a pick up location for after hours? A lot of times clients will need to pick up a job after we close. We have a place in Manhattan Beach where jobs can be picked up after 5:30pm. Contact us for details.

Designing Logos

The images on a monitor are bright and colorful but don't let that sway you when making a final choice on logo designs. Images on the screen will NEVER look the same when printed. It has to do with the colors used to produce the images and the quality. Printed colors ALWAYS look flatter and dull compared to color on the screen. Also, the quality needed for a web image is far less than needed for actual printing.

Rule#1 when designing a logo is to make it large enough for a shirt at 300 dots per inch. From there it can be scaled down to fit any medium, web, tv, screen printing or commercial printing. For anything other than the web, be sure those images are CMYK and not RGB. And of course if color is important, don't base your decision on what you see on the screen.

Need help? Contact us today and avoid any headaches that might happen during the printing process.

Too busy to schedule your mailings?

As a business owner or self-employed it is vital to market yourself to the public. There are 2 keys to successful marketing, #1 market often, #2 be consistent. However it is not always easy to keep going to the printer every time you need to mail out another piece. One solution is to setup a standard newsletter that goes out each month. This newsletter will help brand you and keep you relevant. You can email the changes, approve a proof online and get back to doing what you do best!

Call or email us today and find out how we can easily help you stay in front of the crowd and in front of your prospects.

Welcome!

Sunset Printing is launching a new website in the near future. We are re-designing it so that is has more services and is more user friendly. Ahead of that we have started this blog. This is where we will be addressing issues that our clients face, plus we will be giving tips and announcing prices deals!