Can you find the arrow?

You see them every day — hundreds of logos, each backed by hours (or hundreds of hours) of research and usually multiple versions before a company chooses the best representation.

Logos say a lot about who you are as a company and some businesses go the extra step to give their logo an extra meaning.

Buzz Feed reveals what’s hidden in many of our favorite logos.

[See The Logos Here]

Today we call that fragrance printing. It’s done by mixing chemicals into inks and/or paper coatings. And it really works. Whether you’re a perfume manufacturer or make cookies, you can give your customers a taste (figuratively) right out of their mailbox.

Have you considered if you’re reaching multiple senses in your printed material?

Visually, the colors you use will have a huge impact on how your message is perceived.

Here’s another chart, which also points out that different countries and cultures have some different meanings, connotations, etc. for colors.

Not all papers are the same

What kind of paper are you using? Nothing says cheap like a thin business card. At the same time, you don’t want paper for some items so thick it requires extra shipping.

Do you want a glossy finish or perhaps you want a more natural look? If you’re a non-profit raising money, you want to look organized but not like you’re spending thousands of dollars on some flashy mailer.

Have questions or need some help reaching your customers’ senses? Let the experts at imPress printing help!

Don’t just tell something to your audience, show them — through text, charts, images, video, etc.

Part of the planning for your mailer, flier or website needs to be focused on what message you want your images to bring.

If you’re targeting eight different audiences, why not vary your imagery according to audience?

For instance, if you’re a theme park going after teens, you’ll want to show teens having a blast at your park. If you’re targeting grandparents in other material, show some seniors holding a young child’s hand. Have you investigated targeted mailing so the proper material gets into the right hands?

A picture is not worth a thousand words

So how many words is a picture worth? About 84, according to one study. So make the best of them.

The size and subject of your images say a lot about you. Are you showing actual customers or employees? Is your image file large enough and of high-enough quality to make larger? Is it large enough on your mailer or website? Are you being clear in illustrating your product or service? Do you need multiple images to show a series of steps?

Make sure to ask about getting the most out of your images – both print and online. The experts here at imPress Printing are here to help.

Logos that are really old work because they’re so incredibly recognizable. They can evolve over time, sure, but some larger companies keep the originals because they are the brand.

But that’s likely not you.

Here are some telltale signs it’s time to change your logo or at least investigate punching it up:

• You haven’t thought about your logo since 1995
• You haven’t thought about your logo since 2000
• You made your logo in Microsoft Word (or better yet WordPerfect) or Paint
• You use clip art you found on your computer in 1998
• The colors of the logo have faded because you’ve copied it so many times
• Your logo colors vary depending on who’s using it
• You forget why you used a pine tree in the background
• Your logo varies between your business cards, letterhead and e-mails
• Your logo only reflects only one division of your company
• You forget what your logo looks like
• You don’t have a “logo” per say

If you said “yes” to any (or all) of the items above, don’t feel bad. It’s actually very common.

While you’ve been focusing on growing your business, the marketing world has grown, too. And designs and tastes, just like fashion, have dramatically changed. And just because you can design a logo in Paint, doesn’t mean you should.

Many times the politics of a company, even a smaller one, can affect its marketing plans. If the boss or board of an organization has some attachment to an old logo or marketing plan, it can be hard to change direction.

Do you think your logo needs some refreshing? Does your manager need some convincing? Let our logo experts here at imPress help!

The answer is you don’t appeal to every demographic collectively, you appeal to each individually.

Today’s targeted mailing lists and amazing printing technology, combined with decades of experience here at imPress, can ensure a high return on investment.

First off, what are the goals of your piece? If you’re looking to raise money, for example, you don’t want to look like you spent a ton of money on your printing design with flashy colors on fancy paper.

You really have to know your audience. If you are an environmental group, you should use real recycled paper, soy-based ink and possibly have the piece produced with wind technology.

Perhaps you’re doing printed pieces that need to go to consumers that speak several languages? Why not do the same piece in multiple languages?

Targeting your audience

Technology has dramatically changed the level of accuracy you can employ to target your audience. imPress can help you increase your ROI by hyper-targeting your audience, tailoring the message and making sure your product is appealing to each potential customer on their own terms.

Say you’re selling pools. Our mailing lists can target the proper income level and age and even put your materials in the mailboxes of families with a certain number of children.

If you’re a real estate company, why blanket the entire region when you can send materials to targets that are broken down by how many years someone has spent in their house? Maybe you want to target retirees looking to downsize. We can do that, too!

Talk to imPress and we’ll help you spend those coveted marketing dollars wisely.

Although it’s super fun to help businesses express themselves, we can’t help but wish that once in awhile we could do the same for some individuals. How cool would it be to help some dude bring out his crazy side by styling his hair into a green mohawk, or help another guy display his inner child by tattooing Elmo on his arm?

The Next Best Thing

Realistically, we don’t see ourselves moonlighting as hairstylists or body artists any time soon. So we thought we’d use today’s post to direct you to a couple of websites that feature products that can help you express yourself. (We figured if we can’t ink anybody up, at least we can show you guys some less painful ways to show the world what you’re all about.)

One such website we’re into is imakemycase.com, a site that lets you create a personalized smartphone case. Whether you want to start from scratch and upload your own original design, or put your own spin on designs already out there, you’ll end up with a durable and unique case for your phone. Show off your individuality every time you talk, text, play with apps, or surf the web with that smartphone.

Or every time you wear your kicks. You can be sure never to have the same shoes as the guy next to you if you buy your next pair at NikeID.com. Here you can count on Nike quality shoes designed completely by you. You pick the style and the colors of each element of the sneaker, and you can even add a word to the back of each shoe. Your sneaks can tell the world whatever you want them to if you buy them from this site.

And that’s just the beginning. There are a number of sweet sites out there that can help you express yourself through personalized stuff. If you’re ready to let the real you be known, there are a bunch of great companies out there waiting to help you.

Of course, if you feel that your personality is sufficiently expressed but your business is ready to make itself known, then go no further – imPress Printing is all you need to make that happen.

The iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad and their apps have changed the way the world spends its free time. But these devices have a lot more to offer than just a touch screen and the ability to keep you posted on the weirdest ebay auctions.

Making Working Fun

That’s right. Don’t forget that your favorite toys have a lot to offer the business world too. (That’s why you bought your iPad anyway, right? Or at least that’s what you told your accountant…) But seriously, from Bento to FedEx Mobile, there are apps for these devices that can keep things running smoothly at your business.

Today we want to share a cool iPad app that designers use for work but that is so entertaining, you could also use it for fun. It’s called iFontMaker, and it’s just what it sounds like – an app that helps you to develop fonts. We sometimes use it to make creative custom fonts that we can incorporate into the marketing materials we design for our clients.  (This keeps us from getting stuck in the rut of overusing those overused fonts over and over and over.)

The app lets you pick existing fonts to trace, edit, tweak, and shape until you’ve made your own version of every letter. Then you can actually convert the letters you’ve drawn into a true type font, which can be imported to other applications. It turns out that it’s pretty neat-o to type in what looks like your own handwriting. (Or in the crazy bubble letters you’ve been perfecting since fifth grade.)

If you have a minute and are looking for a creative outlet, give iFontMaker a whirl (and some loops and swoops) and we’re sure it will bring you quite a few moments of ‘appiness.

From a design perspective, these infographics have totally got it goin’ on.

1. Cool Carbon Footprint

2. Super Social Networking Participant Gender Breakdown

3. Awesome Animal Infographic

4. Outstanding Online Shopping Infographic

5. Magnificent Mobile Marketing Data

Couldn’t ya just look at these things all day?  (You could?  Us too!  Check out this article more infographic fun.)

We’ve talked before about how part of your job as big kahuna of your business is to determine what characteristics make your business unique and play those traits up in your marketing. That means that your advertising is supposed to separate you from the pack and help your potential clients see just how special you are.

And we think that, in general, a lot of businesses do a good job with this. We do see some unique logos around…some creative promotional products…lots of companies generally rocking their onlyness. That being said, we can’t help but notice that some businesses get lazy when it comes to choosing fonts for their marketing materials.

Stay Off the Bandwagon

Some fonts have been around the block a few times, if you know what we mean. If you want to emphasize your unique image, then it’s a good idea to stay away from the fonts that everybody else in your industry uses. We came across a blog article the other day by designer Courtney Rose Galschiodt that discussed the five most overused fonts, and we chuckled as we thought about business cards and brochures we’ve seen written using these offenders. Really, how many children’s clothing boutiques have to use Curlz before someone puts a stop to it?

Yeah, that font choosing stuff can be trickier than it looks. Fonts vary widely in their readability and style, and now on top of it all you have to worry about whether the font you choose is too overdone. Your best bet is to relax and let a professional with a good understanding of typography make the choice for you. Like we always say, we love marketing and design, and when companies delegate these types of tasks to us, they’re freeing their employees up to focus on what they love to do.

But if you’re a diehard do-it-yourself-er, here’s one little suggestion – lay off of the Papyrus.

Well, spectacular as direct mail goes.

The mailer, which advertised dog food, was printed on nice card stock, was beautifully designed with well-chosen colors and graphics, and included generous coupons that were easily removed due to handy perforation.

The only thing that Jimbo found suspect about the mailer was that he is not a dog owner.

Still, the photos of the dog food made it look so appetizing that Jimbo found himself craving it. He briefly debated purchasing some for his own dinner, but came to his senses and ultimately gave the mailer to Pierre, a puppy-owning pal.

Wrong Recipient, Right Design

So let’s analyze this situation. Clearly, the dog food marketers forgot to do their homework and use a mailing list to ensure that the mailers ended up in the right hands. Not the best move, dog food people.

On the other hand, all’s well that ends well. Thanks to the mailer’s general awesomeness, Jimbo did what the company failed to do by passing the mailer on to someone who could use it. Pierre ended up becoming a lifelong customer of this dog food company, and it wouldn’t have happened if Jimbo wasn’t so impressed by this ad.

So while it’s really important to send your direct mail to the right people, it’s really REALLY important to have wonderfully designed direct mail.